A cloudy day is no match for a sunny disposition. – William Arthur Ward

November 11, 2010
After a week of yucky weather, I'm still enjoying everyday:

Out of all the billions of stars, it only takes one sun to chase away the darkness and make a day and cheerful.  When that sun is hidden behind clouds, one person with a sunny disposition can have the same effect.  Each of us has a role in making the atmosphere warmer or colder.

 

Today well lived makes every yesterday a memory of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope. – Sanskrit poem

November 4, 2010

This bit of wisdom comes to us from ancient India.  It provides an answer to our worries about both the past and the future.  If we focus our energy each day on making that day a good experience, then tomorrow's yesterday will be a good memory and my experience will lead me to expect the next day will turn out as good as the past.




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Walk in Beauty - Navajo blessing

October 27, 2010

Walking in beauty results from being attuned to our surroundings and maintaining our balance mentally.  When our actions are in harmony with all of nature, we enjoy natural beauty.




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Being yourself, helps others be themselves. Because you recognize your own uniqueness you will not need to dominate others, nor cringe before them. – Jane Roberts

October 21, 2010

Whenever we are pretending to be somebody we’re not, we are acting out a lie.  That invariably creates stress.  The internal fear of being found out will drive us toward protecting our image, instead of enjoying our company.  Putting on a false front will either turn us into bullies, or make us easy targets for other bullies.



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It's not the things you cannot do that make you what you are. It's doing good with what you've got that lights the morning star. - Johnny Hart (BC cartoon)

October 14, 2010
 (Bald Eagle with a broken wing)

This quote is from a cartoon character who has a wooden leg.  That doesn’t really make him different from other people; we all have imperfections.  His physical problem may be more visible than some of our other weaknesses, but none of us are good at everything, so there is no reason to be ashamed of who we are or who we are related to.  Shame or pride should only be side effects of what we actually do.


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Silence sounds like approval

October 7, 2010

When I talk to a class and all the students listen without saying anything, I figure that they are agreeing with me.  When someone makes racist or other bigoted comments in my presence and I say nothing, he is going to assume that I agree with those opinions, or at least that I don’t mind them.  The Nazis were never the majority, but the silence of so many of their neighbors allowed them to think and act as though they were.

The most effective way to reduce bullying behavior is for bysta...


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Nothing is boring when your mind is fully engaged .

October 1, 2010

It seems like my mind wanders when I get bored.  That is backwards.  What really happens is that I become bored when I let my mind wander.  Even a simple repetitive task, like pounding nails, is not boring when I focus on doing the best job possible.


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Every answer reveals another layer of questions - There is always more to learn. – Richard Galbraith

September 22, 2010

Knowledge accumulates in layers.  Each addition allows us to rise to a point that allows us to see farther into the horizon.  Curiosity and science are never fully satisfied.  
                


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Attacks provoke Defensiveness; Support enables people to venture out. – Richard Galbraith

September 16, 2010
This seemed particularly appropriate in this time of political campaigns.
  The old castle was designed to ward off attacks.  The picnic area is designed to let people come together and enjoy the site.

My opinions are often different than those of other people but our emotional reactions are similar.  So when I want others to go along with my ideas, I ought to think about what approaches work with me, and about what words make me resist changing or agreeing with them.


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The longest journey starts with a single step – Lao-Tzu

September 9, 2010

How did Sir Edmund Hillary get to the top of Mount Everest?  
                                                                                                             One step at a time.

If you have a big job in front of you, you will never get it done unless you take the first step.  Waiting around won’t make the journey get any shorter, it will just leave you less time to complete it.

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