Inspiration for the Mind, Body & Soul
A BLOG DEVOTED TO SHARING POSITIVE AND ENCOURAGING MESSAGES FOR THE HUNGRY HEART
“You’re never going to walk around fear. You’re only going to walk through it. I have to do all those things I am afraid of, but I do them constantly renewing my mind.”
― Suzanne D. Williams
Don’t spend your life running away from your fears. To do so would amount to a life full of what ifs. Instead, you must learn to confront your fear and walk through it. For you will be a stronger, wiser person for having stood up to what you’re afraid of.
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
― Rob Siltanen
The world and the people in it will constantly try to change you. They will try to force you to live in the box that is considered “okay” and “normal.” But in spite of this, you must not give in. If you have a dream, then go after it no matter what anyone says and no matter if someone says it is impossible. One person can change the world, but you must first be brave enough to step away from what is familiar and comfortable. Don’t be afraid to march alone into the unknown and down the untrodden paths.
You were born with potential.
You were born with goodness and trust. You were born with ideals and dreams. You were born with greatness.
You were born with wings.
You are not meant for crawling, so don’t.
You have wings.
Learn to use them and fly.
― Jalaluddin Rumi
I truly believe each of us has a purpose in this life. And each of us has the potential to do good in this world and make a difference. Whether or not you realize that potential is completely dependent upon the choices you make. You must find the courage and inner strength to take that leap of faith when the time comes. And never forget that in order to fly, you must be courageous enough to let go of the branch.
“In case you never get a second chance: don’t be afraid! And what if you do get a second chance? You take it!”
― C. JoyBell C.
Live life courageously. Don’t be afraid to take chances and most importantly, don’t hold back. Embrace everything life has to offer and don’t be afraid to leap with both feet. Treat each moment as if it’s your last for tomorrow is not promised.
I know you think the world is too dark to even dream in color, but I’ve seen flowers bloom at midnight. I’ve seen kites fly in gray skies and they were real close to looking like the sunrise, and sometimes it takes the most wounded wings, the most broken things to notice how strong the breeze is, how precious the flight.
~ Andrea Gibson
Today, I am truly at a loss for words. My heart and prayers go out to the victims of the mass shooting in Florida and their families, friends and communities. May we all hug our loved ones a little tighter tonight. In a world full of such hate, intolerance and senseless violence, we must hold on to hope for a better tomorrow.
Poem by LeKeisha Suggs
What is the purpose of life?
This is a question that many of us ponder.
Is it a journey filled with strife?
Or, a journey full of wonder?
At times, you wish life were like a video game
where you could hit start over.
Other times, you wish you could fast forward
through heartache and pain.
And replay moments of joy when the floodgates open
and you must take cover.
Sometimes, you press play letting life take you
where it will for you stand but to gain.
Then one day you will come to understand
that life waits for no one.
You can sit here fooling yourself
that you have control over the hand you’re dealt.
But you will soon learn, the control you have
over the cards themselves is none.
You must accept that life is not a puzzle to be solved,
rather it is a journey to be felt.
Here’s another original work I created to express my thoughts on life and the journey each of us undertakes. I hope you enjoy and invite you to comment and share your thoughts!!
By Oriah Mountain Dreamer
It doesn’t interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.
It doesn’t interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn’t interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon…
I want to know
if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened
by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.
I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.
I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.
It doesn’t interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear
the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.
I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”
It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.
It doesn’t interest me
who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.
It doesn’t interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.
I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moments.
When the cards are stacked against you, will you choose to “show up”? No one person was meant to live a small, bleak life. Every single person is capable of great things and should settle for no less. Whether it be rain or sunshine, you should strive to always “show up” for every moment of your life. You get but one chance at life, so make it count!
By Maya Angelou
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard
‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own back yard.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
This poem speaks to empowerment, courage and an unwavering conviction to never give up. When the world knocks you on your ass, you need to search within yourself and find the strength to rise again. No matter what adversity or uphill battle you face, you must carry within you a fire that cannot be extinguished and the courage to carry on when all else falls away.
~ Helen Steiner Rice
If I can endure for this minute
Whatever is happening to me,
No matter how heavy my heart is
Or how dark the moment may be-
If I can remain calm and quiet
With all the world crashing about me,
Secure in the knowledge God loves me
When everyone else seems to doubt me-
If I can but keep on believing
What I know in my heart to be true,
That darkness will fade with the morning
And that this will pass away, too-
Then nothing in life can defeat me
For as long as this knowledge remains
I can suffer whatever is happening
For I know God will break all of the chains
That are binding me tight in the darkness
And trying to fill me with fear-
For there is no night without dawning
And I know that my morning is near.
When you are going through hell, it is so hard to imagine better days ahead. You feel broken and alone. It is in these moments that you need to focus on surviving the next minute, hour, day, week, and so on. As time progresses, you will begin to realize that the storm clouds will recede and even though you may be a little worse for wear, you will survive the storm. So, it is when you are at your lowest that you must have faith that no matter how long the night, the dawn will break.
by W.E. Henley
When the storm clouds roll in and the darkness envelopes your soul, it often feels like the rain will never let up. You see no way out. But, it is at these moments when you are at your lowest that you must remember that even though your body may be broken, your spirit will never be defeated. You, and only you, are the master of your fate . . . the captain of your soul. So, go calmly into the night, unafraid of what awaits you for you have an unconquerable soul.