Welcome to my Daily Inspiration - Daily Quote. See today's daily inspirational quotes below.
May the world be kind to you, and may your own thoughts be gentle upon yourself. - Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Monday, February 28, 2011

A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg - Bernard Meltzer

A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg
even though he knows that you are slightly cracked.
- Bernard Meltzer

A friend is someone who understands my past,
believes in my future,
and accepts me just the way I am.
- Anonymous

One measure of friendship consists
not in the number of things friends can discuss,
but in the number of things they need no longer mention.
- Clifton Fadiman


Appreciate your friends. Grant them the freedom to be lovable, but fully imperfect.

Read the latest questions and answers by Mary Anne Radmacher.

Further reading: Happy Friends, Happy You

How to Deal with Rejection

Need For Approval

Mary Anne Radmacher: Frankie's Story (The origin of Live With Intention)

Friendship Quotes and Sayings

Good Quotes about Life

Great Quotes about Life

Happy Quotes about Life

Inspiring Quotes about Life

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Henry David Thoreau: Go confidently in the direction of your dreams

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. - Henry David Thoreau

 Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. - Helen Keller 

 Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.” - Mary Anne Radmacher 

 You are in charge of your life. The people you interact with every day are mostly focused on their own fears and needs, and generally don't make the extra effort to be kind to you. Forgive them, and take responsibility for creating your own life as your masterwork. 

Saturday, February 26, 2011

The most important things in life are seldom the most obvious.


Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.
- John Lennon

What we think, we become.
All that we are arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts, we make the world.
- The Buddha

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.
- Louisa May Alcott


Be alert. The most important things in life are seldom the most obvious.

Further reading: How to Stop Worrying

How to Gain Self Confidence

How to Move On and Let Go

Ten Little Tips to Feel Happier Right Now

Be Happy Today And Prepare For Tomorrow

Inspirational Quotes

Sad Quotes

Words of Wisdom

Sayings about Life

Friday, February 25, 2011

Questions for author Mary Anne Radmacher



QUESTIONS and Mary Anne Radmacher's ANSWERS

Question: Please could you explain the difference between Living with Intention and say living with Inspiration?

Mary Anne Radmacher's Answer...

My INTENTIONS inspire me to consider certain actions. There are many things in the course of my day that inspire me. My intentions are like a giant bulldozer in the middle of a wild, overgrown glade. My intentions clear a path and allow me to head in the direction of my longings, my passions. My intentions make it possible for me to lay down a road of clarity and goals, upon which I articulate the mission and purpose of my life.

How does one overcome the need for apathy and truly entice people to forgive?

The only way that I am familiar with is this:
to overcome my own apathy and forgive myself and others. It is my own forgiveness that I govern.

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I have taken a leap of faith and made a possible life changing decision by resigning from my secure job in order to take time out to heal and learn more about myself and what path I need to follow to be fulfilled.

My question is: Even though I have done this and I have weighed up the pro's and con's, why then is my faith wavering and how do I remain calm and focused through this time without tipping the sails in my usual manner when things feel hopeless?

I ask myself, when faced with the "what if's" to consider what is real in the moment. And then I do one thing toward the thing, event, potential that is causing me anxiety. Then, like an insistent child, the anxiety seems quieted that I have "seen" it. Then I return to the matter of significance in front of me.

There is hope found in your desire to live a more meaningful life. The answers to your questions are often closer than you suspect.

I trust you'll embrace the healing that you seek in this time you have chosen for yourself.

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My question is to Mary Anne regarding her new book. I will be turning 40 this summer and have been struggling most of my adult life with anxiety/self doubt. I have been successful in my career and family life, but feel like I have am not fulfilled inside, almost bored.

My question is: Is this book written to help guide us to a deeper understanding of ourselves and find joy in the simple things of life and helping others?

Yes. That one of the reasons for the book. Let me note I advocate service and help to self, first in order to be healthfully in service to others.

If you follow the trail of your own enthusiastically repeated stories, you will begin to rediscover the things that invigorate and enliven you. (For example-Watch what makes your speech speed up when you talk about it?)

In my own deepening understanding of myself I find my capacity to serve others is deepened as well. The better I am at self-care the more genuinely nurturing of others I am able to be.

Boredom is a real litmus test that you are, perhaps, not connected to the true intentions of your life. When my "ten things" are present in high proportion, then anything I do in a day is a simple joy. Watch and observe yourself. See what enthuses and energizes you. Listen for when your speech quickens and hear what stories are repeated at every opportunity. In discovering those things, the truth of what your core intentions are will begin to be clear.

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My question is more a situation. I have recently found out that i have diabetes and to top that off my thumb joints and knee joints are painful due to severe arthritis. The next 2 years of my life will be spent in surgery or pain.

I have been feeling very sorry for myself due to all of the things I once could do I no longer can.

I have been searching for motivation, inspiration, hope, and joy. I am not finding it at this time.

What would you do if life was so intense for you?

I have faced physical disability. Financial duress. Severe illness. In those times I remain close to my own belief/vision/sense of my life. I've been in conversation with myself throughout the day: comforting myself, inviting and invigorating and reminding myself of what matters most to me.

When life has been so intense I've also remained very close to my trusted circle of friends...allowing them to remind me of various graces of my life. Pain is a difficult mistress. When I was seized up by rheumatoid arthritis and couldn't even walk a full block...I did what I could. I celebrated being able to accomplish even the smallest things. AND I made certain that I was as fully educated on my conditions and doing all that I could to take the best care of myself.

I find motivation and inspiration and hope in information.

In my own physical/health challenges I've dived right in to research and exploration of alternatives and options. I discovered that there was a world of information available. Learning about the systems of my body, how my blood works and the impact of nutritional choices on the quality of my health were all empowering actions.

When one's health is compromised and pain and weariness are companions, it is a challenge to "rally" enthusiasm for learning and study. But when I faced serious consequences from some health issues, the better student I became, the better patient I was. I am participant in my health care direction, not simply a patient accepting the direction of a single health care provider.

Pain is a difficult companion. There's no getting around that. But, if pain is to be a companion, searching and discovering your own best ways to travel with that pain will lead you to the joy that you long to have. They are your paths, your ways and while my experience and the experiences of others may inspire you, ultimately it will be the choices you discover and make for yourself that lead you to certain joy in the midst of your challenges.

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I am very down, stressed, I read your daily inspirations, I try to follow but sometimes I am so hurt, I don’t have the energy to face the evil people.

Why is there problem for me wherever I go? I am helping, don’t hurt anyone, go out of the way to help people, but people use me including my colleagues, friends and co-workers.

The day that a car drove past me and splattered mud all over my brand new expensive hand woven shawl ...something important dawned on me. The driver of that car didn't set out to cover me in mud. Didn't plan it. Didn't seize the opportunity to cover me with wet dirt. In fact, that driver was very likely unaware that they had even done anything to me. And yet - the truth of it was that my beautiful new shawl was drenched in dirty road mud.

It wasn't personal. It was not about me or toward me. I STILL had to deal with the consequences of cleaning the mud off me and my clothes. But I didn't take any time pondering whether it was "fair" or not.

Let me tell you a shift in conversation I continue to introduce into my thinking. When it appears that I have been taken advantage of I try to accurately observe, "I allowed that individual to take advantage of me." I ask myself how might I do something differently, next time, so that I might be able to report, "I was able to shift the circumstance so that I was able to speak up for myself and not allow myself to be taken advantage of?" The question remains the same for anyone, but the answer would be unique to you.

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If we live with intention, where does fate and destiny come in? Do we need to leave some things to the higher powers at be? Or will those things fall into place with our intention?

What "falls into place" for me in my days, when I live close and with my intentions, is my joy. Living in accord with those things which are my closest intentions - means that regardless of the circumstances of the day, I have brought my best effort and truest qualities to all of my day. Consideration of fate and destiny is a substantial matter. I would say this to you - what you understand fate and destiny to be is peculiar to your own experience of it. Apart from my view of fate or destiny, my intentions really define the qualities of my daily experience...moment by moment.

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Mary, how did you do it to become an inspiring, encouraging and motivational writer?

I reached deeply into my own soul and began writing at a young age. Writing helped me make sense of elements in my life experience that seemed to make little sense. Through writing I realized the truth of the sub-title of my book, "Rediscovering What We Deeply Know." I knew what I needed to live a resilient and happy life: the truth of it was deep within my soul. Through the practice of writing I was able to reach into and pull out that truth. And "how I did it" was consistent and regular writing and observing the events and experiences of my life. When I felt I grasped a thing for myself - I would then share it with others.

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It has been said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. What is the road to heaven paved with? How about the road to Purgatory?

I've had this question posed to me with varying degrees of seriousness in the
two decades since I wrote the poem. With consideration I say that true intentions are not good or bad. They are yours or not yours. True to yourself or not true to yourself. So, of course, the road to hell would be paved with "good" intentions. Because intentions that are simply good but not passionately claimed by their adherent are illusions, like empty or shallow promises.

My intentions form the dynamic core of my most successful, enjoyable and productive days: that feels like Heaven in the moment.

Purgatory. It is an in between place, a place of transition. I believe my answer is the same.

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How do you suggest to keep being positive when you keep getting hurt by people who know that their actions dictate a reaction but then state that they are not responsible for your reaction to their actions.

Jonathan and I really address this specific thing in our coauthored book,
"Simply An Inspired Life."

I emphasize the word RESPONSE rather than reaction. I like to talk about a thing I call a "practiced pause." Just a few moments of pausing allows me to consider a circumstance and take stock of what the best direction might be. Reactions tend to rise from habit and unconsidered action. A Response is considered and thoughtful. And I have to say that in general I agree that
other people are not responsible for either my reactions or responses. My actions are my own and I am, singularly, responsible for what I see, say, feel and exert. Eleanor Roosevelt said, and I agree, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

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"Judgment and weariness are foes to service and generosity."

In service to others, traumatic memories of others are absorbed unwittingly through Limbic resonance.

How are we present and available for others? How do we cleanse ourselves of the weariness created by bearing witness to others in their strife and healing journey?

What a multi-layered and complex question. I struggled many years with wearing and bearing the pain of others. Bringing harm to myself by inadvertently taking on the trauma of another.

I began to consider myself a conduit, or a bridge. In service to another being a means by which they could lift their vision or be inspired. As a bridge I learned to help another heal, not by trying to heal them but rather to be a mirror that they would discover the means to their own healing.

In practical terms, when I am in a position of service to another or others, I take excellent care of myself, drink a lot of water, get plenty of sleep and I make sure, hold myself accountable, that I do not hold on to a burden that is not mine to bear.

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I've always admired Mary Anne's wonderful art and the quotes that go with it. However, I haven't had the opportunity to read her books which I'm sure must be wonderful. I also admire the thoughtful and well connected quotes you put out every day - thank you for the inspiration.

Here's my question:
My blog is called Everyday Gyaan. Gyaan is the Sanskrit word for wisdom and I believe that wisdom and inspiration come to us in the everyday events of our lives. I wish to understand (and then be able to share with my readers giving due credit of course) how living with intention translates in to our daily lives?

Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to add to my understanding.

When an individual is aware of their personal intentions, it translates in to daily life by enlivening our activities, heightening our contentment and satisfaction with our actions and attitudes. Some people confuse intentions with goals. I'll use this metaphor: intentions are the plans for how a house will be structured and built. Intentions build the structure of the house. Goals make sure the house is sheet rocked, painted, appointed and decorated.

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I was sent an email every day now for a week. Your book and quotes were included in this. I had read, "Teachers or any professionals might be tempted to ask if their purpose on the planet might be a level deeper than originally thought. An initial thought is we are here to inspire many others. What if it’s really to inspire the few who will, in turn, inspire the many? Or, more to the point, to influence one who will, in turn, change the world. Today may be that day. Your one day to have that single most important influence on the life of another human being." I just wanted to ask you a simple question: What should I do if there is someone who has influenced me so much, and I haven't told them that? Should I?

"appreciate your friends."

Expressing appreciation to the significant people in my life is one of my intentions.

I take every opportunity to articulate to others the ways that they have blessed and influenced me. I hold sweet memories of making the opportunity to thank teachers who have influenced me. I encourage everyone to seize opportunities to tell people who have made a gift of knowledge or influence.

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I am a single mom of six. I have only three living at home and three that come for the summer. I feel that my children do not appreciate anything, and they act as if the world owes them something. Do you feel that your book living with intention will help my children be more humble and appreciative of things?

I am uncertain if my book would inspire or help your children. I feel confident that it would inspire or, at least, offer comfort to you!

Being a parent is the most important and demanding job on the planet.

I am not a parent but so many of my friends struggle between their commitment to the role they hold as a parent and their basic needs as a growing human being. Not being appreciated for things that you do is difficult...regardless if it's behavior from a child or a friend. "Ask for what you want," has been a reoccurring theme in my life. Being honest about what is true for me, without blame toward others, is a sweet trick! I manage to do it often. Perhaps in my book you would be inspired to connect what is healthy for you and practice , without petulance or judgment, asking for what you would like. "I would relish and enjoy the opportunity to learn that you appreciate what I've done for you this week. Would you consider letting me know if something that I've done for you this week has been of benefit to you?" My friend Kathleen underscores that it is important that we REWARD the behavior that we want to see again. That would mean when one of your children actually SAID "thank you," or participated in a behavior that remotely looked like appreciation, you would acknowledge that, reward that with, "I want to let you know how much it means to me that you noticed I did this for you. Thank you for appreciating what I do."

Bill Clinton has often said, "There is no more important job in the world than being a parent."

I add that it's the most challenging job in the world. That stands to reason that the challenge would swing to its other side: rewarding.

I have a friend who often says, "We must reward the behavior we want to see again." That "entitlement attitude" is present in lots of folks in the world. Apparently, your children are included! It is difficult for me to say if my book would help your children be more humble and appreciative of things. People have to want to see a thing before they are able to actually see it. I feel confident in saying that my books would inspire you toward greater humility and appreciation.

I agree with my friend - reward the behavior that you want to see. When someone in your family acknowledges something you did, bang that drum!!! Try something like, "It makes me feel so happy that you acknowledged the work I put into that meal. I really want to give you good nurturing food and it feels great to have you say something to me about that."

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Very simply...how in the craziness of home schooling my children, raising them to be good human beings, taking care of the house, bills, cooking, being a caring wife etc. , do I figure out what my greater purpose is on this earth. I can tell myself that I am here to help my four children become caring, giving people, but it doesn't feel like that is all I am supposed to be doing to better the world.

Regardless of what I am doing or how busy I am... I am connected to my intentions. I intend to inspire and be inspired. Appreciate my friends. Laugh. Play. Practice wellness.

It's a lot like the question that busy people ask me about prayer. "You're so busy, how do you have time to pray?" My life is a prayer. I am never NOT connected to the Spirit within me. My actions are an articulation of the intentions of my life.

You better the world by doing your best at all you do. Dr. King was so clear when he said, "If you are going to be a street sweeper, be the finest street sweeper the world has ever seen."

Especially in home schooling - you are modeling so much more than just a math lesson for your children by the way you speak, how you present, the manner in which you create the learning environment. When a parent teaches a child to embrace a caring and giving lifestyle...they are giving a huge gift to the world. That is what I meant when I wrote, "When you have one friend, you hold the hand of the world." One person touches so many others... like ripples in a pond ever outward...you haven't an idea where your model of grace and goodness will reach. That's the legacy of parenting.

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Do you think that our President dabbles in the Muslim religion and are you personally afraid of what is happening in our world nowadays?

Based on observation, not personal knowledge, I do not believe that our President "dabbles" in anything. It strikes me that he is diligent about things and takes any undertaking with commitment. I appreciate the amount of knowledge he demonstrates about the faiths held around the world. I respect that when he has addressed his personal faith he has used the word, "personal" with intention.

I do not hold fear about what is happening in the world. I am responsible for how I conduct myself in the events of my days and endeavor to not dwell in fear about anything.

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Mary, you are doing a great work out there, keep it up!
Why do we have many who are hard working but remain poor, yet some others are not but get rich without being dubious?

That question is as old as the human race. The philosophers of all ages have addressed that question.

In worldly terms I am not wealthy. In point of fact, in impersonal monetary measures, I would be called poor by some. I've been growing, over the years, toward an understanding of "currency" that far exceeds the system of financial exchange. My abundance is not gauged by the balance in my bank account. Or what I own. My currency is the energetic exchange I invest in my life and the world on a daily basis. I look at my wealth and observe that I am willing to share from whatever I have. Generosity defines my abundance. My contentment in the labor of my hands and the work of my heart.

I'm familiar enough with percentages and odds to know that it's not mathematically likely that everyone would hold and operate from the same equation. And the presence of contrast in the universe holds that if there are rich there will be the contrast of poor.

At the end of this circular and large issue I come to this one simple conclusion - "Life is many things - but it is not fair." It's a less than emotionally satisfying answer to your query but it is the answer I have.

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I look forward to your emails everyday and often forward them to family and friends. Thank you for the contest and an opportunity to ask Mary a question.

My question for her is: Does you art inspire you to write or does your writing inspire your art?

Both!

When I am engaged in a concept that I have clear and easy words for - I want to create a visual that expresses the thought.

And also, when I "see" a certain beauty and create it...I want to articulate the form and color through words.

So IDEAS and CONCEPTS inspire me to COMMUNICATE and I communicate as easily in words as I do in form.

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Mary Anne, I have been inspired by the quotes we have had the honour of receiving as daily quotes. You are a true beacon of light, like a light house to ships in the dark. Keep up the wonderful writings and thank you for sharing a piece of yourself with us.

Question: What inspires you and motivates you when your tank of inspiration runs dry or low? And, do you think one can heal cancer by merely altering your thoughts and mind set?

Natural elements and my profound friends revitalize me and fuel my tank of inspiration when I am "running on empty." Also - consistent, healthful practices and good, solid sleep!

I believe that our mind is a mighty force. That thousands of years ago Marcus Aurelius instructed that, "We go where our thoughts go." When people talk about folks who are overweight they say, "It took a long time to put that weight on,so don't expect to take it off over night." Our thoughts are also weight, in a sense. So I believe that the healing path for anyone afflicted with anything should begin immediately...that while one would be foolish to guarantee healing, without exception, one can safely say that the road of healing thoughts is certainly healthier and more effective than a mental road filled with anxiety and fear.

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Do you believe in karma and if so, what would be its role in living your life with intention?

When people ask me anything in the realm of spirit that begins with "Do you believe in_____________," I almost always answer the same way. This way ...

I believe that I am accountable for the knowledge that I hold.
I believe that I am responsible for acting toward the greater good at all times.
I believe that regardless of the beliefs that I hold about eternal consequences, this day assesses me as to whether or not I brought the whole of my gifts, talents, abilities and vision to the course of my actions. I believe that God understands the compass of my spirit and recognizes the sound of my voice.

And borrowing from a wise person - I believe that if I act as if both would live forever and also act as if I only have this moment - I am in the right track for me.

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Questions for Mary Anne Radmacher:
1) How do you stay motivated?

2) How do you stay focused and avoid the tornado called 'life' while still getting the most out of everyday life?

3) What is your biggest dream?

I stay motivated by reminding myself of my intentions; I post my life mission statement at the beginning of my month's journal and read it every day and I ask myself, "How do I want to remember this?" When I answer that question, I act accordingly.

My focus in the tornado comes from asking myself, "What responsibility do I have toward THAT tornado now?" If there's anything appropriate and immediate that I can do, I do it. If not, I do the next thing in front of me. My husband and I just had a chat about the numbers of "targeted completion dates" that I have in front of me right now. He said, "I don't know how the enormity of all that doesn't just drop you to your knees." I do. I do what I can, when I can, toward the completion of those targets. When I know I am doing my best, I am content with that. Sometimes my eyes spin a bit, but mostly I'm cool with it. I do what I can, when I can, with what I have. And then, the rest comes at some other time besides now.

My biggest dream is that my words will inspire heart, hope and personal responsibility in people around the globe long after my feet in these shoes aren't walking the planet.

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As one of my favorite quotes is the one that ends with "live as if this is all there is" - how can those of us that are true optimists in life, and work really hard to live life to the fullest everyday teach others that we care about around us how to do the same? I am starting to believe that some people have the innate gift to do this, and others just don't - does your new book address the depth of that issue?

More than an innate gift - I think it's a matter of focus.
I've been playing around with this "play on a phrase," "Just get off your big fat past and get moving." Did that make you smile? At times we are weighted by what is past, or burdened by our anxiety about what is to come. "Can I do anything about THAT now?" is a question I ask when the past or the future come knocking on my NOW. IF the answer is, "YES," I consider doing it. If not, I get up and get moving with the plan of the present moment.

And yes! my new book addresses that issue (time and again).

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A Single Generosity Enlarges the World - Mary Anne Radmacher

A Single Generosity Enlarges the World.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

As we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own way.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Live with intention.
Walk to the edge.
Listen hard.
Practice wellness.
Play with abandon.
Laugh.
Choose with no regret.
Appreciate your friends.
Continue to learn.
Do what you love.
Live as if this is all there is.
- Mary Anne Radmacher



Read: Mary Anne Radmacher: Frankie's Story (The origin of Live With Intention)

Further reading: Mary Anne Radmacher: Courage Doesn't Always Roar

Mary Anne Radmacher: WHAT DO I WANT?

Mary Anne Radmacher: Dare to dream of your great success

Mary Anne Radmacher: The jump is so frightening

Mary Anne Radmacher: Extend your hand with the strongest reach

Quotes to Live By

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Mary Anne Radmacher: Frankie's Story (The origin of Live With Intention)

The following is Mary Anne Radmacher's story of how she came to compose her famous Live With Intention quote. This story is taken from Mary Anne's first Conari Press book Lean Forward Into Your Life.


Frankie's Story (The origin of Live With Intention)
by Mary Anne Radmacher

After being in town a few short weeks, it seemed like Frankie had been in the community for a long time. As if she were exactly where she belonged. And she would tell anybody she was.

A mother who adored her grown children who had children of their own, she was ready for a different kind of life. A lighter life. Without so much “stuff” and only obligations that she would choose, even on a sunny day. This is the life she had created for herself in this small seaside community.

I enjoyed a connection with Frankie. While we were decades apart, we shared some fundamental views, among them, a commitment to the environment. When I started working on energy alternatives as a means to oppose oil leases off the coasts of Oregon and Washington, Frankie jumped right in. She loved that I was working to create solutions, not simply saying no to oil development off our coast. We worked together as volunteers for several years.

Frankie was a remarkable asset in any meeting. She listened attentively, and when she spoke, it was to say the hard thing. She let other people say the easy things. She saved her voice for the truths that everyone knew but didn’t have the nerve to say. Frankie was never short on nerve. When I’d thank her she’d brush it off and just say, “Ah, the truth is the truth. Some folks just have a hard time wrapping their lips around it.”

Not Frankie.

That is, not until the truth was about her health.

She started missing meetings, making commitments to activities and then not showing up. I called her because this was not her style and I was suspicious. She brushed off the concern saying she was just tired. I pressed her and continued to press until she finally went to the doctor.

In a playful but dreadfully dark way Frankie let me know she’d never be taking my advice again. If I hadn’t forced her to see a doctor she’d be blissfully waking to happy days. But since I’d sent her into the arms of medical bad news, now she had six months, maybe, to live -- and pancreatic cancer to deal with. “No more insistent suggestions from you!”

Awful. Awful news. Well, as testing progressed the news got worse. Frankie was now speaking of weeks, not months. Characteristic of her philosophy of retired life, she wanted to die simply, without a lot of stuff and only obligations to which she was most committed. She gathered a rather small circle of associates. I was among them. She laid down the rules in her fashion -- truthfully and without qualification. She had just a few rules:

“One. No assholes allowed. I’ve put up with them all my life. Now that I’m dying, I don’t have to. So if somebody comes and they’re an asshole, I’m not spending my dying breath on them. You can tell them anything you want. Just don’t bring them to me.

“Two. I get to listen to whatever I want. That means the music I want. Or quiet. And when I want to listen to quiet it means I don’t want to talk to you, either. Nothing personal; I just want quiet.

“Three. I get to eat whatever I want. If I want it and we don’t have it -- you’ll do your best to get it. If you can’t, I’ll understand. But I’d love for you to try. And, also, if I don’t want to eat, you won’t make me. None of the ‘it’s good for you’ business. I’m telling you right now what’s good for me.”

People could sign on under Frankie’s rules or not. She made it very clear it was her party. I was in the rotation several times in those last days. Toward the end I had to lie close to Frankie because she had little breath to put behind her words. Mostly she talked and I listened.

She asked me to promise her something. She said she knew I’d keep writing and sharing my thoughts with the world. She asked me to remind people of something they should know but kept forgetting. And, while I initially disagreed with Frankie’s advice, I came to understand the spirit of it: I can either direct the winds of my history to blow and fill my sails toward a certain course -- or, I can allow it to just steer me all over the map. I came to realize that Frankie was suggesting that we can negotiate with our history; come to a creative agreement and then move on with our lives, trimming our own sails in a chosen direction.

Frankie believed that we’re responsible for our own memories. That responsibility goes in two ways. First, if you had a childhood for which you did not much care ... MAKE UP a new one. That’s why you have an imagination. Just tell yourself a new story -- a story that keeps you from living in the past and being bitter. Do what it takes to be happy with your history. And secondly, be responsible today for the history you are creating. Ask yourself how it is you want to remember this specific thing and then do your best to bring about those memories. In a great difficulty or a perplexing moment, it’s a tool of perspective to pause and ask yourself, “How do I want to remember this?” It sings of personal responsibility and the kind of accountability that makes a big person.

I told Frankie I would do it. That I would remind people as often as I had the opportunity. And I have with City Year in Little Rock, Arkansas, a volunteer domestic service program started by President Clinton, as well as with computer marketing professionals in Portland, Oregon, and folks in every spot I’ve visited and given a speech. Now, I’m telling you the story. I promised and I’ve kept my promise. And in tough spots I clarify for myself by asking, “How is it I would most like to remember this?”

On the day of Frankie’s memorial service, much of that small community shut down. I had my memorial service right next to Frankie and her failing breath. The day of her service I stayed home and memorialized her in my own way. Yes, I cried. And yes, I asked myself how I would like to remember the day of her memorial. I wanted to define the lessons I’d learned by living by Frankie as she died. That day I wrote the text, which has grown into the version that I use today. I wrote:

live with intention.
walk to the edge.
listen hard.
laugh.
play with abandon.
practice wellness.
continue to learn.
appreciate your friends.
choose with no regret.
do what you love.
live as if this is all there is.

She did. And I aspire to.

Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. - George Bernard Shaw


Life isn't about finding yourself.
Life is about creating yourself.
- George Bernard Shaw

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.
- Helen Keller

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed
by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.
- Mark Twain


Take responsibility for your whole life - regardless of circumstances.

Further reading: Success Tip: Drive Change

The Jump is So Frightening - Mary Anne Radmacher

Time, Like Life Itself, Has No Inherent Meaning

What`s in a Name?

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Dream. Begin. Persevere.


You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water
- Rabindranath Tagore

Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.
- Mark Twain

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, Begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it, Begin it now.
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.
- Raymond Lindquist


Dream. Begin. Persevere.

Further reading: How To Not Care What Others Think

Later is Never

Dare to Dream of Your Great Success - Mary Anne Radmacher

Tips for Saving Money while Living Well



Every day is a good day to give my book 100 Secrets for Living a Life You Love to your friends and family. Read more about the book and get a 25% discount coupon at www.dreamthisday.com/secrets-life-love/




Jimmy Yen - My Personal Greatest Hero

Quotes about Moving On

Life Quotes and Sayings

Famous Quotes about Life

Funny Quotes about Life

Inspirational Quotes about Life

Sayings about Life

Sad Quotes about Life

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

A man's good name is his best monument.

A man's good name is his best monument. - from an old churchyard at Lockerbie, Scotland 

 What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal. - Albert Pike 

 A person acting from a motivation of contribution and service rises to such a level of moral authority that worldly success is a natural result. - Marianne Williamson 

 How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these. - George Washington Carver 

 How do you want to be remembered? Take action now to earn that legacy. 

 Further reading: How to Build Self Esteem 


Monday, February 21, 2011

Men are not prisoners of fate... - Franklin D. Roosevelt

In recognition of President's Day in the United States. here are some quotes from US Presidents ... 

  Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder. - George Washington (First United States President) 

 Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them? - Abraham Lincoln (16th United States President) 

 Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds. - Franklin D. Roosevelt (32nd United States President) 

 In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. - Thomas Jefferson (third President of the United States) 

 Further reading: Become Your Own Greatest Hero 



Sunday, February 20, 2011

All things at first appear difficult.

All things at first appear difficult. - Chinese proverb 

 Begin each day as if it were on purpose. - Mary Anne Radmacher 

 Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared. - Eddie Rickenbacker 

 Fall seven times, stand up eight. - Japanese Proverb 

 You CAN do what you are committed to do - regardless of how difficult it seems.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Don't Complain!

God grant me the serenity To accept the things I cannot change; 
Courage to change the things I can; 
And wisdom to know the difference.
 - Reinhold Niebuhr

Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do. - Benjamin Franklin 

 Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness. - Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Don't Complain! If it's important enough to complain about, it is important enough to take action on. Either accept it, or change it. - Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Friday, February 18, 2011

Thank You

The struggle ends when the gratitude begins.
- Neale Donald Walsch

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, Thank You, that would suffice.
- Meister Eckhart

Gratitude is the memory of the heart.
- Jean Baptiste Massieu

Appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder and even ecstasy, however stale these experiences may have become to others.
- Abraham Maslow

Never let frustration or disappointment tarnish your appreciation for all that is good in life. Every day say Thank You to the source of all that is good.

Further reading: Zero-Based Gratitude

Pay It Forward - as an Expression of Universal Gratitude

Comparisons are Odious

Celebrating Rainbows and Butterflies - the Small Miracles of Our Life

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Declare Victory


When one door of happiness closes, another opens, 
but often we look so long at the closed door 
that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.
- Helen Keller

When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.
- Lao Tzu

It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. 
Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels
 or by demons, heaven or hell.
- The Buddha

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.
- Eleanor Roosevelt

You can't let praise or criticism get to you.
It's a weakness to get caught up in either one.
- John Wooden

Today is your day to Spread Wing and Soar.
Fly Life on Free Wings, and Sing to its Glory.
- jlh


It is time for the project to be over. You submitted the proposal, you painted your house, you passed-in the term paper. Whatever praise or criticism you received, it is now time to move on to your next project.

Declare Victory! You did your best. You achieved completion and you learned a lot. Now, Declare Victory. Celebrate. Begin again tomorrow.

Further reading: How to Build Self Confidence

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Daily Habits

We first make our habits, then our habits make us.
- John Dryden

Successful people are simply those with successful habits.
- Brian Tracy

The habit of persistence is the habit of victory.
- Herbert Kaufman

People often say that motivation doesn't last.
Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.
- Zig Ziglar

We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
- Will Durant (commonly attributed to Aristotle)


If something is truly important to you, make it a daily habit. If healthy eating is important, make it a daily habit. If exercise is important, do it daily. If prayer is important, do it daily.

What you don't do daily, you probably won't do weekly either. What you make a habit of putting-off just keeps getting pushed away again and again.

If something is important to you, attend to it immediately, and regularly. If something is not really important to you, that's great also - just scratch it off your to-do list forever, and never worry about it again. Choose how you invest your time, and honor your choices.

Are you putting off living the life you've always longed for? Begin the true work of your life right now.

Further reading: Choose Your Habits, Choose Your Life

How to Gain Self Confidence

Practice makes perfect - sometimes

9 Secrets for Getting Un-Stuck

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Welcome Change

If we don't change, we don't grow.
If we don't grow, we aren't really living.
- Gail Sheehy

He who rejects change is the architect of decay.
- Harold Wilson

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.
- Margaret Mead

We must be the change we wish to see.
- Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi

To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there.
- Kofi Annan

God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
- Reinhold Niebuhr

Change always comes bearing gifts.
- Price Pritchett


The nature of life is constant change, yet we fight against it. Why do we fight change? Humans are creatures of habit and instinctively fear the unknown.

Affirmation: I welcome change as a great adventure.

Further reading: How to Gain Self Confidence

How to Motivate Yourself

Success Tip: Drive Change

Quotes about Change

Quotes about Life Changes

Quotes to Live By

Life Quotes to Live By

Funny Quotes to Live By

Funny Quotes about Life

Famous Quotes about Life

Monday, February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day

Love is not a mere sentiment. Love is the ultimate truth at the heart of creation. - Rabindranath Tagore 

 Marriage, ultimately, is the practice of becoming passionate friends. - Harville Hendrix 

 Every good relationship, especially marriage, is based on respect. If it's not based on respect, nothing that appears to be good will last very long. - Amy Grant 

 The greatest lovers are like twin blooms, each reflecting the passion and the glory of the other. - Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Romantic love. Love of family and friends. Love for the whole world. Let today be a day of love.



Sunday, February 13, 2011

Treat your body, mind, and emotions with the gentle care they deserve.


Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.
- The Buddha

Live with intention.

Walk to the edge.
Listen hard.
Practice wellness.
Play with abandon.
Laugh.
Choose with no regret.
Appreciate your friends.
Continue to learn.
Do what you love.
Live as if this is all there is.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise.
- Benjamin Franklin

A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.
- Spanish Proverb


Treat your body, mind, and emotions with the gentle care they deserve.

Further reading: How to Sleep Better

Stress Reduction: Make Healthy Choices to Relieve Stress

12 Ways to De-Stress Your Life

Conscious Breathing to Relieve Stress

Take Time For Yourself

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. - Dalai Lama


A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.
- Lao Tzu

Remember, no matter where you go, there you are.
- Confucius

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
- Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama

The words of truth are always paradoxical.
- Lao Tzu


Life is not always as it seems. What you have wished for is not always best. What you have feared may become a blessing.

Further reading: Maybe So, Maybe Not. - Ancient Taoist Proverb

Go With the Flow - Six Ways to Live a Happier Life

The Paradox Of Living In The Moment

Practice Makes Perfect - Sometimes

Friday, February 11, 2011

Love me when I least deserve it - Swedish Proverb


Love does not claim possession, but gives freedom.
- Rabindranath Tagore

Love me when I least deserve it, because that is when I really need it.
- Swedish Proverb

Marriage, ultimately, is the practice of becoming passionate friends.
- Harville Hendrix

Love is saying "I feel differently," instead of "You're wrong."
- Anonymous

Love that does not renew itself every day becomes a habit and in turn a slavery.
- Khalil Gibran


Love without jealousy. Love without need. Let love be an unconditional gift.

Further reading: What is Love?

How to Avoid Falling in Love With Love

Acceptance Makes a Great Relationship Even Better

Secrets of Happy Couples

Is Your Relationship in Danger? Take This 10 Question Quiz to Find Out

Relationship Quotes

Love Quotes

Romantic Quotes

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Don't Take Anything Personally. - don Miguel Ruiz


Don't Take Anything Personally. Nothing others do is because of you.
- don Miguel Ruiz

We can't control the impressions others form about us, and the effort to do so only debases our character.
- Epictetus

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
- Eleanor Roosevelt

Surround yourself with people who take their work seriously, but not themselves, those who work hard and play hard.
- Colin Powell


What is the best way to deal with someone who is difficult to be with?

If the person is someone you don't have to spend time with, break off your relationship.

If it is someone you must be around...

1. Minimize the time you spend with them.
2. Don't engage them in controversial issues.
3. Remember that it is not about you - don't take it personally.
4. Remember that you can't "fix" them - they aren't going to change.

Read more at www.dreamthisday.com/positive-attitude-negative-people/

Further reading: Attitude is Everything

How to Move On and Let Go

How To Not Care What Others Think

How to Deal with Rejection

How to Survive When You Hate Your Job

Perspective Quotes

Short Quotes

Awesome Quotes

Presidential Quotes

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Love


Love does not claim possession, but gives freedom.
- Rabindranath Tagore

Lord, grant that I might not so much seek to be loved as to love.
- St. Francis of Assisi

You know you love someone when you know you want them to be happy,
even if their happiness means that you are not a part of it.
- Anonymous


Real love is never a selfish emotion. If you want something from someone - especially if that something is sex - what you are feeling is not true love. The wonderful anonymous quote above provides an infallible test for love. True love is about wanting happiness for the person you love - and not about seeking happiness for yourself. Fortunately, in most cases our own loving presence is the greatest gift we can give to a person we love. Nonetheless, the litmus test of love is knowing we would choose never to see that person again if we believed that distance would bring them greater happiness.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

When you find peace within yourself... - Peace Pilgrim


Don't let anyone else take the measure of your worth and capabilities.
Always stand proud in who you are!
- Margaret Spellings

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.
- Anthony J. D'Angelo

When you find peace within yourself, 
you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others.
- Peace Pilgrim


Affirmation: Today, I choose the higher road - the path of charity, acceptance, love, selflessness, kindness.

Further reading: Plant Trees For Your Grandchildren

The Jump is So Frightening - Mary Anne Radmacher

The River of Life (Poem)

Monday, February 7, 2011

Whatever your life's work is, do it well. Martin Luther King, Jr.


Whatever your life's work is, do it well.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.
- don Miguel Angel Ruiz

As we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own way.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.
- Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi


Let your life's work contain an element of service. Let it become a great legacy.

Further reading: How to Feel Good About Yourself

How to Build Self Esteem

How to Get Motivated

Thoughtful Quotes

Love is Patient, Love is Kind

Success Quotes

Uplifting Quotes

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Let there be peace on earth. And let it begin with me. - Jill Jackson Miller


Let there be peace on earth. And let it begin with me.
- Jill Jackson Miller

Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Each one has to find his peace from within.
And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances.
- Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi


Pause. Breathe deeply. Focus on your own inner peace and the peace of the world.

Further reading: Choose Inner Peace and a Less Stressful Life

Let me bring peace into moments of chaos - jlh

UNITY - the eighth Point of Simply An Inspired Life

Saturday, February 5, 2011

This is my wish for you...


There is only one happiness in life: to love and to be loved.
- George Sand

This is my wish for you:
Comfort on difficult days,
Smiles when sadness intrudes,
Rainbows to follow the clouds,
Laughter to kiss your lips,
Sunsets to warm your heart,
Hugs when spirits sag,
Beauty for your eyes to see,
Friendships to brighten your being,
Faith so that you can believe,
Confidence for when you doubt,
Courage to know yourself,
Patience to accept the truth,
Love to complete your life.
- Anonymous


May the world be kind to you, and may your own thoughts be gentle upon yourself.
- Jonathan

Further reading: The Secret of Happiness

Ten Little Tips to Feel Happier Right Now

Follow Your Dreams - Live Your Dreams

Famous Sayings

Quotes about Dreams

Relationship Quotes

Sad Quotes

Witty Sayings

Friday, February 4, 2011

You are important

Trust yourself, then you will know how to live.
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white.
Neither need you do anything but be yourself.
- Lao Tzu

No one can give you better advice than yourself.
- Cicero

Stand Tall, Stand Proud.
Know that you are unique and magnificent.
You do not need the approval of others.
- jlh


You are important. You are the star - the only star - of your own life show. Everyone else is a bit player in the great drama of your life. Be of service to humanity, but never be anyone's doormat.

Read more... How To Not Care What People Think

Further reading: How to Build Self Esteem

How to Feel Better About Yourself

How to Be Yourself

Quotes about Not Caring What People Think

Quotes about Not Caring

Thursday, February 3, 2011

The true meaning of life


The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.
- Nelson Henderson


Plant trees for your great-grandchildren - for future generations. Create the legacy of a better world. Leave this world a better place than you found it. Literally planting trees for your great-grandchildren is a wonderful idea, but far more important... use this symbolism - this imagery - to represent the kind of legacy you want to leave to future generations.

A second meaning I find in today's wonderful quote, is the idea of being of service to groups of which you are not a member - for example, funding research for a disease to which your family carries no genetic disposition.

Further reading: Plant Trees For Your Grandchildren

Responsibility to Future Generations

How do You View the World?

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Happiness walks on busy feet. - Kitte Turmell


Happiness walks on busy feet.
- Kitte Turmell

When you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.
- Lee Ann Womack

Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different action or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all.
- Norman Vincent Peale

Our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances.
- Martha Washington


Keep busy - with tasks that inspire you, motivate you, or please you.

Further reading: The Secret of Happiness

12 Life Lessons I Learned From My Cat

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Laughter


Laugh when you can,
apologize when you should,
and let go of what you can't change.
Life's too short to be anything... but happy.
- Anonymous

Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.
- Mark Twain

Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on.
- Bob Newhart

The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.
- Mark Twain

Today is your day to laugh at life.
Laugh loud - laugh often.
Laugh at what's funny - laugh at what's sad.
Laugh at me - laugh at you - laugh at life.
- jlh

Tears and laughter cleanse the heart.
- jlh


Further reading: How to Be Yourself

Never Let Anyone Get Your Goat

7 Secrets of Happy Couples

To laugh often and much... Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tears and laughter cleanse the heart
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