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

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

To be admirable, morality must be its own reward


If people are good only because they fear punishment,
and hope for reward,
then we are a sorry lot indeed.
- Albert Einstein

Power is of two kinds.
One is obtained by the fear of punishment
and the other by acts of love
Power based on love
is a thousand times more effective and permanent
then the one derived from fear of punishment.
- Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi

Correcting bad habits cannot be done
by forbidding or punishment.
- Robert Baden-Powell (the founder of scouting)

It is an open question whether any behavior
based on fear of eternal punishment
can be regarded as ethical
or should be regarded as merely cowardly.
- Margaret Mead

Punishment cannot heal spirits, can only break them.
- Barbara Deming

To be admirable, morality must be its own reward.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie


Further reading:  Finding Peace in Forgiveness

Revenge, the Deadliest Sin?

Anger is Its Own Punishment

Five Perspectives on the Nature of God
    

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Hurry Leads Nowhere


Beware the barrenness of a busy life
- Socrates

The time to relax is when you don't have time for it.
- Anonymous

He who sows hurry reaps indigestion.
- Robert Louis Stevenson

Slow but steady wins the race.
- Anonymous


Whenever you feel you must hurry,
ask yourself whether the busy-ness is fulfilling your purpose in life.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: Happiness is a Choice

Tips to Feel Happier Right Now

Your Life Purpose
      

Monday, May 29, 2017

Memorial Day & John F. Kennedy 100th birthday


A man does what he must - in spite of personal consequences,
in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures -
and that is the basis of all human morality.
- John F. Kennedy

No one has been barred on account of his race
from fighting or dying for America,
there are no white or colored signs
on the foxholes or graveyards of battle.
- John F. Kennedy

Let us never negotiate out of fear.
But let us never fear to negotiate.
- John F. Kennedy

War will exist until that distant day
when the conscientious objector
enjoys the same reputation and prestige
that the warrior does today.
- John F. Kennedy

The basic problems facing the world today
are not susceptible to a military solution.
- John F. Kennedy

And so, my fellow Americans,
ask not what your country can do for you;
ask what you can do for your country.
- John F. Kennedy

Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet.
We all breathe the same air.
We all cherish our children's future.
And we are all mortal.
- John F. Kennedy


Further reading: Stop Longing for "Easy"

Open Minds

Action Beats Inaction

Presidents Day
    

Sunday, May 28, 2017

Rejoice and Have Faith


Our faith gives us knowledge of something better.
- E. F. Schumacher

The winds of grace are always blowing;
all we need to do is raise our sails.
- Anonymous

This is the day which the Lord has made;
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
- Psalms 118:24

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: The Edge of All You Know

The True Measure of a Successful Life

Faith in the Goodness of Humanity

Simply Do Your Best
    

Saturday, May 27, 2017

In Quiet You Become


The quieter you become,
the more you can hear.
- Ram Dass

There is more to life than increasing its speed.
- Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi

Spend time every day listening to what your muse is trying to tell you.
- Saint Bartholomew

In prayerful silence you must look into your own heart.
No one can tell you better than yourself what comes between you and God.
Ask yourself.
Then listen!
- Johannes Tauler

Listen or your tongue will keep you deaf.
- Native American Proverb

Pause to smell the roses, to breathe, to take a quiet moment for yourself.
Let today be a day to remember that you get to CHOOSE how you spend your time.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie


Further reading: The Quiet Voice of Courage

Quiet Time

The Beat of the Universe

Your Intuition is Your Guide

Finding God in Silence
   

Friday, May 26, 2017

Gratitude Makes Life Better


When you arise in the morning,
give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength.
Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living.
If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself.
- Tecumseh

With gratitude, all life appears as a blessing -
without gratitude, all of life
is perceived as a burden.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

We tend to forget that happiness doesn't
come as a result of getting something we don't have,
but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.
- Frederick Koenig


Further reading: Giving Thanks for Our Food

My Glass of Life

What do you take for granted?

Celebrating the Small Miracles of Our Lives
    

Thursday, May 25, 2017

This is YOUR Life


This is your life.
In the symphony of your life, you are the star.
You write the melody and the lyrics.
You are the soloist and the conductor.
You are merely a bit player in other people's lives,
but in your own life, you are the star.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Don't live your life to please other people.
- Oprah Winfrey

[Be of service, but don't be a doormat.]

Be the Melody in the Symphony of Your Life.
Write the melody and the lyrics.
Be the soloist and the conductor.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

How different our lives are when we
really know what is deeply important to us,
and keeping that picture in mind,
we manage ourselves each day to be and to do what really matters most.
- Stephen R. Covey


Further reading: What guides you and maintains your direction?

The Melody Within Your Soul

Where Are You Going?

How to Choose Your Life Purpose
    

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

The Most Important Things


If a task is important, do it now.
If it is not truly important, forget about it forever, relax,
and do something that really is important.
Caution: The most important things in life are seldom the most obvious.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Do first things first, and second things not at all.
- Peter Drucker

It is a better thing to weigh and measure priorities
in the illuminating light of your own mission
than to have your activities formed by the
impressions and expectations of others.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

"It's not that important,
don't worry about it" is the answer,
now what was the question?
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Take a deep breath and do the difficult thing first.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Take time to contemplate - away from the opinions and influence of others -
what you really want and what you believe to be important in your life.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie


Further reading: Choose Your Focus

Perspective on Priorities

Either Accept It, or Change It

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff
    

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

See God in All Nature


We see God face to face every hour,
and know the savor of Nature.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.
- William Shakespeare

Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Every creature is a word of God.
- Meister Eckhart

To commit a crime against the natural world
is a sin against ourselves and a sin against God.
- Patriarch Bartholomew

Everything in Nature contains all the powers of Nature.
Everything is made of one hidden stuff.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson


Further reading: Our Children's Earth

One Great Dewdrop

Nature's Messengers

All Things, One Breath
      

Monday, May 22, 2017

Content with Simple Joys


The essence of life is not in
the great victories and grand failures,
but in the simple joys.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Most of the luxuries, and many of the so-called comforts of life
are not only not indispensable,
but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind.
- Henry David Thoreau

The greatest wealth is to live content with little.
- Plato

Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.
- Henry David Thoreau


Further reading: Choose Joy Anyway

Calm During Storms

Radiating Light and Love

Life Really Is Good
     

Sunday, May 21, 2017

Have Faith; Don't Worry; Take Action


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

To me faith means not worrying.
- John Dewey

Have Faith; Don't Worry; Take Action; Begin Now.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie


Further reading: Serenity in Times of Crisis

Faith to be Courageous

Worrying about Tomorrow

Everything is a Miracle
  

Saturday, May 20, 2017

Focus Your Attention on What Really Matters



We can always choose to perceive things differently.
You can focus on what's wrong in your life,
or you can focus on what's right.
- Marianne Williamson

Instead of focusing on that circumstances that you cannot change -
focus strongly and powerfully on the circumstances that you can.
- Joy Page

The Main Thing is to Keep
The Main Thing The Main Thing.
- Stephen Covey

Keep your attention focused entirely
on what is truly your own concern,
and be clear that what belongs to others
is their business and none of yours.
- Epictetus

In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves.
The process never ends until we die.
And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.
- Eleanor Roosevelt

Clarity affords focus.
- Thomas Leonard

Remember that there are a million "wrong things" in the world
(as well as a billion "right things"),
so focus your energies on addressing with courage the few issues closest to your heart,
and accept the rest of life with serenity.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie


Further reading: Fork in the Road

A decision about Who You Are

Life Begins When You Do

Aesops Fables: The Miller, His Son, and the Ass
     

Friday, May 19, 2017

You Must Approve of Yourself


Do not look for approval except for the consciousness of doing your best.
- Andrew Carnegie

If you find yourself unwilling to take actions that others disapprove of,
you have lost control of your own life and have given your destiny to others.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

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

A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.
- Mark Twain

One of the natural, but unfortunate, human characteristics is the sense of a need for approval.
It is wonderful to show your appreciation of others and to thank them whenever possible.
It is also pleasing when others show appreciation and thank you.
But making any significant life choices based on whether or not others approve
sets one on a course of emotional destruction.
...
Make your important choices in life based on your values and your long-term objectives
rather than on a need for approval.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie


Further reading: How To Not Care What Others Think

Thinking for Yourself

Dealing With Rejection

Blaze Your Own Trail

Stand Tall and Proud
     

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Religion: A Reservoir of Kindness or Nothing


The world is my country,
all mankind are my brethren,
and to do good is my religion.
- Thomas Paine

We must be ready to learn from one another,
not claiming that we alone possess all truth
and that somehow we have a corner on God.
- Archbishop Desmond Tutu

My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.
- Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama

We can never be the better for our religion
if our neighbor is the worse for it.
- Anonymous

Re-examine all that you have been told...
dismiss that which insults your soul.
- Walt Whitman

More people have been slaughtered in the name of religion
than for any other single reason.
That, my friends, that is true perversion.
- Harvey Milk

Religion is a blessing when, and only when,
it provides a focus for a compassionate community
to minister to its members and to the world at large.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie


Further reading: Everything is God

A Common Denominator of All Religions...

True Religion is about Helping Others
    

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Courage Defeats Fear


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

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.
- Mark Twain

Whatever you do, you need courage.
Whatever course you decide upon,
there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong.
There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

A hero is no braver than an ordinary man,
but he is brave five minutes longer.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson


Further reading: Choose To Be Fearless

Circumstance Reveals a Person's Nature

Courage and Intent

Life of Storms
   

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Another New Beginning


Today is the first day of the rest of your life.
- Anonymous

You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!
- Dr. Seuss

With every rising of the sun
Think of your life as just begun.
- Ella Wheeler Wilcox


Further reading: Celebrate Today

Seize The Day

Life and Death (video)

Tomorrow
     

Monday, May 15, 2017

Humility Makes Us Real


Talent is God-given; be humble.
Fame is man-given; be thankful.
Conceit is self-given; be careful.
- John Wooden

Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real.
- Thomas Merton

There is no respect for others without humility in one's self.
- Henri Frederic Amiel

Conceit is God's gift to little men.
- Bruce Barton

We take refuge in pride,
because we are afraid to tell the truth to ourselves.
- Kakuzo Okakura


Further reading: Humble Yet Confident

A Little Help from My Friends

Ego versus Self Respect

Zero-Based Gratitude
    

Sunday, May 14, 2017

Mothers' Day 2017


A mother is not a person to lean on,
but a person to make leaning unnecessary.
- Dorothy Canfield Fisher

A mother is one to whom you hurry when you are troubled.
- Emily Dickinson

The heart of a mother is a deep abyss
at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.
- Honore de Balzac

God could not be everywhere, so he created mothers.
- Jewish Proverb

We never know the love of a parent till we become parents ourselves.
- Henry Ward Beecher


Further reading: Debt of Gratitude

Pay It Forward - as an Expression of Universal Gratitude

Opportunity for Daily Thanksgiving
     

Saturday, May 13, 2017

The Curse of Jealousy


To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is,
a dissatisfaction with self.
- Joan Didion

The envious person grows lean
with the fatness of their neighbor.
- Socrates

Jealousy is the result of one's lack
of self-confidence, self-worth, and self-acceptance.
- Sasha Azevedo

A competent and self-confident person is
incapable of jealousy in anything.
Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity.
- Robert A. Heinlein

Jealousy is the fear of comparison.
- Max Frisch

O! beware, my lord, of jealousy;
It is the green-eyed monster which
doth mock the meat it feeds on.
- William Shakespeare

Suspicion and jealousy are the death knell of any relationship.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie


Further reading: Giving Love and Comfort

7 Secrets of Happy Couples

The Pain of Envy

Anger is a Killing Thing

Comparisons are Odious
    

Friday, May 12, 2017

Without the Rain, there would be No Rainbow


The soul would have no rainbow,
Had the eyes no tears.
- John Vance Cheney

The rainbow will remind me of the covenant between God and all living creatures.
- Genesis 9:16

Give thanks for the rain in your life
which waters the flowers of your soul.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down.
Without the rain, there would be no rainbow.
- Gilbert K. Chesterton


Further reading: Feeling Depressed?

This is my wish for you...

It Might Have Been

Tears and Laughter

Beyond Your Worries
     

Thursday, May 11, 2017

Mastering Sadness


If I feel depressed I will sing.
If I feel sad I will laugh.
If I feel ill I will double my labor.
If I feel fear I will plunge ahead.
If I feel inferior I will wear new garments.
If I feel uncertain I will raise my voice.
If I feel poverty I will think of wealth to come.
If I feel incompetent I will think of past success.
If I feel insignificant I will remember my goals.
Today I will be the master of my emotions.
- Og Mandino

Take control of your consistent emotions
and begin to consciously and deliberately
reshape your daily experience of life.
- Tony Robbins

Happiness is not the absence of problems,
but the willingness to deal with them joyfully.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie


Further reading: Release the Struggle

Life of Storms

Positive Affirmations

The Storm of Life

Serenity in Times of Crisis

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Conquering Yourself



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

I believe that anyone can conquer fear
by doing the things he fears to do,
provided he keeps doing them until he gets
a record of successful experience behind him.
- Eleanor Roosevelt

It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.
- Edmund Hillary


Further reading: Play to win, but be a good loser

Pleasing Everyone

Over 30 and Not Married
     

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Freedom Demands Freedom for All


The clash of ideas is the sound of freedom.
- Lady Bird Johnson

When the rights of any group, no matter how small, no matter how marginal,
are violated, your liberty, your freedom is put at risk.
Let there never be a day when we cast about in horror
and have to ask the question, "How did it ever come to this?"
- Thomas Childers

To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains,
but to live in a way that respects
and enhances the freedom of others.
- Nelson Mandela

Safeguarding the rights of others is the most noble
and beautiful end of a human being.
- Khalil Gibran

Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.
- Abraham Lincoln

Freedom Demands Freedom for All
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie


The end does NOT justify the means.
Freedom cannot be gained by sacrificing the freedom of others.
Free speech cannot be gained by limiting the free speech of others.
Human rights cannot be secured by trampling the human rights of others.
Viciousness in others cannot be fought by becoming vicious oneself.
Neither individual nor nation can long survive by meeting hatred with hatred,
injustice with injustice, prejudice with prejudice.

Further reading: Independence - Liberty - Freedom

Honorable Paths to Noble Goals

Force
  

Monday, May 8, 2017

The Little Stuff is What Drags You Down


Don't Sweat The Small Stuff
... and it's all small stuff
- Richard Carlson
See a few of Richard Carlson's 100 ideas from Don't Sweat The Small Stuff... 

"Worry" is a word that I don't allow myself to use.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

For every minute you remain angry,
you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness.
- Richard Carlson

The Little Stuff is What Drags You Down
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie


Further reading: Lighten Up, Be Happy

Doris Lessing

What Really Matters?
     

Sunday, May 7, 2017

Each Kind Act


There are no small acts of kindness.
Every compassionate act makes large the world.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.
- Mother Teresa

Truly I tell you,
whatever you did for one of the least of these
brothers and sisters of mine,
you did for me.
- Jesus (Matthew 25:40)

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

It's the little things you do
that can make a big difference.
- Bob Proctor

Our opportunity is to visualize a kinder world.
To sing glad songs of tomorrow -
imagining a world of love -
of the whole world filled with love.
To offer our hand... often.
To breathe deeply and honor ourselves.
To pause and contemplate... just because.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie


Further reading: Serving Others

We Belong to Each Other

Duty to Help Others

Doing Your Best
    

Saturday, May 6, 2017

Experience the Stillness - Breathe


Fully experience THIS moment -
breathe in, breathe out - nothing more.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious
privilege it is to be alive -
to breathe,
to think, to enjoy, to love.
- Marcus Aurelius

He who can give thanks for little
will always find he has enough.
- Anonymous

As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
- Nelson Mandela

Move to your heart, Breathe.
Close your eyes and breathe deeply - slowly -
fill your lungs with love and gratitude -
exhale each and every trouble -
again and again - gratitude in, troubles out.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie


Today's Affirmation:
I feel unity with Spirit and all that is.
My life is richer for sharing my being with all those I meet.
Each experience, however it appears at the time,
highlights and strengthens the fabric of my life.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie


Further reading: Be Fully Present in TODAY

Feel Your Connection With the Infinite - a Meditation

A List of Gratitudes

Nurture Yourself Today

Conscious Breathing to Relieve Stress
      

Friday, May 5, 2017

Life as a Treasure Hunt


It is by going down into the abyss
that we recover the treasures of life.
Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.
- Joseph Campbell

Life is an adventure.
I can only wonder what treasure
awaits at the top of the path.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

A pilgrim is a wanderer with purpose.
- Peace Pilgrim

A life lived in fear is a life half lived.
- Anonymous


Further reading: Be Boldly Decisive

Cheer for Endings

Life's Daring Adventure

Choose to Soar
    

Thursday, May 4, 2017

How We Perceive the World


Everything has beauty,
but not everyone sees it.
- Confucius

We don't live in the world of reality,
we live in the world of how we perceive reality.
- Bryan Singer

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

The perception of beauty is a moral test.
- Henry David Thoreau


Further reading: Beauty is Everywhere

Seeking

Natural Goodness

Perspective
     

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Compassion is the Basis of Morality


Compassion is the basis of morality.
- Arthur Schopenhauer

The worst sin toward our fellow creatures
is not to hate them,
but to be indifferent to them:
that's the essence of inhumanity.
- George Bernard Shaw

A generous heart, kind speech,
and a life of service and compassion
are the things which renew humanity.
- The Buddha

It is my choice to care deeply about others.
No kindness is too small to be important -
the smile to the bank teller,
the sincere "thank you" for all kindnesses received,
the reassuring hand on the shoulder of a loved one or friend.
There is compassion in selfless generosity,
but there is also compassion in heartfelt empathy.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie


Further reading: Take Charge of Your Life - 9 Secrets for Getting Un-Stuck

Feeding the Children

What Does Compassion Look Like?

Full Measure of a Person

Being of Service
     

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Don't Wait for Life, Begin Now



If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right,
you'll probably never do much of anything.
- Win Borden

Take the initiative - don't wait for life to come to you.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

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

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.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie


Further reading: How to Build Self Confidence

Another Door Opens

Let Go and Begin Anew

New Strength
     

Monday, May 1, 2017

How You View the World


Better keep yourself clean and bright;
you are the window through which
you must see the world.
- George Bernard Shaw

God looks at the clean hands, not the full ones.
- Publilius Syrus

You can learn a lot from people who view the world differently than you do.
- Anthony J. D'Angelo

A desk is a dangerous place from which to view the world.
- John le Carre

Today's affirmation:
I approach life with an Open Mind,
Clean Hands, and a Loving Heart.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie


Further reading: Art of Seeing

Three Wise Monkeys

Simply Marvelous

Choose the World You See

Each Other's Eyes
    
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