~~ Quotes for Me to Live by ~~


When I am blinded by what my eyes see in the physical world...

A human being is part of the whole called by us 'Universe,' a part
limited in time and space.  He experiences himself, his thoughts and
feelings as something separated from the rest--a kind of optical
delusion of consciousness.  This delusion of consciousness is a kind
of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to
affection for a few persons nearest to us.  Our task must be to free
ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to
embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.

      - Albert Einstein


When I'm caught up in the day-to-day, and have become disconnected from my compass...

In the end these things matter most:
How well did you love?
How fully did you live?
How deeply did you learn to let go?

- The Buddha


When fighting for the environment seems silly or hopeless...

Miners going into the mines often used to carry small birds, such as
canaries, which were highly sensitive to the buildup of toxic gases.
If the birds died, the miners quickly fled.  Today, the world's 500
million indigenous peoples, living in some 15,000 distinct groups,
are the miner's canary; and the Earth--particularly the tropical
rainforest--is the mine.  That the canary is dying is a warning that
the dominant cultures of the world have become toxic to the Earth.
In this case, however, we cannot flee the mine.

      - Jason W. Clay


When fighting for the environment seems silly or hopeless...

At first I thought I was fighting to save the rubber trees,
Then I thought I was fighting to save the Amazon rainforest,
Now I realize I am fighting to save humanity.

      - Chico Mendez


Always...

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.


When work seems "too important" and I start neglecting other things...

Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca Cola Enterprises spoke of the relation of
work to one's other commitments:
"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling 5 balls in the air.
You name them: work, family, health, friends and spirit.  You are
keeping them all in the air when you realize the work ball is a
rubber ball.  If you drop it, it will bounce back up to you, but the
other four balls, family, health, friends and spirit are all made of
glass.  If you drop one of these, they will irrevocably be scuffed,
marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the
same.  You must understand that and strive for balance in your life."


For when more growth brings me in touch with more sorrow...

With more light, comes more shadow.  - Carl Jung


When I'm deluded, confused, disheartened, and disillusioned by what I see and am trying to accomplish in the material world...

Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart...
Who looks outside, dreams.  Who looks inside, awakens.

  - Carl Jung


For when it's difficult to empathize, find compassion and forgive another who's actions are hurtful to me (ie, remembering that they're probably motivated by the pain/intention below...and also by wanting someone to truly know how bad they feel, not be alone in it, etc)...

If I make you feel worse than me, then I'll feel better than you.

     - Russell's Grandmother


To live my heart and dreams with courage when the suffering or fear seems insurmountable...to work as if I weren't getting paid, dance like nobody's watching, and love like I've never been hurt...to remember to be truly alive by truly *LIVING*...

I'm not interested in whether there is one God or many gods.  I want
to know if you belong, or if you feel abandoned...if you know despair,
or can see it in others.  I want to know if you know how to melt into
the fierce heat of living, falling towards the center of your
longing.  I want to know if you're prepared to live in a world with
this harsh need to change you and can look back with firm eyes and
say, "This is where I stand."  I want to know if you can live your
life day by day with the consequence of love, and the bitter, unwanted
passion of your sure defeat.  In this fierce embrace I am told even
the gods speak of God.

      - David Whyte
 

Every man dies, but not every man lives.
      - Braveheart
 

Perception = Reality - Expectations


When it seems I have neither the strength nor faith to continue...

On the plains of hesitation
lie the bones of the countless ones,
who
on the dawn of Victory
laid down to rest
and died.


When I feel the desire to change someone (usually in a relationship)...

don't Affect, just Adore.
 - Rich Raffals, 8/99


When a situation has me feeling  uncomfortable, unhappy, scared, bored, or like I'm losing control...

Dance to whatever music's playing.
 - Rich Raffals, 9/17/99


When it all seems for naught and nothing's working, despite all my efforts...

The character of a man is judged not by what he accomplishes, but,
rather, by how much of himself he whole-heartedly, courageously and unselfishly
dedicates toward what he believes in.

      - Rich Raffals, 5/98


When I'm too hard on myself...

I was asleep for a long time, dreaming grand dreams of
success and accomplishment.
 Then,
..slowly..
I awoke.
In the morning light of this new dawn,
I strove to transcend my fear of
not being or getting enough
and to be
..above all..
genuinely kind and loving toward others.
I practiced performing kind and loving acts,
putting the needs and desires of others above my own
..whenever I perceived the opportunity..
Soon, however, I learned that I was still just dreaming....
In the brilliant light of this new day,
I awoke anew...
realizing that merely performing pre-meditated acts of kindness
does not make one a truly kind person.
I then strove to put my loving regards for the best interests of others
before mine in my heart always,
..instead of in my mind when I "could"..
and to become
..above all..
a person who naturally finds honest, heartfelt joy in sacrificing
his own needs or desires
when it would result in the true growth and/or happiness
of another.
But, after dreaming that dream for awhile,
darkness descended and the warmth fled my new day.
Deep in the cold dark of night, I awoke to yet another level...
realizing that a person who is 100% kind and loving  must
..by definition..
also be just as kind, loving and nonjudgmental
..toward himself..
So, I now strive to treat
..myself..
with the same kindness, love, and acceptance
that I had previously reserved for others...
while struggling to believe
..that I deserve it..

     - Rich Raffals, 8/17/98

Like these?  More inspiring quotes here...