How Would You Define Honesty?

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From Denny: Another great writer from our more recent American past, Mark Twain, also a great humorist.

"Honesty: The best of all the lost arts." - Mark Twain

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Are You Honest and Honorable with Yourself?

From New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Death of Socrates - Image by wallyg via Flickr

From Denny: I've always enjoyed a comment or two from the ancient past from the brainy Greek thinkers like Socrates. His deep thoughts have survived the test of time as well as bad translations! :)

How many of us stop long enough in our daily life to reflect upon if we are really living our lives with honor in the world? This is why I enjoy quotations so much as they are like daily meditations to give us a short checklist of what to consider as we live from moment to moment. And Socrates, well, the man not only had wit, he had game!

"The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be." - Socrates

How Smart is Your Genius?

From Denny: And this quote coming from a world renown genius! The guy had such a great sense of humor...

"The hardest thing in the world to understand is income tax." — Albert Einstein

What Can Money Do for You?

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From Denny: I'm in a mood for "funny but true" today! Get a grin!

"Money can’t buy you happiness but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery." — Spike Milligan

How Deeply Do You Know Your Dream?

From Denny: It appears former President Franklin Roosevelt was quite the chatty guy when it came to littering history with his interesting quotes. Every time you turn around there is yet one more better than the last!

What's intriguing about this one is that is more than encouragment to follow your dreams. Rather he advises we focus on the intense beauty in all its aspects of the dreams as we engage, follow and become our dreams.

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Photo by Orrakle @ flickr

Are You Afraid to Follow Your Inner Vision?

From Denny: Audre Geraldine Lorde (February 18, 1934 - November 17, 1992) was a Carribean-American activist, though born in New York City to immigrant parents was also a writer and poet. A lot of her work centered on challenging feminist thought in the area of racism.

She was born so near-sighted that she was considered legally blind. Yet she managed to read at the early age of four years old and later go on to college and become a feminist writer.

Receiving a masters degree in library science, Lorde graduated the prestigious Columbia University. Audre married an attorney but divorced after having two children.

She become known for her work as a gay activist as she decided she too was gay. She worked in the civil rights of the 1960's, feminist movement, and was anti-war. She struggled with the battle of breast cancer for 14 years before her death.

Lorde was State Poet of New York from 1991 to 1992.

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“When I dare to be powerful — to use my strength in the service of my vision - then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” — Audre Lorde

Photo by alicepopkorn @ flickr

Here are two additional interesting posts considering our vision and passion in ourselves. Take a look!

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How Do You Develop Courage in Your Life?

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"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear." — Ambrose Redmoon

How Do You View the World?

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Considering the past eight years of our toxic politics, this quote is more poignant than ever to keep in mind when we interact with others for business, politics or personal relationships.

"To the man who only has a hammer, everything he encounters begins to look like a nail." — Abraham Maslow

What is a Rich Person, Really?

From Denny: Viewing this feed in a reader? View this stunning photo by coming to the blog!

Considering today's economy this is quote about wisdom.

"The richest man is not he who has the most, but he who needs the least." — Unknown Author

Photo of Chinese fisherman at midnight by johey24 @ flickr

Good Advice for Living Well

And in his usually funny but very true self:

"Be Yourself; everyone else is already taken." - Oscar Wilde

Photo by hyperscholar @ flickr

Living vs. Existing

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all." - Oscar Wilde

Photo by -Gep- @ flickr

The Poetry Seen in Life!

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“There is not a particle of life that does not carry poetry within it.” - Gustave Flaubert

Why People United is Better Than Contentiousness

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"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Photo of President Lyndon Johnson and Dr. King

Below for further reading is a very practical short article well written.

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How to End War Between Nations or in the Family?

"More than an end to war, we want an end to the beginnings of all wars." - President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Photo of American soldier in Iraq by Jayel Aheram @ flickr

Gorgeous Peony Photos

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From Denny: I must really have a bad case of Spring Fever. Just survived the onslaught of an unusually bad pollen season - and what am I doing? Going through flickr for photos of my favorite flower, the Peony!

They are exquisite. Something about viewing flowers is a real stress reliever. Take a look for yourself as it is Monday, the most stressful day of the work week! The fabulous peony photos are located on my photo blog, Visual Insights, go here.

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How Beauty, Love and Action Interact

Image by Always Be CoOL via Flickr

From Denny: The famous Persian poet, Rumi, was a nobleman and great scholar of the 13th century. He met a wandering famous spiritual teacher named Shams who mentored Rumi about mysticism. Rumi was clearly transformed by the intense relationship. His poetry reflects the inner journey of discovery and reunion with God that, like any true mystic, transcends specific religion.

Peonies, like those in the photo and Rumi's inspiration from his poems, are complex flowers of many interlocking petals, yet unfurl into something incredibly beautiful! A European friend once paid me the greatest compliment to compare me to a peony and it has remained her nickname for me ever since...

“Let the beauty that you love be what you do.” - Rumi

Forgiveness Gives You Power

"You will know that forgiveness has begun when you recall those who hurt you and feel the power to wish them well." - Lewis B. Smedes

Photo by mandj98 @ flickr

HAPPY EASTER...........2009!

From Denny: From my rose garden to yours this year! Louisiana is in full bloom and the worst of pollen season is finally done. These are Tiffany roses. They practically glow from within with the golden hearts and the light perfumed scent is absolutely DIVINE!

Happy Easter to all! May this be a wonderful time of spiritual renewal for you whatever belief system you hold in your heart...

For more wonderful Easter photos from flickr friends and a few special ones of my own, check out the photo blog: Visual Insights.

Best Way to Succeed

From Denny: Napolean Hill is one of the first motivational writers. What an impact he has had on our American society! The core of what he often taught is that long-term success comes from practising the way of good character.

"It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed." - Napoleon Hill

Love and Angels

From Denny: What Luciano De Crescenzo suggests is so simple if only we would choose to truly lift up each other. Cooperation, teamwork, less ego are the ingredients for success.

The simple act of support goes a long way to reducing anger, strife and violence that separates people. Lifting up the other person as they lift up you elevates us all to the heavens! This is such a poetic quote in its declared beauty...

"We are each of us angels with only one wing. And we can only fly embracing each other." - Luciano De Crescenzo

Letting Go Takes Love

LETTING GO TAKES LOVE

To let go does not mean to stop caring;
it means I can't do it for someone else.

To let go is not to cut myself off;
it's the realization I can't control another.

To let go is not to enable
but allow learning from natural consequences.

To let go is to admit powerlessness which means
the outcome is not in my hands.

To let go is not to try to change or blame another;
it's to make the most of myself.

To let go is not to care for
but to care about.

To let go is not to fix
but to be supportive.

To let go is not to judge
but to allow another to be a human being.

To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes
but to allow others to affect their destinies.

To let go is not to be protective;
it's to permit another to face reality.

To let go is not to deny
but to accept.

To let go is not to nag, scold or argue
but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.

To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires
but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.

To let go is not to criticize or regulate anybody
but to try to become what I dream I can be.

To let go is not to regret the past
but to grow and live for the future.

To let go is to fear less and love more.
Remember: The time to love is short.

- Anonymous

Photo by Brenda Hervold @ flickr

Forgiveness Gifts You Freedom!

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"When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free." - Catherine Ponder

Photo by cuellar (from Spain) @ flickr

Love and Forgiveness

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"Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit." - Peter Ustinov, English actor and writer

A Word to the Wise...

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From Denny: How many times have we heard the phrase "a word to the wise..." and then some proverb? Well, leave it to a comedian to corrupt such a serious saying - and using the truth to do it!

"A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice." - Bill Cosby, American comedian (Dr. William H. Cosby actually)

Charm, Folly and Life!

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From Denny: How often have we been wooed by the latest charm offensive of some deceitful politician trying to get our vote only to make us angry later for giving it to them? This quote will make you laugh it off!

Even the much hated President Nixon had at least one redeeming quality, as few people are only one-dimensional. Nixon played the piano handsomely for friends and family. It was like another person sat down at that piano and when the music played he was transformed into a decent guy. Sadly, the jovial attitude only lasted as long as the music... Well, I guess he is one politician who will never be accused of being too nice or boring. History seems to enjoy its villains.

"Every man has his follies - and often they are the most interesting thing he has got." - Josh Billings

Photo: Nixon leaving the White House after he just resigned, the 1st President to ever do so.

Quote Almost an April Fools Day Joke

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"Everywhere is within walking distance - if you have the time."

- Steven Wright