I Dreamt That Life Was Joy

I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.
-- Rabindranath Tagore

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The Essence of Encouragement

Each person has an ideal, a hope, a dream which represents the soul. We must give to it the warmth of love, the light of understanding and the essence of encouragement.
-- Colby Dorr Dam

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Uncreative Moments

One must also accept that one has 'uncreative' moments. The more honestly one can accept that, the quicker these moments will pass.
-- Etty Hillesum

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Following Your Deepest Instinct

It is only by following your deepest instinct that you can lead a rich life, and if you let your fear of consequence prevent you from following your deepest instinct, then your life will be safe, expedient and thin.
-- Katharine Butler Hathaway

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The Full Moon of the Guru

Every time we remember to say "thank you," we experience nothing less than heaven on earth.
-- Sarah Ban Breathnach

Thursday, July 17th is the Full Moon of the Guru: Guru Purnima. In the Vedic tradition, this is an auspicious evening for remembering and thanking the great sage Vyasa, author of the Bhagavad Gita and other great works, and for celebrating all of the teachers in our lives: our children, parents, siblings, spouse, co-workers, bosses, professors, etc. Thoughts of gratitude and wishing them well with metta -- intention of loving kindness -- is a beautiful way to celebrate their gifts.

On this night, I give thanks for the many people, in all walks of life, who have so graciously given their time, attention and wisdom. I have been most richly blessed to have encountered so many teachers in my life, whether called Sifu or Sensei, Grandmaster or Guru, Teacher, Professor, family member or friend. I thank you all. I am humbled by your inspiring gifts, and more prosperous because of them.

If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is "thank you," that would suffice.
-- Meister Eckhart

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Acceptance

Acceptance is not a state of passivity or inaction. I am not saying you can't change the world, right wrongs, or replace evil with good. Acceptance is, in fact, the first step to successful action. If you don't fully accept a situation precisely the way it is, you will have difficulty changing it. Moreover, if you don't fully accept the situation, you will never really know if the situation should be changed.
-- Peter McWilliams, Life 101

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Elimination of Nonessentials

Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is a nobler art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of nonessentials.
-- Lin Yutang

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The Source of Your Joy

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.
-- Thich Nhat Hanh

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As Wise As the Day I Was Born

Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in. I drink at it; but while I drink, I see the sandy bottom and detect how shallow it is. Its thin current slides away, but eternity remains. I would drink deeper; fish fill the sky, whose bottom is pebbly with stars. I cannot count one. I know not the first letter of the alphabet. I have always been regretting that I was not as wise as the day I was born.
-- Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862)

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Our True Home is in the Present Moment

Our true home is in the present moment. To live in the present moment is a miracle. The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green Earth in the present moment, to appreciate the peace and beauty that are available now. Peace is all around us -- in the world and in nature -- and within us -- in our bodies and our spirits. Once we learn to touch this peace, we will be healed and transformed. It is not a matter of faith; it is a matter of practice. We need only to find ways to bring our body and mind back to the present moment so we can touch what is refreshing, healing, and wondrous.
-- Thich Nhat Hanh, Touching Peace

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Where Can I Find A Man Who Has Forgotten Words?

The purpose of a fish trap is to catch fish, and when the fish are caught, the trap is forgotten. The purpose of a rabbit snare is to catch rabbits. When the rabbits are caught, the snare is forgotten. The purpose of words is to convey ideas. When the ideas are grasped, the words are forgotten. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words? He is the one I would like to talk to.
-- Chuang Tzu

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Inner Appreciation

See, that's all you're thinking about, is winning. You're confirming your sense of self- worth through outward reward instead of through inner appreciation.
-- Barbara Hall, Northern Exposure, Gran Prix, 1994

This quote sums up the Yogic concept of Santosa: Contentment and the Embrace of Life. Many of us are entering a new year with typical Western "resolutions" to fix something about ourselves, reach a milestone or some external goal. While these ambitions are often noble, be aware that they can sometimes generate discontent.

We sometimes motivate ourselves through such assertions as, "I'll finally be happy whenever I have.." -- and fill in the blank. Maybe we think we'll be happy when we loose that weight, meet that special someone, or stop smoking. The motivation in all of these is very similar: I am broken, and I must do something to fix myself, or I am incomplete and need to add something to my life.

Such thinking plants the seed of the undoing of your goals. If you recognize your own mind in these thoughts, then refocus and re-center. Find your Inner Appreciation first, and set your goals with a mind towards Growth. This is nature's way. Always remember that life is a process of growth, and all experience and circumstance -- the fun and the frustrating alike -- becomes something that we can practice and learn from.