"A hundred men may make an encampment, but it takes a woman to make a home." - Chinese proverb

"...And when you laugh be sure to laugh out loud, cause it will carry all your cares away.
And when you see, see the beauty all around and in yourself, and it will help you feel okay.
And when you pray, pray for strength to help to carry on when the troubles come your way.
And when you dream... dream big."

An Old Farmer's Advice
 

Words that soak into your ears are whispered... not yelled.

Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.

It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.

You cannot unsay a cruel word.

When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

The best sermons are lived, not preached.

Don't judge folks by their relatives.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.

Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't botherin' you none.

The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with
watches you from the mirror every mornin'.

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment

If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence,
try orderin' somebody else's dog around.


Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

here is one my <> sister had on her away message on AIM. I thought it was so cute i stole it!
"Women are like applies on trees. The best ones are at the top of the tree. The men don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instrad, they just get rotten apples from the ground that aren't as good, but EASY. So the apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality the are AMAZING, they just have to wait for the right guy to come along. The one who is brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree."

I also like this one:

We all want to fall in love. Why?
Because that experience makes us feel completely alive,
where every sense is heightened,
and every emotion is magnified.
Our everyday reality is shattered
and we are flying into the heavens.
It may only last a moment, an hour, or an afternoon,
but that doesn't diminish its value,
because we are left with memories
that we treasure for the rest of our lives.

Barbara Streisand in "The Mirror Has Two Faces" -


L&L
K;)

"I am nothing special; just a common man with common thoughts, and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who's ever lived: I've loved another with all my heart and soul; and to me, this has always been enough. " -'Noah' in the movie The Notebook

"Change is never easy. You fight to hold on. You fight to let go." -from The Wonder Years

"If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it would be easy. They just promised it would be worth it."

"Fate determines who walks into your life...You determine who you let walk out, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go."

"Love is everything its cracked up to be...it really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk everything, you risk even more." -Erica Jong

Great quotes girls!

"You sort of start thinking anything's possible if you've got enough nerve."
-J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

"Yeah I flirt, I'm not blind and I'm not dead!"
-Dolly Parton

"Sometimes the only way is jumping
I hope you're not afraid of heights"
-Gavin Degraw, Meaning

We must dare to be happy, and dare to confess it, regarding ourselves always as the depositories, not as the authors of our own joy. ---Henri Frederic Amiel

Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it. --Mark Twain

You're only here for a short visit. Don't hurry, don't worry, and stop to smell the flowers along the way. ---Walter Hagen

Success comes before work only in the dictionary.


The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.

Vince Lombardi

"Getting what you want is one of the scariest things in the world because once you've got it...that's when you really have something to lose."

"At the end of the day, faith is a funny thing. It turns up when you don't really expect it. It's like one day you realize that the fairy tale is slightly different than your dream. The castle, well it may not be a castle. And it's not so important that it's happily ever after -just that it's happy right now." -from the show Grey's Anatomy

"I'm just hanging on
while this old world keeps spinning.
And it's good to know it's out of my control.
If there's one thing that I've learned from all this living,
It's that it wouldn't change a thing if I let go."
-Jimmy Buffet

"Sometimes you forgive someone
Simply because you want them in your life."



and words to live by that I stole from another Eta Nu...

"Your presence, is a present too
You're unique and one of a kind.
Your life can be, what you want it to be.
Take the days, just one at a time.
Count your blessings, not your troubles.
You'll make it through, whatever comes along.
Within you, are so many answers.
Understand, have courage, be strong.
Don't put limits on yourself.
So many dreams, are waiting to be realized.
Decisions are too important, to leave to chance.
Reach for your peak, your goal and your prize.
Nothing wastes more energy, than worrying.
The longer one carries a problem,
the heavier it gets.
Don't take things too seriously.
Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets.
Remember, that a little love goes a long way.
Remember, that a lot . . . goes forever.
Remember, that friendship is a wise investment.
Life's treasures, are people . . . together.
Realize, that it's never too late.
Do ordinary things, in an extraordinary way.
Have health, hope and happiness.
Take the time, to wish upon a star.
And don't ever forget . . .
For even a day . . .
How very special you are."
-Author Unknown

My inspirational coffee cup
 

I almost forgot! I saved my Starbuck's cup from this morning just because I liked the quote on it so much! So here it is:

"Embrace this right now life while it's dripping, while the flavors are excellently woesome. Take your bites with bravery and boldness since the learning and the growing are here in these times, these exact right nows. Capture these times. Hold and kiss them becuase it will soon be very different." -Jill Scott

Along with the caffiene it contained, this was a good way to start my day!
:D

"Sometimes in life there are things that we don't want to happen but have to accept, things we don't want to know but have to learn, and people we can't live without but have to let go."

"All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no, until all the no's become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly. AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES."

"To let go isn't to forget, not think about, or ignore. It doesn't leave the feelings of anger, jealousy, or regret. Letting go isn't winning and it isn't losing. It's not about pride and it's not about how you appear. It's not obsessing or dwelling on the past. Letting go isn't blocking memories or thinking sad thoughts and doesn't leave emptiness, hurt, or sadness. It's not giving in or giving up. Letting go isn't about loss and it's not defeat. To let go is to cherish the memories, but to overcome and to move on. It is having an open mind and confidence in the future. Letting go is accepting. It is learning and growing and experiencing. To let go is to be thankful for the experiences that made you laugh, made you cry, and made you grow. It's about all that you have, all that you had, and all that you will soon gain. Letting go is having the courage to accept change and the strength to keep moving. Letting go is growing up. It is realizing that the heart can sometimes be the most potent remedy. To let go is to open a door and to clear a path and to set yourself free."

"There is a time in life when we figure out why we are here. However, until that time comes, enjoy what you have now. For once that time is here, we must live up to our personal duties. Until then, we can do as we wish and live life our way. So do something you know you shouldn't -- it may be the last day you can."



...some long ones, but good ones.
:)

"Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"Relationships are like Rome. Difficult to start out, incredible during the prosperity of the 'Golden Age', and unbearable during the fall. Then, a new kingdom will come along and the whole process will repeat itself until you come across a kingdom like Egypt...that thrives, and continues to flourish. This kingdom will become your best friend, your soulmate, and your love." - Helen

EtaNu, this just sang to my heart right now. Whether you realize it or not, the Lord has used you today! :)

I'm glad that it meant something to you! :) That quote has a lot of meaning in many different areas of my life right now too.

"There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning." - Louis L'Amour

"I wanted a perfect ending... Now, I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity." - Gilda Radner

"Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by what you bring to life." - John Homer Miller

I'm sure I'm not the only one who got the list of quotes in the mail today! Here's two of them:

"If you cannot be a poet, be the poem." David Carradine

"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair." Kahlil Gibran

"After a while you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul, and you learn that love doesn't mean leaning and company doesn't mean security, and you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts and presents aren't promises, and you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes open, with the grace of an adult, not the grief of a child. You learn to build all your roads on today because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans. After a while you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much. So, plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers. And you learn that you really can endure... that you really are strong, and you really do have worth."


"What are you waiting for?"
"I don't know, something amazing, I guess..."
-from the movie The Incredibles

Somewhere in Between
 

(maybe a little more meaningful for collegians, but nonetheless, still very good :) )

SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN

Somewhere between the procrastination
And the homework
And the incessant forwards
And the new friendships
And the nasty dorm food
And the calls home complaining about roommates & lovers...
Somewhere between the phone calls to old friends
And the "I miss you's"
And the "I love you's"
And the "I can't wait to see you again's"...
And somewhere between all of the changing & growing...
Somewhere between the classes
And the skipping classes
And the studying for tests
And the pretending to study for tests
And the downright not studying for tests...
I forgot.
I forgot what it was like to be in high school.
I forgot what it meant to cry.
I forgot that pretending to be happy doesn't make you happy
And that pretending to be smart doesn't make you smart.
I forgot that you can't just forget the past.
I forgot that you can't control falling in love
And that you can't make yourself fall in love.
I learned that I can love.
I learned that good food doesn't really seem great until you can't have it anymore.
I noticed that I get along better with my mom now more than ever before
And that wasn't because she changed, but because I changed.
I learned that going to college means making choices
I learned that it's okay to mess up
And it's okay to ask for help
And it's okay to feel like crap.
I learned that sometimes the things you want most, you just can't have.
I learned that the greatest thing about college aren't the parties
Or the drinking
Or the hook-ups...
It's the chances.
Taking the chances
And then making the most of them.
I learned that sometimes the things we want to forget are the things
which we most need to talk about.
I learned that once you get to college,
Things don't automatically get better... It's what you make of them.
I learned that letters from friends are the most important thing
And that sending cards to your friends makes you feel better.
I learned that friendships can change and it's ok for it to change,
and as long as you both accept these
changes, you can still manage to be closer than ever.
But, basically, I just learned that my friends,
Both old and new,
Are the most important people to me in the world
And without them, I wouldn't be who I am today.
So this is a thank you to all of my friends
For always being there
And I love you.

"Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine." Anthony J. D'Angelo

"When the world says, 'Give up,' Hope whispers, 'Try it one more time.'" unknown

"Friendship isn't a big thing - it is a million little things." Unknown

"Say what you want and be who you are because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." -Dr. Seuss

"Once you choose hope, anything's possible." Christopher Reeve

"Sometimes I've believed as amany as six impossible things before breakfast." Lewis Carroll

"One way to get the most out of life is look upon it as an adventure." William Feather

"I am glad that I will never be young without wild country to be young in. Of what avail are Forty Freedoms without a blank space upon the map?" Unknown

Sometimes the slightest shift in the way you look at things, a seemingly insignificant change in perspective can alter your life forever. —Anonymous

*Who could ask for more, than to be livin in a moment you would die for?*

"Try not to become a man of success, but rather, try to become a man of value." -- Albert Einstein

"Wherever you go, go with all your heart." Confucius

"There's no button to push to get you through this. Just jump in, get scared, and stick with it until it's fun." -from the show Gilmore Girls

oh I love quotes! All of those are so wonderful... I wouldn't exactly classify all mine as "inspirational" but all the same, I love them.

"But the most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous." - Carrie Bradshaw

"I would rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special." -Julia Roberts, Steel Magnolias

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Chinese Proverb

"Nobody really cares if you're miserable, so you might as well be happy."
- Cynthia Nelms

"So tell me, what exactly is the function of a rubber duck?" - Mr. Weasley, HP&CoS

"Woman are meant to be loved, not to be understood". --Oscar Wilde

"Character is both developed and revealed by tests, and all of life is a test."
Rick Warren

They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself. - Andy Warhol

Here are some more
 

These are a few of my favorites!!

"Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy to worry at night."
- Anonymous

"It's been said that love makes the world go round. That may be true, but friendship keeps the world on its axis."
- Unknown


"Time wasted is existence; used is life!"
- Young

I put a new quote of the day on my PDA. Here is today's:

"Anything you can do needs to be done, so pick up the tool of your choice and get started." ~Ben Linder

Ability is what you're capable of doing.
Motivation determines what you do.
Attitude determines how well you do it.

"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round heads in the square holes. The ones
who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. You can quote them. Disagree with them. Glorify or villify them.
But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And
while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can
change the world, are the ones who do."


"You can never know which way your world will turn or how the stars are gonna fall
Salty tears they burn.
There are lessons you will learn,
but you'll be stronger for it all.
Cry hard, laugh loud,
be humble, stand proud,
and don't be afraid of your fears.
Let love break your heart.
Just be who you are.
All of this and all that there is,
I wish for you."


"It's not enough to have a dream, unless you're willing to pursue it. It's not enough to know what's right, unless you're strong enough to do it. It's not enough to learn the truth, unless you also learn to live it. It's not enough to reach for love, unless you care enough to give it. "


"What you do speaks so loudly that i cannot hear what you say" ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"To be nobody-but-yourself--in a world which is doing it’s best, night and day, to make you like everyone else-- means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and NEVER stop fighting."
~e.e. cummings

My momma sent me this.....thought I'd share:

Life is a theater. Invite your audience carefully. Not everyone is healthy enough to have a front row seat in our lives. T here are some people in your life that need to be loved from a distance. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you let go, or at least minimize, your time with draining, negative, incompatible, not-going-anywhere relationships or friendships. Observe the relationships around you. Pay attention. Which ones lift and which ones lean? Which ones encourage and which ones discourage? Which ones are on a path of growth uphill and which ones are going downhill? When you leave certain people, do you feel better or feel worse? Which ones always have drama, or don't really understand, know or appreciate you? The more you seek quality, respect, growth, peace of mind, love and truth around you, the easier it will become for you to decide who gets to sit in the front row and who should be moved to the balcony of your life. You cannot change the people around you. But you can change the people you are around.