A Little Higher

Ralph Marston

There will be days so dreadful that you may regret ever getting out of bed, and there will be days so beautiful that you'll wish they would never end. You can make something good and valuable out of all of them. Some people you meet will make you instantly feel that you've known them for years. Others you meet may make you want to get as far away from them as quickly as you can.

All kinds of people are equally worthy of your kindness, respect and consideration, and have their own valuable gifts to offer. Remind yourself often of that.

There will be stretches of time when you'll feel you can't get anything right, and there will be periods when everything you touch seems to turn to gold. Don't allow either extreme to get the best of you or to compromise your precious integrity.

You'll experience times of boundless joy, and moments of overwhelming frustration. You'll discover places of extraordinary beauty, and regions of terrifying ugliness.

Through it all, remember that whatever you may encounter is virtually insignificant when compared with what you choose to do with it. Always choose the best response, no matter what comes your way, and each day you'll rise a little higher than you were the day before.

The Ego and the Spirit

Bob Gottfried

The ego looks for peace—the spirit rests in it.

The ego looks for love—the spirit gives it freely.

The ego is in constant search for happiness—the spirit is absorbed in joy.

The ego looks for control—the spirit is totally free.

The ego looks for longevity—the spirit is immortal.

The ego accumulates information—the spirit is Supreme Wisdom.

The ego is limited by space and time—the spirit is boundless.

The ego is only a player in a show—the spirit is life itself.

The ego is false—the spirit is real.

The ego wants more and more—the spirit has it all!

Harmony

Ralph Marston

Harmony does not mean that everyone is in agreement. It means that no one is attempting to force his or her opinions on others. Harmony does not mean that everyone is the same. It means that everyone respects and tolerates and even celebrates the differences that give so much richness to life.

Harmony is not ever achieved by brute force. Harmony is reached when every individual understands, on his or her own terms, that it is by far the most effective way to live.

Harmony does not come about through intimidation or scolding or threats of punishment. Harmony is reached through understanding.

Harmony cannot exist where people are interested only in what they can take. Harmony is built through giving.

Harmony comes not by giving in or by being weak or by surrendering one's most treasured principles, or by the cowardly attempt to control others. Harmony is the domain of those who are confident enough in their own lives to allow others to peacefully flourish.

Every problem has a gift in its hands.

Alan Cohen

Everything is part of something bigger, and mistakes are no exception. Every minus is half of a plus, waiting for a stroke of vertical awareness.

In his brilliant book Illusions, Richard Bach explains that every problem comes to you with a gift in its hands. If you focus only on what went wrong, you miss the gift.

If you are willing to look deeper and ask for the insight, the problem dissipates, you are left only with the learning, and you advance on your path.

It Takes Courage

Author Unknown

It takes strength to be firm,
It takes courage to be gentle.

It takes strength to conquer,
It takes courage to surrender.

It takes strength to be certain,
It takes courage to have doubt.

It takes strength to fit in,
It takes courage to stand out.

It takes strength to feel a friend's pain,
It takes courage to feel your own pain.

It takes strength to endure abuse,
It takes courage to stop it.

It takes strength to stand alone,
It takes courage to lean on another.

It takes strength to love,
It takes courage to be loved.

It takes strength to survive,
It takes courage to live.

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