Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive

Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today. James Dean

"Enjoy yourself - it's later than you think." Socrates

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. Abraham Lincoln

Enjoy life! This is not a rehearsal.

Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive. Elbert Hubbard

"Every minute should be enjoyed and savored." Earl Nightingale

"The whole life of man is but a point of time; let us enjoy it, therefore, while it lasts, and not spend it to no purpose." Plutarch

"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love." Marcus Aurelius

My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I'm happy. I can't figure it out. What am I doing right? Charles Schulz

To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else. Emily Dickinson

Love the moment. Flowers grow out of dark moments. Therefore, each moment is vital. It affects the whole. Life is a succession of such moments and to live each, is to succeed. Corita Kent

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

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming – "WOW – What a Ride!" Unknown

"I do not want to get to the end of my life and find that I just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well." Diane Ackerman

Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. Hans Christian Andersen

"The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." Joan Borysenko

I mean, there's little enough in this life, really, and you only find it worth living for the odd moments, and if you think you're going to have those odd moments again, then it makes life wonderful and have a meaning. Anthony Burgess

"Live to the point of tears." Albert Camus

"The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it." W. M. Lewis

Life right now, in this very moment, is all anyone can be sure of - live it well. Chas Yousey

In my life -John Lennon

"In My Life"

There are places I'll remember
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I've loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more

Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
In my life I love you more

-John Lennon

One Republic Feel Again lyrics

"Feel Again"
http://youtu.be/pz1wRwD3eYM

It's been a long time coming since I've seen your face
I've been everywhere and back trying to replace
Everything that I had 'til my feet went numb
Praying like a fool that's been on the run

Heart's still beating but it's not working
It's like a million dollar phone that you just can't ring
I reached out trying to love but I feel nothing
Yeah, my heart is numb

But with you
I feel again
Yeah, with you
I can feel again

Yeah

Woo-hoo [x4]

I'm feeling better ever since you know me
I was a lonely soul but that's the old me

It's been a long time coming since I've seen your face
I've been everywhere and back trying to replace
Everything that I broke 'til my feet went numb
[Album version:] Praying like a fool just shot of a gun
[Radio version:] Praying like a fool just shy of a gun

Heart still beating but it's not working
It's like a hundred thousand voices that just can't sing
I reached out trying to love but I feel nothing
Oh, my heart is numb

But with you
I feel again
And with you
I can feel again

But with you
(I'm feeling better ever since you know me)
I feel again
(I was a lonely soul but that's the old me)
Yeah, with you
(I'm feeling better ever since you know me)
I can feel again
(I was a lonely soul)

Woo-hoo [x5]

(I'm feeling better ever since you know me)
(I was a lonely soul, but that's the old me)
(I'm feeling better ever since you know me)
(I was a lonely soul, but that's the old me)
(I'm feeling better ever since you know me)
(I was a lonely soul, but that's the old me)

I'm feeling better ever since you know me
I was a lonely soul but that's the old me
A little wiser now but you show me
Yeah, I feel again
Feel again...

http://youtu.be/pz1wRwD3eYM

Climb 'Til Your Dream Comes True

Climb 'Til Your Dream Comes True

Often your tasks will be many,
And more than you think you can do.
Often the road will be rugged
And the hills insurmountable, too.

But always remember, the hills ahead
Are never as steep as they seem,
And with Faith in your heart start upward
And climb 'Til you reach your dream.

For nothing in life that is worthy
Is never too hard to achieve
If you have the courage to try it
And you have the Faith to believe.

For Faith is a force that is greater
Than knowledge or power or skill
And many defeats turn to triumph
If you trust in God's wisdom and will.

For Faith is a mover of mountains.
There's nothing that God cannot do,
So start out today with Faith in your heart
And "Climb 'Til Your Dream Comes True" !

- Helen Steiner Rice (1900 - 1981)

Don't Quit Poem

The Don't Quit presentation is based on a famous poem which was written many years ago. The author of this poem is unknown. Sadly, in recent years a number of people have claimed ownership of the poem and some have even claimed to have written it themselves!

Here is the original poem in it's entirety:

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.
- Author unknown

The Man Who Thinks He Can

The Man Who Thinks He Can
Walter D. Wintle

If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don't;
If you'd like to win, but think you can't,
It's almost a cinch you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you're lost,
For out in the word we find
Success begins with a fellow's will,
It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you're outcasted, you are;
You've got to think high to rise.
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man;
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.

Success by Berton Braley

" Success"

If you want a thing bad enough

To go out and fight for it,

Work day and night for it,

Give up your time and your peace and your sleep for it

If only desire of it

Makes you quite mad enough

Never to tire of it,

Makes you hold all other things tawdry and cheap for it

If life seems all empty and useless without it

And all that you scheme and you dream is about it,

If gladly you'll sweat for it,

Fret for it,

Plan for it,

Lose all your terror of God or man for it,

If you'll simply go after that thing that you want.

With all your capacity,

Strength and sagacity,

Faith, hope and confidence, stern pertinacity,

If neither cold poverty, famished and gaunt,

Nor sickness nor pain

Of body or brain

Can turn you away from the thing that you want,

If dogged and grim you besiege and beset it,

You'll get it!

-Berton Braley

http://www.bertonbraley.com/

                         Published in: Things as they are, 1916

10 Best Inspirational Poems and Where to Find Them

Inspirational poems can sound like trite greeting cards. But not the poems included in this guide. From inspirational poems filled with defiant courage to a parent's advice to a child or an inspiration to forget the past, this collection of inspirational poems won't insult your intelligence.
10 Best Inspirational Poems and Where to Find Them: #1, Success
A little known inspirational poem that weaves its magic over everyone who hears it. Success by Berton Brailey has a fantastic rhythm, a repetitive opening word filled with possibilities, and an ending that feels as satisfying as discovering the answer to a riddle. This inspirational poem is simple enough to please the young and old alike. Read Success by Berton Brailey at the official Berton Brailey website.
10 Best Inspirational Poems and Where to Find Them: #2, If
Perhaps the most famous poem in the world, If by Rudyard Kipling is an inspirational poem from a parent to a child. It's a recipe for being the best that you can be, being the ideal, being man the hero. It's an inspirational poem that sends out the clear message that inside all of us is the potential for greatness. Listen to If by Rudyard Kipling, or read it at Every-Poet.
10 Best Inspirational Poems and Where to Find Them: #3, Invictus
This poem inspires with defiance. Invictus by William Earnest Henley is an angry inspirational poem, seeing the darkness and hardship of life, but casting man as unbreakable in the face of it. To anyone who laughs at inspirational poems as hollow, sweet, and silly, this inspirational poem will send a shudder down his spine with its indomitable courage. Read Invictus by William Earnest Henley.
10 Best Inspirational Poems and Where to Find Them: #4, Don't Quit
An inspirational poem that will grab you from the first line and keep you reading, nodding and breathless for the ending. Don't Quit is one of the best inspirational poems ever written, and yet the author is unknown. "Success is failure turned inside out, the silver tint of the clouds of doubt..." Don't miss out on this beautiful inspirational poem. Read Don't Quit on the School Study Council of Ohio.
10 Best Inspirational Poems and Where to Find Them: #5, The Road Not Taken
Perhaps the best-loved inspirational poem from an American poet, The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost is a tale of choice and individualism. Originally titled, Two Roads Diverge in a Yellow Wood, this inspirational poem weaves a beautiful natural metaphor for the fork in the road we all face in shaping our lives. Read The Road Not Taken on Washington University's website.
10 Best Inspirational Poems and Where to Find Them: #6, Start Where You Stand
Full of wisdom, this inspirational poem by Berton Brailey addresses the scars of the past. Start Where You Stand is an inspirational poem for anyone, young or old, who has seen sadness, pain and loss, and now must move on and start afresh. Read Start Where You Stand by Berton Brailey.
10 Best Inspirational Poems and Where to Find Them: #7, The Man Who Thinks He Can
This little known inspirational poem comes from an obscure poet little is known about. The Man Who Thinks He Can from poet Walter D. Wintle captures the essence of success-the spirit of the man behind it. This inspirational poem will touch the heart of anyone who ever felt self-doubt and disappointment. Read this delightful inspirational poem at Poetry Fountain.
10 Best Inspirational Poems and Where to Find Them: #8 Climb Till Your Dream Comes True
This beautiful inspirational poem comes from Helen Steiner Rice. Climb Till Your Dream Comes True says it all, in simple words and rhymes that cast magic over the reader. It's hard to inspire and motivate without sounding trite, but this poem does it effortlessly. Read Climb Till Your Dream Comes True by Helen Steiner Rice.
10 Best Inspirational Poems and Where to Find Them: #9, The Art of Start
This is the shortest inspirational poem on this list. Made of four brilliantly simple lines, The Art of Start by Charles Ghigna reduces the formula of success into practical advice. It's a charming poem that you're sure to love. Read The Art of Start by Charles Ghigna.
10 Best Inspirational Poems and Where to Find Them: #10, The Daffodils Poem
This inspirational poem is William Wordsworth's best known poem. The Daffodils casts the magic of nature on us, inspiring us with beauty as nature so often does. Visit this picturesque scene by a lake, and take away the vision of the dancing daffodils to inspire you. Read the Daffodils poem by William Wordsworth.

http://voices.yahoo.com/10-best-inspirational-poems-where-find-them-5052836.html

50 Reasons Why You Should Be Happy To Be Alive

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Life is your gift, open it.

Life can be tricky.
Life can be sticky.
Life can be fun. Life can be sad. But one thing is for sure, life changes like the weather, and we can either “go with the flow” or fight it.
In today’s society, with a plethora of stimulation from the fast-paced life that surrounds us, chock full of stress and demands, I think many of us simply question…how can I even be happy to be alive? We may say to ourselves that life seems more about simple survival than it is about truly living and being happy.
So I started to think about reasons why all of us should be happy to be alive. Maybe I needed a reminder to myself even. Who knows? In any case, I hope you enjoy the list I have created below. I feel that somewhere in my list of 50 reasons you should be happy to be alive you may see…yourself.  Or, see something or feel something you may have not felt before or clearly seen. Maybe it is a wake-up call to your soul. Whatever it is, I hope something in the list sparks your inner happiness and makes you realize it is good to be a red-blooded human being…and to not take for granted this one thing we all currently have…being alive.

50 Reasons Why You Should Be Happy To Be Alive

1. You are unique, and no one else in the entire universe is just like you are.
2. Someone deeply loves you, more than you know.
3. You can change your life, it is never too late.
4. Without life, you can not feel love or give love. It is one of the greatest gifts of living.
5. You have the chance to be creative.
6. You can experience being a father or mother.
7. You can learn a new hobby.
8. You can feel how good it feels to simply laugh.
9. You can discover new friends and new people, and learn from them.
10. You can experience and enjoy eating, sleeping…and sex.
11. You can try something new, anytime you want.
12. Someone you love depends on you.
13. Even when you have a bad day, you never know what can happen the next day…or in the next moment. Life can turn on a dime.
14. You can sit and play in the rain, like you did as a child. If you didn’t, you need to try it.
15. You can turn your passion into your work.
16. You can enjoy and love having a new dog, cat, or any animal you may take interest in.
17. You can experience twilight on a summer evening…and do nothing more.
18. You can create something that can impact others.
19. You can find something you love so much, that when you do it, you lose all track of time.
20. You can dance, sing, or …run a marathon.
21. You can finally overcome that one big fear of yours and really feel free.
22. You can travel to other far places to give you a greater perspective on life outside your own world.
23. You can be happy, because you were made and created just the way you are…for a reason. You don’t need to be anyone else. And put simply, you can’t be anyone else but you. Why resist that?
24. Learn to stretch daily and see how it will make you feel happy. Or try yoga.
25. You have a chance of living to be 100. Imagine how you would feel on THAT birthday!
26. You never know, this life may be it. Enjoy it fully.
27. You might discover that the biggest fear you have, may actually be a gift to make life more colorful for you.
28. You can enjoy pizza. Or a good beer.
29. You can lose yourself in things of beauty such as a musical masterpiece or a great novel.
30. You can enjoy a nap…with your favorite dog or cat.
31. You can go a beach or local swim hole and feel like a kid again.
32. You can master a hobby such as magic tricks or playing an instrument.
33. You can experience the feeling of a crush.
34. You can build something that can last longer than you will.
35. You can be or do anything you want. There are no rules.
36. You can learn the simple power of how meditation can make you feel happy and content.
37. You can play in the snow.
38. Everyday you are one day closer to your death, once you don’t fear dying, you begin living.
39. You can enjoy your favorite food, or try new ones.
40. You may witness or experience a miracle.
41. You may create a miracle for someone.
42. It’s never too late to go back to school and learn something you have had passion about.
43. You can teach a person or a child something you are good at. It could change their life.
44. Something you do in 1, 2 or 10 years from now may make another person’s life much better.
45. If you are not in love, just know that person for you is out there…right now, alive in this world.  You may meet them tomorrow, or in 5 years…but eventually your worlds are likely to collide.
46. You can discover how true, sustained silence is the greatest sound in the world.
47. You can stand on your head and ignite your inner child.
48. You can start a chain of reactions that will cause happiness in thousands of other people (or millions) by doing one simple action.
49. You can eliminate cell phones, computers, and other things that detach you from truly feeling yourself.
50. You can enjoy how good it feels to simply…breathe. It is your natural life force.

Let me ask you…

What makes YOU happy to be alive?

http://www.thehappyself.com/50-reasons-why-you-should-be-happy-to-be-alive

Stay calm...

My parents have given me seven pieces of advice that I've never forgotten.
My mother:
– “Stay calm.” My mother probably reminds of this three or four times each time I see her. I really need this advice. Every day.
– “The things that go wrong often make the best memories.” My mother told me this when I was nervous before my wedding. It’s a very good thing to keep in mind, because it’s absolutely true, and it can also help you laugh at a bad situation while it’s happening.
– “Be grateful, because you worked hard for what you got, and you deserve it, but others also worked hard, and people don’t always get what they deserve.” My mother made this observation when I was elected as editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal. I repeated her remark to a friend, who thought it sounded a little unenthusiastic, but it was reassuring. Because it’s TRUE. You don’t always get what you deserve, even when you work hard, and my mother’s observation has been very comforting to me when things didn’t go my way.
My father:
– “If you’re willing to take the blame when you deserve it, people will give you the responsibility.” This was perhaps the best advice for the workplace I ever got.
– “Energy.” Very true. The first chapter of The Happiness Project is devoted to energy. (Here are seven tips for giving yourself an energy boost in the next ten minutes.)
– “Enjoy the process.” If you can enjoy the process, you are less concerned about outcomes. That’s a big help in the world.
– “All you have to do is put on your running shoes and let the front door shut behind you.” Good advice for all couch potatoes trying to pick up an exercise habit--and really, for anyone trying to adopt a good habit. Just start.
Have you received any great advice from your parents?

• Check out this 1-minute video about 10 ways to be happier at home. One tip proved controversial; I almost tweaked it but then decided to leave it. Can you guess which one? Of course, the book Happier at Home is more thoughtful--but it was fun to come up with a list of ten.
  
  
  

  Gretchen Rubin

  Bestselling author; blogger www.happiness-project.com