The secret - collection of inspirational quotes part 22

The nature of God is a circle of which the center is everywhere and the circumference is nowhere.

-- Empedocles

I remember a day in my childhood I floated a paper boat in the ditch. It was a wet day of July; I was alone and happy over my play. I floated my paper boat in the ditch.

Suddenly the storm-clouds thickened, winds came in gusts, and rain poured in torrents.

Rills of muddy water rushed and swelled the stream and sunk my boat.

Bitterly I thought in my mind that the storm came on purpose to spoil my happiness; all its malice was against me.

The cloudy day of July is long gone today, and I have been musing over all those games in life wherein I was a loser.

I was blaming my fate for the many tricks it played on me, when suddenly I remembered the paper boat that sank in the ditch.

-- Rabindranath Tagore

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

-- Reinhold Niebuhr

When we cannot bear to be alone, it means we do not properly value the only companion we will have from birth till death--ourselves.

-- Eda LeShan

Vision is the art of seeing things invisible.

-- Jonathan Swift

Without education, we are in a horrible and deadly danger of taking educated people seriously.

-- G. K. Chesterton

Associate with men of good quality, if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company.

-- George Washington

What is necessary, after all, is only this: solitude, vast inner solitude. To walk inside yourself and meet no one for hours--that is what you must be able to attain.

-- Rainer Maria Rilke

The memory of things past is indeed a worm that does not die. Whether it continues to grow by gnawing away at our hearts or is metamorphosed into a brightly colored winged creature depends . ..on whether we can find a forgiveness we cannot bestow on ourselves.

-- Dominic Maruca

Life does not consist mainly--or even largely--of facts and happenings. It consists mainly of the storm of thoughts that are forever blowing through one's mind.

-- Mark Twain

The subject exists, the subject enlarges; all things sooner or later fall into place. As I am, so I see; use what language we will, we can never say anything but what we are. . .

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Teen chat what do you think of the world

Hi Teens:

Some of your most important beliefs are 'global beliefs.'

Global beliefs are beliefs that have to do with the world, life, society and people in general.

You may have heard comments like, 'I won't do that - people won't like it!' or, 'People are mean,' or, 'People can't be trusted.'

Maybe the people making these comments just haven't met any nice people, or are only paying attention to the 'mean' people?

How often have you heard people say things like, 'The world is a bad place'?

That many people truly think that comes as no surprise. All you have to do is turn on the TV or radio and the news will tell you in detail about all the negative events in the world: robberies, fires, car crashes, war, etc. Rarely do we hear a positive message of what people are doing to help each other.

A common reaction to the news is to develop fear and mistrust for people and the world, because all you see and hear in the media is negativity.

Another generalization lots of folks make has to do with 'life.' 'Life is hard', 'All good things have to come to an end', 'The odds are against you', etc.

Please take a few minutes to write down your beliefs about people, life and the world or comments you've heard people make about these things.

Are the majority of your global beliefs positive or negative? Where did they come from? Do you find yourself being affected by the news and other people's negativity? How do your beliefs affect the decisions you make? Do they keep you from opening up to people? Do they keep you from taken certain actions because you are afraid of what people will say, or afraid that something bad is going to happen?

What is the belief costing you? What would

change if you were to let go of the belief?

Try to seek out shows and news that portray people helping one another. Do avoid watching the news as much as you can. Sure, it's good to know what's going on the

world, but keep in mind the news doesn't really tell you what's going on. The news portrays the worst of humanity, because that's what gets people watching. The goal of newscasts is to make money – the more people that watch, the better ratings the newscasts get. However, it’s important to realize that you don't have to make the worst events that happen every day part of your life all the time!

Again, just like with your 'self beliefs', it's extremely valuable for you to become aware of the 'global beliefs' you have, and how the 'global beliefs' of others influence your thinking.

Looking at yourself and the world continually

in a negative way will bring you down. When

you feel down you aren’t going to enjoy things in your life as much and you close yourself off to seeing more of the positive in yourself and the world.

“The universe is transformation; our life is what our thoughts make it.”

Marcus Aurelius

This article is part of the Teenacity Teen Chat Guide “Get what you want and break free” – 6 ways to help you unleash your greatness no matter what your life is like now! Go to TEENACITY. COM – The # 1 Place for Teens – Where You Are Accepted For Who You Are – and get your copy now free of charge!

Recapture the lost glow of your skin by stopping smoking

The first 'accessory' that is required to stop smoking is within you - your commitment! Without this, no tangible results are possible! All your habits, good or bad will have a direct bearing on your body and mind, and skin is an all-embracing part and therefore, it assumes priority! Whether smoking has something to do with skin care? Definitely yes! Even the hard-core smokers will admit to this fact.

Stopping smoking will benefit the skin. Well, almost immediately! For, there is no doubt that smoke, tar and nicotine are all drying agents and contain carcinogens. Its harmful effects are beyond dispute. So, the glow or dullness of your skin has something to do with the smoke that you inhale.

Therefore, the decision to quit smoking should be firm and irrevocable! Just as a wavering candle can not withstand a storm, a wavering mind will not be able to quit smoking! Our food intake, the quality and content, is bound to show on our skin. Look at the face and observe the skin of a young adult who is smoking for the last, say, 8 to 10 years. The strong effects will definitely show; wrinkles are the sure indicators. The skin will look aged.

The overall blood circulation is also affected due to smoking. The outer layers of the skin are the first to suffer the maximum damage. The reason is not too far to seek. Oxygen supply and nutrients are deprived to the skin, so also the Vitamin A, which is of utmost importance to the health of the skin. It is the beginning of decay of elastin and collagen, two substances absolutely necessary for the elasticity and strength of the skin.

Exercises are generally for good of the body; they are for its health and shape. But this smoking exercise is the most damaging, taken from any angle! How many times a smoker opens and closes his mouth, while smoking just one cigarette? While inhaling pursing of the lips is involved. And you squint your eyes to escape from the smoke. Will it not contribute the fast arrival of more and more wrinkles? The heat generated from the burning cigarette, as it becomes smaller and smaller, will definitely change the color of the lips. No smoker's lips have ever been rosy. The black patches on the lips look very dirty and unappealing!

So, the conclusion is obvious. Try to recapture the lost glow of your skin, which is only possible by quitting smoking-not now and then-once for all!

Me you and ted haggard

I read about Ted Haggard’s confession of homosexuality and use of methamphetamines, just as you probably have. And I had reactions to it just as you probably do. The first reaction I had was a sense of vindication tinged with that luscious feeling of revenge that the hypocrisy of gay bashing was once again being brought to light.

And while that vindication may bolster the just cause of equality for all human beings, revenge is sweet for only a few short moments. I recognize that underneath my righteous indignation there is a deeper lesson about hypocrisy, at least for me.

Just as presumably Ted Haggard is both humbled and humiliated by this exposure, don’t we all have hypocrisies that would publicly humble and humiliate us if exposed? Yes, his hypocrisy had great influence over the White House, the Republican agenda, and a large Evangelical following. But don’t our individual hypocrisies also influence others as well as social policies?

If we tell our children to abstain from alcohol and drugs but hide our own chemical histories or current use/abuse, what impact does that have? We may argue that we want them to do as we say, not as we do. But couldn’t Mr. Haggard have made that same argument?

If we use an illegal substance but are glad for the arrest of street corner drug dealers, doesn’t this hypocrisy have an impact? Aren’t our prisons overflowing with people who may have touched the contents of that little plastic baggie hidden in our underwear drawer?

If we are calling an end to war with Iraq but continue to consume half of the world’s fossil fuels, much of it for jetting to distant vacation spots or filling up our SUVs, isn’t there just the teeniest bit of hypocrisy in this?

If we pride ourselves for buying organic fruits and vegetables but demand that they be available year round, hurting both local farmers as well as requiring enormous amounts of fuel to get them to the nearest Whole Foods store, isn’t there something for us to examine?

Of course, I can go on and on with this list but my point isn’t to shame us. My point is to acknowledge that all our hypocrisy causes damage. Rather than cast stones at one another, we could take the news of Mr. Haggard and look more deeply into ourselves. We could remove our own veils of hypocrisy, acknowledge our own falls from grace, tell more truths about who we really are, change whatever behaviors we don’t like in ourselves, forgive ourselves and others for our trespasses, and go about living life more consciously and compassionately. This is my take away from today’s news.

The law of attraction and positive thinking - a powerful combination

Recently the release of the movies "The Secret" and "What The Bleep Do We Know" have created quite a stir of curiosity. Many people have been inspired by the information released in these movies and are now contemplating how they can begin to adopt the Law of Attraction and positive thinking as part of their everyday living. The movies were an amazing forward for those who have not previously heard of the Law of Attraction and quantum physics, and were released at a time of immense spiritual transformation and conscious awakening on our abundant planet.

How do you define the Law of Attraction? In the words of Abraham this universal law can be explained as "That which is like unto itself is drawn". Whatever you focus on a consistent basis, you will attract into your life.

Our universe, and everything within it, is made up of energy fields that produce varying vibrational frequencies. Our words, thoughts, feelings, actions, beliefs and attitudes all contain vibrations which are attracted to other like vibrations. Our current reality is a representation of what we have created, invited or attracted with our words, actions, thoughts and feelings. The quotation by Thomas Dreir is a great explanation of this universal law 'The world is a great mirror. It reflects back to you what you are. If you are loving, if you are friendly, if you are helpful, the world will prove to be loving and friendly and helpful in return. The world is what you are.'

Unfortunately, manifesting your desires is not quite as simple as taking time out to visualize your desires and from there the Law of Attraction and positive thinking will do the rest. Unless you have a magic genie hidden under your bed it is unlikely that millions of dollars will magically appear in your life as you sit on the couch meditating on your dream of becoming unbelievably rich. Yes, we definitely do have to determine what we wish to achieve and visualize what we desire, however there are two other vital ingredients which are extremely important if you wish to achieve your gaols.

Firstly, focus attention on what you desire and feel the excitement within as if your desire is currently in your reality. If it is a new car that you desire, then feel the excitement as you hold in your hand the keys to your dream car - visualize the color and shape, smell the leather interior, hear the purr of the engine and feel the power as you drive your brand new car out on the open highway.

Secondly, if you would like to achieve your goals more quickly you must do something that moves you towards your goal. Visualizing and talking about your goals is fantastic, however, by consciously putting in place a daily action, be it big or small, you will bring your dreams into your reality much quicker.

Our Universe is abundantly generous and willing and able to deliver our requests - so be careful when wishing for something and ensure that it is truly what you desire. It is time for you to take control and actively create the life your desire by applying the Law of Attraction and positive thinking.

What every self improvement junkie should know about emotion

Most people are familiar with the phrase “thoughts become things,” and in a manner of speaking that is true. However, the more accurate way to explain that concept would be to say that thoughts become emotions.

Emotions in turn drive the machine of your life that creates the things that you think about. The fact that emotions need to be part of the equation is easily verified by thinking back to any time in your life whenever you thought long and hard about having or doing something, but those thoughts never manifested into whatever it was that you were thinking about. For example:

• Many people think very often about having enough money to enjoy certain material possessions or experiences.

• Almost all people give considerable thought to weight loss, physical fitness, or their overall health.

• The majority of people also spend plenty of time thinking about satisfying romantic or other social relationships.

However, despite the massive amount of thought that is dedicated to some or all of those things, it is often the case that we do not have the level of success in those areas that we desire.

The reason for that is because we do not have the appropriate emotional attachment to the things that we want to bring into our lives. When giving thought to the things that we want, more is not necessarily better, since emotionless thoughts have no real power, no matter how many times we think them.

However, a consistent thought about something that also evokes a positive emotional response from you almost always serves to ultimately bring that thing into your life.

In order to illustrate this concept, simply think back to any job interview, health improvement program, date, or other social situation that you were involved in that you felt very positive and confident about. In most if not all of those situations, one of two things happened:

1) You attained or enjoyed the experience of whatever it was you felt positive about, or

2) You realized after the fact that you didn’t really want it after all.

By feeling positive and confident about attaining something, you put yourself in charge of the outcome, as opposed to how a lack of confidence will tend to make you feel powerless to get what you want out of any given situation.

You need to be honest with yourself, however, when considering whether or not you truly feel positive and confident about attaining something. Strongly desiring something does not equate to feeling positive or confident about acquiring it. Everyone wants whatever they consider to be financial, health, or social success, but actually believing that we will attain it is another matter entirely.

It is this difference between giving a high quantity of thought to something vs. giving a high quality of thought to something that is ultimately the deciding factor in whether or not we attain it.

High quality thoughts about something are thoughts that evoke a consistent positive emotional response in relation to that thing. These thoughts fill you with the belief that – sooner or later – you will attain whatever it is that you are thinking about.

Compare that to the thoughts that most people have about attaining their desires. You will see that often people’s thoughts about their dreams tend to evoke negative, disempowering emotional responses, such as doubt, fear, uncertainty, concern, lack of confidence, etc.

Rarely in history has anything of note been accomplished by someone thinking of how scared they were about whether or not it was actually going to happen. Disempowering thoughts such as fear do not tend to manifest positive results.

That is not to say that fear or similar feelings are not part of the process, because often they are. However, they are used only as tools to bolster the confidence and belief level of the person involved, as squashing disempowering feelings has the immediate effect of causing us to feel empowered! If you have ever faced down a fear, then you know this to be true.

The bottom line solution to using the power of your emotions as the fuel for self improvement is to make a conscious recognition of how you feel about something that you want to accomplish.

If the thought of improving your finances, your health, your social life, or any other area of your life causes you to feel anything other than positive and confident, you must embrace the fact that you have mental roadblocks that need to be cleared before you will achieve success in that area.

Those roadblocks can then be cleared by engaging in whatever activity will eliminate those negative feelings. That may include getting educated about what it will take to accomplish your goal, it may mean practicing affirmations or visualizations, it might involve doing research on the topic, hiring a professional to help you, or even something as simple as voicing the disempowering belief to yourself.

Once the dark things in our subconscious are brought into the light, they are often seen to have very little actual power over us, if any at all. Ferret out your negative, disempowering beliefs by being 100% truthful with yourself about how you feel about something that you want to attain.

Once you have recognized whatever it is that is causing your negative feelings, drag it kicking and screaming into the light, eliminate it, and you will leave yourself with nothing but positive and confident feelings about your ability to succeed. Then you will do exactly that!