Free Range Family

Today, here are three wonderful quotes from the brilliant Helen Keller. She overcame so much in her childhood and her life, what an amazing person. Enjoy! "When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us." Helen Keller "Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved." Helen Keller "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do." Helen Keller

I am linking up with Jen and Motivational Mondays this week! I will be sharing another excert from the Dhammapadda titled Thousands. These mantras are aimed at making a distinction between quantity and quality in life. Enjoy! Thousands Better than a thousand sayings composed of meaningless statements is a single meaningful statement on hearing which one becomes calm. Better than a thousand verses composed of meaningless lines is a single line of verse on hearing which one becomes calm. Better than one who recites a hundred verses of meaningless lines is one verse on hearing which one becomes calm. Though one defeats a million men in battle, one who overcomes the self alone is in fact the highest victor. For one who is self-controlled and always disciplined in action, victory of someone like this cannot be made into defeat, even by a god, an angel, or a devil. Even if someone performs ritual sacrifices a thousand times every for a hundred years, if he honors a self-cultivated...

For Motivational Monday today, I want to share with you bloggers a video that was shown to me by my boss at work on Saturday. This video is more about leadership than motivation but its beautiful none the less. I also just LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEE that a corporate company like Ted and IBM (the company's this video was made for) used a hippie dancing at a festival for a leadership speech! Watch this and enjoy, its really cool and it makes a point! Happy Monday! Btw, I used to be the "Lone Nut" all the time at hippie festivals and I'm a little jealous after watching this. I want to go to a festival!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

I know, I did three Ralph Waldo Emerson quotes last week but when I came across this poem today I couldn't resist using it for this week's edition! I would also like to announce that as of today, I have had over 2,000 viewers on this blog! Whoohoo! I want to thank everyone who has ever read my blog and a big hug to all my followers! I love all of you! :) Enjoy this post and have a great Monday! See you tomorrow for Top Two Tuesday! :D Success by: Ralph Waldo Emerson To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, To find the best in others, To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, A garden patch or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.

Happy Monday! Hope everyone enjoyed my Before Wedding photos and I hope you enjoy this week's Motivational Monday! Here are a few quotes from the great Ralph Waldo Emerson! “Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.” Ralph Waldo Emerson  "...Every artist was first an amateur. Every experiment, by multitudes or by individuals, that has a sensual and selfish aim, will fail. Every fact is related on one side to sensation, and, on the other, to morals. The game of thought is, on the appearance of one of these two sides, to find the other: given the upper, to find the under side. Every hero becomes a bore at last. Every known fact in natural science was divined by the presentiment of somebody, before it was actually verified. Every man has his own courage, and...

Here's a great speech from my favorite actor Jim Carrey. Enjoy and happy Monday!! :)

I will take another set of mantras from the Dhammapadda today. This is particularly one of my favorites, as it uses an elephant as a metaphor of the self. I hope you enjoy it! Happy Monday! The Elephant I will endure abusive words like the elephant in battle endures the arrow shot from the bow; for many people are ill-behaved. The lead a tamed elephant into battle, a king mounts a tamed elephant; the tamed one is the best of human beings, the one who endures abusive words. Excellent are mules that are tamed, horses of good breed, and the mighty bull elephant; even better is one whose self is tamed. For it is not by these vehicles that one may go to the place of inaccessibility, where the tamed one goes, with self mastery, by virtue of being tamed. The elephant called Guardian of Treasure is hard to control when in rut. It does not eat any food when bound; the elephant longs for the elephant grove. The foll who becomes a sluggard and a glutton, tossing and turning in sleep, lik...

I have gotten back my Dhammapadda back from my much deversing friend, so for this edition of Motivational Mondays I will use a mantra from my own copy! Yay, so excited lol! :) Enjoy everyone! Happy Monday! Peace and love to all! The Worthy For those who have completed their journey, left sorrow behind, are free in all circumstances, and liberated from all bondage, affliction does not exist. The thoughtful exert themselves; They do not relish attachment. Like swans leaving a lake, they abandon one attachment after another. Those who have no accumulation, who eat with perfect knowledge, whose sphere is emptiness, singlessness, and liberation, are hard to track, like birds in the sky. Those whose compulsions are gone, who are not attached to food, whose sphere is emptiness, singlessness, and liberation, are hard to track, like birds in the sky. Those whose senses are tranquil, like a horse well controlled by a charioteer, who are free from pride and have no compulsions, are the e...

"Music is amazing. There's some metaphysical comfort where it allows you to be isolated and alone while telling you that you are not alone... truly, the only cure for sadness is to share it with someone else." Wayne Coyne, The Flaming Lips Hope everyone has a great Monday!!

I still have yet to find my Dhammapadda and my Tao Te Ching is away helping a dear friend in Laurel Montana, but thank goodness for the internet and Google! I found a wonderful mantra from another version of the Dhammapadda about happiness that I'd like to share with you. Hope you enjoy it, happy Monday! Peace! Happiness Let us live happily then, not hating those who hate us! Let us live happily then, among men who hate us let us dwell free from hatred! Let us live happily then, free from ailments among the ailing! Let us live happily then, among men who are ailing let us dwell free from ailments! Let us live happily then, free from greed among the greedy! Let us live happily then, among men who are greedy let us dwell free from greed! Let us live happily then, though we call nothing our own! We shall be like the bright gods, feeding on happiness! Victory breeds hatred, for the conquered is unhappy. He who has given up both victory and defeat, he, the contented, is happy. T...

Motivational Monday Blog Hop!! Happy Monday everyone! This is my first time doing this, so enjoy! :D "Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you're riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality. Wake up and live!" Bob Marley I really wanted to do a mantra from either the Dhammapadda or the Tao Te Ching, but I lent one of them to a good friend and have misplaced the other one, oddly enough. The next best thing I could think of was the always insightful Bob Marley. <3 This man is a genius in my eyes. He has pulled me out of some dark times in my life with his music and his everlasting love. <3 I will do a mantra next week though. I have the perfect one in mind! :D I hope everyone has a grand Monday! I can't wait to link up and read some new blogs! Peace!!