Lao Tsu Quotes...

Lao Tsu was a philosopher of ancient China. According to Chinese tradition, Lao Tsu (also known as "Laozi") lived in the 6th century B.C. When reading these ancient words, it moves me to see how relevant and pertinent these words are to us living in the 21st century. What I personally take away from this is the universality and timelessness of the human condition, human mind and human spirit - that no matter how much progress our society and culture has made in the past two thousand years, at our essence we continue to experience and struggle with very similar emotions, confront similar internal and interpersonal frustrations, and very much share our ancestors' spiritual and existential questions:

A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.

At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.

Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.

Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.

He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened.

I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.

If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve.

In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don't try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present.

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.

Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.

Silence is a source of great strength.

To know yet to think that one does not know is best; Not to know yet to think that one knows will lead to difficulty.

To lead people walk behind them.

To realize that you do not understand is a virtue; Not to realize that you do not understand is a defect.

Treat those who are good with goodness, and also treat those who are not good with goodness. Thus goodness is attained. Be honest to those who are honest, and be also honest to those who are not honest. Thus honesty is attained.

When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.

Become Legendary...

What Really Matters In The End...

From the writings of Hafiz:

When all your desires are distilled
You will cast just two votes:
To love more. And be happy...

Dance...

The following poem was written by Rumi, a famous 13th-century Persian poet, theologian and Sufi mystic:

Dance when you're broken open.
Dance when you've torn the bandage off.
Dance in the middle of fighting.
Dance in your blood.
Dance when you're perfectly free.
Struck, the dancer hears a tambourine inside her,
like a wave that crests into foam at the very top,
Begins.
Maybe you don't hear that tambourine,
or the tree leaves clapping time.
Close the ears on your head,
that listen mostly to lies and cynical jokes.
There are other things to see, and hear.
Music. Dance.
A brilliant city inside your soul!

I Saw You Dancing...

The following poem was written by Hafiz. a famous Persian poet who lived in the 14th century:

I saw you dancing last night on the roof of your house all alone.
I felt your heart longing for the Friend.
I saw you whirling beneath the soft bright rose
that hung from an invisible stem in the sky.

So I began to change into my best clothes in hopes of joining you,
even though I live a thousand miles away.
And if you had spun like an immaculate sphere just two more times,
then bowed again so sweetly to the east,
you would have found God and me standing so near and lifting you into our arms.

I saw you dancing last night
near the roof of this world...

Words That Inspire...

Most Beautiful Beaches In The World...

Beautiful Planet Earth...

Wonders Of Nature...

Most Amazing Places On Earth...

The Secret Of The Universe...

The Secret...

May This Give You Inspiration...

A Sign in Japan...

My wife just returned from a business trip to Japan. While doing some sight-seeing between meetings, she came across this sign which caught her eye. With the magic of the iphone, she was able to capture this picture and shared it with the rest of our family.

The statement on the sign, with its somewhat inaccurate grammar, seems simplistic at first glance. And yet, it talks to the natural beauty of one's face which we often forget, instead choosing to rely on external superficial additives and synthetic enhancements. I think the sign is also a reminder of the huge importance of our smile in our daily communication and interaction with others - a simple yet profound gesture which builds rapport, breaks down barriers, and brings people closer together...

Tequila and Salt...

Today I received an email from someone very close to me in my life. It contained a few short and simple statements, under the title of "Tequila and Salt". Although I didn't immediately clue in to the meaning behind the title, after a few moments I realized that the reference was to the common expression: "if life hands you lemons, make lemonade" - although I guess in this case, the advice was to have a tequila and salt:

Tequila and Salt

This should probably be taped to your bathroom mirror where one could read it every day. You may not realize it, but it's 100% true:

1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for

2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way

3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you

4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you

5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep

6. You mean the world to someone

7. You are special and unique

8. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you

9. When you make the biggest mistake ever,something good comes from it

10. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take another look

11. Always remember the compliments you received...Forget about the rude remarks

And always remember... when life hands you Lemons, ask for Tequila and Salt!

Images That Changed The World...

World's Most Famous Photos...

Unbelievable Photos...

Amazing Photos 2007...

World's Most Beautiful Places...

You Are Always Near...

You've Got A Friend - Sand Fantasy...

Mindfulness Stress Reduction and Healing...

Why We Do What We Do, And How We Can Make It Better...

Go For Your Dream - The Habits of Achievement...

The Playground Earth...

I Believe in You...

12 Things to Remember...

Think...

It is amazing how much power our thoughts have. It is also amazing (tragic, actually) that most of us don't realize this. Furthermore, most of us don't even try to grasp the reigns on our mind, or learn to navigate and direct our thoughts.

Those that do understand and appreciate this fact, and who train themselves over time to be in greater control and in charge of their thinking patterns, are able to open up doors and pathways to achieve great things - not just of a material nature, but much more importantly, piece of mind and internal contentment and happiness.

The passage that follows, whose authour is unknown, clearly expresses the power of our thoughts to determine our fate:

If you think you are beaten, you are;

If you think you dare not, you don't;

If you'd like to win but you think you can't,

You can almost be certain you won't.

If you think that you'll lose, you are lost,

For out in the world you will find

Success begins with a person's will;

It's all in the state of the mind.

If you think you're outclassed you are;

You've got to think high to rise.

You've just got to be sure of yourself

Before you can win the prize.

Life's battles don't always go

To a stronger or faster man;

But sooner or later the person who wins

Is the person that THINKS they can.

Promise Yourself...

I very much believe that our thoughts, behaviour and actions directly impact the way we feel inside - and our thoughts and behaviours have a direct impact on each other.

There is no question that our thoughts (the thousands and thousands of them that occur throughout the day - most even without our being conscious of them) have a direct and massive effect on how we feel emotionally, and ultimately on the actions we take and the way we choose to behave in various situations. But a critical distinction here is that our behaviour and actions can also have an effect on our emotions - in other words, in the reverse direction. Our actions and behaviours can have a profound effect on our emotions and can dramatically change the way we think and feel.

Try walking slowly with a droopy face, shoulders hunched down, think pessimistic and negative thoughts, speak slowly and indistinctly - and not surprisingly you may start to feel terribly - sad, frustrated and helpless. It also wouldn't be much of a surprise if you don't attract too many people into your life while in this state.

Walk upright, taking each step with intent, shoulders up, chest forward, smile, speak with clarity - and somehow our internal emtions follow suit with our physical expression - feeling confident, happy, optimistic etc. Of course, I know it's never quite that simple. But the way we behave and conduct ourselves physically has a huge impact on our own internal emotions and feelings. It also has a huge impact on how people respond to us.

The idea here is not only to think optimistically - but actually to hold your body, behave, and act towards others in line with optimism, happiness, confidence, security, and love and appreciation for the world around us and the people who come into our lives.

The passage below comes from the Optimist Creed. It speaks to me about the importance of focusing on and monitoring our internal thoughts as well as our actions and behaviours - so that we are both internally and externally aligned (in mind and body) with that life energy which is positive, generous, loving and fulfilling:

Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can
disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to
every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel like there is
something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your
optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best,
and expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on the
greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give
every living person you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, and too
strong for fear, and too happy to permit the
presence of trouble.

24 Interludes of Life...

I came across this passage today. Unfortunately I don't know the author to whom this writing is attributed. To me, the words are simple yet beautifully profound:


1. Don't go for looks, they can deceive. Don't go for wealth even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile.

2. There are moments in life when you really miss someone that you want to pick them up from your dreams and hug them. Hope you dream of that someone.

3. Dream what you want to dream, go where you want to go, be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want in life.

4. May you have...Enough happiness to make you sweet
Enough trials to make you strong
Enough sorrow to keep you human
Enough hope to make you happy
And enough money to keep you comfortable.

5. When one door of happiness closes, another opens. But we often took so long at the closed door, that we don't see the one which has been opened for us.

6. The best kind of friend is the one you could sit on a porch, swing with, never saying a word and then walk away feeling like that was the best conversation you've had.

7. It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.

8. Always put yourself in other's shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably does hurt the person too.

9. A careless word may kindle a strife;
A cruel word may wreck a life
A timely word may level stress
A lovely word may heal and bless.

10. The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves and not to twist them with our own image, otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.

11. The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the most of everything that comes along the way.

12. Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the right one so that when we finally meet the right person, we should know how to be grateful for that gift.

13. It takes a minute to have a crush on someone, an hour to like someone and a day to love someone, but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.

14. Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched and those who have tried. For only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives.

15. Love is when you take away the feeling, the passion, the romance and find out you still care for that person.

16. A sad thing about life is that when you meet someone who means a lot to you only to find out in the end that it was never bound to be and you just have to let go.

17. Love starts with a smile, develops with a kiss and ends with a tear.

18. Love comes to those who still hope even though they've been disappointed, to those who still believe even though they've been betrayed, need to love those who still love, even though they've been hurt before.

19. It hurts to love someone, and not to be loved in return but what is most painful is to love someone and never finds the courage to let the person know how you feel.

20. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past. You can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

21. Never say goodbye when you still want to try;
Never give up when you still feel you can take it;
Never say you don't love that person anymore when you can't let go.

22. Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they'll love you back. Don't expect love in return, just wait for it to grow in their hearts but if it doesn't, be content it grew in yours.

23. There are things you love to hear but you would never hear it from the person whom you would like to hear it from, but don't be deaf to hear it from the person who says it with his heart.

24. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life to the fullest so that when you die, you're smiling and everyone around you is crying.

Attitude is Everything...

I have heard it said many times by many people (most of whom are much smarter and much more intelligent than I am) that it's not what happens to us in life that matters but our attitude towards it - the way we psychologically, emotionally and intellectually frame and interpret those things that have already occurred in our lives or are currently happening around us and to us. It is the meaning that we choose to attach to those events and the significance that we choose to attribute to those events. The extension of this point is that although we obviously cannot control many (if not all) of the things that are happening around us and end up "colliding" with us, what we do have power over and the capacity to control is the reaction to those events.

We have the power, the choice and the capacity to decide how those events will impact and influence us - the power, the capacity and the profound choice whether to be angry or not, whether to feel like a victim or not, whether to feel defeated and diminished or not, whether to feel overwhelmed, upset, frustrated or not.

Of course, this is easier said than done. And the problem is that many of our habitual responses to events outside of us have become so reflexive and automatic that we begin to feel that we are powerless to do anything and are at their mercy. The first step to overcoming this is to realize that we do, in fact, have the control. We have the choice of how we want to respond and thus the capacity to determine the shape and form of our emotions, thoughts and feelings. And it is the ability (which can be exercised and strengthened over time with practice) to reframe those external life events into shapes and forms that do not disrupt the serenity and stability of our lives (emotionally, physically and spiritually) that can differentiate a life of happiness and contentment from one of sorrow, misery, regret and disappointment.

The power of attitude is clearly described in these words of Charles Swindoll:

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, gifted ability, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace from that day. We cannot change our past, we cannot change the fact that people will act in certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing that we can do is play on the one string that we have and this string is, Attitude. I am convinced that life is ten percent what happens to me and ninety percent how I react to it. And so it is with you....We are in charge of our Attitudes.

The Guy In the Glass...

One of my personal characteristics which I am most proud of, which has allowed me to reach success in many aspects of my life, but which at the same time has also been responsible for a fair amount of headache and pain, both for me and those close to me, is perfectionism. Perfectionism - the feeling of never wanting to settle for second best, the desire to always strive for personal growth and improvement; the emotion that prevents me from giving in to defeat and failure, and pushes me to continue to struggle in the face of adversity. It's also the seed of self-doubt, insecurity and thinking that you're never quite good-enough. It means being, at the same time, my own biggest fan and greatest critic.
The difficulty is harnessing all the positive power that comes with being a perfectionist, while at the same time letting go of the self-depracating and self-criticizing aspects which make one never quite happy and satisfied with whatever has been achieved and accomplished - allowing oneself to be truly happy within, content, satisfied, and at peace. Being able to look at yourself in the mirror and being proud of and happy with the person looking back.

Today I came across this poem called "The Guy in the Glass" which was written in 1934by Dale Wimbrow Sr. (1895-1954):

When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day,
Just go to a mirror and look at yourself
And see what THAT man has to say.
For it isn't your father or mother or wife
Whose judgment upon you must pass,
The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the one staring back from the glass.
Some people might think you're a straight-shootin' chum
And call you a wonderful guy.
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye.
He's the fellow to please, never mind all the rest,
For he's with you clear to the end,
And you've passed your most dangerous test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.
You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you've cheated the man in the glass.

If - by Rudyard Kipling

I am always looking for inspirational things. And, quite frankly, the times when I don't find any is a time when in reality I'm just not looking. The truth is that inspiration is always around us, presenting itself in a myriad of forms and shapes. The key is to be quiet, really quiet, attentive and open to receive the message. It is then, that the inspiration pours in like the waters of an open damn.

Today, I came across this poem by Rudyard Kipling. I think its words are simple yet the message is so profound and powerful. It seems to me that oftentimes to really understand (comprehend!) and learn life's lessons one has to live life first, make all those decisions and choices, go through and experience the consequences of those decisions and actions - and then, and only then, can one learn the true lessons underlying those life events. As much as one often tries to learn from the mistakes and the experiences of others, trying to learn from the wisdom of those who have gone before us, hoping to do it better than they did, to avoid their mistakes and their painful and tragic consequences - inevitably, we all have lessons that we must learn ourselves - perhaps meant only for us - for us to experience, for us to learn from, and for us to transmit to those who will follow. In the end, it just may be impossible to avoid all pain, all suffering, all tragedy. In the end, we may end up reading the words of these great poems, each being able to truly appreciate the written words having lived them personally, and thus being able to empathize with each other.

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you.
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat these two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!