Poems and Quotes

We live in a society where we are over-committed and over-consumed. Where the amount of likes we get on social media has the power to affect our mood, where we strive for the ‘next best thing,’ where we function at a pace that eventually brings us to that place where we are simply going through the motions. We are much better served to create a balance – for our calendar, our time, for what we spend our money on. Here are some things to consider:

• “Simplicity is not about deprivation. Simplicity is about a greater appreciation for things that really matter.” – Anonymous
• “Balance is not something you find, it’s something you create.” – Jana Kingsford
• “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” – Lao Tzu
• “If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” – Meister Eckhart 

When we cultivate a life of simplicity, balance, and gratitude, we begin moving at a pace that nature intended – allowing ourselves to feel the joy that is our birthright.

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When life begins to feel like its dragging its heels, when we are faced with a challenge, we can often lean into the negative feelings that come with those types of situations. Although we need to be able to be comfortable with discomfort, we always run the risk of following those negative thoughts down the rabbit hole. Here are some wise words from Marianne Williamson on the process of finding light in the dark:

“The darkness is an invitation to light, calling forth the spirit in all of us. Every problem implies a question: Are you ready to embody what you believe? Can you reach within yourself for enough clarity, strength, forgiveness, serenity, love, patience and faith to turn this around? That’s the spiritual meaning of every situation: not what happens to us, but what we do with what happens to us. The only real failure is the failure to grow from what we go through.”

– Marianne Williamson, The Gift of Change

We can lean into our values when difficult times arise. They will help us find the light. 🙂

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We all love the iconic Peanuts gang; here are some of my favourite quotes to brighten your day:

• “Happiness is anyone and anything that’s loved by you.” – Charles M. Schulz, Charlie Brown.
• “All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt!” – Charles M. Schulz, Lucy.
• “It’s just human nature…we all need someone to kiss us goodbye.” – Charles M. Schulz, Marcie.
• “In the book of life, the answers aren’t in the back.” – Charles M. Schulz, Charlie Brown.
• “Keep looking up! That’s the secret of life.” – Charles M. Schulz, Charlie Brown. 

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I have quoted Morgan Harper Nichols many times on this blog. I love the way she composes her words to reach how we can feel on any given day. This quote wraps up our small series on resilience:

“There will be days when you are certain you are over it. There will be days you feel everything all over again. But no matter the day, there will be songs to listen to. And when you don’t feel like singing, there will be rhythms to breathe to, for grace is still at work in you.” – Morgan Harper Nichols

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When I get fluttered feelings of anxiety, I like to remind myself that “No matter what, I will be okay.” It is also important to focus in on the simple things in life as that is where we will gather the most contented feelings. I rather appreciate reading Brooke Hampton quotes for this reason as she reminds us about what in life, really matters:

“Fancy things never appealed to me. I like the sweet, simple things. I like to watch the sunrise on my old front porch with a warm cup of coffee. I like good books on rainy afternoons. I like to grow things. And I like the way it feels to be surrounded by real friends and people I love.” – Brooke Hampton

Sometimes we simply need a good reminder that life, despite its chaos, has a calm.

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I saw this story and it resonated with me as to the importance of simplicity:

The rich industrialist was horrified to find the fisherman lying beside his boat, smoking a pipe.

“Why aren’t you out fishing?” asked the industrialist.

“Because I have caught enough fish for the day.”

“Why don’t you catch some more?”

“What would I do with them?”

“You could earn more money. Then you could have a motor fitted to your boat to go into deeper waters and catch more fish. Then you would have enough money to buy more nylon nets. These would bring you more fish and more money. Soon you would have enough money to own two boats…maybe even a fleet of boats. Then you would be a rich man like me.”

“What would I do then?”

“Then you could sit back and enjoy life.”

“What do you think I am doing right now?” – Author Unknown

We can often get caught up in the ‘more’ when sometimes what we need is the ‘less.’ Slowing it down, spending quality time together, balancing the pace, simplifying, feeling grounded, settled.

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I came across this lovely passage by Emily McDowell:

“Finding yourself” is not really how it works. You aren’t a ten-dollar bill in last winter’s coat pocket. You are also not lost. Your true self is right there, buried under cultural conditioning, other people’s opinions, and inaccurate conclusions you drew as a kid that became your beliefs about who you are. “Finding yourself” is actually returning to yourself. An unlearning, an excavation, a remembering who you were before the world got its hands on you.  – Emily McDowell

Perhaps one of the most grounded feelings we can have is when we know we are being true to ourselves. When we allow our core beliefs to no longer hold us hostage, we begin to feel a return to our intuition. Being in greater tune with ourselves allow us to question and guide us through what either society or other people have deemed to be important for us. An ‘excavation’ of self; what a freeing thought.

PS- It is also a lovely feeling when you find a ten-dollar bill in last winter’s coat pocket 🙂

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We are often told to not sweat the small stuff, that it is the simple things that matter. I came across this poem that captured that sentiment well:

Dance beneath the moonlit sky,

With stars as your guide,

Let laughter be your compass,

Your heart forever wide,

For when the chapters close,

And memories softly rise,

You’ll find the little things,

Were treasures in disguise.

– Adriana Poloz

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I came across this quote by Anne Lamott:

“It’s funny: I always imagined when I was a kid that adults had some kind of inner toolbox full of shiny tools: the saw of discernment, the hammer of wisdom, the sandpaper of patience. But then when I grew up I found that life handed you these rusty bent old tools – friendships, prayer, conscience, honesty – and said ‘do the best you can with these, they will have to do’. And mostly, against all odds, they do.”
― Anne Lamott, Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith

When we consider coping strategies, we often think about the tangible things we have learned over time. Grounding techniques such as deep breathing when we feel anxious, positive affirmations when we experience self-doubt, acting ‘as-if’ when we feel quite unmotivated, building our time, self-care strategies.

Lamott reminds us; however, that the tools we use can also come from what we ascribe meaning to. For some people, that will be friendships or prayer, for others their value system and moral code. We can lean into the qualities that we hold dear such as authenticity and grace, honesty and connection. We can learn from our mistakes which leads to wisdom and when we know better, we do better which leads to patience. We can experience and learn from grief, from forgiveness, from both our challenges and our joys. We can lean into laughter and contentedness.

What becomes the tools we use will follow not only what we deem to work best for us, but also what sits well with our soul. Thank you for the reminder, Anne Lamott 🙂

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