Do you fancy something....

....of a novelty.  A brave new world, for instance? A better society? A fairer, kinder, more enlightened future? Or shall we just carry on as normal, carping at and criticising one another? Increasing intolerance? Perpetrating prejudice? 

We cannot ever expect to alter the attitudes of others. We can, though, adjust our own. 

We come nearest to the great when we are great in humility.   (Rabindranath Tagore)

If you keep looking....

....over your shoulder, you will see whatever is threatening to sneak up on you from behind. You won't, though, be alert to any danger that lies ahead. We live in a world full of stable doors that have all been locked, long after their various horses have bolted. Meanwhile, new difficulties, as yet unlegislated for, wait to arise. 

As with problems, so with opportunities. Why plough the same old tired furrow, when a new one can be dug. Go exploring. 

Look back and smile on perils past   (Walter Scott)

Don't push your luck....

....That's what people say. But are they are right? A gentle push can create momentum where none might otherwise have developed. It is possible to push your luck too far, but there is a greater risk in not pushing it far enough. Ideally, though, you don't want to push your luck, you want to put yourself into a position in which your luck can push you. 

You want to be open, flexible and ready to roll with an opportunity if or when it arises.

Be faithful to that which exists within yourself.  (Andre Gide) 

You can buy most things....

....over the internet these days. Strangely, though, it is still not possible to purchase items or services designed to leave you feeling fed up. Why? Because such things are freely available and in plentiful supply. You don't even have to go out and get them. Give them half a chance and they will deliver themselves to your door. 

You may be shown many offers for a selection of reasons to feel anxious, angry, agitated or aggrieved. You are perfectly entitled, though, to reject them all.

Freedom is from within  (Frank Lloyd Wright)

You can't have everything....

....you want but, then, nor can anyone else. Anyway, thankfully, the reverse is also true. You can't have everything you don't want, none of us can. No matter how hard-done-by we may feel, there will always be areas of our life that deserved to be savoured and celebrated.

We all have gifts that nobody can take from us. Assets for which we should be ever grateful. What stops us from recognising these? Wanting something we can't have!

Never cut what you can untie.  (Joseph Joubert)

Why do we sleep?...

....Think of the hours that are wasted across the globe, everyday, in this activity. Does sleeping generate any wealth? Does it make a contribution to the Gross Domestic Product? Why, it doesn't even have a social advantage! Only the manufacturers of beds and pillows can possibly profit from it. Surely, it ought to be banned. 

Well, no, not really, but I hope you take my point. Not everything in life has to be practical - or pay for itself.

Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.  (John Dewey)

Why don't we all....

....live forever? Because none of us wants to. Probably, there's some kind of mechanism embedded in our DNA. It enables our eternal existence but only on condition that we never drop our desire for it. The moment we say, even briefly, even in jest, that we are sick of this world - or of ourselves - we surrender our divine right to immortality. 

And what a jolly good job we do. Can you imagine how excruciatingly dull that would be? What makes life fun is that it is not forever. Make the most of yours.

Be happy for this moment.  This moment is your life.  (Omar Khayyam) 

Why is it that some of us....

....seem to be so reluctant to tell each other the truth? We employ polite euphemisms. We dance delicately round the edge of tricky topics. We justify little white lies, even when they aren't so little and may be perceived, by those with a more critical eye, as possessing a murkier hue. 

The answer is simple. Because, it seems, so many of us can't face, can't take, can't handle, the truth. 

So here's the question - How much truth is it safe for you to tell? The answer usually is - About as much as you are willing to hear in return.

Love is a tyrant, sparing none.    (Pierre Corneille) 

When you finally get....

....to the future, who can you expect to find there? Yourself! You'll be there. In all your glory. There's no getting away from that. The day you cease to exist, there is no future - at least as far as you're concerned. Do you like yourself now? Then you'll like yourself in the future and, reassured by the prospect of your own good company, you'll find tomorrow a rewarding place. 

And if you don't like yourself now? You had better start working on that relationship. It's powerful and it's not going to go away.

There is no respect for others without humility in one's self.   (Henri Frederic Amiel)

What's the difference between....

....a human and an animal? Both are driven by the same primeval needs and urges. Animals, though, do not have the ability to pretend that these do not exist. Or to explain and justify their actions with a load of pretentious waffle. Or to lie through their teeth. Or to apply dual standards and be stinkingly hypocritical. 

No wonder we feel such pity for the poor creatures. Look what they are missing out on! Actions speak a lot louder than words, but don't be fooled.

Our ideals are our better selves.   (Amos Bronson Alcott)

We all have ideas about....

....how other people ought to act. In much the same way as we sometimes launch into a great explanation of where the government is going wrong or what the authorities are failing to organise properly, we can find fault with friends and colleagues too. 

Or at least we can, until we stop and remember that we ourselves don't get everything right all the time. Constructive climates are only created by making allowances for extenuating circumstances, even if you don't know fully what they are. 

Love prefers twilight to daylight.  (Oliver Wendell Holmes Snr)

We live, so we are told....

....in a civilised world. We are not primitives. We are not cave dwellers. We are part of a sophisticated society, a refined, elegant culture in which good manners predominate and only the highest values hold sway. It sounds good. 

And as long as we ignore the things that happen in dark corners under murky shadows, we can uphold this comforting, if questionable, belief. 

Yet the world is surely, not just what we choose to see it is, but how we choose to make it.

Enlightenment must come little by little, otherwise it would overwhelm.   (Idries Shah)

We get enticed....

....by short cuts and special deals. Intense emotional needs and desires blind us to the light of logic. We think, 'there ought to be an instant way to get what I want'. Then we seize on the first notion that looks likely to offer us such a solution. 

To do the right thing requires wisdom, restraint, patience, faith, effort, sincerity and humility.

Knowing others is wisdom.  Knowing yourself is enlightenment.  (Lao Tzu)

We don't get long....

....on this planet. A few short decades that are over before we know it. Isn't it strange though, how easily we all forget this? We often act as if we have been here forever... and are due to remain for the rest of time. We become entrenched in our attitudes, opinions, principles and beliefs. 

Yet if we do not know where we were before we came here, or where we are going once we leave, how can we possibly be so sure about where we are now? Sometimes a day or a week brings with it a real epiphany. Act on it when you have the chance.

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; 

the realist adjusts the sails.     (William Arthur Ward)

Wisdom ceases to be wisdom....

....when it becomes too proud to weep, too grave to laugh, and too selfish to seek other than itself.' So said Khalil Gibran. And people who do seek wisdom soon discover that wisdom cannot be sought. 

Unlike information - which you can most definitely go out hunting or fishing for - wisdom is nobody's prey and nobody's quarry. If you wish to encounter wisdom - you must stand still and allow wisdom to catch you!

Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. 

Conceit is self-given. Be careful.      (John Wooden)

We cannot help but be conscious....

....of inconsistency in the minds and hearts of our fellow humans. We are never quite sure who we can trust. We learn that one day, folk can be friendly towards us - and the next, they treat us as if we were sworn enemies. So we duck and we dive. At the first sign of trouble, we prepare to protect ourselves. 

All of which is fine until we mistake a bouquet for a brickbat and turn down something we ought to gratefully accept.

Change before you have to.   (Jack Welch)

Just for the record....

......they also say that, one way or another, we end up paying a price for everything. They may be right. But that's not the whole story. Our every action earns us a reward. Our every decision leads to a consequence. If we always do our best to do the right thing for the right reason, we will invariably get a result we can be pleased with. 

Any price we ever have to pay for this will always seem small by comparison to the sense of satisfaction that we have been blessed with. 

A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge.   (Thomas Carlyle)

Let us pause, reflect.......

......and utter those immortal words - They say.  Well, they say it doesn't matter what you choose, as long as you choose it wholeheartedly. They, whoever 'they' are, are having a laugh. They are confusing millions around the globe. 

First of all, of course it matters, what rubbish. Secondly, even if you are in a situation where for some reason it does not really matter, there is no such thing as a wholehearted choice. 

Only robots are without doubt. Humans always retain a degree of doubt, even when they are right.

God is in the details   (Ludwig Mies van der Rohe)

There are some seriously rich people....

.....who lose sleep at night about the state of their finances. There are paupers who feel genuinely happy and secure. Whilst we all tend to imagine that we would feel better if we were better off, that is a false assumption. At best, an improvement in our material circumstances would bring fleeting excitement. 

True peace of mind can neither be bought nor paid for. But it can be experienced.

The man with insight enough to admit his limitations comes nearest to perfection.  (Johann Wolfgang von Gothe)

There is no such thing....

....as perfection - present company included! When we strive for perfection we make our lives difficult. We become unnecessarily anxious. We create a rod for our own back. You may well be keen to get something right. That's fine. But you may also very keen not to get it wrong. That is not necessarily so good. You would be impeding your own progress by setting a standard that it may prove impossible to live up to. 

At such times, be a little more tolerant and forgiving of yourself and be similarly understanding with others.

Nature is not human hearted.   (Lao Tzu)

We are all....

.....to some extent, like gardeners. We plant seeds. We nurture aspirations. We tend our hopes and dreams. Feeding them here, pruning them there and gently encouraging them towards a perfect state of fruition. Always, though, there will be little patches of land that we have overlooked - areas where the wild things grow, places that we have all but forgotten the existence of. 

Sometimes, in among the so-called weeds, rare and wonderful flowers bloom.

Flowers often grow more beautifully on dung-hills than in gardens 

that look beautifully kept.     (Saint Francis de Sales)

We are not placed....

....on this earth in order to trade in stocks and shares. Or to work in jobs that don't fulfil us. Or to struggle with situations that continually frustrate us. We are here to make wonderful discoveries. To share meaningful experiences. To find and follow inspiration. To be creative, loving, kind... and happy. 

It's just that sometimes, we forget this. Sometimes too, the situations we find ourselves in offer no reminder. 

Time is flying, never to return.   (Virgil)

Would a palace make you feel....

....more secure than a humble but cosy hut? Are orchids more precious than daisies? In the eyes of some, the differences are enormous. Such people are often fabulously rich. They are surrounded by expensive finery. Yet their hearts are empty because their values are so shallow. Maybe money can buy you what passes, in some folks mind, for love but it sure can't buy sensitivity! 

Or style. Or wit. Or wisdom. Or discrimination. Aim to be rich in spirit and all else you need will come.

For it is in the giving that we receive.  (Francis of Assisi)

The world, as I'm sure....

.....you must have noticed by now, is full of people who have strong opinions. If only the strength of those opinions were a reliable reflection of how accurate and appropriate they are. 'Oh, you believe this very deeply do you? Well then, you must be right.' How simple the world would be then. 

In attempting, today, to distinguish between what's wrong and what's right, don't rule out the possibility that what's really wrong is the amount of determination that's now being applied to proving how right something is.

There is no wealth, but life.  (John Ruskin)

The world is full of people....

.....who haven't got the first clue about what they are really doing. The world is also full of people who love to act as if they have the answer to everything. Now, here's a question. If the world is full of the first kind of person, how can it also be full of the second? Unless, that is, the two types are actually one and the same. 

Now that would explain a lot, wouldn't it? If, somewhere in your world now, there's a whole lot of bluffing going on -  don't fall for it. 

Information is not knowledge   (Albert Einstein)

The world is full of....

.... studious academics, accomplished scientists and knowledgeable philosophers. Individually and collectively they apply themselves to the many complex questions that hang over all our heads. They have solutions in all shapes and sizes. So, why are so many of us still unclear? 

Because what we seek is not an explanation, a formula or an intellectual answer. It is a simple gesture of love and kindness.

Being at ease with not knowing is crucial for answers to come to you.   (Eckhart Tolle)

The world is full of people....

....who love to irritate other people. They take pleasure in making contentious statements. We know this and guard against it, yet we still fall for the trick. One minute we feel fine - calm, clear and relaxed. The next, someone says something and we are off! Agitated, irritated and upset. 

We can expect, to be surrounded as ever, by folk who seemingly take delight in being awkward but expect too, everything to be fine as long as you don't take the nonsense too seriously.

We are rarely proud when we are alone    (Voltaire)

The pessimist calls the glass....

....half-empty. The optimist describes it as half-full. So what does the realist say? That the glass contains 50 per cent liquid and 50 per cent air? Well, surely. But that glass, if it has recently been drunk from, may well be drained dry before long. While if it is in the hands of a bar tender, being held under an upturned bottle, it will surely be full very soon. 

Every full glass will eventually become empty again and every empty glass is surely destined in time to fill once more. Faith is not misplaced.

Leaders who serve will serve as good leaders.

Thai, Japanese, English....

....American and Mexican. Indian, Greek, Malaysian, Chinese or Italian. Yet no matter which restaurant you eat in, there is one thing you will never find much of. Food for thought. Caterers like to be non-controversial. A little daring and innovative perhaps, but ultimately safe. The stomach likes what it knows. 

The brain, too, claims this - yet it urgently requires a fresh, unusual input. If it is not challenged, it atrophies. If you are learning something, be glad.

Illusion is the first of all pleasures  (Voltaire)

Sometimes, when the world....

....of emotion becomes too intense and the sphere of the intellect too demanding, we take refuge in the realm of the practical. Let's forget our feelings. Let's ignore our thoughts. Let's just get something done. Let's bury ourselves in a useful task. Let's tick off items on our 'to do' list. After all, actions speak much louder than words. 

Is that way of thinking just a cop-out? A way of running from something that ought to be faced?

In dreams begins responsibilities.  (W B Yeats)

Some people, it seems.....

.....collect opinions, with the same enthusiasm as others collect Air Miles or Shopper's Reward points. They just can't get enough. If there is any chance of making a judgement or taking a strong point of view, they leap right in to nail the colours of their beliefs to the mast of prejudice. It keeps conversations exciting but it works against wisdom. 

When you need real discrimination, the last thing you want is a passionate reaction.

Be obscure, clearly.  (E B White)

Some people are not....

....always very civil or polite. Others are too nice. Almost suspiciously so. Some people are remote. Others empathise more than they possibly should. It is never easy to strike a perfect balance. Even if one aspect of someone's character seems wonderful, you may find some other side to their personality irritates you. 

We have to be careful about making big, lifetime decisions on the basis of passing, intense reactions.

Many are called, but few get up.   (Oliver Herford)

Some people see themselves....

....as guardians of morality and legality. If there is a law, they want to uphold it. If there is a standard, they want to live up to it. They even get so excited about requirements and regulations, protocol and procedures, that they almost completely forget about the individuals to whom these apply. 

Don't people matter more than principles? Aren't there exceptions to every rule? What matters is that you give your heart a fair hearing, regardless of what else is being debated.

If there is no struggle, there is no progress.   (Frederick Douglass)

Some wounds never heal....

....Some ailments never fully clear up. We must learn to live with the challenges that they pose and try our best to turn these, somehow, into constructive, even positive, factors. 

The idea that things could be worse is not just some flimsy form of self-deception intended to make discomfort more bearable. It is potentially the seed of some tremendous tree of inner strength and wisdom. 

Much the same can be said of old emotional injuries and upsets. Quite often past problems become future opportunities.

Every exit is an entry somewhere else.  (Tom Stoppard)