You are given your circumstances; you choose your response

 

Our lives are defined not by the challenges we encounter,
but by how we respond to those challenges.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they're yours.
- Richard Bach

You may not seem able to change some outer circumstances
but you can start by changing your inner experience of life and yourself.
- Joy Page

It's not the situation that's causing your stress,
it's your thoughts,
and you can change that right here and now.
- Gerald Jampolsky

Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself.
- James Allen

A little more persistence,
a little more effort, and
what seemed hopeless failure
may turn to glorious success.
- Elbert Hubbard

Eventually we all have to accept full and total responsibility for our actions,
everything we have done, and have not done.
- Hubert Selby Jr.

Your RESPONSE to any situation is your own RESPONSibility.
You are given your circumstances; you choose your response.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: Don't Give Up

Thoughtful Response, Not Panic

Life is Not Hopeless

Create Happiness
    

The Gift of Yourself

 

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments,
but what is woven into the lives of others.
- Pericles

Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice,
and is never the result of selfishness.
- Napoleon Hill

Death is not extinguishing the light;
it is only putting out
the lamp because the dawn has come.
- Rabindranath Tagore

Be unselfish.
That is the first and final commandment for those who
would be useful and happy in their usefulness.
If you think of yourself only, you cannot develop because
you are choking the source of development,
which is spiritual expansion through thought for others.
- Charles William Eliot

No person was ever honored for what he received.
Honor has been the reward for what he gave.
- Calvin Coolidge

He who would accomplish much must sacrifice much.
- James Allen

Those we love don't go away,
They walk beside us every day,
Unseen, unheard, but always near,
Still loved, still missed and very dear.
- Anonymous

A hero is someone who has given his life
to something bigger than himself
or something other than himself.
- Joseph Campbell

Farewell My Friend
It was beautiful as long as it lasted
The journey of my life.
I have no regrets whatsoever
save the pain I'll leave behind.
Those dear hearts who love and care...
And the strings pulling at the heart and soul...
The strong arms that held me up
When my own strength let me down.
At every turning of my life I came across good friends,
Friends who stood by me,
Even when the time raced me by.
Farewell, farewell my friends
I smile and bid you goodbye.
No, shed no tears for I need them not
All I need is your smile.
If you feel sad do think of me
for that's what I'll like when you live in the hearts
of those you love, remember then
you never die.
- Gitanjali Ghei

When people get caught up with that which is right
and they are willing to sacrifice for it,
there is no stopping point short of victory.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Further reading: Coping With Loss, Grief, and Mortality

Words of Comfort on the Death of a Loved One

Going Home to God

Coping with Heartbreak

What is Honor? Is there a place for Honor today?
       

Woven into the Lives of Others

 

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments,
but what is woven into the lives of others.
- Pericles

Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice,
and is never the result of selfishness.
- Napoleon Hill

Death is not extinguishing the light;
it is only putting out
the lamp because the dawn has come.
- Rabindranath Tagore

Be unselfish.
That is the first and final commandment for those who
would be useful and happy in their usefulness.
If you think of yourself only, you cannot develop because
you are choking the source of development,
which is spiritual expansion through thought for others.
- Charles William Eliot

No person was ever honored for what he received.
Honor has been the reward for what he gave.
- Calvin Coolidge

He who would accomplish much must sacrifice much.
- James Allen

Those we love don't go away,
They walk beside us every day,
Unseen, unheard, but always near,
Still loved, still missed and very dear.
- Anonymous

A hero is someone who has given his life
to something bigger than himself
or something other than himself.
- Joseph Campbell

Farewell My Friend
It was beautiful as long as it lasted
The journey of my life.
I have no regrets whatsoever
save the pain I'll leave behind.
Those dear hearts who love and care...
And the strings pulling at the heart and soul...
The strong arms that held me up
When my own strength let me down.
At every turning of my life I came across good friends,
Friends who stood by me,
Even when the time raced me by.
Farewell, farewell my friends
I smile and bid you goodbye.
No, shed no tears for I need them not
All I need is your smile.
If you feel sad do think of me
for that's what I'll like when you live in the hearts
of those you love, remember then
you never die.
- Gitanjali Ghei

When people get caught up with that which is right
and they are willing to sacrifice for it,
there is no stopping point short of victory.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Further reading: Coping With Loss, Grief, and Mortality

Words of Comfort on the Death of a Loved One

Going Home to God

Coping with Heartbreak

What is Honor? Is there a place for Honor today?
       

Memorial Day 2021

 

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments,
but what is woven into the lives of others.
- Pericles

Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice,
and is never the result of selfishness.
- Napoleon Hill

Death is not extinguishing the light;
it is only putting out
the lamp because the dawn has come.
- Rabindranath Tagore

Be unselfish.
That is the first and final commandment for those who
would be useful and happy in their usefulness.
If you think of yourself only, you cannot develop because
you are choking the source of development,
which is spiritual expansion through thought for others.
- Charles William Eliot

No person was ever honored for what he received.
Honor has been the reward for what he gave.
- Calvin Coolidge

He who would accomplish much must sacrifice much.
- James Allen

Those we love don't go away,
They walk beside us every day,
Unseen, unheard, but always near,
Still loved, still missed and very dear.
- Anonymous

A hero is someone who has given his life
to something bigger than himself
or something other than himself.
- Joseph Campbell

Farewell My Friend
It was beautiful as long as it lasted
The journey of my life.
I have no regrets whatsoever
save the pain I'll leave behind.
Those dear hearts who love and care...
And the strings pulling at the heart and soul...
The strong arms that held me up
When my own strength let me down.
At every turning of my life I came across good friends,
Friends who stood by me,
Even when the time raced me by.
Farewell, farewell my friends
I smile and bid you goodbye.
No, shed no tears for I need them not
All I need is your smile.
If you feel sad do think of me
for that's what I'll like when you live in the hearts
of those you love, remember then
you never die.
- Gitanjali Ghei

When people get caught up with that which is right
and they are willing to sacrifice for it,
there is no stopping point short of victory.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Further reading: Coping With Loss, Grief, and Mortality

Words of Comfort on the Death of a Loved One

Going Home to God

Coping with Heartbreak

What is Honor? Is there a place for Honor today?
       

Memorial Day 2020

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments,
but what is woven into the lives of others.
- Pericles

Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice,
and is never the result of selfishness.
- Napoleon Hill

Death is not extinguishing the light;
it is only putting out
the lamp because the dawn has come.
- Rabindranath Tagore

Be unselfish.
That is the first and final commandment for those who
would be useful and happy in their usefulness.
If you think of yourself only, you cannot develop because
you are choking the source of development,
which is spiritual expansion through thought for others.
- Charles William Eliot

No person was ever honored for what he received.
Honor has been the reward for what he gave.
- Calvin Coolidge

He who would accomplish much must sacrifice much.
- James Allen

Those we love don't go away,
They walk beside us every day,
Unseen, unheard, but always near,
Still loved, still missed and very dear.
- Anonymous

A hero is someone who has given his life
to something bigger than himself
or something other than himself.
- Joseph Campbell

Farewell My Friend
It was beautiful as long as it lasted
The journey of my life.
I have no regrets whatsoever
save the pain I'll leave behind.
Those dear hearts who love and care...
And the strings pulling at the heart and soul...
The strong arms that held me up
When my own strength let me down.
At every turning of my life I came across good friends,
Friends who stood by me,
Even when the time raced me by.
Farewell, farewell my friends
I smile and bid you goodbye.
No, shed no tears for I need them not
All I need is your smile.
If you feel sad do think of me
for that's what I'll like when you live in the hearts
of those you love, remember then
you never die.
- Gitanjali Ghei

When people get caught up with that which is right
and they are willing to sacrifice for it,
there is no stopping point short of victory.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Further reading: Coping With Loss, Grief, and Mortality

Words of Comfort on the Death of a Loved One

Going Home to God

Coping with Heartbreak

What is Honor? Is there a place for Honor today?
       

How We Respond to Challenges

Our lives are defined not by the challenges we encounter,
but by how we respond to those challenges.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they're yours.
- Richard Bach

You may not seem able to change some outer circumstances
but you can start by changing your inner experience of life and yourself.
- Joy Page

It's not the situation that's causing your stress,
it's your thoughts,
and you can change that right here and now.
- Gerald Jampolsky

Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself.
- James Allen

A little more persistence,
a little more effort, and
what seemed hopeless failure
may turn to glorious success.
- Elbert Hubbard

Eventually we all have to accept full and total responsibility for our actions,
everything we have done, and have not done.
- Hubert Selby Jr.

Your RESPONSE to any situation is your own RESPONSibility.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: Don't Give Up

Thoughtful Response, Not Panic

Life is Not Hopeless

Create Happiness
    

Cherish Your Dreams and Aspirations

Do not lose hold of your dreams or aspirations.
For if you do, you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
- Henry David Thoreau

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations.
I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty,
believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.
- Louisa May Alcott

Keep high aspirations, moderate expectations,
and small needs.
- William Howard Stein

You will become as small as your controlling desire;
as great as your dominant aspiration.
- James Allen

Within our dreams and aspirations we find our opportunities.
- Sugar Ray Leonard

Today's exercise:
Reexamine that to which you aspire.
Do you need different goals?
Or perhaps the same destination,
but a better way to get there?

Further reading: Don't be Limited by what is "Reasonable"

Do more of what inspires you

Don't Try To Please Everyone

Success Tip: Drive Change

Stand Up To Your Obstacles
       

Watch Your Thoughts

Change your thoughts, change your life.
- James Allen

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.
- Proverbs 23:7

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
- Anonymous

Your inner thoughts reveal your true nature.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: Do What You Know Is Right

What We Are Made Of

Your Thoughts
    

Memorial Day 2018

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments,
but what is woven into the lives of others.
- Pericles

When people get caught up with that which is right
and they are willing to sacrifice for it,
there is no stopping point short of victory.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice,
and is never the result of selfishness.
- Napoleon Hill

Be unselfish.
That is the first and final commandment for those who
would be useful and happy in their usefulness.
If you think of yourself only, you cannot develop because
you are choking the source of development,
which is spiritual expansion through thought for others.
- Charles William Eliot

He who would accomplish much must sacrifice much.
- James Allen

Those we love don't go away,
They walk beside us every day,
Unseen, unheard, but always near,
Still loved, still missed and very dear.
- Anonymous

Further reading: Words of Comfort on the Death of a Loved One

Coping With Loss, Grief, and Mortality

Going Home to God

What is Honor? Is there a place for Honor today?
       

How We Respond to Challenges

Our lives are defined not by the challenges we encounter,
but by how we respond to those challenges.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

You may not seem able to change some outer circumstances
but you can start by changing your inner experience of life and yourself.
- Joy Page

Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself.
- James Allen

Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they're yours.
- Richard Bach

A little more persistence,
a little more effort, and
what seemed hopeless failure
may turn to glorious success.
- Elbert Hubbard

Eventually we all have to accept full and total responsibility for our actions,
everything we have done, and have not done.
- Hubert Selby Jr.

It's not the situation that's causing your stress,
it's your thoughts,
and you can change that right here and now.
- Gerald Jampolsky

Your RESPONSE to any situation is your own RESPONSibility.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: Thoughtful Response, Not Panic

Life is Not Hopeless

Don't Give Up

Create Happiness
    

What You Think, You Become

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.
- Proverbs 23:7

Change your thoughts, change your life.
- James Allen

A man is but the product of his thoughts -
what he thinks, he becomes.
- Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi

Your inner thoughts reveal your true nature.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
- Anonymous

Further reading: What We Are Made Of

Doing What You Know Is Right

Your Thoughts
    

Circumstance Reveals What We're Made Of

Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself.
- James Allen

Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they're yours.
- Richard Bach

There are no hopeless situations; there are only men
who have grown hopeless about them.
- Clare Boothe Luce

A little more persistence,
a little more effort, and
what seemed hopeless failure
may turn to glorious success.
- Elbert Hubbard

When you say a situation or a person is hopeless,
you are slamming the door in the face of God.
- Charles L. Allen

Further reading: Inner Life - Outer Life

The Power of Courage

Progress
    

Your Thoughts Reveal Your Character

Your inner thoughts reveal your true nature.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Change your thoughts, change your life.
- James Allen

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.
- Proverbs 23:7

A man is but the product of his thoughts -
what he thinks, he becomes.
- Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
- Anonymous

Further reading: Doing What You Know Is Right

What We Are Made Of

Your Thoughts
    

Not the Circumstances, but Your Response

Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself.
- James Allen

There are no hopeless situations; there are only men
who have grown hopeless about them.
- Clare Boothe Luce

You may not seem able to change some outer circumstances
but you can start by changing your inner experience of life and yourself.
- Joy Page

It's not the situation that's causing your stress,
it's your thoughts,
and you can change that right here and now.
You can choose to be peaceful right here and now.
Peace is a choice,
and it has nothing to do with
what other people do or think.
- Gerald Jampolsky

Eventually we all have to accept full and total responsibility for our actions,
everything we have done, and have not done.
- Hubert Selby Jr.

Your RESPONSE to any situation is your own RESPONSibility.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: Life is Not Hopeless

Creating Happiness

Don't Give Up

Thoughtful Response, Not Panic
    

Your Inner Thoughts

Your inner thoughts reveal your true nature.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.
- Proverbs 23:7

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
- Anonymous

A man is but the product of his thoughts -
what he thinks, he becomes.
- Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi

Change your thoughts, change your life.
- James Allen

Further reading: Doing What You Know Is Right

Your Thoughts

What We Are Made Of

Intentional Living

Serenity in Times of Crisis

My Highest Aspirations

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations.
I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty,
believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.
- Louisa May Alcott

Do not lose hold of your dreams or aspirations.
For if you do, you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
- Henry David Thoreau

Keep high aspirations, moderate expectations,
and small needs.
- William Howard Stein

Within our dreams and aspirations we find our opportunities.
- Sugar Ray Leonard

You will become as small as your controlling desire;
as great as your dominant aspiration.
- James Allen

Today's exercise:
Reexamine that to which you aspire.
Do you need different goals?
Or perhaps the same destination,
but a better way to get there?

Further reading: Do more of what inspires you

Success Tip: Drive Change

Pleasing Everyone

Stand Up To Your Obstacles

Don't be Limited by what is "Reasonable"

Circumstance Reveals a Person's Nature

Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself.
- James Allen

There are no hopeless situations; there are only men
who have grown hopeless about them.
- Clare Boothe Luce

It's not the situation that's causing your stress,
it's your thoughts,
and you can change that right here and now.
You can choose to be peaceful right here and now.
Peace is a choice,
and it has nothing to do with
what other people do or think.
- Gerald Jampolsky

Close scrutiny will show that most "crisis situations"
are opportunities to either advance,
or stay where you are.
- Maxwell Maltz

Our lives are defined not by the challenges we encounter,
but by how we respond to those challenges.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: What One Emphasizes.

An Attitude of Gratitude

How I React

Thoughtful Response, Not Panic

Moderate the Anger Response Through Training

What You Become

What you get by achieving your goals is not as important
as what you become by achieving your goals.
- Henry David Thoreau

The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal.
The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.
- Benjamin Mays 

Dare to dream of your great success.
Become intimate with those things
which deeply motivate you
and regularly work toward
the realization of that mission.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

You will become as small as your controlling desire;
as great as your dominant aspiration.
- James Allen

Further reading: How to Choose Your Life Purpose

What Is Success?

Be Yourself

We Come This Way But Once

What Is Life All About?

What Really Matters

Sacrifice

Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice,
and is never the result of selfishness.
- Napoleon Hill

He who would accomplish much must sacrifice much.
- James Allen

Be unselfish.
That is the first and final commandment for those who
would be useful and happy in their usefulness.
If you think of yourself only, you cannot develop because
you are choking the source of development,
which is spiritual expansion through thought for others.
- Charles William Eliot

When people get caught up with that which is right
and they are willing to sacrifice for it,
there is no stopping point short of victory.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Life is a song - sing it.
Life is a game - play it.
Life is a challenge - meet it.
Life is a dream - realize it.
Life is a sacrifice - offer it.
Life is love - enjoy it.
- Sai Baba

The word "sacrifice" is an interesting word because it is usually associated with suffering - but that association is illogical. To "sacrifice" means to give up something you want in order to get something you want even more. You "sacrifice" eating deserts in order to get things that are much more valuable to you: good health and a longer life. If you didn't think those things were more important than the deserts, you wouldn't make that choice. So, trading the lesser for the greater should be a source of joy, right? But we suffer because we want the greater AND the lesser. Such is human nature.

Further reading: Your Life Purpose

Comparisons are Odious

Honor (Self Respect)

Quotes about Sacrifice

Unselfish Quotes

Quotes about Service

Pain and Suffering Quotes

Decision Quotes

Suffering Quotes

Circumstance does not make the man: it reveals him to himself. - James Allen

Circumstance does not make the man: it reveals him to himself. 

- James Allen 

Our lives are defined not by the challenges we encounter, but by how we respond to those challenges. 

- Jonathan Lockwood Huie