Let bygones be bygones....

.....Life's too short for rancour and recrimination. Build bridges, don't burn them. Reach out the hand of reconciliation. Let loose the white dove of peace and tolerance. Be big-hearted and generous. And look a little more forgivingly at that person in the mirror, after all, there but for the grace of God goes you! 

Things happen from time to time, we have to learn from them and move on.

Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain; but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving  (Dale Carnegie)

If we all want peace....

....and understanding, how come we all spend so much time arguing and failing to comprehend why the other people in our world can be so utterly unreasonable and inconsiderate? Serenity is not something we can buy from a supermarket; it is something we have to develop within ourselves.

There are no shops that give out 'tolerance tokens' for us to cash in at times of great need. We create our own... or we live without it and suffer the stress.


If we have no peace it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.    (Mother Teresa)

Imagine eating one meal....

....and then never needing to eat again for the rest of your life. Or getting one good night's sleep and then staying awake forever and a day because you have now fulfilled your need to slip into unconsciousness. There are some things that we just have to keep on doing over and over again.

By and large, though, only the pleasurable activities need to be repeated. If a positive pattern is playing itself out in your life now, enjoy it. If, though, there's a sense of 'uh-oh, here we go again', break the habit.

People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them  (James A Baldwin)

There's love and there's love...

....Relationships, by and large, involve conditional love. No matter how much one person loves another, they can usually bring themselves to stop if the other person behaves badly enough. A particularly tolerant soul may forgive more... but the kind of love that flows between two people, wonderful though it may be, is not the kind of love that makes the world go round.

That's love for life itself.

Great relationships aren't built in a day.  Great relationships are built daily.

I was made aware of this quite recently....

.....In some cultural traditions, buildings are deliberately left unfinished. Even if the entire structure is an intricate work of art, one little section is kept incomplete. This is a spiritual gesture, an acknowledgement of the idea that there's always room for improvement!

   

Nothing is ever as good as it can get. When we claim to have it all or pretend that we have solved all our problems, we are kidding ourselves. To be human is to wrestle with incompatible urges. Something in your world may be far from complete. Yet that doesn't mean it isn't still perfect in its own way.

Be as you wish to seem.   (Socrates)

Loving someone or....

..... knowing that they love you is not a licence to abuse or antagonise them. It is never okay to hurt someone's feelings, just because you suspect that you will be 'safe', even if you do.

 

We all need to learn to show each other more respect and to treat the people we are closest to with the same degree of deference and civility that we might show to a stranger.

Love isn't a decision, it's a feeling.  If we decided who to love, life may be simpler but far less magical.

Do you know how many books....

......offer to test your personality or measure your IQ?  (Personally, I've absolutely no idea.) None, though, offers you the opportunity to assess your sanity. Now, why might this be? Because such publications would not sell? Or because, despite the claims of erudite professionals, there is absolutely no reliable way to make such a judgement. One person's sanity is another's madness - and vice versa.

So who can say what's crazy now? If you are happy with what's happening, enjoy it. If not, change it.

All actions result from thought, so it is thought that matters   (Sai Baba)

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/sai_baba.html#aGi02bmyqrgKe8h0.99

Before, during and after....

....the 2nd World War there was an entertainer called George Formby.  When he sang, he was the master of euphemisms. He was forever going on about his little stick of Blackpool rock. Or his granddad's flannelette night-shirt. Or his Auntie Maggie's remedy. In each instance, what he was really alluding to was his... 

Well, expert opinion differs. Freudian analysts feel sure he was referring to a part of his own anatomy. Those who are inclined to focus on Jung would insist he was simply describing an innate spiritual philosophy.   (Think I'll stop here - some might begin to think I'm educated...!!!)

There's rarely a need to look for hidden meanings. The obvious is all you need to see.

Let my soul smile through my heart and my heart smile through my eyes, that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts.    (Paramahansa Yogananda)

Things that are easy to say....

....are not always easy to hear. A few words, uttered in an unguarded moment, can reverberate in an awkward echo that is never satisfactorily silenced. Fortunately, the opposite is true. There are some speeches that we mull over in our minds for ages, afraid that they will go down badly. Yet when we finally deliver them, they can be surprisingly well received. 

As long as we give due thought about what we are really trying to say, there's no reason why it shouldn't be said in a way that brings about the right result.

All action results from thought, so it is thoughts that matter.  (Sai Baba)

I don't know if you travel a lot....

.....but if you do, you'll probably have noticed that near every great tourist attraction, there will be an artist sitting quietly at an easel. For a fee, this great creative talent will draw you with an elongated nose, an extended forehead, a longer chin or over-emphasized eyes. They will attempt to paint a picture which, whilst it undoubtedly is 'you'... isn't really you. It will lack subtlety. It won't really do you justice. 

We all have such an artist in our mind. It looks at situations and it sums them up unevenly and unfairly.

As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.  (Carl Jung)

Got your bucket list in front of you....

.....or in the forefront of your mind?  We think we want so many things. We create those lists full of hope, dreams, desires and details. Yet, actually, we don't want anywhere near as much as we think we want. When it really comes down to it, we all of us only ever want one thing. Wisdom.

 

 

 

When we have that, we have everything else we require or, at least, we have the way to it... Which amounts to the same thing.







 

Everyone can be great – because anyone can serve.      (Martin Luther King Jr)

Do you remember organ grinders....

....with their little monkeys on top of the organ?  I very much doubt it.  But think about them for a moment - If an organ grinder is playing a tuneless melody, what's the point in drawing this to the attention of the little monkey who is dancing on the top of the musical instrument? It is, of course, to be hoped that there is no little monkey.

 

 

Gone are the days when street entertainers felt free to abuse animals by having them perform for the public. But then, think about how this barbaric and abusive practice, in itself, got stamped out. The authorities complained to the organ grinders, not the monkeys.

 

It always helps to talk to the right person.

 

 

 

 

Ask me not what I have, but what I am.   (Heinrich Heine)

 

 

 

 

 

People are not....

....always reasonable. Sometimes, they don't realise when they are being unreasonable. Their actions, to them, seem perfectly reasonable! When you try to tell them that they don't seem very reasonable to you, they think that you are the one who is being unreasonable.

 

 

You may have many reasons to do something, and those reasons may make plenty of sense, but it still doesn't mean they are the right reasons.

The people starve because those above them eat too much tax-grain.  That is the only reason why they starve.   (Lao Tzu)

Banged your head against...

....any walls, lately?  Well, if you find that you are banging your head against a brick wall, which of the following options should you choose: a) get a crash helmet?; b) persuade several other people to bang their heads against the wall, too - in the hope that between you all, you can make an impact?; or c) stop doing it? I don't really have to create a questionnaire to get the answer.

 

I know how every reasonable person in this world will reply.  As do we all.

 

 

 

The worst of all evil is to leave the ranks of the living before one dies.   (Seneca)

Winners and losers don't exist....

....unless you have some kind of a competition going on. Despite the fact that we are encouraged from an early age, to see life as a race or a battle, our happiness is not dependent on point scoring.  



 

True joy is not linked to the ability to get what you want. It stems from the ability to see that there's more to existence than material success.

 

 

 

Sometimes all a person needs to succeed is just a little support.

Things that are easy to say....

....are not always easy to hear. A few words, uttered in an unguarded moment, can reverberate in an awkward echo that is never satisfactorily silenced. Fortunately, the opposite is true. There are some speeches that we mull over in our minds for ages, afraid that they will go down badly. Yet when we finally deliver them, they can be surprisingly well received.

 

 

 

As long as you think about what you are really trying to say, you're very likely to say it in a way that brings about the right result.

 

The past is a place of reference, not a place of residence.

Another one of those blogs...

...that's different from the norm -

The Imperial Diet of Worms

 

On 17 April 1521, Martin Luther was asked if a collection of books (25) was his, and if he was prepared to recant and revoke their heresies.   Luther asked for more time to give a proper answer, so was given until the next day.

On 18 April, Martin Luther, stating he'd prayed for long hours, consulted with friends and mediators, and presented himself before the Diet.  Among other things, he said - Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me.   Amen

 

 

 Here is one of his prayers -

Behold, Lord, an empty vessel that needs to be filled. My Lord, fill it.
I am weak in the faith; strengthen me.
I am cold in love; warm me and make me fervent, that my love may go out to my neighbour.
I do not have a strong faith; at times I doubt.
O Lord, help me. Strengthen my faith and trust in you.
With me, there is an abundance of sin; in you is the fullness of righteousness.
Therefore I will strive to remain with you. Amen.

Spin doctors love....

....sound bites. (Don't they just!!)  Their view - Let's not bother people with our complicated arguments. Let's just say something short and snappy. It'll sound good and stick in their memory.

And, as we're all too busy working to cover the taxes that, in turn, pay those politician's wages, we don't much seem to mind. Until, that is, we wake up and realise that they have squandered billions through incompetence and idiocy.

That's the price we are likely to pay for taking assurances at face value, no matter who gives them.

A rumour goes in one ear and out of many mouths.   (Chinese proverb)

I'd wish I'd been able to meet....

.....the man who designed a special suit to keep you dry while you were having a bath. Now that's what I call eccentricity in its purest form!! It sounds like a great idea until you stop to think about it. There is, of course, a world of difference between a nearly useful invention and a really useful invention.

 

Do you have a plan that sounds very convincing, appropriate and wise. But does it contain a fundamental flaw? If you can't see one, invite someone else to criticise it. There is nothing wrong with a little cautious cynicism.

 

 

 

A joyful heart is the normal result of a heart burning with love.    (Mother Teresa)

Some events seem....

....strange at first. We blink in disbelief. We do our best to carry on as we were doing before. We will try not to see - or to talk or to think about whatever makes us feel so uncomfortable. Yet it is not always the case that we 'blank out' bad things whilst recognising good ones.

 

 

Weirdly, we often can't see the most amazing opportunities whilst being all too keenly aware of grudges or grievances.

I pointed out to you the stars and all you saw was the tip of my finger. (Sukuma Proverb)

Some senior scientists were paid to prove....

.....that the beating of a butterfly's wing on one side of the globe, can trigger air currents that eventually cause a hurricane many miles away.  (Part of the Chaos Theory, I seem to remember.)   If so, perhaps we all have to rethink the idea that our words and deeds make little impact on society as a whole.

 

 

We do have influence. And power. We need to recognise this and to use our abilities wisely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star.    (Nietzsche)

 

Do you ever feel, like me....

.....that whatever you do is either not enough, or not good enough?  Well, when you think about it, critics have to be careful about how much praise they provide. Their job is to find fault and, if they are too forgiving, they may end up being criticised for it. Sometimes, they will be unduly harsh - just because this appears to prove that they are keeping their edge. Others may or may not have a right to disapprove of you, but you are not entitled to feel that way about yourself.

 

 

 

Regardless of what others think or of what you may fear that you feel, it is extremely important to be your own best friend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others

Mistakes - they always seem to tempt us....

....to review them and then to analyse those reviews.  We do this sometimes because we feel we may be able to learn something - and sometimes, through some perverse desire to punish ourselves. Often though, our biggest mistakes are the ones we know nothing about. They may involve opportunities we do not realise we have missed or decisions that have led to a worse outcome than we yet realise.

 

 

And then, there are the moves we made which we thought were wrong, yet turned out not to be mistakes at all.

 

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.      (Leo Buscaglia)

Some people will say....

....or do almost anything if they think that it will gain them more money, more love or more respect. It's all rather sad, to say nothing of counterproductive. Money earned through insincere action is soon wasted on unnecessarily indulgence. Love attained through a false promise is soon lost. Recognition given to an empty gesture is rapidly replaced by criticism.

 

 

 

If there is ever pressure on you to lower a standard or to compromise an important principle, the apparent reward is probably not really worth having.

 

We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.  (Martin Luther King)

 

'They' have been making utterances again....

....now they are saying ignorance is bliss.  Well, what a surprise - it's not true. Ignorance is vulnerability. Ignorance is deprivation, despair and depression. It is the inability to recognise precisely what you need, even when it is staring you in the face. Ignorance allows you to be robbed of something precious without even realising. Those who happen to be in the know understand one thing very clearly.

 

 

 

Your ignorance is indeed their bliss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friendship is born at the moment when one person says to another: What! You too?  I thought I was the only one.   (C S Lewis)

 

 

There are some who believe...

.....that stability is something you attain through prudence. If you don't rock the boat, they argue, the boat will be less inclined to rock you. (And you know how you are viewed if you do rock the boat from time to time.) 

 

 

But how can you truly hope to create an island of conviction in the ocean of uncertainty? The best you can hope to accomplish is a psychological surfboard that lets you ride the waves of chaos, rather than be continually submerged by them.

 

 

Take chances. When rowing forward, the boat may rock. (Chinese proverb)

Let bygones be bygones....

.....Life's too short for rancour and recrimination. Build bridges, don't burn them. Reach out the hand of reconciliation. Let loose the white dove of peace and tolerance. Be big-hearted and generous. Remember that a grudge is the heaviest thing to hold.  And look a little more forgivingly at that person in the mirror, after all, there but for the grace of God goes you! 

 

 

 

 

Things happen from time to time, we have to learn from them and move on.

 

With courage you will dare to take risks, have the strength to be compassionate, and the wisdom to be humble.  Courage is the foundation of integrity.   (Keshaven Nair)

 

There are some very brave and noble....

....people in this world.  We know them as politicians.  They dedicate their entire lives to the quest for answers. They have worked out what we really need to do in order to create peace and prosperity on this planet. They stand for what is right and true and good. They never argue with each other for the sake of it. They just airily debate the finer points of ideas on which they both heartily agree. Don't they?

 

 

 

 

If there's a load of tosh being talked by people close to you, rise above it. Stand apart from it. Don't get involved with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it  (Helen Keller)

You know those super heroes.....

.....well, let's look at some of them closely.  Superman, famously, had problems with his love life, his job and his family. Batman, too. Spiderman was positively dysfunctional. Ironman has a personality disorder bordering on megalomania. And the women aren't much better. What's the Invisible Girl's problem? An inferiority complex? Oh, and Wonder Woman? If only her parents had given her more attention as a toddler.  

 

 

So many of us may well have drawbacks and difficulties, but that doesn't mean we don't also have amazing abilities.

Everything is going to be alright, maybe not today, but eventually.

Before the days when....

.....Paul Daniel was in vogue; (he was, once - I kid you not.) every magician could pull out a rabbit from a hat. These days, though, as well as the rabbit, the magician is also obliged to produce a vet and an animal welfare inspector, both of whom can testify to the fact that the creature has not been harmed.

 

 

 

 

No matter how good you are at sleight of hand, you can't pull a rabbit (with or without the appropriate documentation) out of a hat - unless you have got one to put in the hat in the first place. But that's not to say you can work some wonderful magic just with what you have to hand.

 

 

 

 

 

Death isn’t when your heart stops. Death is when you give up who you could be for the safety of who you are.    (Iain Thomas)

You know what you know....

....As for what you don't know? Well, you don't know it, do you? So far, so simple. The trouble is, sometimes, we think we know what we don't really know at all. Sometimes, too, we know something, yet for some strange reason, we don't really know that we know it!

 

 

 

 

Only when our knowledge is put to the test, do we discover how far it extends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faith and fear both demand in something you cannot see.  You choose.