To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wildflower Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour.—William Blake
In the Orient, there is a story of a samurai who is being chased by a bear. He literally runs off a cliff. As he’s falling, he grabs a branch.
He looks up and sees the bear leaning over the cliff, clawing at his head, missing only by inches. As he looks down to the ground below, only about fifteen feet, he sees a lion leaping up, missing his feet only by inches. As he looks at the branch he is clutching, he sees two groundhogs gnawing away at it. He watches as his lifeline disappears, bite by bite.
As he takes a deep, long breath, he notices, next to his branch, a clump of wild strawberries. In the midst of the clump is a great, red, juicy strawberry. With his one free hand, he reaches over, picks the strawberry, puts it in his mouth, chews it slowly and says, "Ah—delicious."
It is said that what the caterpillar calls the end of the world the master calls the butterfly. There is a Zen story about a peasant farmer who owned a beautiful horse desired by others. One day it disappeared. When all the villagers remarked on his bad luck, he calmly replied, "Maybe so, maybe not." A few days later the horse returned, leading a heard of fine wild horses. A week later, his only son was thrown and crippled while training the horses. When the villagers again remarked on his bad luck, he calmly replied, "Maybe so, maybe not." Within a week, a frivolous war was declared by the emperor and all young men, save the farmer’s son, were forced into battle and none returned.
We sit around in a ring and suppose But the Secret sits in the middle and knows.—Robert Frost
There was a man hanging from a cliff two thousand feet above the valley floor. The terrified man looked to the top of the cliff and screamed, "Is there anyone up there who can help me?"
A deep, booming reply came from above, "Yes, I’ll help you. I’m the Lord. Just relax and let go."
A long pause.
"Is there anyone else up there who can help me?"
Why not go out on a limb? That’s where the fruit is.—Will Rogers
The little I know, I owe to my ignorance. Sacha Guitry
Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it is the only one you have.—Emile Chartier
Normally, we do not so much look at things as overlook them.—Alan Watts
Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.—Helen Keller
The only person who likes change is a wet baby.—Roy Z-M Blitzer
What a strange machine man is! You fill him with bread, wine, fish and radishes, and out of him come sighs, laughter and dreams.—Nikos Kazantzakis
Zorba the Greek
My name used to be Me. But now it’s You.—Theophane the Monk
In Aikido, there are no enemies. The mistake is to begin to think that budo (the way of the warrior) means to have an opponent or enemy; somebody you want to be stronger than, someone you want to throw down. In true budo there is no enemy or opponent. True budo is to become one with the universe.—Morihei Ueshiba
Anyone can count the seeds in an apple.
No one can count the apples in a seed.—Anonymous
Ryoken, a Zen master, lived the simplest kind of life in a little hut at the foot of a mountain. One evening a thief visited the hut, only to discover there was nothing in it to steal.
Ryoken returned and caught him. "You may have come a long way to visit me," he told the prowler, "and you should not return empty handed. Please take my clothes as a gift."
The thief was bewildered. He took the clothes and slunk away.
Ryoken sat naked, watching the moon. "Poor fellow," he mused. "I wish I could give him this beautiful moon."
…everytime you think you are not happy, say "I am happy." Say it strongly to yourself, even if your feelings are contradictory. Remember, it is your self-image and not you. Just as fast as a fish can move in water, you can instantly change to a happy balanced attitude.—Tarthang Tulku Rinpoche
"The Self-Image"
Years ago there was a Christian monastery in Egypt. It was very poor materially. The only precious possessions were the Scriptures, written on three beautiful scrolls, that were always left open on a table in a small study near the chapel.
One day a monk came out of the study, screaming, "Father! Father! Someone is stealing the scrolls!"
The abbot of the monastery came running to the study and saw that two scrolls were indeed missing. But on the windowsill was the third scroll. It had been dropped by the thief.
The abbot grabbed the third scroll and dashed off in the direction of the fleeing thief. After a long chase, the abbot finally caught him.
The exhausted thief collapsed on the ground and surrendered himself to his captor and awaited the subsequent severe punishment rendered to thieves in those days.
Instead, the abbot stood in front of the man and handed him the third scroll, exclaiming, "I have been chasing you for quite awhile. I wanted to give you this third scroll. You forgot to take it and it is the most important one. The teachings would be incomplete without it."
With this, the abbot bowed and walked back to the monastery.
Shortly thereafter, the thief returned to the monastery with the scrolls, totally committed to becoming one of its monks.
What we see, and like to see, is cure and change. But what we do see and do not want to see is care, the participation I the pain, solidarity in suffering, the sharing in the experience of brokenness. And still, cure without care is as dehumanizing as a gift given with a cold heart.—Henri Nouwen
Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play.—Heraclitus
We train in hopes of being of some use, however small our role may be, in the task of bringing peace to mankind around the world.—Morihei Ueshiba
Jews wandered in the desert for 40 years because even in biblical times, men wouldn’t stop and ask for directions.
What Exactly Is Marriage?
"Marriage is when you get to keep your girl and don't have to give her back to her parents" -Eric, AGE 6
"When somebody's been dating for a while, the boy might propose to the girl. He says to her, 'I'll take you for a whole life, or at least until we have kids and get divorced, but you got to do one particular thing for me.' Then she says yes, but she's wondering what the thing is and whether it's naughty or not. She can't wait to find out." -Anita, AGE 9
How Does a Person Decide Whom to marry?
"You flip a nickel, and heads means you stay with him and tails means you try the next one." -Kelly, AGE 9
"My mother says to look for a man who is kind....That's what I'll do....I'll find somebody who's kinda tall and handsome." -Carolyn, AGE 8
Concerning the Proper Age to Get Married.
"Eighty-four Because at that age, you don't have to work anymore, and you can spend all your time loving each other in your bedroom." -Carolyn, AGE 8
"Once I'm done with kindergarten, I'm going to find me a wife" -Bert, AGE 5
How Did Your Mom and Dad Meet?
"They were at a dance party at a friend's house. Then they went for a drive, but their car broke down...It was a good thing, because it gave them a chance to find out about their values." -Lottie, AGE 9
"My father was doing some strange chores for my mother. They won't tell me what kind." -Jeremy, AGE 8
What Do Most People Do on a Date?
"On the first date, they just tell each other lies, and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date." -Martin, AGE 10
"Many daters just eat pork chops and french fries and talk about love." -Craig, AGE 9
When Is It Okay to Kiss Someone?
"You should never kiss a girl unless you have enough bucks to buy her a ring and her own VCR, 'cause she'll want to have videos of the wedding." -Allan, AGE 10
"Never kiss in front of other people. It's a big embarrassing thing if anybody sees you....If nobody sees you, I might be willing to try it with a handsome boy, but just for a few hours." -Kally, AGE 9
The Great Debate: Is It Better to Be Single or Married?
"You should ask the people who read Cosmopolitan" -Kirsten, AGE 10
"It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need somebody to clean up after them" -Anita, AGE 9
"It gives me a headache to think about that stuff. I'm just a kid. I don't need that kind of trouble." -Will, AGE 7
Winston Churchill
vThe price of greatness is responsibility.
vThe greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes. vPersonally, I’m always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.
vSome men change their party for the sake of their principles; others their principles for the sake of their party.
v
It was the nation and the race dwelling all round the globe that had the lion’s heart.I had the luck to be called upon to give the roar.
v
He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire.v
An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.v
Eating words has never given me indigestion.v
Nothing is more costly, nothing is more sterile, than vengeance.v
Without courage, all other virtues lose their meaning.In war you can only be killed once, but in politics many times.
v
We do not covet anything from any nation except their respect.v
A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject.v
There is no finer investment for any community than putting milk into babies.v
It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link in the chain of destiny can be handled at a time.v
Moral of the Work. In war: resolution. In defeat: defiance. In victory: magnanimity. In peace: goodwill.Theodore Roosevelt
l
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.l
No man is above the law and no man below it.l
Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.l
Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.l
Obedience of the law is demanded; not asked as a favor.l
The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.l
In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.l
Don’t spread patriotism too thin.l
Aggressive fighting for the right is the greatest sport in the world.l
Don’t foul, don’t flinch – hit the line hard.l
Nine-tenths of wisdom consists in being wise in time.l
Get action. Seize the moment. Man was never intended to become an oyster.l
I think there is only one quality worse than hardness of heart and that is softness of head.l
No man is justified in doing evil on the ground of expediency.l
No man is worth his salt who is not ready at all times to risk his body, to risk his well-being, to risk his life, in a great cause.u
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of this creed—We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.u
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
u
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.u
If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, "here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well."u
Nothing pains some people more than having to think.u
I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.u
We must use time creatively --- and forever realize that the time is always hope to do great things.u
We must combine the toughness of the serpent and the softness of the dove,a tough mind and a tender heart.
u
Man is man because he is free to operate within the framework of his destiny.He is free to deliberate, to make decisions, and to choose between alternatives.
u
Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation.The foundation of such a method is love.
u
If a man hasn’t discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.u
We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive.He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.
u
When evil men plot, good men must plan.u
When evil men plot, good men must plan.When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men must commit themselves to the glories of love.
u
When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring form every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of that old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"Vince Lombardi
The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless fo their chosen field of endeavor.
It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.
The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.
The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.
Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.
The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.
In great attempts it is glorious even to fail.
Football is like life --- it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.
Build for your team a feeling of oneness, of dependence upon one another and of strength to be derived by unity.
I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour --- his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear --- is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle --- victorious.
Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all-the-time thing.
It is and always has been an American seal to be first in anything we do and to win and to win and to win.
If you can accept losing, you can’t win.
Winning is not everything --- but making the effort to win is.
We know how rough the road will be, how heavy here the load will be, we know about the barricades that wait along the track, but we have set our soul ahead upon a certain goal ahead and nothing left from hell to sky shall ever turn us back.
Golda Meir
Those who do not know how to weep with their whole heart don’t know how to laugh either.
You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.
I can honestly say that I was never affected by the question of the success of an undertaking. If I felt it was the right thing to do, I was for it regardless of the possible outcome.
Old age is like a plane flying through a storm. Once you’re aboard, there’s nothing you can do.
A leader who doesn’t hesitate before he sends his nation into battle is not fit to be a leader.
Abraham Lincoln
Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.
A drop of honey catches more flies that a gallon of gall. So with men. If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend. Therein is a drop of honey which catches his heart, which, say what he will, is the highroad to his reason.
"Untilled ground, however rich, will bring forth thistles and thorns; so also the mind of man." St. Teresa Avila (Spanish Carmelite nun)
"Minds are like parachutes. They work best when they are open."
"What you resist, persists."
"You can always spot a well-informed man-his views are the same as yours."
Ilka Chase
"The whole secret of life is to be interested in one thing profoundly and in a thousand things well."
Horace Walpoe
"Never let yesterday use up today."
"Failure is not defeat…until you stop trying."
"A friend walks in when others are walking out."
"You can control any situation if you first control yourself."
"A miracle is a message from our hearts, sent to dissolve all limitations."
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