Inspirations

These pages contain a variety of quotes, extracts, stories, poems, and articles of an inspirational nature – designed to uplift and inspire us all to greater heights of being.

There is no particular order – just dip in where you feel drawn – or browse with leisure.  Either way the aim is for you to leave more ‘inspired’ than you came. I hope these words do exactly that.

 

You CAN make a difference…

It Only Takes One

One song can spark a moment,
One flower can wake the dream.
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald spring.
One smile begins a friendship,
One handclasp lifts a  Soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal.
One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam lights a room.
One candle wipes out darkness,
One laugh will conquer gloom.
One step must start each journey,
One word must start each prayer.
One hope will raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.
One voice can speak with wisdom,
One heart can know what's true.
One life can make the difference,
You see it's up to YOU!
  

 

"When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won.  There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible.  But in the end, they always fall - think of it, ALWAYS." - Mahatma Gandi

 

"At this very moment the universe is trying to manifest miracles through your visions, intuitions, and longings. Imagine that your inklings are God's whispers to your heart. The same God that gave you the idea, will give you the means and support to see it through. The world is being transformed through people like you, who love themselves enough to trust their inner guidance, and relax enough to let the universe take care of the means." -- Alan Cohen
 

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

 

"Sometimes it is like a tiny voice in the wilderness; at other times it is loud, clear and direct.  When we learn to stop, listen, and follow the guidance that it provides, we experience bliss, or at the very least, a deep sense of personal fulfilment." -- Hal Zina Bennett


"For fast-acting relief, try slowing down." - Lily Tomlin


"The bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you refuse to make the turn." - Anonymous

"If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul." - Rabbi Harold Kushner


"Believe it is possible to solve your problem. Tremendous things happen to the believer. So believe the answer will come. It will." -- Norman Vincent Peale

 

Richness, Success and Love

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front garden.  She didn’t recognise them.  She said “I don’t think I know you, but you must be hungry.  Please come in and have something to eat.”  “Is the man of the house home?” they asked.  “No”, she replied “he’s out.”  “Then we cannot come in.” they replied.  In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.  “Go tell them I am home and invite them in!”  The woman went out and invited the men in.  “We do not go into a house together” they replied.  “Why is that?” she wanted to know.  One of the old men explained:  “His name is Wealth,” he said pointing to one of his friends, and then pointed to another one, “He is Success, and I am Love.” Then he added, “Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home.”  The woman went in and told her husband what was said.  Her husband was overjoyed.  “How nice!” he said.  “Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth.  Let him come and fill our home with wealth!”  His wife disagreed.  “My dear, why don’t we invite Success?”  Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house.  She jumped in with her own suggestion:  “Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!”  “Let us hear out daughter-in-law’s advice,” said the husband to his wife.  “Go out and invite Love to be our guest.”  The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, “Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest.”  Love got up and started walking toward the house.  The other 2 also got up and followed him.  Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: “I only invited Love. Why are you coming in?”  The old men replied together:  “If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would’ve stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him.  Wherever there is Love, there is also wealth and Success!!

 

 

"There is a Power in us right now which is the same power that swings the planets in their orbits and holds them there." -- Ernest Holmes

 

"God lives in your heart and speaks to you through your intuition, visions, and dreams." - Alan Cohen

 

"The key to failure is to try and please everybody." -- Anonymous

"You are not here merely to make a living.  you are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with great vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement.  You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand." - Woodrow Wilson

 

"Sometimes in life, we just need someone who believes that we can.  And more importantly, we must have the courage to believe we can.  Yes, we sometimes get knocked down by circumstances, people leave and the thing that we want does not appear to want us.  But it is in those times when all hope is gone that our understanding must raise its beautiful head.  We can make it.  It may not be easy, fast or logical but in the blink of an eye or a snap of our fingers, things can turn around." --  Dawnelle Hurd

 
We can't become what we need to be by remaining what we are. -- Oprah Winfrey

 

It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are. - E.E. Cummings


Stop leaving and you will arrive. Stop searching and you will see. Stop running away and you will be found. - Lao Tzu


You've been walking in circles, searching. Don't drink by the water's edge. Throw yourself in. Become the water. Only then will your thirst end. -Jeanette Berson


”You need not do anything.
Remain sitting at your table and listen.
You need not even listen, just wait.
You need not even wait, just learn to be quiet, still and solitary.
And the world will freely offer itself to you unmasked.
It has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.”
- Franz Kafka

 
Priorities

“A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove… but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.”

 
Always Live life to the Fullest

Don’t let go of hope.  Hope gives you the strength to keep going when you feel like giving up.
Don't ever quit believing in yourself.  As long as you believe you can, you will have a reason for trying.
Don't let anyone hold your happiness in their hands; hold it in yours, so it will always be within your reach.
Don't measure success or failure by material wealth, but by how you feel; our feelings determine the richness of our lives.
Don't let bad moments overcome you; be patient, and they will pass.
Don't hesitate to reach out for help; we all need it from time to time.
Don't run away from love but towards love, because it is our deepest joy.
Don't wait for what you want to come to you.  Go after it with all that you are, knowing that life will meet you halfway.
Don't feel like you've lost when plans and dreams fall short of your hopes.  Anytime you learn something new about yourself or about life, you have progressed.
Don't do anything that takes away from your self-respect.  Feeling good about yourself is essential to feeling good about life.
Don't ever forget how to laugh or be too proud to cry.  It is by doing both that we live life to its fullest.

Unknown

 

 

When true self-remembering comes, one does not want to alter oneself, or others; one somehow rises above their weaknesses and one's own. There can be no blame anywhere. One swallows what is, and becomes free. -Rodney Collin


The Awakening is no other than Consciousness becoming acquainted with itself. - DT Suzuki


When you know that you are eternal you can play your true role in time. When you know you are divine you can become completely human. When you know you are one with God you are free to become absolutely yourself. - Mother Meera


Who was born first, you or the world? As long as you give first place to the world, you are bound by it; once you realize, beyond all trace of doubt, that the world is in you and not you in the world, you are out of it. Of course your body remains in the world and of the world, but you are not deluded by it. - Nisargadatta Maharaj


The human form is a microcosm of the universe. All that supposedly exists outside us in reality exists in us. The world is in you and can become known in you, as you. - Jean Klein


There is nothing in the universe that is not you. - Unknown


Would people know that nothing can happen unless the entire universe makes it happen, they would achieve much more with less expenditure of energy. - Nisargadatta Maharaj


When you feel most alive, find out why. This is one guest you won't greet twice. - Kabir


We do not live life. Life lives us. - Joko Beck


Life is a mystery, which means your thinking mind cannot make sense out of it. For that you've got to wake up and then you'll suddenly realize that reality is not problematic, you are the problem. -Anthony de Mello

 

Being Thankful

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would you have to look forward too?

Be thankful when you don’t know something,
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for difficult times,
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge,
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes,
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you are tired and weary,
Because it means you've made a difference.

It’s easy to be thankful for the good things. A life or rich fulfilment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.  Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings.

Unknown

 

 


Everything is simple -- reality is simple. It seems complex only because of ignorance; otherwise everything is simple. Once you know it, it becomes simple. The knowing is bound to be difficult not because of reality, remember, but because of your mind. - Osho


Beyond the beauty of external forms, there is more here: something that cannot be named, something ineffable, some deep, inner, holy essence. Whenever and wherever there is beauty, this inner essence shines through somehow. It only reveals itself to you when you are present. - Eckhart Tolle


Drop the idea of becoming someone, because you are already a masterpiece. You cannot be improved. You have only to come to it, to know it, to realize it. - Osho


Do not think you will necessarily be aware of your own enlightenment. - Dogen Zenji


"I trust inner Wisdom as it guides my choices. There is within me that which knows the best choice for me now, including the choice to be still and listen and wait. Every day, love sparkles in my experiences. Love goes forth from me to all people." -- Rev. Mary Murray Shelton

 
 
Cherokee Wisdom

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.  "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.  One is evil. He is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.  The other is good. He is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.  This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too."  The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"  The old Cherokee replied simply, "The one you feed."

 

 
“Like any ability or a muscle, hearing your inner wisdom is strengthened by doing it.” – Robbie Gass

 

“Trust that still, small voice that says, ‘This might work and I’ll try it.’” – Diane Mariechild


"We cannot escape fear.  We can only transform it into a companion that accompanies us on all our exciting adventures... Take a risk a day - one small or bold strike that will make you feel great once you have done it." - Susan Jeffers


“The more we learn to operate in the world based on trust in our intuition, the stronger our channel will be.” – Shakti Gawain


"When the Soul wishes to experience something, she throws an image of the experience out before her and enters into her own image." - Meister Eckhart

“Cease trying to work everything our with your minds.  It will get you nowhere.  Live by intuition and inspiration and let your whole life be a revelation.” – Eileen Caddy

 

Sowing and Reaping

Mind what you think about, thoughts become things,
The mind has an uncanny way that it brings
Your most dominant thoughts into reality,
By controlling your mind you will be set free
To live life as you should and you will achieve
If you constantly focus and truly believe.
Get rid of bad thoughts for they are like weeds,
They'll strangle the flowers and beautiful seeds.
As you tend to your garden take care of the mind
By planting good thoughts, of the positive kind.
By Marilyn Barker-Smith

 

 


"We spend (almost none) of our time studying plans for the mission and (almost all of our time) learning how to react intuitively to all the 'what ifs'.  Reliance on the intuitive response was the most important part of an astronaut's training." - Edgar Mitchell


“I have always considered that mystical, magical facility called intuition, our guardian angel.  Allowed to function and listened to, it can take care of us and protect us in the most surprising ways.” – Roy Rowan


“A person is a success if they get up in the morning and go to bed at night, and in between do what they want to do.” – Bob Dylan


"I am more and more convenced that our happiness or our unhappiness depends far more on the way we meet the events of life than on the nature of those events themselves." - Wilhelm von humboldt

 

“When one door closes, another opens:  But we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” – Alexander Graham Bell

 

THERE IS NO DEATH

I am standing upon the seashore.  A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean.  She is an object of beauty and strength and I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and the sky come to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says, “There! She’s gone!” Gone from my sight, that is all.  She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side, and she is just as able to bear her load of living weight to her destined port.

Her diminished size is in me, not in her.  And just at the moment when someone at my side says, “She’s gone!” There are other eyes watching her coming.  And other voices ready to take up the glad shout. “There she comes!”

And that is dying. – Author unknown

 

 

“Everything we do is infused with the energy with which we do it.  If we’re frantic, life will be frantic.  If we’re peaceful, life will be peaceful.  And so our goal in any situation becomes inner peace.  Our internal state determines our experience of our lives; our experiences do not determine our internal state.” – Alan Cohen

 

“The people who get on in the world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want.” – George Bernard Shaw

 

“Life is change.  Growth is optional.  Choose wisely.” – Karen Kaiser Clark

 

Thank You

To those of you who have pushed me, thank you. Without you I wouldn’t have fallen.

To those of you who laughed at me, thank you. Without you I wouldn’t have cried.

To those of you who just couldn’t love me, thank you.  Without you I wouldn’t have known real love.

To those of you who hurt my feelings, thank you. Without you I wouldn’t have felt them.

To those of you who left me lonely, thank you. Without you I wouldn’t have discovered myself.

But it is to those of you who thought I couldn’t do it; it is you I thank the most, because without you I wouldn’t have tried.

Unknown

 

 

"We hold all kinds of thoughts that are diminishing.  When we fuel those thoughts with our attention, the Universe thinks that's our intention.  Everything we focus on, the Universe responds in kind.  So if I am focusing on my fear, resentment or a problem, the Universe provides me more of the same.  But we can learn to focus on what matters most.  We can shift into the genius mind, where greater possibilities reside.  By shifting our focus higher, we recognise that there's an infinite Presence who has the answer to the question we're seeking right now." - Mary Manin Morrissey


“I’ve found that luck is quite predictable.  If you want more luck, take more chances.  Be more active.  Show up more often.” – Brian Tracy

 
“We are continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.” – Lee Iococca

 

“Buried deep within each and every one of us, there is an instinctive, heartfelt awareness that provides – if we allow it to – the most reliable guide as to whether or not our actions are really in the long-term interests of our planet and all the life it supports.  We need to listen more to the common sense emanating from our hearts.” – Prince Charles

 
“I have life to thank God that all of my prayers have not been answered.” – Corita Kent

 

“We always have enough to be happy if we are enjoying what we do have – and not worrying about what we don’t have.” – Ken Keyes

 
“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.” – Lao Tse

 

“There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands.  You seek problems because you need their gifts.” – Richard Bach

 

Your Life

“As you awaken to the changes that are surrounding your life, you must also stop and reminisce about your past.  Who you are is an accumulation of everything that you once were, the total sum of each and every thought you have ever had and every single feeling you have ever known.

Change is what keeps us constantly striving to be more than we were before.  Life shines brightly for those who experience the changes they are given.  Life is the interaction of all things, and we must learn to respect everyone, as we will all journey in different directions.

To accept life as a passage through time is to understand that people will indeed fulfil their own destinies as they travel the roads only they alone can travel.

Let your life be an adventure… Look for the invisible, listen to the silences, touch your imagination, and make each day something special…

You are your life, and by believing in change, you are believing in yourself and everything that you will be…

Unknown

 

 

“The whole point of being alive is to evolve into the complete person you were intended to be.  I believe you can only do this when you stop long enough to hear the whisper you might have drowned out, that small voice compelling you toward the kind of work you’d be willing to do even if you weren’t paid.  And what do you do once you turn down the noise of your life and heed that call?  You face the biggest challenge of all: to have the courage to seek your big dream regardless of what anyone else says or thinks.  You are the only person alive who can see your big picture – and even you can’t see it all.” – Oprah

 
“You’ll never stand on the mountaintop unless you’ve stood in the valley.” – Rich Beneteau

 

“The basic principle of spiritual life is that our problems become the very place to discover wisdom and love.” – Jack Kornfield


"Challenges come so we can grow and be prepared for things we are not equipped to handle now.  When we face our challenges with faith, prepared to learn, willing to make changes, and if necessary, to let go, we are demanding our power be turned on." - Iyanla Vanzant

 

“In our daily lives, we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but the gratefulness that makes us happy.” – Albert Clarke


"You have to become very still and listen while your inner voice - the very essence of you - tells you who you are.  You'll know you've found it when every cell in your body practically vibrates; when you're filled up by what you're doing instead of being drained by it." - Oprah

 

“Only the heart knows what’s working in our lives.  The heart is our authentic compass.  If we consult her, the heart can tell us if we’re headed in the right direction.” – Sarah Ban Breathnach

 

Believe In Yourself

In a movie called ‘The Last Starfighter’, a young man who was found to be the greatest (human) star pilot ever, asked to be taken home because he didn’t believe himself to be up to the task of defeating an invading evil empire.

Once back on Earth, as the ‘talent scout’ who found him is about to leave, he says, “Hey, I’m just a kid from a trailer park in Nebraska,” to which the scout replied one of the best motivational saying ever.  He said: “If that’s what you think, then that’s all you’ll ever be.”

Spoken in: The Last Starfighter

 

 

"The Creator of the Universe, who has ordered the stars and the Heavens and the Earth, has a plan for your life.  You are not a random act.  You are not here by chance, but by design.  You are destined for greatness that begins with your believing in your own destiny." - Mary Manin Morrissey

 

“There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as if everything is.” – Albert Einstein


"Take the first step in faith.  You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.


“We have the tool of thought within us to create a thousand joys or a thousand ills.” – James Allen

 

You

It is rewarding to find someone whom you like, but it is essential to like yourself.

It is quickening to recognise someone as a good and decent human being, but it is indispensable to view yourself as acceptable.

It is a delight to discover people who are worthy of respect, admiration, and love, but it is vital to believe yourself deserving of these things.

For you cannot live in someone else.  You cannot find yourself in someone else.  You cannot be given a life by someone else.  Of all the people you will know in a lifetime, you are the only one you will never leave nor lose.

To the question of your life, you are the only answer.  To the problems of your life, you are the only solution.

 Unknown

 

 

"Your Soul mission is your reason for being, your life purpose.  It's your calling in life - who you feel called to be, what you feel called to do.  Mission is an energy that flows through you; a drive, voice, or passion that you cannot ignore... It's what you know in your heart you must live if you are to experience inner peace and harmony." - Alan Seale

 

“What a wonderful life I’ve had!  I only wish I’d realised it sooner.” – Colette


"We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking, only to learn that it is God who is shaking them." - Unknown

 

“We always have choice… Sometimes it’s only a change of attitude.” – Judith Knowlton


"We come equipped with everything we need to experience a powerful life full of joy, incredible passion, and profound peace.  The difficult part is giving ourselves permission to live it." - Deborah Rosado Shaw


“When we walk to the edge of all the light we have and take the step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe that one of two things will happen.  There will be something solid for us to stand on, or we will be taught to fly.” – Patrick Overton

 

The Triple Filter

In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem.  One day an acquantance met the great philosopher and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?”

“Hold on a minute,” Socrates replied.  “Before telling me anything, I’d like you to pass a little test.  It’s called the Triple Filter Test.”

“Triple Filter?”

“That’s right,”  Socrates continued.  “Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say.  That’s why I call it the triple filter test.”

“The first filter is TRUTH.  Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?”

“No,” the man said, “actually I just heard about it and…”

“All right,” said Socrates.  “So you don’t really know if it’s true or not.  Now let’s try the second filter, the filter of GOODNESS.  Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?”

“No, on the contrary…”

“So,” Socrates continued, “you want to tell me something bad about him, but you’re not certain it’s true.  You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left: the filter of USEFULLNESS.  Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?”

“No, not really.”

“Well,” concluded Socrates, “If what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?”

This is why Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem.  Use this triple filter each time you hear gossip or loose talk about anyone you know.

Unknown

"Intuition is the subliminal sense that Spirit endowed us with to manoeuvre safely through the maze of life." - Sarah Ban Breathnach


"Turning points announce themselves through a variety of vague symptoms: deep restlessness, a yearning with no name, inexplicable boredom, the feeling of being stuck." - Gloria Karpinski

"Your sense of boredom, contraction, or resentment is your Soul's way of letting you know that you are settling for less." - Alan Cohen

An Irish Blessing

May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back;
May the sun shine warm upon your face, and the rains fall soft upon your fields;
And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Differences

Our perception of any experience, even the smallest detail of an ordinary event, is quite exceptional.  No other person will share our particular vision.  Frequently that results in arguments.  The need to be right is a common affliction.  If only we could appreciate the richness of sharing and combining our views.

Because of our age, we may assume we have more wisdom than others.  On occasion, we will.  However, we have something to learn from all Souls who cross our path, or they wouldn’t be there.  Understanding this is real wisdom.

What a dull world this would be if we all shared the same perception of every event.  There would be nothing to discuss, no opportunity to expand our minds, no reason to interact at all.  Instead we are blessed with opportunities for conflict and growth, the deepening of relationships and character development, choices, and decisions.  All because we each see what we see.

From the book ‘Timeless Wisdom’ by Karen Casey

“To be satisfied with what one has, that is wealth.  As long as one sorelky needs a certain additional amount, that man isn’t rich.” – Mark Twain

“Do what is in front of you to do, right now, and let the future take care of itself.  Trust that you’ll know when to act and when to wait.  There is a more precise timing at work that factors in all the events and people in your life.  If you let it, it takes all of the information and guides you to the right place at the right time.  If God is the ultimate universal air traffic controller, intuition is His radio!” – Nancy Rosanoff


"What you are afraid to do is a clear indicator of the next thing you need to do." - Unknown


“Challenges come so we can grow and be prepared for things we are not equipped to handle now.  When we face our challenges with faith, prepared to learn, willing to make changes, and if necessary, to let go, we are demanding our power be turned on.” – Iyanla Vanzant

“Whatever the tasks that your Soul has agreed to, whatever its contract with the Universe is, all of the experiences of your life serve to awaken with you the memory of that contract, and to prepare you to fulfil it.” – Gary Zukav

Our Deepest Fear

“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 that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is 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, from A Return to Love, Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles