Eclectic quotations accumulating in Hell's Kitchen, NY, USA.

20061231

"The possibility of making this your best year ever exists in every moment, because having the best year of your life depends not on some outside accomplishment but on allowing the greatest expression of yourself to be unveiled. Having the best year of your life is about becoming the person you always wanted to be. It's about embracing a vision of yourself at your best and developing the qualities that will take you there."
-- Debbie Ford, The Best Year of Your Life, pg. x-xi

20061230

"i intend to manifest the genius that I showed up to be."
-- Dr. Wayne Dyer, The Power of Intention

20061229

"Anybody who can't keep his enemies in his head has too many enemies."
-- President Gerald R. Ford, 1913-2006, when he first learned that President Nixon kept an "Enemies List".


(Image from Medal of Freedom).

20061228

"As 2006 comes to a close, the forces of the universe conspire to make these last few days an unbelievably powerful time to assess where you've been, acknowledge where you are right now, and dream your most beautiful life into being. So use this week as a demarcation point and make the internal commitment to radically alter any part of your life that isn't working.

"Here's a unique perspective for accelerating your process...

"For a moment, I'd like you to imagine that you're sitting in a comfortable, plush chair in front of a large, high-definition TV screen. You have a remote control in your hand, and you are just about to tune into a particular channel. This is the station where you've spent most of your time over the past 6 - 12 months. It contains the programming - the content - that has most often captured your attention, and it directly relates to the predominant experiences, thoughts, and feelings you've had over the past year. So, with that in mind, what channel have you been watching?

"Could it be one of the following:

"The Stress Channel, The Self-Pity Channel, The Peaceful Channel, The Self-Esteem Channel, The Health and Wellness Channel, The Insecurity Channel, The Fear Channel (a very crowded one!), The Romantic Comedy Channel, The Blame & Resentment Channel, The Bliss Channel, The Having It All Channel, The Divine Connection Channel, The Gratitude Channel, or The New Beginnings Channel?

"The options are truly infinite.

"In looking back over the past several months, I can see that I've frequently surfed over to Lifetime TV and have been absolutely glued to the mellow drama found there. As grace would have it, I've also spent an inordinate amount of time on The Lucky Channel - being lavished by the divine with amazing surprises, exciting opportunities, and tremendous love. As 2006 winds down, I want to acknowledge that I am a very lucky and deeply grateful woman - a woman who also has a flair for the dramatic!

"I love this TV channel analogy because it reminds me that while it's essential that I take responsibility for where I'm focusing my attention, it's also important for me to lighten up and not take life so seriously.

"What would be possible for you if you didn't take it all so seriously? What if you approached your personal growth with a light heart? How much fun could you have transforming yourself and stepping into the highest expression of who you came here to be?

"After all, the truth is that you are, right this minute, living the greatest reality show that will ever be made. How would your life shift if you spent more time tuned into that show? It's on 24 hours a day...for the rest of your life. It's the 'You in All Your Glory Channel', and there are those in high places (if you know what I meant) who love watching every precious moment of it. So make it a great show! Have a joyous, spectacular time writing it, editing it, casting it, and directing it. And by all means, give it a great sound track!

"You see, the key to creating the best year of your life is not about the attainment of outer goals - although dreaming them up and pursuing them is a great part of the fun of life. Creating the best year of your life is about loving who you are. It's about loving ALL of who you are - the light, the dark, and every shade in between. And one of the ways you can demonstrate your love for yourself is by waking up more and more to where you are focusing your holy energy and consciously choosing the highest vibration possible.

"So I invite you to step boldly into the new year, acknowledging where you've been and choosing where you want to go next. Program your universal remote control to the channels that will move your sweet soul, heal your heart, inspire you to take action, and give you a deep sense of peace at the very center of your being.

"With love and endless blessings,


-- Debbie Ford, from her E newsletter, The Best Year of Your Life.

20061227

"It was when I found out that I could make mistakes that I knew I was on to something."
-- Fortune Cookie

20061226

"Let go... And then let go some more".
-- Anonymous

20061223

"Wherever you go, and whoever you encounter, bring them a gift. The gift may be a compliment, a flower, or a prayer. Today, give something to everyone you come into contact with, and so begin the process of circulating joy, wealth and affluence in your life and in the lives of others".
-- Deepak Chopra

20061221

"Now is the time to try something new."
--Fortune Cookie

20061220

"Everybody hates me because I'm so universally liked".
-- Peter de Vries

20061219

"Bend the rod while it is still hot."
-- Fortune Cookie

20061218

"I've never met anyone (myself included) who hasn't turned little things into great big emergencies. We take our own goals so seriously that we forget to have fun along the way, and we forget to cut ourselves some slack. We take simple preferences and turn them into conditions for our own happiness. Or, we beat ourselves up if we can't meet our self-created deadlines. The first step in becoming a more peaceful person is to have the humility to admit that, in most cases, you're creating your own emergencies. Life will usually go on if things don't go according to plan. It's helpful to keep reminding yourself and repeating the sentence, 'Life isn't an emergency.'"

-- Richard Carlson, 1961-2006, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff.

20061217

"I can't think of too many factors that contribute more to our stress, anxiety, and frustration than a large ego. Therefore, easing off your ego is one of the most leveraged efforts you can make to reduce the stress at work.

"I think of the ego as that part of us that needs to stand out and be special. And while each one of us is certainly special and unique in our own way, our ego has the need to prove this to everyone. The ego is that part of us that brags, exaggerates, criticizes, and judges others (as well as ourselves). The ego is very self-centered, as if it needs to yell out, "Look at me!" Because the ego is so self-preoccupied and selfish, it encourages us to lose our compassion for and interest in others. Its sole commitment is to maintain itself.

"In addition to the obvious drawbacks, the ego is an enormous source of stress. Think about how much energy and attentiveness it takes to prove yourself, show off, and defend your actions. Consider how stressful it is to compare yourself to others and to put yourself down. Think about how draining it is to constantly be keeping score of how you're doing and to be overly concerned with what others think about you. I get tired just thinking about it!

"Easing off your ego is accomplished by intention. The first step is to have the desire to shrink your ego down to size and to see how destructive and stressful it can be. The rest is easy. All it takes is humility and patience. Begin paying attention to your thoughts and behavior. When you notice yourself in your "proving mode," gently remind yourself to back off. You can say something simple to yourself like, "Whoops, there I go again." Be sure to laugh at and be easy on yourself. Don't make letting go of your ego into yet another contest with yourself. It's not an emergency. Be patient and it will happen.

"There is a lot to be gained by easing off your ego. First and foremost, you'll feel as though a huge burden has been lifted. As I mentioned, it takes a great deal of effort to be on guard and in the proving mode. Therefore, you'll have a great deal more energy and will become more lighthearted. In addition, as you ease off your ego, you'll become much more interested in other people. You'll become a better listener and a kinder, more generous person. This will translate into people liking you even more than they already do. As you let go of the need to impress others and simply be yourself, you'll end up getting more positive attention than ever before. You won't need it, but you'll get it.

"I hope you'll give this strategy some careful consideration and gentle effort. If each of us can become more humble, sincere and generous, the world will be a much nicer place. And to top it off, none of us will be sweating the small stuff."


-- Richard Carlson, 1961-2006, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff at Work.
"Creating 2007 to Be the________Year of Your Life

Imagine this...

It's December 31st 2006. In the weeks leading up to this auspicious day, you've gone through your files, discarded old paperwork, gotten current on your bills, returned your phone calls, weeded through your email, and even backed up your computer.

You've gone through your closet and, after marveling at some of the shopping choices you've made, you decided to have a "spiritual divorce" with some of your wardrobe. It's not easy saying goodbye to what was once your favorite sexy t-shirt, but you remind yourself that every ending is really a new beginning.

You've delivered some of the important communications that you'd been delaying - like telling your mother how grateful you are for every breath she takes, letting a colleague know about a new boundary you've set for yourself at work, or placing a hand-written note in your child's coat pocket letting them know that living their dreams their own way is vitally important to the world.

On this date, you can honestly look across the landscape of your life and see that the past is where it belongs - in the past! Having tended to your unresolved issues, projects, and relationships, you are now READY! You're ready for 2007 to be the most________year of your life. It's your big, beautiful, blank canvas, and you can create it any way you want it. Perhaps you're ready for the most loving year of your life, the most successful year of your life, or maybe the most creative, financially prosperous, pleasurable, enlightening, exciting, hot, passionate, gentle, relaxing, adventurous, hopeful, healthy, or inspiring year of your life!...

...Take Action Now!

Identify Your Unfinished Business

1. What goals did you set for yourself at the beginning of 2006 that you haven't taken action on? And are these goals still important to you?

2. What relationships, projects, and issues do you need to address or resolve in order to move powerfully into 2007?

3. What relationships, projects, and issues do you need to let go of because they are no longer important to you?

4. Are there any letters, phone calls, or other communications that you need to deliver in order to be free to move forward?

5. Is there clutter in your home or office that needs to be unloaded before the New Year's Eve Ball descends from the flagpole in Times Square?

This week, make time for yourself simply to take inventory. What needs to go and what needs to stay? What have you outgrown? And where can you make room for unbelievable magic to come your way?

Sending you love and blessings",

-- Debbie Ford, The Best Year of your Life

20061216

"Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it".
-- Lou Holtz, brought forth by dAAve.

20061215

"Although we have been made to believe that if we let go we will end up with nothing, life itself reveals again and again the opposite; that letting go is the path to real freedom".
-- Sogyai Rinpoche, as quoted by Scott.

20061214

"One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others."
-- Lewis Carroll

20061213

"We all hear voices, but unfortunately we usually don't listen to them. Sometimes if we'd listen, we'd live a fuller life."
-- Dustin Hoffman

20061212

"It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis".
-- Margaret Bonnano

20061211

"Today, I am grateful for the remembrance of yesterday, the luxury of today, and the promise of tomorrow."
-- Scott W., on Attitude of Gratitude.

20061210

"If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies."
-- Moshe Dayan

20061209

"Your past is always going to be the way it was. Stop trying to change it".
-- Anonymous, via Scott.

20061208

"The longer I live the more I see that I am never wrong about anything, and that all the pains I have so humbly taken to verify my notions have only wasted my time".
-- George Bernard Shaw

20061207

"Against logic there is no armor like ignorance".
-- Laurence J. Peter

20061206

"Are you going to come quietly, or do I have to use earplugs?"
-- Spike Milligan

20061205

"The only normal people are the ones you don't know very well."
-- Joe Ancis

20061204

"Accomplishing the impossible means only that the boss will add it to your regular duties".
-- Doug Larson

20061203

"Time spent debating the impossible subtracts from the time during which you can try to accomplish it."
-- Peter Pauper, at Giorgios Grill today.

20061202

"Get out of any situation that endorses negativity, causing you imbalance. People come together in relationships for growth, not for life. If a relationship sustains you, that is, if you’re both growing from it, and if it’s beautiful and it has energy, you’re together for good. If not, either fix it or ditch it. You don’t need situations that don’t support you or that lower your energy. You don’t owe anything to anyone.
The only real responsibility you have is to work on yourself to raise your energy. That will become your gift to the world. Pull back from negative situations and negative people. You don’t need to judge them or try to change them. Just allow them to follow their path. You may want to give them a little shove, but if they won’t move, you move. Never mind security; preserve your soul".

-- Stuart Wild, The Secrets of Life.

20061201

"I once wanted to become an atheist, but I gave up - they have no holidays".
-- Henny Youngman