WE MUST NOT FORGET TO SING IN THE LIFEBOATS

“‎Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.”

― Voltaire

BUT TO ADD COLOR TO MY SUNSET SKY

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.”

― Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds

IT'S THE WAY YOU CARRY IT

“It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it.”

― Lou Holtz

THERE IS A PRESENCE WITHIN YOU WHERE YOU CAN FIND JOY

There is a force in you that is more powerful than the negative people, circumstances or environment you find yourself. Make a conscious deliberate effort to keep your mind above all the toxic conversations, attitudes and stressful atmosphere surrounding you. Guard your mind by immersing yourself in positive words, scriptures, music; as well as self-affirming healing conversations that will drown out the negative voices within your own mind. Watch my Youtube videos daily, they will empower you and give you the inner strength and inspiration to grow through whatever you are up against.

Create a ritual of prayer, meditation, exercise, yoga, Tai-Chi, volunteering of your time, or whatever methods you can use that will protect you from the drama, emotional vampires and energy drainers that will try to rob you of your peace.
There is a Presence within you where you can find joy, comfort, and inner strength to give you the capacity to handle whatever you are facing. You have GREATNESS within you!


LES BROWN

SIMPLY BECAUSE...

“I was smiling yesterday,I am smiling today and I will smile tomorrow. Simply because life is too short to cry for anything.”

― Santosh Kalwar, Quote Me Everyday

BEWARE OF THE DANGER BUT RECOGNIZE THE OPPORTUNITY

“The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word 'crisis.' One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger--but recognize the opportunity.”

― John F. Kennedy

THE NEXT STEP IS STILL OUR CHOICE

OBLIGATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Obligations and Responsibilities

The obligation to do something is not the problem. The problem is your anxiety about it.

The responsibility you have is not the problem. The problem is your resentment of it.

Instead of trying to avoid obligations and responsibilities, focus on their benefits. They burden you only to the degree you see them as burdens.

Following through on your obligations will earn you respect. Upholding your responsibilities will give you influence with others.

Every person has a desire to matter, to make a difference. Obligations and responsibilities enable you to make a difference in a meaningful, positive way.

Choose to stop fighting, stop worrying, stop complaining about obligations and responsibilities. Embrace the great richness they can bring.

— Ralph Marston

JUST TO BE ALIVE IS A GRAND THING

“I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow; but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.”

― Agatha Christie

THERE IS STILL MUCH THAT IS FAIR IN THE WORLD

“The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.” 

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

SUFFERING IS OPTIONAL

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”

― Haruki Murakami, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

I CAN DO HARD

It is hard. it's hard changing your life. It's hard picking up the pieces and starting all over again. It's hard getting your mind together after you have gone through a life shaking experience (being a primary caregiver for someone; hearing a diagnosis you didn't want; starting over again from a loss of any kind; being alone in a new place; wanting a friend.) But you can do hard. You can weather the storm. You will come through this.

Affirm to yourself every day ~ several times a day. No matter how hard it gets...I am going to make it!! Stand up and look yourself in the eyes..and say "I can do hard!!" Exercise, pray, seek solitude, allow for periods of sadness...but know that you will get through this. Keep the faith; continue to work; and expect to make it through. You may not be able to change your circumstances or situation...but you can change yourself! Hold on..You can do hard! You have GREATNESS within you!


LES BROWN

JOYFUL ATTITUDE

Joyful Attitude

Give this day, this world, this life the highest respect you can by being positive. Show appreciation for all you have, for all that is, by living with a joyful attitude.

Complaints and disparagements earn you nothing, no matter how well justified. They push away the goodness that could be yours in each moment.

Living with a positive perspective is not naive or unrealistic. Being positive raises your awareness, actions and results to a higher, more beneficial reality.

Faith in the future begins with faith in the present moment. And faith in the present moment is possible only with a positive outlook.

You don’t have to sugarcoat the world, or your situation, to be positive about it. You simply have to see it and live it from a place of love and gratitude.

Though life is never perfect it always carries an element of goodness with positive possibilities. See that goodness, joyfully build upon the possibilities, and give life the love and respect it deserves.


— Ralph Marston

YOU FIND A HAND AT THE END OF YOUR ARM

“For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge you’ll never walk alone.

...

We leave you a tradition with a future.

The tender loving care of human beings will never become obsolete.

People even more than things have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed and redeemed and redeemed.

Never throw out anybody.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of your arm.

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands: one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

Your “good old days” are still ahead of you, may you have many of them.” 

― Sam Levenson, In One Era & Out the Other

WASH IT AWAY

Wash It Away

Remember how it feels to feel great? Your own intention enables you to feel that way right now, and anytime.

Think of those times when you’ve had a burst of creativity. Today can be one of those times.

Have layer upon layer of negativity hidden your best self from your awareness? Let those layers fall away, and bring your highest values to the surface once again.

Though you live in a world ripe with challenge and confusion, a part of you exists beyond it, and can always rise above it. Connect with that part and feel the true joy of living.

Pay attention to everything going on around you, and stay engaged with the world. All the time, keep in touch with your ability to bring forth joy and fulfillment.

At any moment, in any circumstance, your joyful, positive presence can improve your world. Instead of giving in to the negativity, wash it away with the way you are.

— Ralph Marston

STAMP OUT TOXIC & NEGATIVE THOUGHTS

Use your voice as a hammer to stamp out toxic, dis-empowering, negative thoughts that can come into your mind. You can not control the thoughts that come through your mind, but you can control the ones you choose to dwell on. Talk back to yourself and challenge the negative thinking that is robbing you of energy and focus.

Use your voice as an instrument to inspire you and to change the trauma into positive feelings. Look at yourself in a mirror and say "I love myself unconditionally." Do this daily for the next 21 days. You will experience a new love and appreciation for your higher self which will begin to express itself. Your mind and ego will tell you that this is foolish, childish, or that you do not need to do this. Do not be duped. Negative thoughts don't want to die and will struggle to remain alive.

Speak life to yourself with power, feeling and conviction. Choose positive words that will transport your mind to a new reality. You Deserve! You have GREATNESS within you!


LES BROWN

DON'T JUDGE HUMANITY BY A FEW BAD APPLES

THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU MUST DO

Thankful for what you must do

When there’s work you must do, your best approach is to be thankful for it. The more thankful you are, the less burdensome the task will be.

The effort is what you make it. You can make it a pain or you can make it a source of satisfaction and treasure.

If you’re resentful about what you must do and reluctant to get started, the person you’re hurting is yourself. There’s no good reason to be that way.

You have the power to immediately stop fighting the effort and start embracing it. Not only will you become more effective, you’ll also eliminate a completely unnecessary source of stress.

Sure, it’s easy to be thankful for the things you love and enjoy. Yet gratitude can be even more powerful when you apply it to situations, obligations and tasks you never asked for.

Be thankful for what you must do. You’ll be better at it, and a whole lot happier while getting it done.

— Ralph Marston