"A happy life must be to a great extent a quiet life, for it is only in an atmosphere of quiet that true joy can live." (Bertrand Russell)

"If I could give you one gift, I would give you the ability to see yourself as I see you, so you could see how truly special you are."

"Christ has no body now, but yours.
No hands, no feet on earth but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which
Christ looks compassion into the world.
Yours are the feet
with which Christ walks to do good.
Yours are the hands
with which Christ blesses the world." (St. Teresa of Avila)

"Remember that you have only one soul; that you have only one death to die; that you have only one life, which is short and has to be lived by you alone; and there is only one Glory, which is eternal. If you do this, there will be many things about which you care nothing." (St. Teresa of Avila)

"You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working; and just so you learn to love by loving. All those who think to learn in any other way deceive themselves." (Saint Francis de Sales)

"The spirital meaning of love is measured by what it can do. Love is meant to heal. Love is meant to renew. Love is meant to bring us closer to God." (Deepak K. Chopra)

May you always come closer to God in your life!

"Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul." (St. Augustine)

I'm often asked what are the big keys to happiness. Well right at the top of the list is this: Stop beating up on yourself! So many of us are kind to everyone we meet yet can be fairly vicious in our thoughts toward ourselves. Can you relate?

To test how kind you are toward yourself, listen to your thoughts when you're learning something new or trying to improve an old, rusty skill. Are you encouraging and forgiving, or as mean as a playground bully? This will give you a snapshot of where you truly are on the self-criticism/compassion scale.

I got a clear picture of my place on that scale this week while playing golf for the first time in 14 years. Wow, what an interesting conversation my mind was having with me! I heard things like: I can't believe you're this bad. Why can't you hit the ball as well as he does? You are hopeless!

I first learned golf at age six when my father took me to the grassy area of our backyard and put a golf club in my hand. The club was bigger than I was! But it was fun and I loved every minute of it, even though I could barely connect with the ball.

As I got a little older though, those nasty, critical thoughts started racing through my mind, and by the time I was 12 or 13, I wanted to quit. It just wasn't fun to hear that litany of abuse. I started golfing again two or three times as an adult, only to quit again when those familiar thoughts drowned out any fun I was having.

So now it's time to test my progress. Will I quit again, or do I finally have the skills to deal with this tendency of my self-critical mind? I'm betting on the latter, and here's how I plan to do it:

Be loving with myself when having negative thoughts (and avoid adding another layer of criticism by not getting down on myself for having them!).
Gently redirect my attention to different thoughts-appreciating my progress, remembering that it's a game, and one I haven't played for a long time.
Rely on a good golf teacher/coach (fortunately, I have one) who will properly guide me and be a voice for the encouraging, compassionate thoughts.
Use the power of visualization to see and feel myself as the golfer I know I can be.
I am looking at this as a great exercise to develop the muscle of self-compassion and encouragement. So, the next time you find something you want to do, don't let your mind scare you off from having more fun in your life!

Don Bosco: "Everything and everyone is won by the sweetness of our words and works."

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach the stars to change the world." (Harriet Tubmann)

"Faithful friends are beyond price: No amount can balance their worth." (Sirach 6:15)

"If I never met you, I wouldn't like you.
If I didn't like you, I wouldn't love you.
If I didn't love you, I wouldn't miss you.
But I did, I do and I will." (Anonymus)

"One of the most arduous tasks is that of giving up control and allowing the Spirit of God to lead our lives." (Henri Nouwen)

"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun it out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within." (Elizabeth Kubler Ross)

"Quiet and sincere sympathy is often the most welcome and efficient consolation to the afflicted. Said a wise man to one in deep sorrow, 'I did not come to comfort you; GOD only can do that; but I did come to say how deeply and tenderly I feel for you in your affliction'." (Tyron Edwards)

"Spread love everywhere you go: First of all in your own house...let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile."
(Mother Teresa)

God and His bountiful gifts

Perhaps the reason, besides the many offered by Theologians and Bible commentaries, Job chose to 'bless' God in spite of the many trials and tribulations that came his way, is that every time he received something from God, his focus was not on the thing in itself. He saw that merely as a by product of God's continued assurance that He was on his side. So rather than take pride in the 'by product' Job's eyes were set on God, the real gift. Hence when all these so-called 'gifts' were taken away from him, he was never really perturbed. His assurance was firm: God was with him (perhaps more than him being with God). Suppose God Himself were to have questioned his fidelity and love, that would have been the end of Job... but that was not to be.

Most of us, on the other hand, want more. We ask for something and when God assures us that what we already have is plenty, we do not listen. When out of His generosity, He grants us something, we say a casual 'thanks' and before long, ask for more. Like the camel and the Sheikh who were travelling in the desert. At night when it started raining, the Sheikh was in the tent and the camel outside. The camel asked the Sheikh to let it just put its head inside. The tent was a small one, but the Sheikh agreed. Soon the camel asked permission to put in its neck too. The Sheikh consented. Then it was the hump and a while later, the camel was in the tent and the Sheikh outside in the rain!!

We are so full of God's bounty but without God; not because He wants to be away, but because we put Him aside (or outside) and keep His gifts near at hand... who knows which of the gifts we need at what time!