Shared Wisdom: The Voices of Others

There are many moments along my path when I have to acknowledge the influence that others have had on my journey.  So many times these various pearls of wisdom have led me on a detour or returned me to the “straight and narrow”.  Here are a few gems that I would like to offer you today.

“Spiritual life is not listening to the murmurings of the world but to that inner voice.”      (Sue Sikking)

“Don’t compare your life with others’.  You have no idea what their journey is about.  No one is in charge of your happiness except you.”      (Anonymous)

“Right here and now, this very day, you have the power to think, the power to dream, the power to make decisions, the power to create, to learn, to influence others, to change things, to experience and enjoy.  On top of all that, you have the power to invent, to innovate, to change your mind, to understand, and to move in a new direction.
  You have the power to persevere, to work with discipline and focus, to manage your time, to recognize opportunities, to take responsibility and to act responsibly, to solve problems, to effectively utilize your resources, and to make a positive difference in your world.
  Some people take these very same powers and achieve great things.  Others live as if they didn’t even know they had them.  Still others destroy the value of their own positive, living powers by directing them toward negative pursuits.
   You have the power to do great things.  How will you make use of that power today?  It is an incredible opportunity and an awesome responsibility.  It is real and it is yours.  Challenge yourself to transform that power, with your thoughts and actions, into your own special greatness.”      (Ralph Marston – Founder of the web page The Daily Motivator)

“We say that we don’t deserve grace, or need any special favors.  Why is it so hard for us to accept a gift we didn’t “earn”?  That is EXACTLY WHY we are given grace.  Because we believe that we aren’t “good” enough.”        (Anonymous)

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”        (Soren Kierkegaard)

“The great blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach.”      (Seneca)

“Spirituality is the sacred center out of which all life comes, including Mondays and Tuesdays, rainy Saturday afternoons in all their mundane and glorious detail …….. The spiritual journey is the soul’s life co-mingling with ordinary life.”     (Christina Baldwin)

And as a confirming follow-up to that last quotation I will share the prayer from one of my meditation books:

“God, thank you for those small
daily happenings that make
life so spectacular.
Help me celebrate the holiness
of the common day.
Amen!

Blessings to you all.