Fix the Environment

Consider this very deep Alexander Den Heijer quote in the context of children/families/schools, of our criminal justice system, of government employees, ...

When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.
- Alexander Den Heijer

Remember that children, marriages, and flower gardens
reflect the kind of care they get.
- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul
than the way in which it treats its children.
- Nelson Mandela

Education is the most powerful weapon
which you can use to change the world.
- Nelson Mandela

None of us got where we are solely by
pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps.
- Thurgood Marshall

Generally speaking, punishment makes men hard and cold;
it concentrates; it sharpens the feeling of alienation;
it strengthens the power of resistance
- Friedrich Nietzsche

Bars can't build better men, and misery can only break what goodness remains.
- Stuart Turton

It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails.
A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.
- Nelson Mandela

Gardening is all about optimism.
I put a seed in the ground.
I consistently tend it,
confident I will see the results, in time,
of the nurture I have provided.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Further reading: Be Grateful, Pay It Forward
   

You Make Your World

There are no facts, only interpretations.
- Friedrich Nietzsche

We want the facts to fit the preconceptions.
When they don't, it is easier to ignore the facts
than to change the preconceptions.
- Jessamyn West

Your point of view sets you up well in advance
for how you view the events as they unfold.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Judgements prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances.
- Wayne Dyer

What we see depends more on ourselves than on what is "out there."
We see what we assume will be there.
We see what we expect to be there.
We see what we fear will be there.
And we see what we wish will be there.
Then we label what we "see" as fact.
...
Your world IS as you believe it is.
If you believe your world is a scary place, you are right.
If you believe your world is loving and supportive, you are also right.
You make your world with your attitude toward it.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Wherever there are disagreements and confrontations, there are at least two interpretations that are vehemently labeled as "fact." Almost everyone considers "I'm right, you're wrong," to be a fact - the only difference is to whom "I" and "you" refer. 

Further reading: What Is Reality?

Choosing the World You Live In

You are the Window

Assumptions
      

You Make Your World

There are no facts, only interpretations.
- Friedrich Nietzsche

Judgements prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances.
- Wayne Dyer

Your point of view sets you up well in advance
for how you view the events as they unfold.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

If there is any one secret of success,
it lies in the ability to get the other person's point of view
and see things from that person's angle as well as from your own.
- Henry Ford

We want the facts to fit the preconceptions.
When they don't, it is easier to ignore the facts
than to change the preconceptions.
- Jessamyn West

Your world IS as you believe it is.
If you believe your world is a scary place, you are right.
If you believe your world is loving and supportive, you are also right.
You make your world with your attitude toward it.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

What we see depends more on ourselves than on what is "out there." We see what we assume will be there. We see what we expect to be there. We see what we fear will be there. And we see what we wish will be there. Then we label what we "see" as fact.

Wherever there are disagreements and confrontations, there are at least two interpretations that are vehemently labeled as "fact." Almost everyone considers "I'm right, you're wrong," to be a fact - the only difference is to whom "I" and "you" refer. 

Further reading: What Is Reality?

Our Opinions

Choosing the World You Live In

Beauty is Everywhere

You are the Window

Practice Conscious Awareness

Prejudices

Assumptions

Enjoy a Walk Today

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.
- John Muir

An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.
- Henry David Thoreau

Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.
- Raymond Inmon

If a person walks in the woods and listens carefully,
he can learn more than what is in books,
for they speak with the voice of God.
- George Washington Carver

The best remedy for a short temper is a long walk.
- Jacqueline Schiff

All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.
- Friedrich Nietzsche

It is impossible to walk rapidly and be unhappy.
- Mother Teresa

There is sanctuary in being alone with nature.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Let today be a day to spend time alone in nature. Take a walk as far from the hustle and bustle of society as you can. If you can, walk near trees or water.

Further reading: What To Do When Your Whole World Is Falling Apart?

Your Life

Ten Little Tips to Feel Happier Right Now

Being Alone

Walking

Nature

Solitude

Your world IS as you believe it is.

There are no facts, only interpretations.
- Friedrich Nietzsche

There are only two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle.
- Albert Einstein

Success is a state of mind.
If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success.
- Dr. Joyce Brothers

Your world IS as you believe it is. If you believe your world is a scary place, you are right. If you believe your world is loving and supportive, you are also right. You make your world with your attitude toward it.

Further reading: How to Stay Positive

How to Stop Worrying

The Secret of Happiness

Flowers are Nature's messengers - reminders of an unspeakable beauty. - jlh

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.
- John Muir

All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.
- Friedrich Nietzsche

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.
- Lao Tzu

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Flowers are Nature's messengers - reminders of an unspeakable beauty.
- jlh

Appreciate natural beauty.

Further reading: Let the depths of nature become a part of your innermost being

Find Joy in Nature

What I Know - What I Don't Know

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks - John Muir

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. - John Muir 

 All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking. - Friedrich Nietzsche 

 Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. - Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Let today be a day to spend time alone in nature. Take a walk as far from the hustle and bustle of society as you can. Walk near trees or water if it is possible. 

 Further reading: Ten Little Tips to Feel Happier Right Now

Friedrich Nietzsche: There are no facts, only interpretations

There are no facts, only interpretations.
- Friedrich Nietzsche

What we see depends more on ourselves than on what is "out there." We see what we assume (believe) will be there. We see what we expect (demand) to be there. We see what we fear will be there. And we see what we wish will be there. Then we label what we "see" as facts.

Wherever there are disagreements and confrontations, there are at least two perfectly valid interpretations that are vehemently labeled as "fact." Everyone considers "I'm right, you're wrong," to be a fact - the only difference is to whom "I" and "you" refer.