When you are inspired by some great purpose,
some extraordinary project,
all of your thoughts break their bonds
Your mind transcends limitations.
Your consciousness expands in every direction.
And you find yourself in a new,
great and wonderful world.
Dormant forces, faculties and talents come alive
and you discover yourself to be a greater person
by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.-Patanjali
I bet you don't have these beautiful works of art in your backyard....do you??? DESIDERATA, THE AFFIRMATION
adapted by Rachel Grey
(Take the challenge -- read it aloud.)
I go placidly amid the noise and the haste, remembering what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, I am on good terms with all persons. I speak my truth quietly and clearly; and I listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant--they too have their story. I avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexations to the spirit.
I try not to compare myself with others, for I know there will always be greater and lesser persons than myself. I enjoy my achievements as well as my plans. I keep interested in my own career, knowing it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
I exercise caution in my business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But I do not let this blind me to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. I am myself. I especially do not feign affection. Neither am I cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment I have seen it is perennial as the grass. I take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
I nurture strength of spirit to shield myself in sudden misfortune. But I do not distress myself with dark imaginings. I know that many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, I am gentle with myself. I am a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; I have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to me, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore, I am at peace with the world. And whatever my current labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, I keep peace in my soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Therefore, I am cheerful. I strive to be happy.
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing
There is a field. I'll meet you there.
A soul who lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase 'each other' doesn't make any sense."
-Rumi
Navajo Mandala
is this hell, or just morton's steakhouse?
this attorney from cleveland goes out on a deposition which was to last about 3 hours or so, when all of a sudden he feels himself being pulled down, down, down into this black space.......he first thinks he is going to hell, but there is no man in a red suit holding a pitchfork.....there is no fire and it isn't even hot there.......then he discovers he is really at Morton's Steakhouse, so he orders a steak, green beans and an iced tea.....he would rather have a long island iced tea, but he fears a headache.....while he is eating he notices the former mayor of cleveland sitting at a table near him.......he is eating a salad with ranch dressing on top....the attorney does not know what entree the former mayor has ordered but they have the same waiter....the attorney wants to ask the former mayor for an autograph but thinks this might not be the right thing to do..then in the middle of chewing his salad, the former mayor must have felt the urge to go the bathroom because he gets up and goes to the little boys room.......this is about the time when the attorney notices that his steak is ugly..... he quickly calls the waiter over to the table and announces: "I ordered a steak and it's ugly.".....the waiter quickly replies "well, sir, I don't like your shoes.".....the funny thing about this is the attorney is not wearing any shoes, he often liked to work barefoot..... sometimes he wears flip flops...orange ones with flowered tassles on the end.
michele benjamin
michele benjamin is a healing arts practitioner from medina. her grandfather used to sell insurance and he used to hand out little cards with his name & phone number on them. then the number changed, so he had the cards reprinted with the new number. she takes ambrotose for her condition.
