Inspirational Poems & Quotes
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"There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self."
The Serenity Prayer
GOD, grant me the Serenity
to accept the things
I cannot change,
Courage to change the
things I can,
and the Wisdom
to know the difference
"Sometimes the one thing
you are looking for,
Is the one thing you can't see. "
~Unknown~
Hiding in the Shadows
In life sometimes we lose our place,
And in our hearts we are left with just an empty space.
We only concentrate on the loneliness and pain,
And a glimpse of our reflection reveals
a person ordinary and plain.
We forget about all the people's lives we have touched,
And instead think that our own life doesn't amount to much.
But it's amazing what the mind hides when the soul is lost,
And how many excuses to avoid achievement that we can exhaust.
For a person such as you harbors so much potential,
But in order for it to flourish self confidence is essential.
You possess charisma and compassion that is shared so freely,
And a radiant beauty that only you can not see.
And when the time comes and you finally appreciate who you are,
This will be the day the world inherits it's most brilliant star.
So my friend never lose yourself in another's shadow,
Let your own talents and abilities allow you to grow,
And that empty space in your heart will overflow.
written by RonnieT2~
"The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook."
May you find serenity and
tranquility
in a world you may not always understand.
May you not become too concerned with material matters,
but instead place immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart.
Find time in each day to see beauty and love in the world around you.
Realize that what you feel you lack in one regard
you may be more than compensated for in another.
What you feel you lack in the present
may become one of your strengths in the future.
May you see your future
as one filled with promise and possibility.
Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience.
May you find enough inner strength
to determine your own worth by yourself,
and not be dependent
on another's judgment of your accomplishments.
~~author unknown~~
"Enjoy your own life
without comparing it with that of another."
Marquis de Condorcet
Wayward Emotions
It seems strange, and I guess that it sounds quite neurotic,
That I'm plagued with emotions, so often chaotic,
That all I'm aware of are feelings that swell,
And I'm often not sure of the story they tell.
I awake just to find, that my mood is down under,
It's sunk at the ocean floor of my mind.
And the suddeness of these chaotic sensations,
Make me realize, emotions are quite often blind.
When I count all my blessings,
Take stock of good fortune,
The total's so blatantly grand,
That there's no way to fathom,
That emotions don't see this,
And fall from their depressive stand.
So I must find a way,
That's not total or final,
To handle these wayward emotions,
For I'm truly exhausted
From fighting the clouds,
That cause these internal commotions.
I must take them in tow,
Make them see, what I know,
And force them to face the cruel fact,
That I've nothing important for them to lament,
For nothing important does lack.
If only I didn't, on some real occasion,
Need all the sorrow and tears,
I would simply discharge them,
To find a new home,
And leave me with constant good cheer.
For I can't in my wildest,
Imagine that I, would look back
Like an old friend, and say
That I miss this self pity,
And Oh, what I'd do,
To feel some remorse, for one day.
"THE FUTURE
BELONGS TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN THE
BEAUTY OF THEIR DREAMS."
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT
LETTING GO
To let go doesn't mean to stop
caring;
It means I can't do it for someone else.
To let go is not to cut myself off....
It's the realization that I can't control another.....
To let go is not to enable,
but to allow learning from natural consequences.
To let go is to admit powerlessness,
which means the outcome is not in my hands.
To let go is not to try and change or blame another,
I can only change myself.
To let go is not to care for, but to care about.
To let go is not to fix, but to be supportive.
To let go is not to judge,
but to allow another to be a human being.
To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes,
but to allow others to affect their own outcomes.
To let go is not to be protective,
It is to permit another to face reality.
To let go is not to deny, but to accept.
To let go is not to nag, scold, or argue,
but to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.
To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires,
but to take each day as it comes and cherish the moment.
To let go is not to criticize and regulate anyone,
but to try to become what I dream I can be.
To let go is not to regret the past,
but to grow and live for the future.
To let go is to fear less and love more.
"REAL GENEROSITY IS DOING SOMETHING NICE FOR SOMEONE WHO WILL NEVER FIND OUT"
Share
Share a smile or fiendly greeting
to some stranger on the street
It will bring a ray of sunshine
to some person you may meet.
Share a little act of kindness,
It could brighten someone's day,
It could bring a spark of couragee
To someone who lost their way.
And you'll feel much better for it,
It won't cost a single dime,
It could make a world of difference,
Share a minute of your time.
"Friendship Doubles Our Joy And Divides Our Sorrows"
HEALED AND WHOLE
One day I dug a little hole
And put my hurt inside
I thought that I could just forget
I'd put it there to hide.
But that little hurt began to grow
I covered it every day
I couldn't leave it and go on
It seemed the price I had to pay.
My joy was gone, my heart was sad
Pain was all I knew.
My wounded soul enveloped me
Loving seemed too hard to do.
One day, while standing by my hole
I cried to God above
And said, "If You are really there
They say, You're a God of Love!
And just like that -- He was right there
And just put His arms around me
He wiped my tears, His hurting child
There was no safer place to be.
I told Him all about my hurt
I opened up my heart
He listened to each and every word
To every sordid part.
I dug down deep and got my hurt
I brushed the dirt away
And placed it in the Master's hand
And healing came that day.
He took the blackness of my soul
And set my spirit FREE!
Something beautiful began to grow
Where the hurt used to be.
And when I look at what has grown
Out of my tears and pain I remember
every day to give my hurts to Him
And never bury them again.
Carol Parrott
~When your life is
filled with the desire to see the holiness in everyday life, something magical
happens: ordinary life becomes extraordinary, and the very process of life
begins to nourish the soul~
By...Rabbi Harold Kushner
The Cocoon
A man found the cocoon of a butterfly. One
day a small opening appeared;
he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force
its body through that little hole.
Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten
as far as it could and could go no farther.
Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors
and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged
easily, but it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any
moment the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body,
which would contract in time.
Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of his life crawling
around with a swollen body and shriveled wings.
It was never able to fly!!!
What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the
restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get
through the tiny opening, were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of
the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it
achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us
to go through our life without obstacles, it would cripple us. We would
not be as strong or beautiful as what we could have been, and we would never
learn to fly as God has intended.
~The wealth of the
world could not buy you a friend,
Nor, pay you for the loss of one~
SOMEWHERE OUT THERE
Somewhere out there, there is someone who
needs:
A touch of your hand.
A smile.
A kind word.
Some understanding.
Forgiveness.
A whisper of appreciation.
Something to eat.
A place out of the cold.
A pair of warm socks.
To be remembered.
Just remembered,
Even that will do.
As you live your life from this moment to next,
Please think about those whose paths you cross.
Even if they stand right in front of you,
Take one little step that can,
And will,
Make all the difference, in the world.
Susan Le Page Simmons
"Lord, please keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth"
THE TREASURES IN YOU
There are treasures in life,
but owners are few
Of money and power
to buy things brand new.
Yet you can be wealthy
and feel regal too,
If you will just look
for the treasures in you.
These treasures in life
are not hard to find
When you look in your heart,
your soul, and your mind.
For when you are willing
to share what's within,
Your fervent search
for riches will end.
The joy and the laughter,
the smile that you bring;
The heart unafraid
to love and to sing;
The hand always willing
to help those in need;
Ones quick to reach out,
to labor and fee.
So thank you for sharing
these great gifts inside;
The caring, the cheering,
the hug when one cried.
Thanks for the energy,
encouragement too,
And thank you for sharing
the treasures in you.
Author Unknown
"Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well."
The Change of Seasons
The air turns cool, the leaves turn brown,
A change is taking place,
And everywhere the signs appear
Of Fall's approaching face.
The birds begin their southward flight
That takes them far away,
And in their plaintive song and cry
A fond good-bye they say.
A season dies, a new one's born
Like night gives way to day.
Such is the wondrous work of God
In His own chosen way.
Harold F. Mohn
"Many of our fears are tissue paper thin and a single courageous step would carry us through them"
KMH
Prayers Can't Be Answered
Unless They Are Prayed
Life without purpose
is barren indeed
There can't be a harvest
unless you plant seed,
there can't be attainment
unless there's a goal,
and man's but a robot
unless there's a soul......
If we send no ships out,
no ships will come in,
And unless there's a contest,
nobody can win,,,,,,
For games can't be won
unless they are played,
and prayers can't be answered
unless they are prayed
Not just for pleasure,
enjoyment or health,
Not just for honors
and prestige and wealth.....
But pray for a purpose
to make life worth living.
and pray for the "JOY"
of un unselfish giving,
For great is your gladness
and rich your reward
When you make your life's purpose
the choice of the Lord.
Helen Steiner Rice
"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once."
LAKE AT NIGHT
Dark skies, dark waters,
Moon beam glistening off in the distant.
Twinkling stars sparkling off the water's surface,
Picturesque aged trees,
Limbs draping just above the lake top.
Crickets playing their music,
Birds singing high in the tree tops.
Tiny ripples across the water,
From the casual breezes that cools the air.
Laughter breaks through nature sounds,
The sounds of lovers enjoying one another.
Larger ripples move away from them,
The paddle along the peaceful shore.
Darkness overcomes the moon lit night,
As the passing clouds cover its glow.
A peaceful existence you feel,
In a surrounding of natures own.
Overwhelmed by the comfort,
You absorb this precious haven.
A place for lovers,
Or a time for solitude,
Maybe a place to become one with the universe.
anais nin
"PATIENCE PRAYER"
Lord, teach me to
be patient with life,
with people, with myself.
I try to speed things
along too much,
and I push for results
before the time is right.
Teach me to trust
your sense of timing.
Teach me to to slow down
enough to appreciate life.
"If you think you can win, you can win. Faith is necessary to victory."
~Because you are so dear a
friend,
your cares are my cares too,
And so as sorrow fills your heart,
my heart goes out to you,
And though my words cannot begin
to ease the loss you bear,
I only hope it helps somehow,
to know how much I care~
"You can make
more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you
can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you."
Dale Carnegie
The following is not a poem or quote but an excellent read
*BURDENS*
*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*
"Why was my burden so heavy?" I slammed the bedroom door and
leaned against it. Is there no rest from this life? I wondered. I
stumbled to my bed and dropped onto it, pressing my pillow around
my ears to shut out the noise of my existence.
"Oh God," I cried, "let me sleep. Let me sleep forever and never
wake up!" With a deep sob I tried to will myself into oblivion, then
welcomed the blackness that came over me. Light surrounded me
as I regained consciousness. I focused on its source: the figure of
a man standing before a cross.
"My child," the person asked, "why did you want to come to Me
before I am ready to call you?"
"Lord, I'm sorry. It's just that... I can't go on. You see how hard it is
for me. Look at this awful burden on my back. I simply can't carry it
anymore."
"But haven't I told you to cast all of your burdens upon Me,
because I care for you? My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."
"I knew You would say that. But why does mine have to be so
heavy?"
"My child, everyone in the world has a burden. Perhaps you would
like to try a different one?"
"I can do that?"
He pointed to several burdens lying at His feet. "You may try any of
these."
All of them seemed to be of equal size. But each was labeled with
a name.
"There's Joan's," I said. Joan was married to a wealthy
businessman. She lived in a sprawling estate and dressed her
three daughters in the prettiest designer clothes. Sometimes she
drove me to church in her Cadillac when my car was broken.
"Let me try that one." How difficult could her burden be? I thought.
The Lord removed my burden and placed Joan's on my shoulders. I
sank to my knees beneath its weight.
"Take it off!" I said. "What makes it so heavy?"
"Look inside."
I untied the straps and opened the top. Inside was a figure of her
Mother-in-law, and when I lifted it out, it began to speak.
"Joan, you'll never be good enough for my son," it began. "He
never
should have married you. You're a terrible mother to my
grandchildren..."
I quickly placed the figure back in the pack and withdrew another. It
was Donna, Joan's youngest daughter. Her head was bandaged
from the surgery that had failed to resolve her epilepsy.
A third figure was Joan's brother. Addicted to drugs, he had been
convicted of killing a police officer.
"I see why her burden is so heavy, Lord. But she's always smiling
and helping others. I didn't realize..."
"Would you like to try another?" He asked quietly.
I tested several. Paula's felt heavy: She was raising four small boys
without a father. Debra's did too: a childhood of sexual abuse and a
marriage of emotional abuse. When I came to Ruth's burden, I
didn't even try. I knew that inside I would find arthritis, old age, a
demanding full-time job, and a beloved husband in a nursing home.
"They're all too heavy, Lord," I said. "Give back my own."
As I lifted the familiar load once again, it seemed much lighter than
the others.
"Lets look inside" He said.
I turned away, holding it close. "That's not a good idea," I said.
"Why?"
"There's a lot of junk in there."
"Let Me see."
The gentle thunder of His voice compelled me. I opened my burden.
He pulled out a brick.
"Tell me about this one."
"Lord, You know. It's money. I know we don't suffer like people in some
countries or even the homeless here in America. But we have no insurance, and
when the kids get sick, we can't always take them to the doctor. They've never
been to a dentist. And I'm tired of dressing them in hand-me-downs."
"My child, I will supply all of your needs... and your children's. I've
given them healthy bodies. I will teach them that expensive clothing
doesn't make a person valuable in My sight."
Then He lifted out the figure of a small boy. "And this?" He asked.
"Andrew..." I hung my head, ashamed to call my son a burden.
"But, Lord, he's hyperactive. He's not quiet like the other two. He makes
me
so tired. He's always getting hurt, and someone is bound to think I abuse
him. I yell at him all the time. Someday I may really hurt him...."
"My child," He said, "if you trust Me, I will renew your
strength, If you
allow Me to fill you with My Spirit, I will give you patience."
Then He took some pebbles from my burden.
"Yes, Lord," I said with a sigh. "Those are small. But they're
important. I hate my hair. It's thin, and I can't make it look nice. I can't
afford to go to the beauty shop. I'm overweight and can't stay on a diet. I hate
all my clothes. I hate the way I look!"
"My child, people look at your outward appearance, but I look at your
heart.
By My Spirit you can gain self-control to lose weight. But your beauty
should not come from outward appearance. Instead, it should come from
your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of
great worth in My sight."
My burden now seemed lighter than before.
"I guess I can handle it now" I said.
"There is more," He said. "Hand Me that last brick."
"Oh, You don't have to take that. I can handle it."
"My child, give it to Me." Again His voice compelled me. He reached
out
His hand, and for the first time I saw the ugly wound.
"But, Lord, this brick is so awful, so nasty, so.....Lord! What happened to
Your hands? They're so scarred!"
No longer focused on my burden, I looked for the first time into His face.
In His brow were ragged scars -- as though someone had pressed thorns
into His flesh.
"Lord," I whispered. "What happened to You?"
His loving eyes reached into my soul.
"My child, you know. Hand Me the brick. It belongs to Me. I bought
it."
"How?"
"With My blood."
"But why, Lord?"
"Because I have loved you with and everlasting love. Give it to Me."
I placed the filthy brick into His wounded palm. It contained all the
dirt and evil of my life: my pride, my selfishness, the depression that
constantly tormented me.
He turned to the cross and hurled my brick into the pool of blood at its
base. It hardly made a ripple.
"Now, My child, you need to go back. I will be with you always. When
you are troubled, call to Me and I will help you and show you things you
cannot imagine now."
"Yes, Lord, I will call on You."
I reached to pick up my burden.
"You may leave that here if you wish. You see all these burdens? They
are the ones that others have left at My feet. Joan's, Paula's, Debra's,
Ruth's.....When you leave your burden here, I carry it with you. Remember,
My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
As I placed my burden with Him, the light began to fade. Yet I heard Him
whisper, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you."
A peace flooded my soul.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in
heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my
burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)
To add a poem, please send it along with the author's name (if known) to dementia@rochester.rr.com
Please remember to put "dementia poetry" or "tribute" in the subject line, so I don't delete it.
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