“The fact that we’re standing here tonight, the fact that we’re able to hold this, it’s just proof that no matter how far out your dreams are, it’s possible.  And, you know, fair play to those who dare to dream and don’t give up.  This song was written from the perspective of hope, and hope at the end of the day connects us all no matter how different we are”  Marketa  Irglova, 19, Songwriter, 2008 Oscar Awards

Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others.

It is because we are different that each of us is special. Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important. Only do what is best for you.

Don’t take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them life is meaningless.

Don’t let life slip through your fingers by living in the past or in the future. By living one day at a time you live all days of your life.

Don’t give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.

Don’t be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is the fragile thread that binds us to each other.

Don’t be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

Don’t shut love out of your life by saying it is impossible. The fastest way to lose love is to hold to it tightly, and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.

Don’t dismiss your dreams. To be without dreams is to be without hope, to be without hope is to be without purpose.

Don’t run through life so fast that you forget not only where you have been, but also where you are going. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

“We need to forget what we think we are

So that we can really become what we are”

Paul Coelho

One seed can start a garden
One smile can lift a spirit
One candle can light a room
One conversation can start a friendship
One step can begin a journey
One heart can love many
One dream can set you free
One word can say so much
One person can make all the difference
That one is YOU…

Our souls are not hungry for fame, comfort, wealth or power.  Those rewards create almost as many problems as they solve.  Our souls are hungry for meaning, for the sense that we have figured out how to live so that our lives matter, so that the world will be at least a little bit different for our having passed through it.  Harold Kushner

Never sacrifice true love for any reason.  Sometimes people take advantage of love they feel they “have” thinking they can put it in the background for awhile in the selfish pursuit of meaningless pleasures.  Sometimes people abuse, use, or neglect this love.  But love is fragile and cannot always withstand such betrayal.  Love, like anything worthwhile, needs to be nourished, appreciated, valued and loved in return.  It should be cherished for its genuine beauty.  Thus the risk of losing something as precious as true love, especially at the cost of what is trivial, fleeting, or shallow is far too great. And if you do take advantage of true love, you may find when you come back that this love is gone…

When we practice patience, we come more into alignment with the natural rhythms of life…we stop pushing for life to be different.  Winter takes as long as it takes…it is the ideal time to prepare for what is coming even though we don’t know what it is yet.

M. J. Ryan, The Power of Patience

“The fact that we cannot understand how miracles work does not mean that miracles don’t happen.  A radically new life today is exactly what is available to us, and courage lies in claiming it”  Marianne Williamson, Everyday Grace

When I love, I love with no limitations. But if you betray me, I love myself enough to let go.

Samantha Drew