“Don’t waste another moment wishing you were someone else, somewhere else, doing something else. You’re not. You’re right here, right now and everything you wish to become is within your grasp. You simply have to commit to yourself and do what needs to be done. It’s not easy, but it is simple. Begin by accepting the fact that your life will not live itself. It needs to be inhabited. Jump into your body, take possession of your journey and announce the astounding story of you.”

–Rikki Beadle-Blair

I caught the happy virus last night
When I was out singing beneath the stars.
It is remarkably contagious – so kiss me.

– Hafiz

If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking.

~Buddhist Saying

I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. [It] enables you to laugh at life’s realities.

– Dr. Seuss

I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy.

From the very core of our being, we desire contentment. In my own limited experience I have found that the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the principal source of success in life.

Since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. The key is to develop inner peace.

Dalai Lama

I once asked an old man:

What is more important,

to love or be loved?

He replied:

Which is more important to a bird?

The left wing or the right wing?

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting. So… get on your way.

– Dr. Seuss, Oh the Places You’ll Go!

It happens all the time in heaven,
And some day

It will begin to happen
Again on earth -

That men and women who are married,
And men and men who are
Lovers,

And women and women
Who give each other
Light,

Often will get down on their knees

And while so tenderly
Holding their lover’s hand,

With tears in their eyes,
Will sincerely speak, saying,

“My dear,
How can I be more loving to you;
How can I be more kind?”

― Hafiz, The Subject Tonight Is Love: Sixty Wild and Sweet Poems of Hafiz

Training is needed in order to love properly; and to be able to give happiness and joy, you must practice DEEP LOOKING directed toward the other person you love. Because if you do not understand this person, you cannot love properly. Understanding is the essence of love. If you cannot understand, you cannot love.

Thich Naht Hahn, True Love: A Practice for Awakening the Heart

Accustom yourself continually to make many acts of love, for they enkindle and melt the soul.

St. Teresa of Avila