Motivation Inspiration Quotations "Apple Seeds"

[Apple]

Volume 18, # 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April, 2003

Plant these "seeds" well and water often. Enjoy!

April 2003

Wisdom is Learned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Confucius

"Wisdom is learned by three methods:
Reflection, which is the noblest;
Imitation, which is the easiest;
Experience, which the bitterest."

Do Unto Others… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eric Hoffer, The Passionate State of Mind

    "The remarkable things is that we really love our neighbor as ourselves: we do unto others as we do unto ourselves. We hate others when we hate ourselves. We are tolerant toward others when we tolerate ourselves. We forgive others when we forgive ourselves. It is not love of self but hatred of self which is at the root of the troubles that afflict our world."

Life’s Struggles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matt Reeves, Horatio Alger Jr. Scholarship winner, 1993

"If you don’t have the struggle
then you won’t know the strength."

April 6, 2003

Power of Asking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Canfield & Mark V. Hanson, The Aladdin Factor, p. 90

    Marcia Martin said, "‘What I point out to people is that it’s silly to be afraid that you’re not going to get what you want if you ask. Because you are already not getting what you want.…Without asking you already have failed, you already have nothing. What are you afraid of?’

    The next step is to ask yourself, ‘If I ask for this thing, what is the best that could happen?’ Wow! Think about it! You could actually get what you ask for—perhaps even more."

Interruptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Arthur Ward

    "Interruptions can be viewed as sources of irritation or opportunities for service, as moments lost or experience gained, as time wasted or horizons widened. They can annoy us or enrich us, get under our skin or give us a shot in the arm. Monopolize our minutes or spice our schedules, depending on our attitude toward them."

For the Rest of My Life…. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Og Mandino, The Return of the Ragpicker, p. 136

    "For the rest of my life, this very special day, God help me…to set goals to be accomplished before the day has ended, for now I know that to drift aimlessly from one hour to the next leaves me with only one destination, the port of misery.

…to repeatedly remind myself that success always has its price and that I must be willing to balance its joys and rewards against the precious piece of my life I must always exchange to achieve it.

…To hold fast to my dreams and my plans for a better life because if I relinquish them, although I still might exist, I will have ceased to live."

Terminal Seriousness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . United Methodist Reporter, The Joyful Noiseletter

    "It wouldn’t hurt any of us if we were to take a look at ourselves for signs of ‘terminal seriousness’ and seek ways to ‘lighten up.’ We’ll not only feel better but just might become more winsome witnesses to the weightier work of God’s kingdom."

Marriage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baal Shem Tov

    "From every human being there rises a light that reaches straight to heaven. And when two souls that are destined to be together find each other, their streams of light flow together and a single brighter light goes forth from their united beings."

Four Things… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anonymous, They Call Me Coach, p. 26

"Four things a man must learn to do
If he would make his life more true:
To think without confusion more clearly,
To love his fellow-man sincerely,
To act from honest motives purely,
To trust in God and heaven securely."

Somebody Helps You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Althea Gibson

"No matter what accomplishments you achieve, somebody helps you."

The Peace of Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nancy F. Summners, LIVING FAITH, Apr–June `93, May 11

    "The peace of Christ…causes us to live passionate, connected, authentic lives. We will choose endurance rather than avoidance, and integrity rather than conformity. With Christ’s peace, we become people of the resurrection, riding the ups and downs of our particular destiny with the bedrock assurance that every Good Friday moment of our lives will be raised up into an Easter event."

May Happiness Always Be a Part of Your Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carey Martin, Blue Mtn Arts, 1989

"If I could have any wish I wanted, this is my wish for you…
That in your life, which is so precious to me, may troubles, worries,
     and problems never linger;
May they only make you that much stronger and able and wise.
And may you rise each day with sunlight in your heart, success in your path,
     answers to your prayers, and that smile—that I love to see—always there…in your eyes."

Only You . . . . . . . . . . . . . Denis Waitley, "Becoming a Total Winner," INSIGHT, # 84 ,p. 29

    "You are the only one who can surrender your time and waste your talent, who can ultimately stand in the way of your future accomplishments."

The Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Howie Ferguson

    "If you are prepared, have confidence and persevere, you will always have the edge. If you have the edge, you will always succeed."

Good Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bits & Pieces, Feb. `90, p. 7

    "People of good character are generous, not greedy. They respect others’ rights, property, and feelings. They are kindly and sympathetic. They bend over backward to be fair in their dealings with other people."

Blossom When It’s Difficult . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frank Zimmerman, Pulpit Helps, Dec. 1991

     In her book, North to the Orient, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, tells about the oriental symbolism of trees:
     The bamboo stands for prosperity, the pine tree means long life, the plum tree suggests courage.

     Mrs. Lindbergh asked why the plum tree suggested courage. The answer she explained, "Because it puts out its blossoms while the snow is still on the ground."

    The Christian should adopt the plum tree as an example. We should show our Christ-like attitudes at times when they are needed the most…

Be kind and forgiving to those who mistreat you.
Be understanding and open-minded to those who are prejudiced against you.
Stand up for moral ideals when it is contrary to popular custom.
Have the courage and strength to do the difficult things by "putting out your blossoms" when it is difficult.

The Fatal Fortress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ed Hays, A Pilgrim’s Almanac, p. 115

    Once upon a time, a king, who…read in a remote pattern of the scattered stars that a great calamity would overtake him on a certain day and at a particular hour. He, therefore, ordered a rock stronghold to be constructed, and when it was completed he had numerous armed guards posted outside.

    On the day that the stars foretold his fate, he entered his fortress. But when he got inside, he found that he could still see daylight. He located the gap in the wall and filled it immediately to prevent misfortune from entering. He enclosed himself completely, but by blocking out the last opening against disaster, he also imprisoned himself without light or air. Needless to say, without air the king soon died. The stars had not lied, after all.

    There are countless building blocks that our minds use to construct our personal prisons: anger, resentment, hate, feelings of inferiority, guilt, impatience, prejudice, anticipation of calamities.…And our spirits can be suffocated by the fortresses of fear that we build around ourselves.

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