Let Go and Begin Anew

Celebrate endings - for they precede new beginnings.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Don't cry because it's over,
smile because it happened.
- Anonymous

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

Finish each day and be done with it.
You have done what you could;
some blunders and absurdities have crept in;
forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day;
you shall begin it serenely
and with too high a spirit
to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Good Endings precede Good Beginnings.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Exercise: Make a list of the 10 best things that happened for you this year.
Celebrate and have gratitude.
(If you have trouble making a list, begin with the basics:
you are still alive; probably you had enough to eat, clothes to wear, a roof over your head; ...)

Further reading: Cheer for Endings

What's Done is Done

Never Quit??

Be an Instrument of Change
    

Where You're Going

If you don't know where you're going,
any road will take you there.
- Lewis Carroll (Alice in Wonderland)

More men fail through lack of purpose than lack of talent.
- Billy Sunday

One's destination is never a place
but rather a new way of looking at things.
- Henry Miller

Destiny is not a matter of chance,
It is a matter of choice.
It is not something to be waited for,
But rather something to be achieved.
- William Jennings Bryan

Further reading: How to Choose Your Life Purpose

To Serve

A Truly Successful Life

Where Are You Going?
    

Time to Move On?

A big part of letting go is recognizing when it is time
to stay in a situation and when it is time to move on.
- Darren L. Johnson

Before moving on, you have to clear away your cherished beliefs.
- Dick Raymond

Letting go doesn't mean giving up... it means moving on.
- Anonymous

We have to let go of all blame, all attacking, all judging,
to free our inner selves to attract what we say we want.
- Joe Vitale

When what you are doing is frustrating you, STOP.
Pause to consider the true importance of the task.
Reflect on whether there is a better plan for reaching your goal.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: How to Move On and Let Go

 What's Done is Done

Secrets For Getting Un-Stuck

Forgiveness Releases the Past

Release the Struggle
   

A Firm Foundation

The loftier the building, the deeper must the foundation be laid.
- Thomas Kempis

A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation
with the bricks others have thrown at him.
- David Brinkley

Education is the foundation upon which we build our future.
- Christine Gregoire

It is not the beauty of a building you should look at;
it is the construction of the foundation that will stand the test of time.
- David Allan Coe

Further reading: Honoring Our Roots

Not By Our Bootstraps

Pay It Forward

Feeling Blessed
     

Prayer and Mystery

When the solution is simple, God is answering.
- Albert Einstein

God is not what you imagine
or what you think you understand.
If you understand you have failed.
- Saint Augustine

The best way to obtain truth and wisdom is not to ask from books,
but to go to God in prayer, and obtain divine teaching.
- Joseph Smith, Jr.

Who rises from prayer a better man, his prayer is answered.
- George Meredith

Further reading: Have a Conversation With God, Today

Many Religions, One God

Surrender

Unanswered Prayers
   

Coming to the End

"Begin at the beginning," the King said, very gravely,
"and go on till you come to the end: then stop."
- Lewis Carroll

At the end of a matter ask,
"What will I learn from this to make me better?"
- Mary Anne Radmacher

All endeavor calls for the ability
to tramp the last mile,
shape the last plan, endure the last hours toil.
The fight to the finish spirit is the one...
characteristic we must posses
if we are to face the future as finishers.
- Henry David Thoreau

Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.
- William James

All good projects are brought to a completion.
Let there be good endings, and then new beginnings.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: Stop holding on to the past

Renewal and Rebirth - The Great Cycle

Endings and Beginnings
  

Christmas 2015

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world,
and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.
- Norman Vincent Peale

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.
- Charles Dickens

May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope;
The spirit of Christmas which is peace;
The heart of Christmas which is love.
- Ada V. Hendricks

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind.
To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy,
is to have the real spirit of Christmas.
- Calvin Coolidge

Further reading: Happy Birthday Jesus

The Power of Unconditional Love

Brotherly Love

With Love in My Heart
   

Christmas Family

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree
is the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.
- Burton Hills

What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.
- Dr. Seuss

Do you know someone who will not be with their family this holiday season?
Consider inviting them to your home and welcoming them into your family.

What is our family?
We touch our full hearts and see ourselves
reflected whole in each other's eyes.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Your greatest gift to your family and friends is yourself -
your relaxed, happy, and fully-present self.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: The World is My Family

Joy at Home

A Joyous Season of Renewal

What is a Home?
  

Feet on the Ground

Keep your feet firmly planted on the ground
as you reach for the stars.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

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

When you jump for joy, beware that no one
moves the ground from beneath your feet.
- Stanislaw Jerszy Lec

The more one does and sees and feels, the more one is able to do,
and the more genuine may be one's appreciation
of fundamental things like home,
and love, and understanding companionship.
- Amelia Earhart

Further reading: Honoring Your Roots

A Strong Foundation

Fulfilling Your Dreams

Perspective on Tradition: An Open Mind
    

Grant Yourself Peace

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

If in our daily life we can smile,
if we can be peaceful and happy,
not only we, but everyone will profit from it.
This is the most basic kind of peace work.
- Thich Nhat Hanh

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

Breathe; let go; relax; forgive.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

No one can find inner peace except by working,
not in a self-centered way, but for the whole human family.
- Peace Pilgrim

Further reading: The War Within Yourself

Focus on Peace

A Life of Harmony

Forgiveness: Path to Inner Peace
    

Become Centered, Breathe

When you become centered, suddenly there is great freedom
because you know you are not the mind and you are not the body.
- Osho

A mind at peace, a mind centered and not focused on harming others,
is stronger than any physical force in the universe.
- Wayne Dyer

Inhale, and God approaches you.
Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you.
Exhale, and you approach God.
Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God.
- Krishnamacharya

Flow with whatever may happen and let your mind be free.
Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing.
- Zhuangzi

Breathe deeply and slowly.
Let yourself become centered - shut out all distractions.
Breathe out your worries; empty your body of regrets and resentments.
Breathe in eternal peace; let your body fill with unconditional love.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: Conscious Breathing to Relieve Stress

Breath by Breath

Forgiveness: Path to Inner Peace

Gratitude for THIS Moment
   

Workers for God's Light

It is a kingly act to assist the fallen.
- Mother Teresa

As we become purer channels for God's light,
we develop an appetite for the sweetness that is possible in this world.
A miracle worker is not geared toward fighting the world that is,
but toward creating the world that could be.
- Marianne Williamson

Whatsoever we beg of God, let us also work for it.
- Jeremy Taylor

It is the quality of our work which will please God
and not the quantity.
- Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi

Further reading: Miracles Need Both God and You

How God Works

Heaven on Earth

Unanswered Prayers
  

Beauty Where You See It

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
- Anonymous

Judgements prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances.
- Wayne Dyer

Let mad beauty collect itself in your eyes.
- Jewel

A flower is a weed seen through joyful eyes.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

The virtue of anyone or anything is solely in our perspective.
See gold, and there is gold; see lead and there is lead.
If you see this thistle as a thorny nuisance, then it is a weed.
If you appreciate its bright pink bloom, then it is a flower.
It becomes what you name it.
The power is in your choice, your perspective, your speaking.

Further reading: What One Emphasizes

Beauty is Everywhere

Simply Marvelous
    

Singing Life

A bird does not sing because it has an answer.
It sings because it has a song.
- Chinese Proverb

The Joy is in the Journey.
- Anonymous

Find ecstasy in life;
the mere sense of living is joy enough.
- Emily Dickinson

Who said that life had to be serious?
Imagine, Play, Sing, Turn Cartwheels, Be Unstoppable, Dance Wildly With Life.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Today is a perfect day to be happy.
Every day is a perfect day to be happy.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: Profound Questions

The Mysterious

Enjoy Life as a Song

Equanimity/Composure

The River of Life (Poem)
    

Fear of the Unknown

Know that the greatest fear is fear of the unknown.
Seek to meet the unknown with courage and a sense of adventure.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

In this world there is always danger
for those who are afraid of it.
- George Bernard Shaw

If we let things terrify us,
life will not be worth living.
- Seneca

It is only human to fear change, and to fear the unknown.
Usually, change is for the better. But even when a change is, on balance, painful,
there is always a silver lining to every cloud.
Be grateful for the blessings, and accept the rest as important lessons.
Right now, take a deep breath and welcome change.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: Beyond Fear

The Edge of All You Know

Not Knowing

Welcome the Unknown
    

Giving is Our Highest Expression

Giving is the highest expression of our power.
- Vivian Greene

It is in giving that we receive.
- St. Francis of Assisi 

Giving liberates the soul of the giver.
- Maya Angelou

Spread love everywhere you go.
Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.
- Mother Teresa

Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.
- Pema Chodron

A Single Generosity Enlarges the World.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Further reading: Helping Others

We Belong to Each Other

Feeding the Children

The Good Samaritan
    

Everyday Miracles

Our "Rainbows and Butterflies" are the small miracles of our life -
the little things that are so easy to overlook,
yet so awe inspiring when we take a moment
to notice and to pay attention.
Give thanks for the rainbows, for the butterflies,
for all God's creatures - large and small,
for the bright blue sky and the soft fog and the gentle rain,
for the tree veiled in the season's first frost,
for the baby's laugh,
for the touch of a hand and the whispered "I love you."
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

A coincidence is a small miracle in which God chooses to remain anonymous.
- Anonymous

The best portion of a good man's life
is his little, nameless, unremembered
acts of kindness and of love.
- William Wordsworth

Miracles happen everyday,
change your perception of what a miracle is
and you'll see them all around you.
- Jon Bon Jovi

Further reading: Gratitude for All Life

Everything is a Miracle

Appreciating Our Blessings

Appreciating Today
    

You Have the Answer

At the center of your being you have the answer;
you know who you are and you know what you want.
- Lao Tzu

I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know:
the only ones among you who will be really happy
are those who will have sought and found how to serve.
- Albert Schweitzer

You have to leave the city of your comfort
and go into the wilderness of your intuition.
What you'll discover will be wonderful.
What you'll discover is yourself.
- Alan Alda

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

Further reading: Be Simply Yourself

Approve of Yourself

Your Intuition is Your Guide

Our Purpose is to Serve
    

The First Step in Faith

Take the first step in faith.
You don't have to see the whole staircase,
just take the first step.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

When you find your path, you must not be afraid.
You need to have sufficient courage to make mistakes.
Disappointment, defeat, and despair are
the tools God uses to show us the way.
- Paulo Coelho

The Two Great Lessons of Life: Choose Love and Trust God.
Everything God touches is good - and God touches everything.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: Faith to be Courageous

Everything is a Miracle

Serenity in Times of Crisis

Worrying about Tomorrow
  

What are You Prepared to See?

People only see what they are prepared to see.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Our attitudes control our lives.
Attitudes are a secret power working twenty-four hours a day,
for good or bad.
It is of paramount importance that we know how to harness
and control this great force.
- Irving Berlin

We see what we expect to see.
If we believe the world to be violent and ugly,
we see violence and ugliness.
If we believe the world to be a gift,
we see rainbows, and butterflies, and smiles,
and hear babies cooing, and roosters greeting the dawn.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: How I React

Mental Attitude

Complaining Only Makes You Miserable
  

The Simple Life

Life is really simple,
but we insist on making it complicated.
- Confucius

In dwelling, live close to the ground.
In thinking, keep to the simple.
In conflict, be fair and generous.
In governing, don't try to control.
In work, do what you enjoy.
In family life, be completely present.
- Lao Tzu

Maybe life isn't really as complicated
as we make it out to be.
Perhaps a simple child-like attitude would create
a less stressful and happier life.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: A Simple Life

What If Happiness...

The Secret of Happiness
  

Self-Made Pride

Your talent is God's gift to you.
- Leo Buscaglia

None of us got where we are solely by
pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps.
- Thurgood Marshall

It was pride that changed angels into devils;
it is humility that makes men as angels.
- Saint Augustine

The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness
of the interdependence of all these living beings,
which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another.
- Thomas Merton

Ingratitude often hides behind a mask of independence or self-sufficiency.
An assertion of being "self-made" is a rejection of God, one's ancestors, and society.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: The Seeds You Plant

Pay It Forward

Feeling Blessed
  

Stay Alert for Opportunities

In the midst of difficulty lies opportunity.
- Albert Einstein

Stay Alert, and doors will open.
You can never know when and where a magic door will open for you,
so pay attention, stay watchful, and never give up hope.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Not what we experience,
but how we perceive what we experience,
determines our fate.
- Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach

Every problem has in it the seeds of its own solution.
If you don't have any problems, you don't get any seeds.
- Norman Vincent Peale

Further reading: The Door Will Be Opened To You

Pay Attention

Realizing Success

What We Perceive
   

Supporting Each Other

If we have no peace,
it is because we have forgotten
that we belong to each other.
- Mother Teresa

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others.
- Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama

Nothing is so hard for those who abound in riches
as to conceive how others can be in want.
- Jonathan Swift

If you are healthy, support those who are sick.
If you have a job, support those who have lost theirs.
If you are strong, support those who are feeble of body or mind.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: A Truly Successful Life

Helping Others

Commitment To Service

Feed Just One
   

Answer YES to Your Dreams

As you awaken,
may your dreams greet you by name,
and may you answer, "Yes!"
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Everyone should carefully observe
which way his heart draws him,
and then choose that way with all his strength.
- Hasidic Proverb

To know what you prefer
instead of humbly saying Amen
to what the world tells you you ought to prefer,
is to have kept your soul alive.
- Robert Louis Stevenson 

Prevail over adversity.
Persevere in the midst of turmoil.
Passionately act upon your convictions.
Purposely walk into the day.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Further reading: Choose Your Attitude

The Quiet Voice of Courage

Honor Your Heart
   

Faith and Action

Faith plus action becomes unstoppable.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

What you are is God's gift to you:
what you become is your gift to God.
- Anthony Dalla Villa 

A good example is the best sermon.
- Benjamin Franklin

To struggle less:
Plan more.
Thoughtfully consider alternatives.
Have more patience.
Have more Faith.
- jlh

Further reading: Harmony of the Soul

Being at Peace

Release the Struggle

Dark Days
   

Opportunity within Crisis

Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves
come when life seems most challenging.
- Joseph Campbell

Opportunities multiply as they are seized.
- Sun Tzu

Facing a difficulty requires a willingness of heart.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

When written in Chinese, the word "crisis"
is composed of two characters.
One represents danger and the other represents opportunity.
- John F. Kennedy

Further reading: How Hard?

Life's Daring Adventure

When Life Appears Difficult

The Quiet Voice of Courage
   

The Answers Await You

There are many answers you have received but have not yet heard.
- A Course In Miracles

It is impossible to begin to learn that which one thinks one already knows.
- Epictetus

As long as one keeps searching, the answers come.
- Joan Baez

Let today be a day to open your eyes to the unfamiliar and the hidden.

Today's affirmation:
Opening my mind to Spirit, I trust my intuition
to deliver powerful visions of my inspired future.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: Finding A Way

Beyond Answers

A Fire to be Kindled

Asking The Right Questions
  

Simple Living

Simple living is the way to happy living.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

The simplification of life is one of the steps to inner peace.
A persistent simplification will create an inner and outer well-being
that places harmony in one's life.
- Peace Pilgrim

Most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste
that they hurry past it.
- Soren Kierkegaard

Further reading: The Essence of Life

Appreciating Today

A Story of Money

A Simple Life
   

An Island of Calm

CALM IN CHAOS
In the midst of the flurry - clarity.
In the midst of the storm - calm.
In the midst of divided interests - certainty.
In the many roads - a certain choice.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Life is a gift, and I try to respond with grace and courtesy.
- Maya Angelou

He who has faith has...
an inward reservoir of courage, hope, confidence, calmness,
and assuring trust that all will come out well -
even though to the world it may appear to come out most badly.
- B. C. Forbes

Today's affirmation:
My life is the eye of the hurricane -
an island of calm in a sea of uncertainty.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: Greatest Gifts

Finding Joy in Our Troubled Lives

Keeping Your Head

Choose Not To Stress
   

In All Seasons

To everything there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die.
- Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

A time for everything: a time to relax and a time to be busy,
a time to frolic and a time to lay up food for the winter,
a time to receive and a time to give,
a time to begin and a time to finish.
A time for work, a time for play -
balance in all things.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

If we are not happy and joyous at this season,
for what other season shall we wait and
for what other time shall we look?
- Abdul-Baha

The ending of a job or a relationship
may appear as the darkest night,
but it is merely the Winter season -
the time of renewal and rebirth
that precedes the new planting -
the beginning of the next great cycle.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: Balance vs. Moderation: Eight Ways to Balance Your Life

Creating Balance

Yin-Yang

Living in Harmony