Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Good things Happening In the World 2024 ( to be updated periodically )

 From: Freetheocean April 2024
A Historic Leap for Whale Conservation:
Recognizing Whales as Legal Persons

In a groundbreaking move that bridges ancient wisdom with modern conservation efforts, Indigenous leaders from Polynesia have paved the way for a future where whales swim the oceans not just as majestic creatures but as entities with legal personhood. This transformative approach to whale conservation marks a significant shift in how we perceive and protect these gentle giants of the sea.
Ancient Wisdom for Modern Conservation



For centuries, the Indigenous peoples of Polynesia have revered whales, viewing them as sacred spirits that connect all life. The Māori of New Zealand, for instance, regard whales—or tohorā—as guides that led their ancestors across the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Today, these communities consider themselves the guardians of these magnificent beings, underscoring a deep-rooted commitment to their protection.
A Treaty of Protection

In a historic gathering, Indigenous leaders from New Zealand, Tahiti, and the Cook Islands signed a treaty recognizing whales as legal persons. This unprecedented move is not merely symbolic but a strategic step towards compelling national governments to enforce stricter protections for whales. Spearheaded by the Hinemoana Halo Ocean Initiative, this treaty, known as He Whakaputanga Moana or “declaration for the ocean,” is a testament to the power of traditional guardianship in the face of modern challenges.

 

(Please click on the link to read the full article)


Got Broken Stuff? The Tool Library Has a Fix
Buffalo’s Tool Library is chipping away at throwaway consumerism, one fix at a time.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans throw away nearly 40 million tons of such items each year. Repair cafes — of which there are now more than 3,000 across the world — offer an economical and environmentally friendly solution: Fix your broken stuff, instead.

(Please click on the link to read the full article)

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Good things happening in the world from 2023 going into 2024

 These first happenings came from a newsletter from Anita Sanchez
(There is another Anita Sanchez who has beautiful books as well)
 
The Netherlands built five artificial islands specifically for the conservation of birds and plants.  Two years later, there are already 30,000 birds living there and 127 plant species are growing.

Thai supermarkets have abandoned plastic bags and started wrapping their groceries in banana leaves. 
 
Rice farmers around the world are starting to use duck fields instead of pesticides. Ducks eat insects and nibble on weeds without touching the rice.
 
The Netherlands plants the roofs of hundreds of bus stops with flowers and plants - specifically for bees.
 
South Korea organizes dance parties for people over 65. Fighting dementia and loneliness.

In Rome, you can pay for a metro ticket using plastic bottles.  Thus, 350,000 bottles have already been collected.
 
She  listed more...
 
More can be found on this page: The Year in Cheer 
(and on this site, each snippit has a link to more details)
 
Volunteers have given new life to more than 100,000 abandoned bicycles, shipping them across the globe to people who need them. 
 
Eighty percent of new cars sold in Norway are electric.

The biggest dam removal project in US history — currently underway on the Klamath River — will open up 400 miles of fish habitat. 
 
Sixteen schools in Braunschweig, Germany, include happiness as a subject in their curriculums.
 
Washington is the first US state to put money toward climate change education in K-12 public schools — and at least 11 other states are following suit.
 
In Minnesota, more than 1,500 seniors signed on for a state agency’s free online fitness program.
 
Over 10,000 physicians across Canada have written “green” prescriptions instructing patients to spend more time in nature.

In France, anyone who opts to repair their clothes can now get a bonus of up to 25 euros.
 
In 2022, the Apparel Impact Institute ​​cut 316,451 tons of emissions and saved 2,903,575 cubic meters of water by helping fashion brands be more sustainable.
 
The Hunger Project is serving about 35,000 people in Uganda — fighting hunger by teaching them how to grow their own food
 
The UK government offers parents 30 hours of free childcare per week.

A Tunisian school’s solar panels produce four times the power the campus needs, allowing the school to sell energy back to the grid, which funds classes in robotics.
 
A company in the UK rents out 1,000 living Christmas trees each year so they don’t end up in landfills.
 
New Zealand banned the use of single-use plastic produce bags – preventing the use of an estimated 150 million plastic bags annually.

Six US states recently passed legislation for universal free meal programs.
 
There are now 158 protected ocean ‘Hope Spots’ around the world.

Among California’s 25 largest school districts, more than two-thirds now serve non-meat, non-dairy entrees a minimum of once a week.

In 2022, FoodCycle’s pop-up cafes served nearly 500,000 meals to 62 communities across the UK, saving 209 metric tons of food from going to waste.

One hundred fifty hairdressers in West and Central African cities have become “mental health ambassadors.”
 
These are a small fraction of the Year in Cheer.  There are many truly great things listed.

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Click to Donate - Free Way to Help the World

 

Why Giving Is Good for Your Health
Helping others can boost your heart and mind
 
We all know that giving helps others... But did you know that the warm and fuzzy feeling you get from helping others is actually good for you, too? That’s not just some “good vibe” theory, either. There’s science behind it.
...
Health benefits of giving:

As you help someone or give a gift, your brain secretes “feel good” chemicals such as:

Serotonin (which regulates your mood).
Dopamine (which gives you a sense of pleasure).
Oxytocin (which creates a sense of connection with others).

Physical and mental health benefits associated with giving or serving can include:

Lower blood pressure
A longer lifespan
Less stress

Gift-giving or volunteering can reduce your levels of cortisol, the stress hormone that can make you feel overwhelmed or anxious.

A ‘helper’s high’
Giving can stimulate your brain’s mesolimbic pathway, or reward center, while releasing endorphins. That can lead to a “helper’s high” that boosts self-esteem, elevates happiness and combats feelings of depression.
 
 

Click to Donate - Free Way to Help the World

This is a list of sites found online. Because so much division exists in the  world now, and people may feel offended seeing some of the click to donate sites, I made the choice to limit this site to politically neutral charities. All possible click to donate charity sites had been included, no matter their politics, religious affiliation or other, as all beings have beauty within them and deserve love and comfort.  I believe all are worthwhile, and at the same time, realize emotions can get very high. Leaving this page only with neutral charities may allow more to feel comfortable clicking, thus having a far greater beneficial effect.

Just clicking (usually a button or image, clearly marked) donates funds to the charity.  These donations are paid for by advertisers and sponsors
.
 
It is from the numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal or acts to improve the lot of others or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.
Robert Kennedy
Some sites require cookies to be enabled
And beyond these sites, there is a search engine called www.goodsearch.comwhich donates $.01 for each click to your selected charity.

Below these click to donate links are a variety of petition links

Help Poverty
 
Polish Hunger Site
The Hunger Site (may require cookies)
Donate Bread(Click Loaf)
Feed Veterans (may require cookies)

Feed Hungry in Brazil 

Click for Children - scroll to middle of page (requires cookies)
Hunger - scroll to middle of page (requires cookies)

Fund a Scholarship (click chest) (may be inactive)

Enviroment                                     
Help Ocean  
Forest Watch
The Rainforest Site
Help Forest
Solar Energy (may not be working)
Clean Your Country (may not be working)
Plant an OAK Tree (may not be working)

Animals
Animal Rescue Site
Help Individual Animals
Animal Web Action - Donate Blankets to Animals
Help Animals (temporarily down)
Clicanimaux Help Horses (temporarily down)
Clicanimaux Help Dogs (temporarily down)
Clicanimaux Help Cats (temporarily down)
Clicanimaux Help Ducks / Geese (temporarily down)
Feed a Big Cat (may not be working)
 
Grouped Charities

Petitions & Legislation

The Big Cat Public Safety Act is a federal bill that would address two of the biggest sources of abuse of big cats by ending owning big cats as pets and stopping exploitative roadside zoos from offering cub petting and photo ops. Big cats purchased as pets are dangerous and typically end up living in inhumane conditions. Cubs used for petting and photos are ripped from their mothers at birth, physically punished to diminish their natural behaviors, deprived of sleep, then often discarded a few months later when they are two big to pet, with no tracking of what happens to them or how many die

Wild animals used in circuses spend their lives in cramped cages, forced to perform unnatural and sometimes painful tricks, day in and day out. These animals endure constant stress and are denied the opportunity to engage in natural behaviors. Wild animals have complex behavioral, physical, and emotional needs that cannot be satisfied by traveling shows designed for human entertainment.

The Traveling Exotic Animal and Public Safety Protection Act (TEAPSPA) amends the Animal Welfare Act to end the use of wild animals in traveling shows, like circuses, with limited exceptions for certain entities such as accredited zoos, wildlife sanctuaries, and rodeos.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund works at the state and local levels to advance important legislation. We advocate for laws that promote or protect the lives and interests of animals, and we oppose legislation that would be detrimental to animals’ well-being.

We also work closely with the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s other programs to identify opportunities to create model legislation that address strategic legal issues in the areas of civil and criminal law, and monitor legislation that impacts animals at the federal, state, and local levels
 
INTERNATIONAL PETITION:
Support making ECOCIDE an International Crime
Mass damage and destruction of ecosystems (ECOCIDE), committed repeatedly over decades and permitted by law, has led to global climate and ecological crisis. Treaties, agreements and civil lawsuits have all failed to prevent this.
"We call on all governments to declare support for making ecocide an  international crime, in the knowledge that many countries must stand together to put this law in place for the long-term protection of all life on Earth."
 

Get 'Forever Chemicals' Out Of Bottled Water! by Consumer Reports
Forty-three of the 47 bottled waters Consumer Reports tested had detectable levels of PFAS. These chemicals have been linked to cancer, birth defects, and other serious health problems in people with prolonged exposure. The EPA has refused to set limits on these 'forever chemicals,' but that shouldn't stop the bottled water industry from getting them out of the water they sell.
(Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are very stable manmade chemicals that can lead to toxicity and health issues)
(closed petition)
 
(Requires Sign In and Cookies)
 
This page leads to a page with petitions, including "Save Marine Life From Single-Use Plastics," " Tell Amazon: Give Me a Plastic Free Packaging Choice" & others.
 
Factory Farming Is Killing the Planet, Our Health, and Our Commitment to Humane Animal Treatment. Ban Factory Farms Now!
Laws called “ag-gag” or agriculture gag laws make it illegal for people to film inside factory farms and expose the brutality these animals experience every day. That’s the biggest reason we don’t know the full extent of how much farm animals are suffering.
If you think laws preventing the exposure of animal abuse need to go, visit  The Humane Society of The United States to find out how you can help end them.
(Requires Sign In and Cookies)
 
The bill (SB 1350), which was just introduced by Senator Mike Gabbard, would ban the manufacture and sale of certain fur products in the state, in addition to banning the import of fur products for sale or distribution. 
(Requires Sign In and Cookies)
...there is hope!  An article here talks of how pets are being considered more as children than mere property in divorces. This upgrade in their legal classification actually gives pets more protections. Now we just need to get all states to make this change! There is no question that this change just makes sense. Animals are not objects, they are living beings and they are a part of our families.  
 
 

Vendors are sealing turtles, fish and small amphibious animals into plastic bags and selling them as keychain and mobile phone trinkets. The trinkets are supposed to bring good luck, but clearly bring only bad luck to the trapped animals.

The animals can survive for days in the bag, but eventually suffocate or starve to death.

Read more at this link. 

Read the article The Sad Truth About Free Pets On Craigslist (article link)

Ban Cat Declawing in Canada - Change.org

Stop Cat Declawing in California

Many Petitions for Animals - Lady Free Thinker

Saturday, August 19, 2023

Happiness Words

 These are words listed on various sites as synonyms to Happiness or Happy. Many seem to be more words that trigger states of happiness for some. I include them still  :  )


Happy, Happiness, Happily

aglow
all smiles
as happy as a clam
As happy as a sandboy
be all smiles
be floating on air
be full of the joys of spring
be in rapture/raptures
be in seventh heaven
be of good cheer
be on cloud nine
be walking/floating on air
be wreathed in smiles
beam
beaming
beamish
beatific
bless
blessed
bliss
blissed out
blissful
blissfully
bonhomie
bright
bubble over
bubbly
carefree
celebrant
celebrate
cheer
cheerful
cheerfulness
cheerfully
cheerily
cheery
chipper
chirpy
content
contented
couldn't be happier

delight
delighted
delightful
delirious
ebullient
ecstatic
effervesce
effervescent
elate
elated
enjoyable
Elysian
enjoy
euphoria
euphoric
exalted
exhilarate
exhilarated
exhilarating
exult
exultant
ecstasy
exuberant
eyes light up
fairy-tale ending
feel-good
feel good factor
felicific
fe-licify
felicitous
felicity
floating on a cloud
floating on air
flying high
fröhlich ( German  - merry; cheerful)
fulfill
fulfilled
fulfilling
full of the joys of spring
gaily
gambol
giddiness
giddy
glad
glad news/tidings
gladden
gladden the heart
gladly
glee
gleeful
gleefully
glow
goody
golden
grin from ear to ear
halcyon
halcyon days
happify
high spirits
in high spirits
in the pink
in paradise
into raptures
joy
jollity
jolly
joyful
joyous
jubilant
jubilance
jubilation
laugh
laughter
light up
lighthearted
lightsome
like a dog with two tails
merriment
merrily
merry
merrymaking
mirth
of good cheer
on cloud nine
one's heart leaps
one's face lights up
over the moon
overhappy
overjoyed
pleased
pleasure
radiant
rapt
rapturous
rejoice
rosy
serendipity
smile
smile from ear to ear
smiley
spirits soar
squee
sunny
thrilled
tickled pink
to one's delight
to someone's delight
upbeat
uplift
walking on air
whoopee

happy camper
happy days
happy-go-lucky
happy place
happy-slappy
happy to do
-ily
yourself
myself

a twinkle in one's eye
afterglow
aah
alight
all things to all people,men
altruistic
ambiance
auspicious
be at peace with the world
be in good heart
be in your element
be over the moon (about something)

beautiful
bear hug
belong
best
blessing
bounce
breezy
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
brighten
brightly
bubble
bubble with
celebration
charmed
chuffed (very pleased)
cloud
complement
congratulate
congratulations
contentment
dance
dancing in the streets
delight in
delightful
do one's heart good
do someone’s heart good
down to earth
dream
easy
excited
exaltation
excitement
expansive
fairytale
flushed with success, triumph etc
fond
fondly
fortuitous
fortunate
fortunize
friendly
frolic
frolicsome
fulfilled
gaiety
generosity
glad news/tidings
glorious
glowing
gracious
gleam
golden
golden age
golden mean
good
good for someone
good-humoured
good on someone
harmony
have everything
hearten
heartwarming
heaven
high-spirited
hilariously
home
hooray
hospitality
how are you keeping
idyll
idyllic
in seventh heaven
in the zone
innocence
jocular
jump for joy
happy-returns
kindly
laughter is the best medicine
light
light-hearted
light of someone's life
like the sound of
live happily ever after
look forward to
lotus
loved up
lovely
lucky
made in heaven
make sb's day
make someone's day
many happy returns
music
music to one's ears
nostalgia
nostalgic
on top of the world
ore
pleased with
pleasing
positive
promised land
prosperous
radiance
receive with open arms
rejoice in
relax
relaxation
relaxed
satisfaction
satisfy
satisfying
self–fulfillment
sentimental value
serendipitous
serotonin
seventh heaven
shine
silly
skip
skylark
so be it
storybook
succeed
superlative
sweet
take a stroll/trip/walk down memory lane
thankful
the Promised Land
the world of good
thrill
thrilled
thrive
thrive on
tickle
touched
transport
treasure
triumphant
triumphantly happy
twinkle
unification
universalism
up
utopian
vivacious
vivacity
walk on air
warm the cockles of someone's heart
welcome
welome with open arms
welcome
well
well-being
well–wisher
whole
with pleasure
worthwhile


a home away from home
a sight for sore eyes
a spring in someone’s step
a spring in your step
a world of good
abound
affable
affecting
affirmative
air
amuse
amusement
animate
apropos
at one with
be flying high
be riding high
be  something
blithe
blithesome
bouncy
bouncing
bountiful
buoy
broaden
buoyant
buoyancy
carol
celebratory
chirp
Christmassy
companionable
companionship
congratulation
cool
dandy
dedication
destiny
dynamite
elysium
emoticon
enthusiasm
equative
excite
expression
exulting
fairy-tale
felicitation
festive
festivity
for old times' sake
fortune
forward-looking
fruition
gala
glory
glory in sth
godsend
good-humored
gratify
hail
happy bunny
happy pair
haven
Hollywood ending
home from home
honeymoon
honour
humanistic
humanly
impossibly
Indian summer
in one's glory
intoxicate
intoxicating
it’s a pleasure to do something
(it’s) my pleasure
jaunty
jazzy
jumper
laurel
leap
life-affirming
lilt
lining
lively
luck
many happy returns (of the day)
Merry Christmas
Moon
motherly
my pleasure
nonchalance
on a high
open-door policy
over
phew!
piggyback
pleased as punch
Pollyanna (an excessively cheerful or optimistic person)
prance
pride and joy
purr
quality of life
reminisce
resilient
restored
ride, drive, walk, etc. off into the sunset
rollick
rollicking
Romance
romp
roof
rose-colored glasses
settle in
sentimental
shiny
shout for joy
shout from the rooftops
smile to oneself
spree
sprightly
successful
the American dream
the good life
to someone’s satisfaction/to the satisfaction of someone
triumph
unfeigned
universal
untroubled
unworried
unruffed
unconcerned
upper

Welcome Wagon
whew!
white
willing
wish
yang



beatification (a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name)

bonhomie (cheerful friendliness; geniality)

bread and circuses (a diet of entertainment or political policies on which the masses are fed to keep them happy and docile)

chuff ((of a steam engine) move with a regular sharp puffing sound; Tigers chuff)insouciant (showing a casual lack of concern; indifferent)

cock–a–hoop (British - extremely and obviously pleased, especially about a triumph or success)

convivial (cheerful and friendly; jovial)

guffaw (a loud and boisterous laugh)

Edward (is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon form Éadweard, composed of the elements ead "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and weard "guardian, protector")

Edwin (The name Edwin means "rich friend". It comes from the Old English elements "ead" (rich, blessed) and "wine" (friend) )
slake (quench or satisfy)

evince (reveal the presence of (a quality or feeling)

eucatastrophe (a sudden and favorable resolution of events in a story; a happy ending)

eupeptic (relating to or having good digestion or a consequent air of healthy good spirits)

felix culpa (an apparent error or disaster with happy consequences)

freemale (a woman who does not want to get married or to have children because she is happy to live by herself and do what she wants when she wants)

fly high (be very successful; prosper)

gambol (run or jump about playfully)

gruntled (pleased, satisfied, and contented)
red-letter night (Any significant, memorable, or happy night or evening)

halcyon

halcyon days (Halcyon Days, which have come to mean any time of happiness and contentment, are actually the 14 days around the winter solstice. ... The “Halcyon Days” usually end by early January. Today, the phrase “Halcyon Days” has come to mean a sense of peace or tranquility.)

imparadise (To make as happy as though in paradise; transport; enrapture)

insouciance (casual lack of concern; indifference)

jocund (full of or showing high-spirited merriment)

jol (to have fun, to party)

juste milieu (the happy medium; judicious moderation)

kempt (adjective - (of a person or a place) maintained in a neat and clean condition; well cared for.)

kvell (feel happy and proud)

lark ( any carefree episode)

macarize (to pronounce happy or blessed : felicitate, laud)
simhah ( a Hebrew word that means gladness, or joy)

lilting ( characterized by a rhythmical swing or cadence a lilting stride)

propitiate (win or regain the favor of (a god, spirit, or person) by doing something that pleases them)
Edgar (Anglo-Saxon name Eadgar (composed of ead "rich, prosperous" and gar "happy "))


providential (occurring at a favorable time; opportune)

ray of sunshine (a person or thing that brings happiness into the lives of others.)

red-letter (a memorably happy or noteworthy day (from the custom of marking holy days in red on church calendars)

red-letter day

Rollick (to move or act in a carefree, frolicsome manner; behave in a free, hearty, lively, or jovial way.)

sacrosanct ((especially of a principle, place, or routine) regarded as too important or valuable to be interfered with)

sandboy (a young peddler of sand; used now only to express great happiness in happy as a sandboy')

scherzo (a vigorous, light, or playful composition, typically comprising a movement in a symphony or sonata)

seraphic (1. having a sweet nature befitting an angel or cherub 2. of or relating to an angel of the first order)

sonsy (Scottish - having an attractive and healthy appearance)
squee (expression of joy, excitement, celebration)

the life of Riley (an easy, carefree life)

waggish (humorous in a playful, mischievous, or facetious manner)

whoop (a loud cry or shout, as of excitement or joy)


a ray of sunshine
at one with the world
bed of roses
bright as a button
heart
satori
Sunshine
utopia

Quotes - Inspirational, Healing, Thought Provoking, and So Much More

 Quotes:

“Every breath we take, every step we make, can be filled with peace, joy and serenity.” —Thich Nhat Hanh 
 
“The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today.”
-St. Francis of Assisi
 
It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.
Dream Big. Sparkle More. Shine Bright.A little smile, a word of cheer, a bit of love from someone near..
Keep your best wishes, close to your heart and watch what happens. – Tony Deliso
I believe in you.
The best time for new beginnings is now.
I’m making a prediction that you are going to keep being awesome.
Life is a great big canvas
Smile knowing that good luck has finally found you. A future is forming with  joy, happiness, and health.
 
May you be filled with loving-kindness
My you be at peace
May you be healthy in body and mind
May your life unfold with Ease
-Metta

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. – Henry David Thoreau
 
 “If I could never tell a single person about my achievements, would I still pursue them?” - Anonymous
 
You’re off to great places! Today is your day. Your mountain is waiting. So get on your way. – Dr. Seuss

“People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.” - Paulo Coelho

“If you own this story you get to write the ending.” -Brene Brown
 
"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them." 
-Henry David Thoreau
Be Careful how 
you talk to yourself,
because you 
are listening 
- Picture Quotes . com

"Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"No one has more power over a consciousness than the consciousness themselves. Determination is the necessary tool for us to promote all the desired energetic transformations. There will be no counterflow or interference stronger than our-selves, since all we have to do is maintain our effort and commitment. The one that gives up first loses."
-Nancy Trivellato

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” ― Maya Angelou
 
"If it can be solved, there’s no need to worry, and if it can’t be solved, worry is of no use." -Dalai Lama

“Trouble knocked at the door, but, hearing laughter, hurried away.” – Benjamin Franklin
 
“Believe something and the Universe is on its way to being changed. Because you’ve changed, by believing. Once you’ve changed, other things start to follow. Isn’t that the way it works?” - Diane Duane 

"If you don't know the guy on the other side of the world, love him anyway because he's just like you. He has the same dreams, the same hopes and fears. It's one world, pal. We're all neighbors." —Frank Sinatra
 
 
Wake up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours await me. I vow to live fully in each moment and look at all beings with eyes of compassion. - Thich Nhat Hanh 
 
I am forever remembering that everything is here to teach me how to love - Spring Washam
 
The greatest wisdom is in simplicity. Love, respect, tolerance, sharing, gratitude, forgiveness. It’s not complex or elaborate. The real knowledge is free. It’s encoded in your DNA. All you need is within you. Great teachers have said that from the beginning. Find your heart, and you will find your way. - Carlos Barrios

“Enlightenment is a simple recognition of who we truly already are.” Anonymous

"Understanding yourself is power. 
Loving yourself is freedom.
Forgiving yourself is peace.
Being yourself is bliss." 
MementtOmori
 
“I went in being me, but not knowing it. I came out being me, and knowing it. It was this that changed my life.” Anonymous
 
Our ultimate nature is always here. It does not arrive or depart based on causes and conditions. 
 
We can take our lives exactly as they are in this moment; it is a  fallacy to think that we’re necessarily going to get closer to God by changing the form of our lives, by leaving so-and-so, or changing  our jobs, or moving, or whatever . . . by giving up our stereos, or  cutting off our hair, or growing our hair, or shaving our beards, or.  . . . It isn’t the form of the game; it’s the nature of the being that  fulfills the form. If I’m a lawyer, I can continue being a lawyer. I  merely use being a lawyer as a way of coming to God.   
- Ram Dass, Grist For The Mill

"The sole aim of life is to get back to your real self and get established permanently in
your own conscious self. Man is suffering because he has got torn away from his moorings-his real self-the supreme-self. Once he is able to establish his contact with the self again, all his trouble and miseries will automatically come to an end." 
- Guru, Yogiraj Shri Vishuddhanand Paramahansadeva
 
“To study the way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things.” 
-Dogen 
 
"When I speak of love I am not speaking of some sentimental and weak response. I'm not speaking of that force which is just emotional bosh. I am speaking of that force which all of the great religions have seen as the supreme unifying principal of life. Love is somehow the key that unlocks the door which leads to ultimate reality." 
– Martin Luther King Jr.
 
“The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize at the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit, and that its center is really everywhere, it is within each of us.” - Black Elk
 
“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” - Mark Twain
 
"Once you realize God knows everything, you're free." 
- Sikh saying
 
“We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.” 
- Carl Sagan
 
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.” - Joseph Campbell
 
"When things change inside you, things change around you." —Unknown
 
“I realized then that even though I was a tiny speck in an infinite cosmos, a blip on the timeline of eternity, I was not without purpose.” 
- R.J. Anderson
 
"Driven by motivations stronger than any limited self-concept, we are able to transcend our perceived limitations"  
- article - Lian's Roar

”In a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow your heart.” 
– Swami Vivekananda
 
“Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.” 
- Victor Hugo

“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” 
- C.S. Lewis

“We effect more than we can possibly know. With every mood, every thought, every word, every gesture, we change our lives and our universe.” 
- Maharishi Sadashiva Isham
 
The Truth is magical: it transforms all who embrace it.
-Guy Finley
 
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." 
- Dalai Lama
 
Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely. 
-Roy T. Bennett

"Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day." 
- Dalai Lama

"How then do we reach the point where we are able to listen deeply to one another and to use loving speech? To do this, we first have to practice taking care of our own pain and anger."
― Thich Nhat Hanh, Creating True Peace

“There is no other teacher but your own soul.” 
- Swami Vivekananda
 
Self-Mastery: To lead others, you must first demonstrate that you can lead yourself." 
- description of book by  Joe Navarro

“The words you speak become the house you live in.” 
– Hafiz
 
“Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.” 
– Buddha

"When you think everything is someone else’s fault, you will suffer a lot. When you realize that everything springs only from yourself, you will learn both peace and joy." 
- Dalai Lama

If we don’t make assumptions, we can focus our attention on the truth, not on what we think is the truth. Then we see life the way it is, not the way we want to see it. When we don’t believe our own assumptions, the power of our belief that we invested in them returns to us. And when we recover all the energy that we invested in making assumptions, we can use that energy to create a new dream: our personal heaven. Don’t make assumptions.
- Don Miguel Ruiz
 
“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.” 
- Erma Bombeck 
 
In truth, the revelation of any limitation is a Divine invitation to walk into, and through it.
-Guy Finley
 
"What is remembered lives" 

Sunflowers naturally know to turn their heads with the sun, and you naturally
have this wisdom in you too.
- Dr. Anita Sanchez

“You inspire people who pretend to not even see you trust me.”
- Jordan Hoechlin

Inner Peace
 
"Don't search for anything except peace. Try to calm the mind. Everything else will come on its own." —Baba Hari Das

Peace begins with a smile.” 
—Mother Teresa

“You will find peace not by trying to escape your problems, but by confronting them courageously. You will find peace not in denial, but in victory.” 
—J. Donald Walters

"Peace brings with it so many positive emotions that it is worth aiming for in all circumstances." 
—Estella Eliot 

“The life of inner peace, being harmonious and without stress, is the easiest type of existence.” 
—Norman Vincent Peale

 "When you make peace with yourself, you make peace with the world." 
—Maha Ghosananda
 
Whatever you have forgotten, you can remember. Whatever you have buried you can unearth. If you are willing to look deep into your own nature, if you are willing to peel away the layers of not-self you have adopted in making your way through the tribulations of life, you will find that your true self is not as far removed as you think. -Meredith Jordan
 
We, as individuals, and as a species, are constantly pushed to "better" ourselves, to "evolve" to improve ourselves and our species. But by who's definition do we define better? By what criteria do we measure ourselves? What beliefs guide our change?  Is it possible that we are enough just as we are in each moment? if we just stopped to look at the beauty already present, could that simple shift in focus, shift ourselves and our humanity? 
- me
 
“Develop a mind that is vast like space, where experiences both pleasant and unpleasant can appear and disappear without conflict, struggle or harm. Rest in a mind like vast sky.”
- Buddha
 
 
Path of the Heart, Kindness, Love

The truth of this path of the heart is that there is no path. There is only the heart and the love  that consumes the lover who becomes the Beloved. Love is a state of being, not a trip from  here to there. 
- Ram Dass 
 
"This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness." 
- Dalai Lama 
 
Self Love, Self Respect 
 
“Make your own Bible. Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet.” 
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
 
"Follow the three R’s: – Respect for self. – Respect for others. – Responsibility for all your actions." 
- Dalai Lama
 
"Feelings are a bodily thing, and respecting them is called, and is, kindness." 
- A. S. Byatt 

“What I know for sure: There is no greater gift you can give or receive than to honor your calling. It’s why you were born. And how you become most truly alive.” 
- Oprah 
"Do you 
want to meet the 
love of 
your life? 
Look in 
the mirror. 
- Byron Katie
 
"I started to say no. I’m not doing that. I don’t want to do that. I’m not taking that picture. I’m not going to that event. I’m not standing by that because that’s not what I stand for. And slowly but surely, I remembered who I am, and then you go home, and you look in the mirror, and you’re like, “Yes, I can go to bed with you every night.” Because that person, I know that person.That person has balls, that person has integrity, that person has an opinion."
 —Lady Gaga 
 
 "Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it, and embrace them". 
- Rumi
 
Guides and Teachers 
 
If you follow a guide, a teacher, make sure they will lead you to a healthy, proper, good, great, optimally, an ideal place for you to be. 
- me
 
We, as individuals, and as a species, are constantly pushed to "better" ourselves, to "evolve" to improve ourselves and our species. But by who's definition do we define better? By what criteria do we measure ourselves? What beliefs guide our change?  Is it possible that we are enough just as we are in each moment? if we just stopped to look at the beauty already present, could that simple shift in focus, shift ourselves and our humanity? 
-  me
 
Respect 
 
One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say. 
-Bryant H. McGill 
 
“Respect other people's feelings. It might mean nothing to you, but it could mean everything to them.”― Roy T. Bennett
 
Respecting someone indicates the quality of your personality. 
-Mohammad Rishad Sakhi 
 
“It's not differences that divide us. It's our judgments about each other that do.” 
- Margaret Wheatley
People change. 
People can evolve. 
People can get better.
 
Never limit someone to who they used to be. 
The potential for growth is limitless
-Alina's Tv 
"The true hero is one who conquers his own anger and hatred." 
- Dalai Lama 
 
He who loves others is constantly loved by them. He who respects others is constantly respected by them. 
- Mencius

When we show our respect for other living things, they respond with respect for us. 
- Arapaho Proverb

Respect other people regardless of the level they are at... or the level you are at. When you hand out respect, you get it back. 
- Erik Estrada

Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it. 
- Bill Bradley

The basis for peace is respecting all creatures. 
- Cesar Chavez

Respect is appreciation of the separateness of the other person, of the ways in which he or she is unique. 
- Annie Gottlieb

Respect is one of the greatest expressions of love. 
-Miguel Angel Ruiz

Respect is how to treat everyone. 
-Richard Branson

Have a big enough heart to love unconditionally, and a broad enough mind to embrace the differences that make each of us unique. 
-D.B. Harrop

The wise make the world beautiful by respecting others. 
- Maxime Lagacé

A lack of boundaries invites a lack of respect. 
- Unknown

Manners cost nothing. -Unknown

Be more humble than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree, always offering respect onto others and never expecting any in return. 
- Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

The right to be respected is won by respecting others. 
- Vasyl Sukhomlynsky

True disability is the inability to accept and respect differences. 
- Unknown

A man must learn to understand the motives of human beings, their illusions, and their sufferings in order to acquire a proper relationship to individual fellow-men and to the community. 
- Albert Einstein

The key is to learn to respect and honor the complications of other people’s lives. 
- Goldie Hawn

Respect at the cost of others is disrespect in effect. 
- Muhammad Tariq Majeed

“If people respect you respect them back, if they disrespect you respect them back. They represent their ideology you represent yours.” 
- Anonymous
 
Buddhist Thoughts
 
If you let go a little
You will have happiness
If you let go a lot
You will have a lot of happiness.
If you let go comepletely
You will be free. 
-Ajahn Chah
 
May I hold myself with compassion
May I treat others with kindness
May I be free
May I let go
- Metta
 
With appreciation and gratitude, 
we open our heart and let the
blessings in life touch us
- James Baraz

Whatever has the nature of arising
has the nature of ceasing
- Buddha

Do everything with a mind that lets go 
- Ajahn Chah

With each moment of practice, we begin to shatter the glass ceilings that confine our self-image and self-worth, which the unconsciousness of the larger society and our own internalized messages of self-judgement have imposed on us. Each step we take in our mindfulness practice is a step toward collective freedom." 
- Larry Yang
 
May I meet this moment fully.  May I meet it as a friend 
- Sylvia Boorstein 
 
“It is possible that the next Buddha will not take the form of an individual. The next Buddha may take the form of a community—a community practicing understanding and loving kindness, a community practicing mindful living. This may be the most important thing we can do for the survival of the Earth.”  
- Thich Nhat Hahn

"May I become at all times, both now and forever
A protector of those without protection
A guide for those who have lost their way
A ship for those with oceans to cross
A bridge for those with rivers to cross
A sanctuary for those in danger
A lamp for those without light
A place of refuge for those who lack shelter
And a servant to all in need
For as long as space endures,
And for as long as living beings remain,
Until then may I, too, abide
To dispel the misery of the world."
- Shantideva 
 

East Indian 

 "Just as the waves, the foam, the surf, the bubbles and other manifestations of an ocean are nothing but water alone in its essential nature; the body, mind and the intellect are nothing but consciousness alone. " 
- the Acharya
 
There is no Universe "out there," only a reflection of a complexity of mirrors.
-Article about Indra's Net buddhists . org

Nature
 
“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do. There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the earth.” - Rumi

"May my soul bloom in love for all existence." 
- Rudolf Steiner
 
"...normal is not necessarily natural."
  - Tony Buzan

Philosophy
 
The test of a belief isn’t its provable truth, but its utility. 
- Philosophy of David Hume

Morality isn’t about having moral ideas, it’s about having been trained, from an early age, in the art of decency through the emotions. Being good means getting into good habits of feeling.  
- Philosophy of David Hume

It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in war. (Either Chinese or Japanese proverb)