Snips

Part of taking responsibility for ourselves means taking responsibility for what we want and need, and knowing that's okay to do. Learning to tune-in to ourselves, learning to listen to ourselves, is an art. It takes practice. We can use our ability to guess what others want and need, and apply that skill to ourselves. What does it sound like we might want and need? What would we guess would help us feel better? What are our feelings telling us? Our body? Our minds? Our intuition? If we ask, then listen closely; we'll hear the answer. We are wiser than we think, and we can be trusted. What we want and need counts. It's important, and it's valid. It's okay to learn to participate in meeting our own needs. We can learn to identify what we want and need and be patient with ourselves while we're learning. Today, I will pay attention to what I want and need. I will not discount myself. *Melody Beattie*

All the blessings in life happen to us as they happen through us. Be the blessing, so that the blessings can increase, develop and grow. "Today, I consciously bless everyone I meet."Mary Manin Morrissey
AA Thought for the Day / There is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation, and prayer. Taken separately, these practices can bring much relief and benefit. but when they are logically related and interwoven, the result is an unshakable foundation for life. / 12 & 12, p. 98
Finally, the forests have provided us with tantalizing glimpses of nature's compassion; one of my favorites is an observation by the researcher Jean-Pierre Hallet. Hallet was studying elephants in the Belgian Congo when he noticed an elephant that had lost its trunk, probably through some injury. Hallet was intrigued by the animal's svelte, well-fed appearance - without a trunk, an elephant has no tool for foraging. He followed the elephant and his herd into the forest. When the group finally settled down to browse for food, the mystery was solved: as the trunkless elephant stood by, the rest of the herd industriously tore off leaves and twigs for him. One at a time they brought bundles of food, playfully competing for the right to feed him. Not one of the elephants ate until their trunkless companion had eaten his fill. / Eknath Easwaran
When were you last stopped in your tracks by a fabulous flower, magnificent rainbow or spectacular sunset? Or even the laughing face of a small child? When did you last consciously look for the awe and wonder in everyday things around you? Almost everything in nature is a miracle if we open our eyes. And our loved ones are the biggest miracles of all! But often they are the ones we lose our awe, wonder and reverence with the most.
Amanda Gore

“The child within you has what it takes to envision and manifest ANYTHING! Let your spirit soar upon wings of creation. Let your soul playfully dance. Let your inner kid out of you and give your self expression. You are a child of the universe—if you can imagine it, you can be it!”Greg Barrette

"Where you are headed is more important than how fast you are going. Rather than always focusing on what's urgent, learn to focus on what is really important."Stephen Covey

"Time is a created thing. To say 'I don't have time,' is like saying, 'I don't want to.'"Lao-Tzu