"What is your core unmet need? Maybe when you were young you needed someone to tell you that you were special, smart or lovable, and you're still looking for that today. Maybe you need to be validated; to be told that "you did it right". (Just think of the amount of time many of us spend trying to be right. And when they don't acknowledge that we're right, we're hurt and angry.) Perhaps you need to know that you belong, that you're important, or that you're good enough. For some of us, it is the need to be heard or seen.

"Although there is a fine line distinguishing the subtle differences between some of our needs, the particularities and specific nuances are significant in getting to the core of what your wounded self is asking for. Look with total honesty and sincerity for the unmet need that drives you, and then turn your attention fully toward that - giving that to yourself with a whole new level of passion and commitment. After all, we are designed to meet our own needs. And when we finally begin to meet them ourselves, we are free to interact with the world without hidden agendas.

"Take Action Now!

"Once you distinguish your core unmet need, look through the lens of 100% responsibility - "I'm responsible for fulfilling this need. Not God. Not my parents. Not my spouse. Not my children." From this place of honesty and empowerment, ask yourself the following questions:

- What do I need on a daily basis to meet this need? What would I need to know? What would I need to say to myself?
- What are the boundaries I need to put in place - internally or externally?
- Are there certain people I feel better around than others?
- What kind of support do I need?
- What kind of compassion and understanding do I need?

"Give yourself whole-heartedly to the fulfillment of your core need over the next 30 days, and watch your world transform."

-- Debbie Ford, DebbieFord.com

Never give a party if you will be the most interesting person there.
-- Mickey Friedman

"I'm not busy. A woman with three children under the age of 10 wouldn't think my schedule looked busy".
-- Garrison Keillor


Image from UALR.

"I'll have to get back to you on that..."
-- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, when asked by a reporter if he would like to be "gay for a day", as he had served as an honorary "Puerto Rican for a Day" during the NYC's recent National Puerto Rican Day festivities. Carefully Studying Politics of Supporting Gay Rights, The New York Times.


Image from Columbia University.

"Ventriloquism today is in a slump. Children today haven't been exposed to it... Edgar Bergen was an enormous hit in radio. But I think television defeats ventriloquism. Children are so used to seeing puppets that when they see a real ventriloquist they don't understand it. On television, everyone talks and they don't care about the mechanics."
-- Paul Winchell, 1922-2005, as told to the AP in 1988.


Image from PaulWinchell.com

"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it".
-- Aristotle, QuotationsPage.com

"There are those who believe that the best idea is to give everyone one big refund on their government - divvy it up into individual portions, hand it out, and encourage everyone to use their share to go buy their own health care, their own retirement plan, their own child care, education and so forth. In Washington, they call this the Ownership Society. But in our past there has been another term for it - Social Darwinism, every man and woman for him or herself. ... This isn't us. This isn't how our story ends - not in this country. America is a land of big dreamers and big hopes. ... So let's dream. Let's imagine what we can do to give every American a fighting chance in the 21st century. ... Every one of us will have to work more, read more, train more, think more. We will have to slough off bad habits - like driving gas guzzlers that weaken our economy and feed our enemies abroad. Our kids will have to turn off the TV sets and put away the video games and start hitting the books. We will have to reform institutions, like our public schools, that were designed for an earlier time. Republicans will have to recognize our collective responsibilities, even as Democrats recognize that we have to do more than just defend the old programs. "
-- Barack Obama, United States Senator from Illinois, Commencement Address at Knox College, as quoted in The New York Times.

"My work is the result of a need to follow my creative spirit, to develop it and use it, fearlessly at times, to bring a sense of energy, depth and joy to my life and to those around me. In doing so I am constantly finding the same need in others. That is why I do what I do, and love what I do. I invite you to join me in this great adventure called life...squeeze the juice out of it!"
-- Violette Clark, ViolettesFolkArtcom.

"Imagine waking up each day knowing that you are standing on a clean slate. Your past is behind you, your tasks are up to date and your projects are complete. What could you create if there were no unresolved issues, projects or relationships to divert your attention?

"In order to create the best year of your life - one that will inspire you to create each year as your very finest - it is essential to take some time to clean your slate by bringing completion to the past before trying to move ahead. Many of us skip this step because we are anxious to get on to the next idea, goal or project. But there is great value and insight to be extracted from the process of honestly reflecting on where we've been, where we are now, and where we hope to go. By honestly examining the areas where we've fallen short, we can avoid similar pitfalls in the future. And by wholeheartedly acknowledging ourselves for what we've done well, we build our confidence and set the stage for even greater success and fulfillment".

-- Debbie Ford, DebbieFord.com

"Only as high as I reach can I grow. Only as far as I seek can I go. Only as deep as I look can I see. Only as much as I dream can I be".
-- Anonymous

"Nothing is real to us unless we make it real. Nothing can touch us unless we let it touch us."
-- The Science of Mind, pg 307.

"We must not be lukewarm in our conviction. We must know that we know".
-- The Science of Mind, p 159.

"When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself".
-- Wayne Dyer

"Be humble in your perpetual uncertainty".
-- Paul Pearsall

"Pay attention to the truth. It's not an intellectual thing. It's a gut thing. My truth is that I love real, honest, passionate, intense experiences. Experiences that don't apologize for themselves or claim to be something they aren't. ... You want a recipe? Boil some spaghetti in well-salted water. While you're doing that, heat up some good extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet and throw in some thin slices of garlic and some red pepper flakes. When the pasta's cooked, toss it in the skillet. Throw in some chopped parsley and a little of the pasta water. Toss it around. Put it on a plate. Grate some Parmigiano Reggiano on top. Congratulations, dude. You've just made spaghetti all'aglio e olio. One of the greatest simple truths of humankind - and a damn good emergency dinner. That's a recipe. It's an idea. It's a dish. It's an icon. It's an experience. It's not rules. And as you cook up your life, I hope you never let anyone else's recipe for success intimidate you or get in your way. Rules are overrated. "

-- Mario Batali, Chef, Commencement Address, Rutgers College, as quoted in The New York Times.

"And here we see the invisible boy
In his lovely invisible house
Feeding a piece of invisible cheese
To a little invisible mouse.
Oh, what a beautiful picture to see!
Will you draw an invisible picture for me?"

-- Shel Silverstein, as quoted on Dharmabums.net.

"The only thing that was a little distracting was that I walked through the door and there was applause, you know. So that was a little distracting. Other than that, the work is still the work. Don't try to be fierce now, just do what you were doing. Don't try to start acting all of a sudden."
-- Adrianne Lenox, on performing on Broadway after winning the Tony Award for her role in Doubt. In New York Magazine, June 20, 2005.


Image from DoubtOnBroadway.com.

"If you want to see the brave, look at those who can forgive. If you want to see the heroic, look at those who can love in return for hatred."
-- The Bhagavad Gita

"Life is a teacher to the wise man and an enemy to the fool".
-- Anonymous

"One has to be grown up enough to realize that life is not fair. You just have to do the best you can in the situation you're in".
-- Stephen Hawking