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O, Mary, you embody all God taught to our race,
for you are first and foremost in fullness of his grace;
We praise this wondrous honor, that you gave birth to him
who from you took his manhood and saved us from our sin.
- 17th century Flemish melody
More often than not, you are the designers of your own unhappiness.
Our advice is to put the laws of God into practice.
You will not only spare yourself a great deal of grief, but you will also assure yourself as much happiness as you can have on an earthly plane.
-Allan Kardec
The unshakable freedom of the heart, the sure heart’s release:
this and this alone is the object of spiritual life, its’ essence, its’ true goal.
- The Buddha
I know magic spells that no woman knows, and no man either.
The first is called “Help”
It will help you in lawsuits and sadness and all kinds of war.
-Hãvamãl
The thoughtfulness of Jesus, Mary and Joseph was so great that it made Nazareth the abode of the Most High.
The quickest and surest way to that goal is to tame the tongue, using it to speak well of others.
From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
If your heart is full of love, you will speak of love.
- Mother Teresa
If the saltiness goes out of salt, how can it be made salty again?
- Jesus
Judge not that ye be not judged.
For with what judgment you judge, ye shall be judged;
and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
- Matthew VII
The truth is like a scalpel.
The truth is painful because it opens all the wounds which are covered by lies, so we can be healed.
But once we don't have any wounds or poison, we don't need to lie anymore.
The healthy mind can be touched without hurting.
It's pleasurable for the mind to be touched when it is clean.
- Miguel Ruiz
Grant me tears when rising, grant me tears when resting,
beyond your every gift altogether for love of you, Mary's son.
- 10th Century Irish poem
Whatever a person thinks about in life- their deepest emotions- are likely to be the last thoughts at the time of death.
All baggage of desire and motivation goes right along with the soul.
- Krishna
When we are not blinded by the intensity of our emotions, when we allow a bit of space, a chance for a gap, when we pause, we naturally know what to do.
We begin, due to our own wisdom, to move forward, letting go with fearlessness.
Due to our own wisdom, we gradually stop strengthening habits that only bring more pain in the world.
-Pema Chödrön
O my faith, my untamed knowledge, how shall I fly to your height and see with you man's larger self penciled in the sky?
O my faith, I am in chains behind these bars of silver and ebony, and I cannot fly with you.
Yet out of my heart you rise skyward, and it is my heart that holds you, and I shall be content.
-Kahlil Gibran
Nothing Gold Can Stay
Nature's First green is gold,
her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
but only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf,
so Eden sank to grief.
So dawn goes down today.
Nothing gold can stay.
-Robert Frost
Humble living does not diminish. It fills.
Going back to a simple self gives wisdom.
-Rumi
Despite blackening skies and selling clouds,
I shall braid colors into my hair,
swallow sunsets for breakfast,
and slide stars under my eyelids,
For despite blackened skies
And sullen clouds,
I choose to see a rainbow.