you will have been all of these

Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and wrong. Some time in life, you will have been all of these.

- Robert H Goddard

I really like this quote because it is something I aspire to. I may not be religious, but I can guarantee that I try to be considerate of others and conscious of my choices and will raise my child to do the same.

I bring up religion because it seems to come up a lot lately, especially in politics. I will never understand why calling yourself religious or claiming to be a member of a particular faith equates to "being a good person" in the minds of some people. Religion doesn't make you a good person. Going to church doesn't make you a good person. Being tender, compassionate, sympathetic, and tolerant can make you a good person. Your actions determine the person you are.

you may be the world

To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.

-Heather Cortez

Really nice quote, especially now that I am a parent. I got it from this Mutts comic strip.

looking together

Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction.
-Antoine de Saint Exupéry

minority vs majority

The test of courage comes when we are in the minority.
The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority.

-Ralph W. Sockman


This is the first time in a while that I've seen a quote that made me think 'now that's a great quote'.

we all must work

We all must work to make the world worthy of its children.

-Pablo Casals

being green in early spring

We have forgotten our former states, except in early spring when we slightly recall being green again.
-Rumi

Another great quote, as seen in a Mutts comic strip here. Hope everyone's having an enjoyable spring so far.

strength in what remains behind

What though the radiance which was once so bright
Be now for ever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
-William Wordsworth

This verse from the poem "Ode on Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood" by William Wordsworth was featured in Criminal Minds this week. It's always been one of my favorite verses from any poem, particularly the last 4 lines, because it's something I've always felt I need to keep in mind.

understand through nature

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
-Albert Einstein

This was featured in the Mutts comic strip for April 24, 2008. I love that comic strip and thought this quote was great, especially considering who said it.

heaven under our feet

Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.
-Henry David Thoreau


I hope everyone had a lovely Earth Day!

Criminal Minds & A Quote

The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love and to be greater than our suffering.
-Ben Okri

I heard this quote at the end of Criminal Minds and was really touched by it. When I looked it up, I discovered a wiki of Criminal Minds Quotes - a pretty cool link if you're a fan of the show like I am!

how do you make others feel?

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
-Maya Angelou

I really like this...keeps us a bit more aware of how we treat others.

500 Visits to My Little Corner of the Web

Some one of my visits—one of the reasons I'm visiting here is to ask the question, you know, to people, because if there's moving too slow or people are saying one thing and the other thing is not happening, now's the time to find out.
-President Bush

Thanks for visiting. ;)

refuge

Self is the true refuge of self.
-The Buddha

Take refuge in yourself this weekend.

practice compassion

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.
-The Dalai Lama

Very simple and true.

the life cycle

Birth and death are not two different states, but they are different aspects of the same state. There is as little reason to deplore the one as there is to be pleased over the other.
-Gandhi

pretend to be

We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.
-Kurt Vonnegut

finding the divine

If you don't find God in the next person you meet, it is a waste of time looking for him further.
-Mohandas K. Gandhi

We all have something, call it "God" or "goodness" or "the divine," that gives us the ability to be more. Finding that in everyone (including ourselves) is not easy.

live each season

Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.
-Henry David Thoreau

This quote reminds me of the old money-saving advice of buying produce that's in season because it'll be cheaper and fresher. But it also just seems to be better when you indulge in the season. For those of you who experience changing seasons, you know what it's like to crave peppermint hot chocolate or a warm spicy citrus drink in the Winter, and iced tea or lemonade in the Summer. There's just something about enjoying the specialties of the season - the season puts you in the mood for the goodies, and the goodies put you in the mood for the season.

You can also take it further by just generally enjoying the moment. Live in the here and now, rather than waiting for the future or regretting or pining after the past. (Easier said than done sometimes!)

in awe of my body

I stand in awe of my body.
-Henry David Throeau

I like this quote for two reasons. On one side, it teaches us to accept and be happy with our bodies no matter what society tells us we should look like because our bodies are intrinsically good. On the other side, it can also inspire us to do all those things to care for our bodies by nourishing it properly - not because we need to fit into an acceptable clothing size, but because our bodies deserve to be taken care of and treated well.

stand up to live

How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.
-Henry David Thoreau

I'm laughing at myself for posting this quote, but I still like it anyway.