From the Quote of the Week Files, December 5, 2011

Serving the Psycho-Spiritual Needs of People on the Go Since 1984, we welcome you to the Quote of theWeek!
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"If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness and fears."

Cesare Pavese
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Remember last week's quote? Remember last week's quote? ~ ("You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one." ~ Anonymous) Well this week's Recycled Quote of the Week Classic is a follow-up to that! Enjoy!

My Autobiography In Five Short Chapters

Chapter I

I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost... I am hopeless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter II

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in this same place.
But it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter III

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it there.
I still fall in... it's a habit... but,
my eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

Chapter IV

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

Chapter V

I walk down another street.

Portia Nelson
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Here's getting to Chapter 5 by stopping re-reading Chapters 1-4!
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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files, November 28, 2011

Welcome to the Quote of the Week! Serving the Psycho-Spiritual Needs of People on the Go Since 1984!

This week's quote is about moving on and the recycled Quote of the Week is a reminder to take care ofyourself during the hectic holiday season!

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"You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one."

Anonymous
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And a Recycled Quote Classic for those who are getting ready for a busy Holiday Season....

"As the holidays approach, it's so essential to prepare yourself - body, mind and soul - for the faster pace ofthe coming weeks. This is the time to take extra special care. While you're giving to others, make this thetime to give to yourself as well."

Debbie Ford
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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files, November 21, 2011

Good Morning, Good Evening, Good Middle of the Night or Good Afternoon! Welcome to the Quote of the Week. Happiness is the theme of this week's quotes! Enjoy!
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"The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things."

Henry Ward Beecher
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A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...

"There are three components of happiness...

Pleasure- we all know about what feels good.
Engagement - the depth of involvement with one's family, work, romance and hobbies.
Meaning - using personal strengths to serve some larger end.

Of those three roads, pleasure is the least consequential. Engagement and meaning are much more important."

Martin Seligman
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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files, November 14, 2011

This week a couple of quotes as we in America get ready for the Thanksgiving Holiday!. Enjoy!

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"There is always, always, always something to be thankful for."

Anonymous

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A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...

"Gratitude encourages intuition and abundance. This week and every day be thankful for who and what is in your life — instead of complaining about what you don't have. Appreciate all the abundance and goodness that's around you, whether big or small. Be thankful for your health, children, sunny days, your garden, family, best friends, or even the person who let you jump ahead in line at the bank. The more joy you begin to notice and appreciate, the easier it is for your intuition to lead you to even more happiness and prosperity."

John Holland

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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files, November 7, 2011

Smiling is the theme for the Quote this week!!! Remember, a smile is a curve that sets everything straight!! ;-)

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"The source of a true smile is an awakened mind.

Smiling helps you approach the day with gentleness

and understanding."

Thich Nhat Hanh

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A Recycled a Quote of the Week Classic...

Smiling is infectious,

you catch it like the flu,

When someone smiled at me today,

I started smiling too.

I passed around the corner

and someone saw my grin

When he smiled I realized

I'd passed it on to him

I thought about that smile

then I realized its worth,

A single smile, just like mine

could travel round the earth.

So, if you feel a smile begin,

don't leave it undetected

Let's start an epidemic quick,

and get the world infected!

Anonymous

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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files, October 31, 2011

And now it is time for the Quote of the Week! Enjoy

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"A man sees in the world what he carries in his heart."

Johann Von Goethe

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A Recycle Quote of the Week Classic...

"Understanding and Love are not two separate things, but just one. To develop understanding, you have to practice looking at all living beings with the eyes of compassion. When you understand, you cannot help but love. And when you love, you naturally act in a way that can relieve the suffering of people."

Thich Nhat Hanh

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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files, October 24, 2011

Hello and Welcome back to the Quote of the Week, your weekly spiritual snack for mind, body & soul. Today, two from the Buddha!! Enjoy!

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“Let yourself be open and life will be easier. A spoon of salt in a glass of water makes the water undrinkable. A spoon of salt in a lake is almost unnoticed.”

Buddha

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A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...

"Let us rise up and be thankful,

for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little,

and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick,

and if we got sick, at least we didn't die;

so, let us all be thankful."

Buddha

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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files, October 17, 2011

Welcome.

Your presence, exactly as is at this very moment, is greatly appreciated.

Come on in and enjoy this week's quotes!!

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“Blessed are those that can give without remembering and receive without forgetting.”

Elizabeth Bibesco

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A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...

"There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life, happiness, freedom and peace of mind, are always attained by giving them to someone else."

Peyton Conway March

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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files, October 10, 2011

Welcome to the Quote of the Week! This week's quote is on Building Bridges. Enjoy

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The Bridge Builder

An old man, going a lone highway,

Came, at the evening, cold and gray,

To a chasm, vast, and deep, and wide,

Through which was flowing a sullen tide.

The old man crossed in the twilight dim;

The sullen stream had no fear for him;

But he turned, when safe on the other side,

And built a bridge to span the tide.

“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim, near,

“You are wasting strength with building here;

Your journey will end with the ending day;

You never again will pass this way;

You’ve crossed the chasm, deep and wide-

Why build you this bridge at the evening tide?”

The builder lifted his old gray head:

“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said,

“There followeth after me today,

A youth, whose feet must pass this way.

This chasm, that has been naught to me,

To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.

He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;

Good friend, I am building this bridge for him.”

Will Allen Dromgoole

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A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...

"With everything that has happened to you, you can either feel sorry for yourself, or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose."

Max Ehrmann

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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files, October 3, 2011

No quote this week! I am however, sending everyone a Big HIGH FIVE! Please link below...
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http://www.ihighfive.com/
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As always, wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files; September 26, 2011

Be Optimistic!! That is the theme of this week's quote. Enjoy!!
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Be optimistic
Don't you be a grumpy
When the road gets bumpy Just smile
(Smile and be happy)

Shirley Temple
From the MovieLittle Miss Broadway
Lyrics/Music by Walter Bullock and Harold Spina

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Here is a video clip of Shirley Temple singing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ6rPxQcGpk
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And if you feel like singing the whole song, here are the lyrics

Be Optimistc

Be optimistic
Don't you be a grumpy
When the road gets bumpy Just smile
(Smile and be happy)

Your trouble can't be
As bad as all that
When you're sad as all that
No one loves you

Be optimistic
Don't you be a mourner
Brighten up that corner
And smile, smile, smile

Don't wear a long face
It's never in style
Be optimistic And smile

Be optimistic
Don't you be a grumpy
When the road gets bumpy
Just smile

Your trouble can't be
As bad as all that
When you're sad as all that
No one loves you

Be optimistic
Don't you be a mourner
Brighten up that corner
And smile

Don't wear a long face
It's never in style
Be optimistic
And smile
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And of course the recycled quote of the week classic...

"An optimist is someone who goes after Moby Dick in a rowboat and takes the tartar sauce with him."

Zig Ziglar
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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files; September 19, 2011

Greetings and Welcome to the Quote of the Week!

A question is the quote for this week. It is a simple question that can have a powerful impact. In fact, according to the author, it is called a miracle question and it is from the book, Switch by Chip Heath and Dan Heath ( a book about how to make change last).
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"Suppose that you go to bed tonight and sleep well. Sometime, in the middle of the night, while you are sleeping, a miracle happens and all the troubles that brought you here are resolved. When you wake up in the morning, what’s the first small sign you’d see that would make you think, ‘Well, something must have happened - the problem is gone!’?”
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A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...

"Infinite goodness has wide arms."

Dante
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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files; September 12, 2011

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, or good middle of the night. Are you ready to enjoy a new inspiring or insightful Quote of the Week? The Themes for this week: Learning to love the Beast and And 9-11 Remembered
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"Lisa Smith-Batchen, the amazingly sunny and pixie-tailed ultrarunner from Idaho who trained through blizzards to win a six-day race in the Sahara, talks about exhaustion as if it's a playful pet. 'I love the Beast,' she says. 'I actually look forward to the Beast showing up, because every time he does, I handle him better. I get him more under control.'

Once the Beast arrives, Lisa knows what she has to deal with and can get down to work. And isn't that the reason she's running through the desert in the first place-to put her training to work? To have a friendly little tussle with the Beast and show it who's boss? You can't hate the Beast and expect to beat it; the only way to truly conquer something, as every great philosopher and geneticist will tell you , is to love it."

Christopher McDougall (Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen)
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9-11 Remembered...

Right after 9-11, I asked Quote of the Week Members to share their thoughts, feelings quotes, songs lyrics as they reflect on the events of that day.

From Jesse, a Yeat’s poem that he feels has sensitivity to the tragic events of September 11th

The Second Coming

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all convictions, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

From Ray, a quote from Shakespeare’s Macbeth…

"Give sorrow words;
the grief that does not speak
Whispers the o'er-fraught heart,
and bids it break."

Isabelleemailed the Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity,
To accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;
Taking, as you did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that you will make all things right if I surrender to your will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with you forever in the next.

Reinhold Niebuhr

Vicki sent this in memory of all those who perished; the passengers and the pilots on the United Air and AA flights, the workers in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and all the innocent bystanders. Our prayers go out to the friends and families of the deceased.

If I knew If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep

If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute
to stop and say "I love you,"
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do

If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
well I'm sure you'll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.

For surely there's always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything just right.

There will always be another day
to say "I love you," and certainly there's
another chance to say our "Anything I can do?"
But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you'll surely regret the day,

That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.
So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you'll always hold them dear

Take time to say "I'm sorry,"
"Please forgive me," "Thank you," or "It's okay."
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today.

Author Unknown

From Mike comes lyrics from a Phil Ochs song, “Power And The Glory" (1964)

“Here is a land full of power and glory
Beauty that words cannot recall
Oh her power shall rest on the strength of her freedom
Glory shall rest on us all "

From Jen, a site she found inspiring…

http://people.delphi.com/andybeals/thankyou.htm

Also, Jencloses all of her emails with the following words:..

Be Nice Nice is Good

From Juta came a quote from Goethe...

“Life belongs to the living,
and he who lives
must be prepared for changes.”

Holly felt the following site was heartbreaking and beautiful many photos;
slow to load, but worth the wait:

http://home.earthlink.net/~hankinhsd/thankyou.htm

From Christine, a poem by Siegfried Sassoon…

"A Post-Mortem"

Searching for souvenirs among some rubble,
A post-atomic-warfare man observed
That "those who made this little bit of trouble
Got only what they asked for and deserved."
Then, in a kindlier afterthought's release,
He pitied "them that only asked for peace."

From Ruth…

“All things are connected. We did not weave the web of life; we are but a strand in it. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the people of the earth.”

Chief Seattle

Irene's email message…

loved the choice of wordsworth this week, raoul. you're so right about words failing us, but i've found in the last week that, in fact, words have soothed us, comforted us, rallied us. while we were glued to tv sets, we also read everything we could get our hands on; editorials, reports, testimonies, stories, poems. i have to tried to impress upon my class the importance of the written word and nothing has done more to affirm that than this past week. our family has been fortunate as we have not lost a family member or loved one, but we all suffer and grieve with those who have. i have also been heartened by the positive attitude of my 14 year old freshmen who write about fear but also confidence and hope in the country's future. without hope, we are all lost. love to everyone who receives the quote of the week. i will look for more...irene

And a final quote by Henry David Thoreau …

“The kindness I have longest remembered has been of this sort, the sort unsaid; so far behind the speaker's lips that almost it already lay in my heart. It did not have far to go to be communicated.”
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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files; September 6, 2011

Welcome to the Quote of the Week!!!! Your weekly Spiritual Snack for the Mind, Body and Soul. Overcoming FEAR and leaving behind a life of mediocrity are the themes of this week's quote. Enjoy!
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“Fear is something I don’t think you experience unless you have a choice. If you have a choice, then you’re liable to be afraid. But without a choice, what is there to be afraid of? You just go along doing what has to be done.”

Margaret Hastings

From Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II, a highly recommended book!
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A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...

Deep within each one of us there is an inner longing to live a life of greatness and contribution – to really matter, to really make a difference. We may doubt ourselves and our ability to do so, but I want you to know of my deep conviction that you can live such a life. You have the potential within you. We all do. It is the birthright of the human family.

All of us can consciously decide to leave behind a life of mediocrity and to live a life of greatness, at home, at work and in the community. No matter what our circumstances may be, such a decision can be made by every one of us, whether that greatness manifests by:

- choosing to have a magnificent spirit in facing an incurable disease,
- making a difference in the life of a child, giving that child a sense of worth and potential,
- becoming a change-catalyst inside an organization, or
- becoming an initiator of a great cause in society.

We all have the power to decide to live a great life, or even simpler, to have not only a good day but a great day. No matter how long we've walked life's pathway to mediocrity, we can always choose to switch paths. Always. It's never too late. We can find our voice.

Stephen Covey
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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files, August 29, 2011

Welcome once again to the Quote of the Week! Your presence, exactly as is at this very moment, is greatly appreciated. Inspiration is everywhere. This week's quote was found on the thigh of a young woman at the beach. Enjoy, I know I did!!
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"Colui che è armato con l'amore può sconfiggere ogni disgrazia."

Michelangelo

Translation...

"One who's armed with love can defeat any misfortune."

Michelangelo
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A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...

"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive -
to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love."

Marcus Aurelius
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A Hurricane Irene Bonus Quote....

"Stay inside, if you have nothing else to do."

This advice was given to a TV Reporter as he was covering Hurricane Irene. Good Advice ~ It got me through the Hurricane!!

Check out the video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwgCD9hVSbI

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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you.

From the Quote of the Week Files; August 22, 2011

Welcome to the Quote of the Week ~ bringing you quotes of interest that will make us both think a little bit more, question life, or enjoy living more.
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"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity."

Gilda Radner
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A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...

"The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning."

Ivy Baker Priest
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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files; August 15, 2011

Fueled by the belief that a positive future is ours to create, welcome back to the Quote of the Week!!

Warning!!!! Today's quote is rated PG 13 for it's very strong language! (A Quote of the Week second!) ~ But what the heck...
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"Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes."

William Gibson

(Thanks to Patti Digh's excellent blog, 37 days)
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"We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the life that is waiting for us."

Joseph Campbell
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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files, August 8, 2011

Good Morning, Good Afternoon or Good Evening and Welcome to the Quote of the Week. It is time to get away from the all important details of day-to-day life, take a deep breath, relax your shoulders, kick off your shoes and enjoy reading today's quotes! .
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"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be."

Douglas Adams
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A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic..

If you ever asked yourself...

What is the best time to do each thing?

Who are the most important people to work with?

What is the most important thing to do at all times?...

Then this quote (actually it is a parable) will provide you with the answer! Enjoy!

Three Questions - by Leo Tolstoy

One day it occurred to a certain emperor that if he only knew the answers to three questions, he would never stray in any matter.

What is the best time to do each thing?
Who are the most important people to work with?
What is the most important thing to do at all times?

The emperor issued a decree throughout his kingdom announcing that whoever could answer the questions would receive a great reward. Many who read the decree made their way to the palace at once, each person with a different answer.

In reply to the first question, one person advised that the emperor make up a thorough time schedule, consecrating every hour, day, month, and year for certain tasks and then follow the schedule to the letter. Only then could he hope to do every task at the right time.

Another person replied that it was impossible to plan in advance and that the emperor should put all vain amusements aside and remain attentive to everything in order to know what to do at what time.

Someone else insisted that, by himself, the emperor could never hope to have all the foresight and competence necessary to decide when to do each and every task and what he really needed was to set up a Council of the Wise and then to act according to their advice.

Someone else said that certain matters required immediate decision and could not wait for consultation, but if he wanted to know in advance what was going to happen he should consult magicians and soothsayers.

The responses to the second question also lacked accord.

One person said that the emperor needed to place all his trust in administrators, another urged reliance on priests and monks, while others recommended physicians. Still others put their faith in warriors.

The third question drew a similar variety of answers. Some said science was the most important pursuit. Others insisted on religion. Yet others claimed the most important thing was military skill.
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The emperor was not pleased with any of the answers, and no reward was given.

After several nights of reflection, the emperor resolved to visit a hermit who lived up on the mountain and was said to be an enlightened man. The emperor wished to find the hermit to ask him the three questions, though he knew the hermit never left the mountains and was known to receive only the poor, refusing to have anything to do with persons of wealth or power. So the emperor disguised himself as a simple peasant and ordered his attendants to wait for him at the foot of the mountain while he climbed the slope alone to seek the hermit.

Reaching the holy man's dwelling place, the emperor found the hermit digging a garden in front of his hut. When the hermit saw the stranger, he nodded his head in greeting and continued to dig. The labor was obviously hard on him. He was an old man, and each time he thrust his spade into the ground to turn the earth, he heaved heavily.

The emperor approached him and said, "I have come here to ask your help with three questions: When is the best time to do each thing? Who are the most important people to work with? What is the most important thing to do at all times?"

The hermit listened attentively but only patted the emperor on the shoulder and continued digging. The emperor said, "You must be tired. Here, let me give you a hand with that." The hermit thanked him, handed the emperor the spade, and then sat down on the ground to rest.

After he had dug two rows, the emperor stopped and turned to the hermit and repeated his three questions. The hermit still did not answer, but instead stood up and pointed to the spade and said, "Why don't you rest now? I can take over again." But the emperor continued to dig. One hour passed, then two. Finally the sun began to set behind the mountain. The emperor put down the spade and said to the hermit, "I came here to ask if you could answer my three questions. But if you can't give me any answer, please let me know so that I can get on may way home."

The hermit lifted his head and asked the emperor, "Do you hear someone running over there?" The emperor turned his head. They both saw a man with a long white beard emerge from the woods. He ran wildly, pressing his hands against a bloody wound in his stomach. The man ran toward the emperor before falling unconscious to the ground, where he lay groaning. Opening the man's clothing, the emperor and hermit saw that the man had received a deep gash. The emperor cleaned the wound thoroughly and then used his own shirt to bandage it, but the blood completely soaked it within minutes. He rinsed the shirt out and bandaged the wound a second time and continued to do so until the flow of blood had stopped.

At last the wounded man regained consciousness and asked for a drink of water. The emperor ran down to the stream and brought back a jug of fresh water. Meanwhile, the sun had disappeared and the night air had begun to turn cold. The hermit gave the emperor a hand in carrying the man into the hut where they laid him down on the hermit's bed. The man closed his eyes and lay quietly. The emperor was worn out from the long day of climbing the mountain and digging the garden. Leaning against the doorway, he fell asleep. When he rose, the sun had already risen over the mountain. For a moment he forgot where he was and what he had come here for. He looked over to the bed and saw the wounded man also looking around him in confusion. When he saw the emperor, he stared at him intently and then said in a faint whisper, "Please forgive me."

"But what have you done that I should forgive you?" the emperor asked.

"You do not know me, your majesty, but I know you. I was your sworn enemy, and I had vowed to take vengeance on you, for during the last war you killed my brother and seized my property. When I learned that you were coming alone to the mountain to meet the hermit, I resolved to surprise you on your way back to kill you. But after waiting a long time there was still no sign of you, and so I left my ambush in order to seek you out. But instead of finding you, I came across your attendants, who recognized me, giving me this wound. Luckily, I escaped and ran here. If I hadn't met you I would surely be dead by now. I had intended to kill you, but instead you saved my life! I am ashamed and grateful beyond words. If I live, I vow to be your servant for the rest of my life, and I will bid my children and grandchildren to do the same. Please grant me your forgiveness."

The emperor was overjoyed to see that he was so easily reconciled with a former enemy. He not only forgave the man but promised to return all the man's property and to send his own physician and servants to wait on the man until he was completely healed. After ordering his attendants to take the man home, the emperor returned to see the hermit. Before returning to the palace the emperor wanted to repeat his three questions one last time. He found the hermit sowing seeds in the earth they had dug the day before.

The hermit stood up and looked at the emperor. "But your questions have already been answered."

"How's that?" the emperor asked, puzzled.

"Yesterday, if you had not taken pity on my age and given me a hand with digging these beds, you would have been attacked by that man on your way home. Then you would have deeply regretted not staying with me. Therefore the most important time was the time you were digging in the beds, the most important person was myself, and the most important pursuit was to help me. Later, when the wounded man ran up here, the most important time was the time you spent dressing his wound, for if you had not cared for him he would have died and you would have lost the chance to be reconciled with him. Likewise, he was the most important person, and the most important pursuit was taking care of his wound. Remember that there is only one important time and is Now. The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. The most important person is always the person with whom you are, who is right before you, for who knows if you will have dealings with any other person in the future. The most important pursuit is making that person, the one standing at you side, happy, for that alone is the pursuit of life."
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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files; August 1, 2011

Welcome to the Quote of the Week!! Going out on the limb is the theme of this week's quote. Enjoy!
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"She went out a on a limb, had it break off behind her, and realized she could fly."

Kobi Yamada
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A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...

“Don't be afraid to go out on a limb. Isn't that where the fruit is anyway?"

Arthur Lenehan
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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files, July 25, 2011

Welcome to the Quote of the Week!! This week's quote comes from the cap of an Honest Tea bottle. Enjoy!
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"Stop living life for what's around the corner and start enjoying the walk down the street. "

Grant L. Miller
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And speaking of streets, here is a Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...

My Autobiography in Five Short Chapters

Chapter 1

I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost ... I am helpless.
It isn't my fault. It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter 2

I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don't see it. I fall in again. I can't believe I am in the same place.
But it isn't my fault. It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter 3

I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there.
I still fall in ... it's a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am.
It is my fault. I get out immediately.

Chapter 4

I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

Chapter 5

I walk down another street.

Portia Nelson
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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files, July 25, 2011

Welcome to the Quote of the Week!! This week's quote comes from the cap of an Honest Tea bottle. Enjoy!
__________

"Stop living life for what's around the corner and start enjoying the walk down the street. "

Grant L. Miller
__________

And speaking of streets, here is a Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...

My Autobiography in Five Short Chapters

Chapter 1

I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost ... I am helpless.
It isn't my fault. It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter 2

I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don't see it. I fall in again. I can't believe I am in the same place.
But it isn't my fault. It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter 3

I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there.
I still fall in ... it's a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am.
It is my fault. I get out immediately.

Chapter 4

I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

Chapter 5

I walk down another street.

Portia Nelson
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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files; July 18, 2011

Good Morning and Welcome to the Quote of the Week!!! I hear a Symphony!!! William Henry Channing's symphony that is! Enjoy!
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"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common--this is my symphony.

William Henry Channing
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A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic ...

The Summer Wind

The summer wind, came blowin' in - from across the sea
It lingered there, so warm and fair - to walk with me
All summer long, we sang a song - and strolled on golden sand
Two sweethearts, and the summer wind

Like painted kites, those days and nights - went flyin' by
The world was new, beneath a blue - umbrella sky
Then softer than, a piper man - one day it called to you
And I lost you, to the summer wind

The autumn wind, and the winter wind - have come and gone
And still the days, those lonely days - go on and on
And guess who sighs his lullabies - through nights that never end
My fickle friend, the summer wind

Original German lyrics by Hans Bradtke
English lyrics by Johnny Mercer
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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!!!

From the Quote of the Week Files; July 11, 2011

Rise and Shine!!!!! It is time to meet the challenges of a brand new week!!! Enjoy today's Quote!
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"Someone once told me that time is a predator that stalked us all our lives.
But I rather believe that time is a companion who goes with us on the journey,
that reminds us to cherish every moment because they'll never come again.
What we leave behind is not as important as how we live it.
After all, Number One, we're only mortal."

Jean-Luc Picard
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I will not die an unlived life.
I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire.
I choose to inhabit my days,
To allow my living to open me,
To make me less afraid,
More accessible.

To loosen my heart until it becomes a wing,
a torch, a promise.
I choose to risk my significance;
To live so that which came to me as seed
goes on to the next as blossom
And that which came to me as blossom,
goes on as fruit.

Dawna Markova
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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files; July 5, 2011

Welcome everybody to the Quote of the Week!!! "Therefore" is the theme of this week's quote. Enjoy!
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“Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime;
therefore, we must be saved by hope.

Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense
in any immediate context of history;
therefore, we must be saved by faith.

Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone;
therefore we are saved by love.”

Reinhold Niebuhr
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A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...

"In the book of life every page has two sides: we human beings fill the upper side with our plans, hopes and wishes, but providence writes on the other side, and what it ordains is seldom our goal."

Nisami
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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files, June 27, 2010

Listen, Do you want to know a secret?

Welcome to the quote of the Week. This week's theme: Listening!
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"Listen once in a while. It's amazing what you can hear. On a hot summer day in the country you can hear the corn growing, the crack of a tin roof buckling under the power of the sun... Or sometime when you're talking up a storm so brilliant, so charming that you can hardly believe how wonderful you are, pause just a moment and listen to yourself. It's good for the soul to hear yourself as others hear you, and next time maybe, just maybe, you will not talk so much, so loudly, so brilliantly, so charmingly, so utterly shamelessly foolishly."

Russell Baker
Commencement Speech, Connecticut College, 1995
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“The first duty of love is to listen.”

Paul Tillich
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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files; June 20, 2011

All Souls on Deck!! Welcome to the Quote of the Week!
__________

"One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul. Soul on deck shines like gold in dark times. The light of the soul throws sparks, can send up flares, builds signal fires ... causes proper matters to catch fire. To display the lantern of soul in shadowy times like these - to be fierce and to show mercy toward others - both are acts of immense bravery and greatest necessity. Struggling souls catch light from other souls who are fully lit and willing to show it. If you would help to calm the tumult, this is one of the strongest things you can do."

Clarissa Pinkola Estes
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A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...

"For as this appalling ocean surrounds the verdant land, so in the soul of man there lies one insular Tahiti, full of peace and joy, but encompassed by all the horrors of the half known life."

Herman Melville, Moby Dick
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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files; June 13, 2011

Hello and Welcome to the Quote of the Week! I hope you enjoy this eggtraordinary quote!
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“It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder
for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present.
And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg.
We must be hatched or go bad.”

C.S. Lewis
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A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...

Through the gateway of feeling your weakness lies your strength.
Through the gateway of feeling your pain lies your pleasure and joy.
Through the gateway of feeling your fear lies your security and safety.
Through the gateway of feeling your loneliness lies your capacity to have fullment, love and companionship.
Through the gateway of feeling your hopelessness lies true and justified hope.
Through the gateway of accepting the lacks in your childhood lies your fulfullment now.

Eva Pierrakos
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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files, June 6, 2011

Welcome back to the Quote of the Week!! Enjoy!

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“Today is mine. It is unique.

Nobody in the world has one exactly like it.

It holds the sum of all my past experiences and all my future potential.

I can fill it with joyous moments or ruin it with fruitless worry.

If painful recollections of the past come into my mind,

or frightening thoughts of the future, I can put them away.

They cannot spoil today for me.”

Alcoholics Anonymous

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A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...

Remember that Right Now...

Somebody is very proud of you.

Somebody is thinking of you.

Somebody is caring about you.

Somebody misses you.

Somebody wants to talk to you.

Somebody wants to be with you.

Somebody hopes you aren't in trouble.

Somebody is thankful for your support.

Somebody wants to hold your hand.

Somebody hopes everything turns out all right.

Somebody wants you to be happy.

Somebody wants you to find him/her.

Somebody is celebrating your successes.

Somebody wants to give you a gift.

Somebody thinks that you are a gift.

Somebody hopes you're not too cold, or too hot

somebody wants to hug you.

Somebody loves you.

Somebody admires your strength.

Somebody is thinking of you and smiling.

Somebody wants to be your shoulder to cry on.

Somebody wants to go out with you & have a lot of fun.

Somebody thinks the world of you.

Somebody wants to protect you.

Somebody would do anything for you.

Somebody wants to be forgiven.

Somebody is grateful for your forgiveness.

Somebody wants to laugh with you.

Somebody remembers you & wishes you were there.

Somebody needs to know your love is unconditional.

Somebody values your advice.

Somebody wants to tell you how much they care.

Somebody wants to share their dreams with you.

Somebody wants to hold you in their arms.

Somebody wants you to hold them in your arms.

Somebody treasures your spirit.

Somebody wishes they could stop time because of you

Somebody can't wait to see you.

Somebody loves you for who you are

somebody loves the way you make them feel.

Somebody wants to be with you.

Somebody wants you to know they are there for you.

Somebody's glad that you're his/her friend.

Somebody wants to be your friend.

Somebody stayed up all night thinking about you.

Somebody is wishing that you noticed him/her.

Somebody wants to get to know you better.

Somebody wants to be near you.

Somebody misses your advice/guidance.

Somebody has faith in you.

Somebody trusts you.

Somebody needs you to send them this letter

somebody needs your support.

Somebody needs you to have faith in them.

Somebody will cry when they read this.

Somebody needs you to let them be your friend.

Somebody hears a song that reminds them of you.

Anonymous

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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files, Memorial Day 2011

In Flanders Field

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae
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It is Memorial Day in America. Originally called Decoration Day, it is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.

The above poem was written during WW I by a Canadian after witnessing the death of his friend during battle. The poppies he refers to grew in profusion in Flanders in the disturbed earth of the battlefields and cemeteries where war casualties were buried and it became a symbol of the British Common Wealth's Remembrance Day, which signifies the end of WW I.

The poem also inspired Professor Moina Micheal to publish her own poem called We Keep the Faith in tribute to the opening lines of McCrae's poem — "In Flanders fields the poppies blow / Between the crosses row on row."

She then vowed to always wear a red poppy as a symbol of remembrance for those who served in the war. As part of her effort, she sold red poppies to friends and relatives and donated the proceeds to service personnel in need. Her tradition was so successful, that it became a tradition to wear a red poppy in honor of those who died serving this nation during war.
__________

Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files, May 17, 2011

Today's Quote of the Week Theme: Finding Yourself. (Why, was I lost?)

Enjoy!
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"DO not seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer."

Rainer Maria Rilke
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A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...

"One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time."

Andre Gide
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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files, May 16, 2011

It is now time to leave your world of tension, anxiety and doubt. So please sit back, slow down your pulse, and tune into today's Quote of the Week!

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“The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.”

Albert Ellis
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A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...

"Finally I am coming to the conclusion that my highest ambition is to be what I already am. That I will never fulfill my obligation to surpass myself unless I first accept myself, and if I accept myself fully in the right way, I will already have surpassed myself.”

Thomas Merton
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Wishing you a MOST beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files, May 9, 2011

Welcome to the Quote of the Week!

The theme of this week's quotes is the subject of change. They were inspired after spending the last 2 weeks facilating a workshop on Managing Change for employees and managers going through a major change initiative in their organization.
_________

"We live in a moment of history where change is so speeded up that we begin to see the present only when it is already disappearing."

R. D. Laing
_____

"Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better."

King Whitney Jr.
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A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...

Time may change me
But I can't trace time
I said that time may change me
But I can't trace time

From the song, Changes by David Bowie
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Wishing you a MOST beautiful day, wherever this may find you!!

From the Quote of the Week Files, April 25, 2012

Welcome back to the Quote of the Week. Even though National Poetry Month has passed, we still continue for one more week featuring a poem as our Quote of the Week!

What is the "Real Good" to you? John Boyle O'Reilly gave it some thought. Enjoy!

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The Real Good

"What is the real good?"

I ask in a musing mood.

"Order," said the law court;

"Knowledge," said the school;

"Truth," said the wise man;

"Pleasure," said the fool;

"Love," said the maiden;

"Beauty," said the page;

"Freedom," said the dreamer;

"Home," said the sage;

"Fame," said the soldier;

"Equity," said the seer.

Spake my heart fully sad:

"The answer is not here."

Then within my bosom,

Softly this I heard:

"Each heart holds the secret:

'Kindness' is the word."

John Boyle O'Reilly

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2 Recycled Poem of the Week Classics....

Joy

And Joy is Everywhere;

It is in the Earth's green covering of grass;

In the blue serenity of the Sky;

In the reckless exuberance of Spring;

In the severe abstinence of grey Winter;

In the Living flesh that animates our bodily frame;

In the perfect poise of the Human figure, noble and upright;

In Living;

In the exercise of all our powers;

In the acquisition of Knowledge;

in fighting evils...

Joy is there

Everywhere.

Rabindranath Tagore

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The Smile Virus

Smiling is infectious,

you catch it like the flu,

When someone smiled at me today,

I started smiling too.

I passed around the corner

and someone saw my grin

When he smiled I realized

I'd passed it on to him.

I thought about that smile

then I realized its worth,

A single smile, just like mine

could travel round the earth.

So, if you feel a smile begin,

don't leave it undetected

Let's start an epidemic quick,

and get the world infected!

Russell H. Conwell

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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!

From the Quote of the Week Files, April 18, 2011

"For poems are not, as people think, simply emotions (one has emotions early enough)—they are experiences."

Rainer Maria Rilke

We continue with Poems for our Quote of the Week for April as it is National Poetry Month. Ever wonder what would have happened if you had chosen a different path? Robert Frost did in his poem, The Road Not Taken. Enjoy!

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The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler,long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost
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A Recycled Poem of the Week Classic...

Little Things

Little drops of water
Little grains of sand
Make the mighty ocean
And the pleasant land.

Little deeds of kindness,
Little words of love,
Make our world an Eden
Like the Heaven above.

Thus the little minutes
Humble though they be
Make the mighty ages
Of eternity.

Julia Carney
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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!