It blunts the edges of the intellect,
Untangles the knots of the mind,
Softens the glare of thinking,
And settles the dust of thought.
Transparent yet invisible,
The Tao exists like deep pellucid water.
Its origin is unknown,
For it existed before Heaven and Earth
—Lao Tsu
— 21 —
Finding Contentment in Every Situation
I know what it is to be in need,
and I know what it is to have plenty.
I have learned the secret of being content
in any and every situation,
whether well fed or hungry,
whether living in plenty or in want.
I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
—Philippians 4:12–13
— 22 —
Shine Your Light and Share Your Light
Thousands of candles
can be lit from a single candle,
and the life of the candle
will not be shortened.
Happiness never decreases by being shared.
—Buddha
— 23 —
Happy Is the Person Who Does What Is Right
Doing the right thing is our best gift;
That is what brings us bliss and happiness.
Happy and blissful is the person who does what is right,
because it is the right thing to do.
—Vohu Prayer
— 24 —
Take the Lesson in Everything That Happens
And even in our sleep,
pain that cannot forget
falls drop by drop upon the heart,
and in our own despair,
against our will,
comes wisdom to us
by the awful grace of God.
—Aeschylus
— 25 —
Know There Is Love in the World
At the center of the universe is a
loving heart that continues to beat
and that wants the best for every person.
Anything we can do to help foster
the intellect and spirit and emotional growth
of our fellow human beings, that is our job.
Those of us who have this particular vision
must continue against all odds.
Life is for service.
—Fred Rogers, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood
— 26 —
Have a Compassionate Heart
Be kind,
for everyone
you meet
is carrying
a great
burden.
—Ian Maclaren, 1898
— 27 —
Sink into Joy
Flowers, sesame-seed, bowls of fresh water, a tuft of kusha grass,
all this altar paraphernalia is not needed
by someone who takes the teacher’s words in
and honestly lives them.
Full of longing in meditation,
one sinks into a joy that is free of any impulse to act,
and will never enter a human birth again.
—Lalia, 1381
— 28 —
Life Is Not for the Faint of Heart
Fearlessness is better
than a faint heart
for any man who puts
his nose out of doors.
The length of my life and the day
of my death were fated long ago.
—Ancient Norse Verse
— 29 —
It’s OK to Be Vulnerable
Don’t worry, it’s going to be OK.
It’s all right, little one, you’re safe and loved.
It’s OK to cry, it’s OK to be afraid, it’s OK to be weak,
it’s OK to be vulnerable, it’s OK to be human.
It’s from all these elements that we grow,
and it’s from all these elements that I am born out of you.
I Love You.
You’re not alone.
So long as you reach out to others, you’re never alone.
Ask for my help in loaning you the courage you already have.
It’s not that I never give you more than you can handle,
I am not responsible for the consequences of your actions,
only you are.
Stay on the path if you’re suffering
by taking the steps you need to take.
Hang on and hang in there, because it’s now
that you’re growing at light speed.
You’re never going backward, only forward.
—Anonymous
— 30 —
Don’t Forget to Color Outside the Lines
Your attitude is
like