I'm having a rough time, I need to print out some nice quotes and poems I can look at.

I am so ready to give up :(

When Things Go Wrong

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you are trudging seems all uphill,
When funds are low and debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow -
You may succeed with another blow,
Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint of the cloud of doubt.
And you can never tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you are hardest hit -
It's when things seem worst that
you must not QUIT.

This is my favorite inspirational poem....


It Couldn't Be Done
Edgar Guest

Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you'll do it.

:hug: Thinking of you, mama. Hang in there.

How about:

"Wheter you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right." Henry Ford

Biblical verse?

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength"

Thank you keep them coming, I'm going to surround me with those :)

Religious of all traditions are fine too :)

:big hug:

Hugs, Hugs and more Hugs, mama. Are you in NC? I think I remember seeing that. I'll be in Durham on the 19th. Can I bring you anything?

my favorite religious ones...or at least, one of them:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v310/bigbrat_jessica/jesusnever.gif

Malachi 3:10 "See if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it! says the Lord Almighty.

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" - Jeremiah 29:11

I also like Psalm 62

:big hug: :hug:


Sometimes certain Grateful Dead songs help me. Cheesey but "Touch of Grey" and "Uncle John's Band"

:hug: I have gajillions of inspirational readings and quotes. Here are some favorites:

Being At Peace

Just for Today I want to be at Peace. I want to feel that long needed, soothing inner peace inside my soul, inside my bones.

Just for Today I want to be at Peace. Even if it means giving up a few things:

Even if it means giving up those little private conversations I have with myself about other people's driving behavior. Even if it means letting go of a ripe opportunity to judge their selfish driving habits, and even if it means passing up the opportunity to remind myself of how just my values are compared to theirs.

Just For Today I want to be at Peace. I guess, even if it means letting go of other opportunities throughout this day to privately judge others for their selfishness, their stupidity, their thoughtlessness. I guess, even if it means passing up a few opportunities to privately speculate and judge the state of the world, and how much better off it would be if people would just do what I know is best for everyone.

I think that I really want to be at Peace today. Even if it means that I must let go of being right, even when I am right. Even if it means that I have to let go of following out my private conversations in my head about how right I am, how logical, how rational. Even if it means that I must let go of my inner debates on my self esteem, my correctness, my self consciousness, what others think of me, how I might be appearing to others. Even if it means that I won't have the luxury of dwelling in my self consciousness, self pity, or anger.

I really like the way Peace feels. And just for today, I want to feel some peace.

Tomorrow is another day, with plenty of opportunity to renew my judgment of other's selfishness and thoughtlessness, my criticisms of the world's ways, my rightness about the inequality in the world, my obsessive private conversations about my ego and what other's think of me.

Just because I miss a few opportunities for that today, there will still be plenty of opportunity for that tomorrow. I can afford to be at Peace today, because I can always pick up those other habits tomorrow. There will always be other chances to worry, to judge, be angry, self righteous, intolerant.

I don't need to be afraid of giving up my judgment, criticisms, and anxieties Just For One Little Day now do I ?

Just For Today, I want to be at Peace. Even if it means that I'll need to give up some opportunities to show people how much I know about everything, and even if I have to give up a day spent watching for chances to impress others, and make sure they know how much I know.

I may have to let go of an opportunity to correct someone's misinformation, to give them the right facts, or set the record straight.

I heard someone once say, "For peace of mind resign as general manager of the Universe."

I may have to let go of some worry, or self concern about wearing the right clothes, having the right smile, making sure that I don't do anything politically incorrect, knowing everything, and having studied everything with more integrity than anyone else possibly could have, else they would have arrived at the same conclusions that I did. I'll have to give up opportunities to be important, or make sure others know how important I am.

I'll have to tell my ego to take a hike when it demands that I bow down and spend every waking hour of my day re-framing everything into how perfect I am, how wonderful I am, how anything I am.

I'll have to let go of anything that doesn't feel peaceful.
Just For Today.

-- Unknown

The Cracked Pot

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on the end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots was perfectly made and never leaked. The other pot had a crack in it and by the time the water bearer reached his master's house it had leaked much of it's water and was only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you." "Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" "I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again the pot apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, God will use our flaws to grace his table. In God's great economy, nothing goes to waste. Don't be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and you too can be the cause of beauty. Know that in our weakness we find our strength.

Author Unknown

The Guest House ~ Rumi
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
~ Jelaluddin Rumi,
translation by Coleman Barks

I'm sorry you are feeling depressed. I know you will be okay because you have a family that loves you and a new baby on the way:) Plus, you have friends here who genuinely care about you!! PM someone if you need to. :hug: :hug: :hug:

Obstacles arise within any path or endeavor, however, character is defined by how they are navigated.

My son's principal said that in a group e-mail sent to the yearbook committee--we had a huge snafu and were desperately trying to figure out the best solution.

That problem was miniscule but he words struck me as they apply to the difficulties I've been dealing with lately.

Hope you feel better soon!

Oh, another I like...it's about worrying...from Matthew in the bible but I cannot remember it!!! :(

A CREED TO LIVE BY
~Nancy Sims
Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself to others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.
Don't set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.
Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.
Don't let life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.
Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each other.
Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn to be brave.
Don't shut love out of your life by saying it is impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give love. The fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.
Don't dismiss your dreams. To be without dreams is to be without hope; to be without hope is to be without purpose.
Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've been, but, also where you are going.
Life is not a race, but, a journey to be savored each step of the way. ~~~~~~

ATTITUDE DETERMINES ALTITUDE
Author Unknown


I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight.
I have responsibilities to fulfill today.

My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.

Today I can complain because the weather is rainy,
or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.

Today I can feel sad that I don't have more money,
or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to play my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.

Today I can grumble about my health, or I can rejoice that I am alive.

Today I can lament over all that my parents didn't give me when I was growing up,
or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.

Today I can cry because roses have thorns,
or I can celebrate that thorns have roses.

Today I can mourn my lack of friends,
Or I can excitedly embark upon a quest of being friendly.

Today I can whine because I have to go to work,
or I can shout with joy because I have the power to *create* wealth.

Today I can murmur because I have to do housework,
or I can feel honored because I have been blessed with shelter for my mind, body and soul.

Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped.
And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.

What today will be like is up to me.
I get to choose what kind of day I will have!

Have a Great Day......unless you have other plans?

Happiness On Hold

Miguel Carvelho

We convince ourselves that life will
be better after we get married, have a baby, then another.
Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are.

After that, we're frustrated that we have
teenagers to deal with. We will certainly
be happy when they are out of that stage.

We tell ourselves that our life will be
complete when our spouse gets his
or her act together,
when we get a nicer car, we are able to go on a nice
vacation, or when we retire.

The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now.If not now, when?

Your life will always be filled with challenges.
It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.

Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment
that you have and treasure it more because you
shared it with someone special, special enough
to spend your time with...and remember that time
waits for no one.

So, stop waiting
...until your car or home is paid off
...until you get a new car or home
...until your kids leave the house
...until you go back to school
...until you finish school
...until you lose 10 pounds
...until you gain 10 pounds
...until you get married
...until you get a divorce
...until you have kids
...until you retire
...until summer
...until spring
...until winter
...until fall
...until you die.

There is no better time than right now to be happy.

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
So work like you don't need money,
Love like you've never been hurt,
And dance like no one's watching.

DESIDERATA
Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere, life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrender the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be careful.

Strive to be happy. ~Max Ehrmann

I Know the Way You Can Get
I Heard God Laughing – Renderings of Hafiz
By Daniel Ladinsky – Sufism Reoriented, 1996


I Know the Way You Can Get
When you have not had a drink of Love:

Your face hardens,
Your sweet muscles cramp.
Children become concerned
About a strange look that appears in your eyes
Which even begins to worry your own mirror
And nose.

Squirrels and birds sense your sadness
And call an important conference in a tall tree.
They decide which secret code to chant
To help your mind and soul.

Even angels fear that brand of madness
That arrays itself against he world
And throws sharp stones and spears into
The innocent
And into one’s self.

O I know the way you can get
If you have not been out drinking Love:

You might rip apart
Every sentence your friends and teachers say,
Looking for hidden clauses.

You might weigh every word on a scale like a dead fish.

You might pull out a ruler to measure
From every angle in your darkness
The beautiful dimensions of a heart you once
Trusted.

I know the way you can get
if you have not had a drink from Love’s
Hands.

That is why all the Great Ones speak of
The vital need
To keep Remembering God,
So you will come to know and see Him
As being so Playful
And Wanting, Just Wanting to help.

That is why Hafiz says:
Bring your cup near me,
For I am a Sweet Old Vagabond
With an Infinite Leaking Barrel
Of Light and Laughter and Truth
That the Beloved has tied to my back.

Dear One,
Indeed, please bring your heart near me.
For all I care about
Is quenching your thirst for freedom!

All a Sane man can ever care about
Is giving love!

Imagine a Woman
By Patricia Lynn Reilly

Imagine a woman who believes it is right and good she is a woman.
A woman who honors her experience and tells her stories.
Who refuses to carry the sins of others within her body and life.

Imagine a woman who believes she is good.
A woman who trusts and respects herself.
Who listens to her needs and desires, and meets them with tenderness and grace.

Imagine a woman who has acknowledged the past's influence on the present.
A woman who has walked through her past.
Who has healed into the present.

Imagine a woman who authors her own life.
A woman who exerts, initiates, and moves on her own behalf.
Who refuses to surrender except to her truest self and to her wisest voice.

Imagine a woman who names her own gods.
A woman who imagines the divine in her image and likeness.
Who designs her own spirituality and allows it to inform her daily life.

Imagine a woman in love with her own body.
A woman who believes her body is enough, just as it is.
Who celebrates her body and its rhythms and cycles as an exquisite resource.

Imagine a woman who honors the face of the Goddess in her changing face.
A woman who celebrates the accumulation of her years and her wisdom.
Who refuses to use precious energy disguising the changes in her body and life.

Imagine a woman who values the women in her life.
A woman who sits in circles of women.
Who is reminded of the truth about herself when she forgets.

Imagine yourself as this woman.

Leaving the City of Regret

I had not really planned on taking a trip this time of year, and yet I found myself packing rather hurriedly. This trip was going to be unpleasant and I knew in advance that no real good would come of it. I'm talking about my annual "Guilt Trip."

I got tickets to fly there on Wish I Had airlines. It was an extremely short flight. I got my baggage, which I could not check. I chose to carry it myself all the way. It was weighted down with a thousand memories of what might have been. No one greeted me as I entered the terminal to the Regret City International Airport. I say international because people from all over the world come to this dismal town.

As I checked into the Last Resort Hotel, I noticed that they would be hosting the year's most important event, the Annual Pity Party. I wasn't going to miss that great social occasion. Many of the towns leading citizens would be there.

First, there would be the Done family, you know, Should Have, Would Have and Could Have. Then came the I Had family. You probably know ol' Wish and his clan. Of course, the Opportunities would be present, Missed and Lost. The biggest family would be the Yesterday's. There are far too many of them to count, but each one would have a very
sad story to share.

Then Shattered Dreams would surely make and appearance. And It's Their Fault would regale us with stories (excuses) about how things had failed in his life, and each story would be loudly applauded by Don't Blame Me and I Couldn't Help It.

Well, to make a long story short, I went to this depressing party knowing that there would be no real benefit in doing so. And, as usual, I became very depressed. But as I thought about all of the stories of failures brought back from the past, it occurred to me that all of this trip and subsequent "pity party" could be cancelled by ME! I started to truly realize that I did not have to be there. I didn't have to be depressed. One thing kept going through my mind, I CAN'T CHANGE YESTERDAY, BUT I DO HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE TODAY A WONDERFUL DAY. I can be happy, joyous, fulfilled, encouraged, as well as encouraging. Knowing this, I left the City of Regret immediately and left no forwarding address. Am I sorry for mistakes I've made in the past? YES! But there is no physical way to undo them.

So, if you're planning a trip back to the City of Regret, please cancel all your reservations now. Instead, take a trip to a place called, Starting Again. I liked it so much that I have now taken up permanent residence there. My neighbors, the I Forgive Myselfs and the New Starts are so very helpful. By the way, you don't have to carry around heavy baggage, because the load is lifted from your shoulders upon arrival. God bless you in finding this great town. If you can find it -- it's in your own heart -- please look me up. I live on I Can Do It street.

--Larry Harp

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, which frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small doesn't serve the world.

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to manifest the glory of God within us.

It's not just some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission
to do the same.

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

-- Marianne Williamson

THE EMPEROR MOTH
A man once found a cocoon of the beautiful Emperor Moth and took it home so he could watch the moth emerge from the cocoon.
On the day a small opening appeared, he sat, enthralled, and watched for several hours as the moth struggled to force its body through that little hole. After a while, it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could go and it could go no further. It just seemed to be stuck.
So the man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth.... he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. To his relief, the moth then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the moth because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to support the body, which would contract in time -- and the moth would fly away. But it never happened!
In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening was the way of forcing fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
Freedom and flight could only come after the struggle. By depriving the moth of its struggle, he deprived the moth of health and freedom.
If we were to go through our lives without any obstacles or struggles, we too would be crippled. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. Give every struggle (opportunity) a chance, learn to grow beyond it and fly free of your cocoon -- leave no room for regrets.
~Author Unknown~

The Invitation

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrows, if you have been opened be life’s betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine and your own, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with JOY, mine and your own; if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, or to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul. I want to know if you can be faithful and therefore trustworthy. I want to know if you can see beauty even when it is not pretty everyday…and if you can source your life from its own presence. I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the shore of a lake and shout to the silver of the moon “YES!”

It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done for the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you are or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back. It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.


Oriah Mountain Dreamer
Native Elder, May 1994

There is a brokenness out of which comes the unbroken,
a shatteredness out of which blooms the unshatterable.
There is a sorrow beyond all grief, which leads to joy
and a fragility out of whose depths emerges strength.

There is a hollow space
too vast for words through which we pass with each loss,
out of whose darkness we are sanctioned into being.

There is a cry deeper than all sound whose serrated edges cut the
heart as we break open
to the place inside which is unbreakable
and whole,
while learning to sing.

~~~Rashani~~~

Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself, and know that everything in life has a purpose.
~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

“When the heart weeps for what it has lost, the spirit laughs for what it has found.”
~Sufi Aphorism

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

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly."
-Buddha

People are like stained-glass windows.
They sparkle and shine when the sun is out,
but when the darkness sets in,
their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.
-Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow."
-Anon

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
-Confucius

Come to the edge
He said. They said: We are afraid.
Come to the edge
He said. They came.
He pushed them, and
they flew..."
-Guillaume Apollinaire

Enough yet? ;)
:hug:

:hug: Amy posted some of my favorites. ... and more! :heart:

You are in my intentions, Radhanuga. :hug:

wow there are some great ones there thankyou....

i hope the sun starts shining soon for you Radhanuga... i wish you well

i would love more if you have any!! i have just printed a heap out and am going to stick some on the cabnet in the kitchen

Thank you so much :heart: and Amy, wow!