-Charlotte Perkins Gilman, 1909

I can’t help but think about the movie titled “From Here to Eternity,” a classic love story.  When we start “here” and go “to” eternity, we’re reaching into the boundless future.  But really, eternity is the infinite past and the future as well.  There is no beginning, there is no end.  There is no time, there is no space.  And yet somehow we’ve carved out this little slice of life, where we exist here and now: the present.  Where do we go from here?  Ah – the sweet mysteries that lie ahead!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Charlotte Perkins Gilman, 1909

I can’t help but think about the movie titled “From Here to Eternity,” a classic love story.  When we start “here” and go “to” eternity, we’re reaching into the boundless future.  But really, eternity is the infinite past and the future as well.  There is no beginning, there is no end.  There is no time, there is no space.  And yet somehow we’ve carved out this little slice of life, where we exist here and now: the present.  Where do we go from here?  Ah – the sweet mysteries that lie ahead!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> Dante (A.D. 1265 – 1321)

A thousand years.  Think of all the things that happen in what seems like this large amount of time.  The changes that take place, the leaps and bounds made in progress, the contributions made by the people who lived during that time.  And yet, some history books can sum up a century in a chapter of two!  The more we move through time the more we have to write about.  History may “repeat itself,” but we have something to learn from it each time.  As we rack up the centuries, we have to wonder what the world will look like in a few more “blinks of an eye.”
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Hermann Hesse (1877-1962)

The beauty of the moment.  It all comes down to that really.  We can’t predict the future, it can change with a thought.  We can’t change the past, what’s done is done.  But we can live in, and enjoy, and appreciate this precious present moment.  When we are totally in the moment, time stands still.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Paul (A.D. 1st cent.)

What is unseen?  Some of the things that are unseen are felt, and that’s how we understand their presence.  Love, joy, truth, wisdom.  These things are precious, and timeless.  What Paul said back in the first century is as wise and true then as it is now, and as it will be centuries from now.  The love that we feel, and express, will live on always.  Love never dies, love is eternal.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Walt Whitman (1819-1892)

I like these thought-provoking questions!  A clock is merely a form of measurement.  Time marches on.  We check days off our calendars one by one – done, complete, something else accomplished.  But eternity, wow – vast, huge, unlimited potential, beyond any time we could possibly comprehend.  Something way bigger than ourselves.  And maybe that’s the answer – eternity represents infinite possibilities.  Anything can happen!  So why not dream, and plan, and create a wonderful future for ourselves?
-Lissa Coffey

]]> I seem to be a verb,
an evolutionary process –
an integral function of the universe.”
-R. Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983)

We are growing, we are learning, we are evolving – every minute, every day!  This is an active process – an ongoing process.  It is part of what makes us who we are, it is a part of the beauty of being human.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841-1935)

If we all hold to that vision of peace, of compassion, of goodness – we, as a society and as a world, will evolve towards that vision.  Like the caterpillar that was born to evolve into a butterfly – we have a purpose which lies beyond our daily scope of events.  There is so much more to us than we can see.  And so much that we can contribute than we can comprehend.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -William James (1842-1910)

We’re all connected.  For society to evolve, its individuals must evolve.  In order for individuals to evolve, we must be supported by society.  Our growth goes hand in hand.  When you look at how certain trends arise, you can find some examples of just how this works.  Yoga has been around for centuries, but it is just recently here in the west that it has become something of a phenomenon!  It seems like there are yoga studios popping up everywhere.  And how cool is that?  Maybe as more individuals become vegetarians, we will have more vegetarian restaurants to choose from.  The relationship between the individual and society can create remarkable evolution!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Maria Montessori (1870-1952)

If our purpose is to learn and to grow, then evolution is inevitable.  We are drawn towards that which challenges us, which strengthens us, which supports us in our endeavors – all of life is evolution.  We can’t turn it off.  We can accelerate the process, by putting ourselves out there and experiencing what life has to offer and by making things happen for ourselves.  And we can embrace the process, and enjoy the process, because we know that it just gets more wonderful and exciting and fulfilling as we go along.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -N. Sri Ram (1889- ?)

This week we’re talking about evolution.  Evolution in this case meaning growth, and especially spiritual growth.  In the definition above, evolution seems to be a natural process – an “awakening.”  Whether we wake up gradually, with the light of dawn, or suddenly, with some kind of an alarm, we do wake up.  It is in the awakened state that we are productive.  And in the spiritually awakened state the infinite possibilities of the universe are as much a reality to us as the start of a new day.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Daniel J. Boorstin (1914 - )

An example is an illustration – it’s the action in the saying that “actions speak louder than words.”  Our behavior, whether we’re aware of it or not, sets an example to whomever is watching.  We’re sending subtle messages all the time.  Are we paying attention to our own behavior and what it is “saying” about us?
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -La Rouchefoucauld (1613-1790)

Think of the possibilities.  Doing anonymous good deeds suddenly becomes “cool.”  Volunteering becomes the favorite national past-time.  We smile at strangers, and strangers become friends.  It’s totally possible.  And we can start with our own example, right here and now.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> In other men, sleeping, but never dead,
Will rise in majesty to meet thine own.”
-James Russell Lowell (1819-1891)

We each have this light within us.  Let it shine!  When one light shines it is enough to illuminate the darkness.  It gives a reminder, an example to other lights of what the brightness looks like.  And soon a glow is cast which can light up the world!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Pliny the Younger (A.D. 62? – 113?)

Can you learn to ride a bike by reading a book?  You have to actually get on the bike to figure it out.  And it helps to have a friend there to show you how to do it.  It’s the same thing with parenting.  We can tell kids to be kind, but it makes a greater impression on them if they observe and experience our kindness themselves.  And we can encourage them when we see them following our example.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774)

There’s another saying that talk is cheap.  Sure, it’s easy to say something, but it takes time and effort to take action on it.  Live life by example.  We can’t just say that we’re “into the environment” and then go around driving SUVs and eating out of non-recyclable Styrofoam.  Our actions give our words their meaning, and make them carry more weight.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Pearl S. Buck (1964)

Our topic this week is excellence.  When we enjoy doing something, we put our heart into it, and it shows.  What we enjoy doing, we do well, we can’t help it.  And by the same token, what we do well brings us joy!  We are rewarded for a job well done by feeling good about it.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Marva Collins (1987)

It would be easy if talent was all it took for us to achieve excellence.  But it doesn’t work that way.  On “American Idol” there are many singers with talent.  But the ones who have the most experience really stand out.  The experience of singing for people over and over again hones their skills, and when the competition day comes, their excellence shows.  We even see how week after week, each of the singers seems to get better.  They’re in an environment where they are focusing their energies and spending their time to cultivating excellence.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Helen Keller (1914)

Excellence is difficult to measure.  In the Olympics there is a judging system of points and scores to compare the athlete’s performances.  But when it comes to our day to day lives, excellence for each one of us is doing the best that we can do.  We know when we’re slacking off.  We know when we can do better.  We’re the only ones who can make that judgment accurately.  And when we do strive for excellence, when we put ourselves out there and really give it our all, we know it, we can feel it.  
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Michelangelo (1475-1564)

Can you imagine, back in Michelangelo’s time, the artists who felt jealous of his talent?  Some of them may have though: “He’s so good, I’ll never be as good, I might as well not even try.”  But here Michelangelo is basically saying that anyone can have that excellence.  He’s saying that he worked hard to gain mastery of his art.  How many of us are willing to put in the work necessary to achieve the excellence that we so desire?
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Excellence is noticed in this society.  Excellence is honored.  It doesn’t matter if it comes with an award, or a paycheck, or the appreciation of others, or even just our own peace of mind knowing that we have done something good – excellence is its own reward.  
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

This week’s topic is expectations.  When I was 16, I participated in what was to be the first of many workshops I’ve been going to in the area of personal growth and self-improvement.  I learned many things that weekend, but the one thing that has stuck with me, and has proven to be true over all these years is this: “Unfulfilled expectations cause upset.”  Think about it.  Years later I learned from “A Course in Miracles” that “I am never upset for the reasons I think.”  What causes our “upsets” is not that things go wrong, but that we expected them to go a certain way and our expectations went unfulfilled.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Sir Walter Raleigh

The one expectation we can have for ourselves is to do the best that we can.  We can’t expect to always be the best (and who is to judge just what qualifies as best anyway?) but we can always be original, because that’s exactly what we are.  No matter what we do, when we put ourselves into it, we are doing well.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -William Styron

We set goals.  We reach goals.  We set new goals.  And what happens?  All along the way we are learning and growing.  Eventually we find that the goals are somewhat arbitrary.  There may be different ways for each of us to “get there” but we arrive at the same place: discovering the beauty, the wisdom, the joy within us – the beauty, the wisdom, the joy that is us.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Helen Keller

There’s a bumper sticker that reads: “Think Globally, Act Locally.”  This can be applied to every area of our lives.  If we expect clean air, and a clean environment, then it is up to us to do what we can, right where we are, to make this happen.  If we expect peace on earth, then we are kind to people we meet, and do what we can to help others.  Every action we take, no matter how big or small we perceive it to be, has an effect on the world as a whole.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Saint Teresa of Avila

We put such expectations on ourselves!  And look at the expectations we put on our children, our parents, and all the people in our lives.  We are human.  We are here to learn.  We are going to make mistakes, it’s all part of the process.  When we relax our expectations and just go with the flow – approach our challenges as lessons rather than failures – then our experiences in life are more meaningful.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Madeline L’Engle

Our topic this week is expectations.  When I was 16 I took my first “self-help” class, and I still remember the lessons I learned there.  One of the big ones was: “Unfulfilled expectations cause upset.”  Expectations give us some pre-set notion of what we think “should” be.  When we come in to a situation without expectations, we’re much more open and willing to accept, and even enjoy, what is taking place.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Dennis Wholey

Remember Doris Day singing: “Que sera sera, whatever will be, will be”?  That’s a song about no expectations.  No expectations means no attachment to outcome, and that means that we can be content no matter what happens because we know that there’s a reason, or a higher purpose, behind divine organization and we can accept that.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Bill Lemley

Too often we have expectations of people that they just can’t live up to.  Where did these expectations come from?  We need to remember that we’re all doing the best that we can at any given moment in time.  Rather than impose our own expectations on someone else, we can instead choose to be loving and accepting and see how it all works out cooperatively.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Talmud

Of course we can work towards a goal with the best in mind.  We can put every effort into making a project turn out just the way we want it to.  But at a certain point we have to turn it over to the universe and just accept that we can’t control everything, and we wouldn’t want to!  There are so many factors that can influence any situation.  A project might not go well, but could it just as easily turn out better than we had planned.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Helen Keller

The expectations we set for ourselves are often higher, and more unrealistic, than the expectations we have for anything else.  Why are we so hard on ourselves?  We are here for a purpose, and there are no small purposes.  We are learning and growing every day.  We are doing the best we can.  Good job!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -James MacGregor Burns

We have heard the saying that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but this takes it one step further.  Whatever it is that we see is interpreted through our eyes and our brain and we give it meaning.  Whether it’s beauty or anything else.  What values are we putting on things?  What are we reading into anything we see?  It’s interesting that when two or more people witness the exact same event, and then they describe it, it can seem like totally different experiences!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -George Chapman (1559?-1634)

We can say so much without speaking a word.  Emotions show on our face.  Our eyes can’t lie.  Experts who read body language say that so much is given away with the eyes.  They have been called “the mirrors of the soul.”  We can communicate with our loved ones with merely a look.  Sometimes a look can speak volumes!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

New eyes, a fresh perspective, an improved outlook.  Think of all of the ways that we describe clarity.  Clarity is used here as in seeing more clearly, or understanding more deeply.  Seeing with that inner vision, the mind’s eye, is important for our learning and growth.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Joseph Joubert (1754-1824)

In many meditations, we close our eyes because we want to block out external distractions.  The idea is to go within, to look within.  In the silence, in the stillness, we gain great insight.  We can see things more clearly.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Theodore Roethke (1908-1963)

When we go from a bright room to a dark room at first we can’t see.  But once our eyes adjust to the light, we start to see better, until we become comfortable making our way around.  In a dark time, when things aren’t going the best for us, and we feel as if we’re struggling, it’s difficult to find our way.  But we learn, and we grow, and we begin to understand and benefit from the experiences we go through.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Marian Wright Edelman, 1987

We tend to think of failure as such a negative.  But it’s only a negative if we let it stop us.  The other way of looking at failure is seeing it as one step closer to success!  We learn from our trials and tribulations.  And we take what we learn and grow from the experience – which makes us more prepared for success.  It’s part of the process.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Mary Kay Ash, 1984

It’s a matter of attitude.  Some baseball players say that after they strike out they feel relieved, because it just means that the odds are better for them the next time they go up to bat.  The important thing is that they do get back up there and have another go at it.  Failure doesn’t have to be an obstacle, it can be a stepping stone.  
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, 1875

We’re learning and growing every day.  We’re building on our experiences.  When things happen differently than we had planned, or expected, or wanted them to, we might see it as a failure.  But it’s not!  There is a reason for everything, and sometimes what is an “apparent failure” is actually the beginning of something really beautiful.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Mary Pickford, (in Reader’s Digest, 1979)

Things happen.  That’s just the way it is.  But at every point in time we have choices to make.  We can choose to learn from our mistakes.  We can choose to try again.  If we were perfect, and never made mistakes, then how could we possibly learn?  Our wisdom comes from our own experiences.  Like the song says: “pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and start all over again!”
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Sylvia Townsend Warner, 1951

The mind is a very powerful tool.  With it we create our reality.  The surest way to fail is to focus on failure.  Instead, we can picture ourselves doing well, achieving, succeeding, and being happy.  When we drive, we look ahead to where we are going.  We can’t drive by looking in the rear view mirror.  We can’t drive by looking over at the ditch on the side of the road.  We need to pay attention to where we want to go, and head in that direction.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

We know that not everyone is fortunate enough to have a happy, idyllic family life.  But if we look at the broader definition of family, and choose to spend our time this holiday season with people who love us and whose company we enjoy, then we can share some happy moments.  There is a joy we get from being with family that we can't get anywhere else.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

There is so much truth, and so much simplicity in this statement.  The whole world really is our family.  We are each connected to the other.  When we can all see this, feel this, understand it and accept it in our hearts, then there will truly be peace on earth.  For how then could there be anything less?
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Erma Bombeck, 1987

This is a good week to talk about family.  I grew up reading Erma Bombeck's columns - my mother could really relate to her.  Erma had a great way of seeing the humor and light in the most absurd situations.  This family, this group of people we're somehow thrown together with, and with whom we share our tragedies and triumphs, is ultimately one of our greatest tools for learning in this lifetime.  They challenge us, in ways no one else can, to grow.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -May Sarton, 1970

I'm sure we all have our stories!  What would we do without our families?  Good or bad or indifferent, the families we have somehow have helped us to become the people we are today.  Through our family we can see our connection to the world.  And as our family grows, with children and grandchildren, cousins and in-laws, we are presented with more opportunities for learning and growth.  It's interesting that there has been a rise in the popularity of genealogy and family tree research lately.  Through these studies our connections throughout time become apparent.  The world becomes smaller, and we don't feel as isolated when we start looking at our roots.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Barbara Bush (1925 - )

What makes a family?  By now we know it's more than merely bloodlines.  A family is a support system - it's a group of people connected in some way.  It's people who love each other and are there for each other in good times and bad.  I feel so lucky to have my family, and to me that includes not only my relatives, but friends who have seen me through a lot of my own growth and changes.  And it works both ways.  We feel closer to people when we go through experiences together.  There are some bonds that develop that just can't be broken.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Henry Kissinger (1923 - )

This week’s topic is fate.  This brings up one of the big spiritual questions:  How much of life is determined by fate, and how much by free will?  For most of us, it’s some combination, so we consult our horoscopes, just for added information!  But as we grow wiser, and stronger, we understand that we are creating our own future, with very step, with every thought.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Nguyen T. Nguyen (1992)

It’s amazing how far a good attitude will get us.  It’s the lemons into lemonade theory.  Just add a little sugar and look what happens!  There is always a better way.  Use your power, your intellect, your creativity.  Be kind.  Be loving.  And you’ll soon taste the sweetness of life.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

We are more powerful, and more creative, than we realize.  And our power doesn’t come from outside of us – it’s not from our position at work, or our wealth, or our supply of weapons.  Those are just symbols, and they come and go.  Our real power comes from within, from our faith, our determination, the inner strength that we have developed from our experiences.  When we summon up this power we can achieve anything.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1925)

Life keeps on happening.  I am hearing that song from Journey in my head right now: “Wheel in the sky keeps on turning, don’t know where I’ll be tomorrow.”  I guess that’s what keeps life interesting for us.  We can’t control everything that happens in the world, because everyone has free will.  So, yes, some things are uncertain – and that is really wonderful!  We can have happy surprises at any time.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Our thoughts are powerful.  So, think good thoughts!  It’s that simple.  Look forward to good things.  Be positive; be optimistic.  Create your own destiny as you would like it to be.  Set your course, as the captain of your own ship.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Susanne K. Langer, 1967

The topic this week is feelings.  A lot of time we hear about the difference between the heart and the head, or between feelings and reason.  But even if there is a difference between them, there is a connection between them.  We can assimilate the two, and use the power as one, to make the important choices in our lives.  It’s that merger that empowers us to overcome any challenges we come across.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Audre Lorde, 1983

Our feelings are what guide us.   Our natural attraction to certain areas of study leads us to higher learning.  When we follow our instincts we find opportunities for ourselves that help us to achieve our goals, and to make our visions a reality.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Amelia E. Barr, 1904

We all have some friends who we love and we’re happy to have in our lives.  It doesn’t matter that we might have nothing in common, or live thousands of miles away, or communicate quite rarely.  The minute we see that friend it’s like no time has gone by at all.  There’s a spiritual connection between people that is beyond definition.  We can’t explain it, but we can certainly feel it when it is there.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Sue Patton Thoele, 1988

Feelings need to be recognized, and expressed.  Suppressing feelings not only can lead to exhaustion, but to depression and all kinds of dis-ease.  We need to be self-aware, and work on understanding our feelings.  It’s all a part of taking care of ourselves.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881)

Why do we do some of the things we do?  We had an idea!  But where did that idea come from?  At some level it came from a feeling, an intuition, an affinity that drew us toward the idea, or that created the idea.  When we are in touch with our feelings, we can come up with some great ideas!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Eleanor Coppola, 1979

There’s a quote that Yoda says in one of the Star Wars films that I use on my boys all the time: “Do or do not, there is no try.”  They even gave me a Yoda action figure one year as a present because they said I love Yoda so much!  It’s funny because it doesn’t matter where or when a story takes place, there are certain basic truths that resonate, certain experiences that are universal.  Sometimes a movie can act as a mirror for us, and show us what our options are.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Agnes Varda, in John Robert Columbo, “Popcorn in Paradise” 1979

I quote Gandhi quite a bit in WisdomNews.  We can learn a lot from what this very wise man had to say.  And we can also learn from how he lived his life.  Fortunately, there is a beautiful movie, called “Gandhi,” which gives us some insight into his character.  It’s amazing that in basically 3 hours we can see the kinds of things that Gandhi experienced.  It gives us insight into our own nature, and our own potential for growth.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Pauline Kael, 1968

Some movies are so big, so fabulous, so rich with story and action and setting and wardrobe.  “Gone With the Wind” is like that.  Wow.  It’s absolutely breathtaking, and a true classic.  And some movies are smaller, just a more personal story, that doesn’t need much more than the people involved to get the point across.  “Rain Man” is that kind of a movie.  In the film, Tom Cruise’s character discovers that he has an autistic brother, played by Dustin Hoffman.  The journey, how these two get to know each other, and get to understand themselves, and what is important in life, is just beautiful.  It strikes a chord because we all have relationships in our lives from which we can learn about ourselves and our connection to the world.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Clint Eastwood (1930 - )

I am a huge movie fan!  I go to see lots of different types of movies, not just the big blockbusters.  It is really an incredible art form, to tell a story with words and pictures, to evoke emotion, to entertain.  There is a new movie out right now called “What the Bleep Do We Know?”  This is definitely not your standard action-adventure flick, though it is filled with lots of action and adventure.  It’s about Life!  It’s about Consciousness.  What got me is that so many of the concepts in the film are really big concepts, and somehow the filmmakers managed to present them in such a way that the audience is just riveted.  It’s part documentary, part story, part animation, and totally worthwhile.  It’s clear that the filmmakers felt that this was an important movie to make, and that’s why they did it.  Not to sell tickets, or get this huge box-office, but to express what they felt were important things for people to talk about.   This is a great way to live our lives, to be in our “dharma” – do what you need to do, what you feel is important to do, not for the applause, or the critics, or the money, and see what happens.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Flowers are an expression of joy.  It seems like a miracle that the earth can produce such a variety of species, so colorful, vibrant and full of life.  Is it any wonder that we've made such a tradition of giving flowers in courtship?  Sometimes flowers say what words cannot.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Jesus (A.D. 1st cent.) Matthew 6:28

Consider the effortlessness with which flowers grow and bloom and share their glory.  We are like flowers, each individual, each unique - and yet, how often do we try to change our colors to fit in with a particular landscape?  We can learn from the simplicity and beauty of nature.  We can choose to bloom where we are planted.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -John Muir (1838-1914)

Life has a way of showing up.  Grass makes its way through cracks in a sidewalk.  Daffodils poke through previously frozen ground to find the sun.  We might think of flowers as delicate and fragile, but they are strong, and full of life!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)

The source - the fountain - from which this vast array of beauty is born, is the same source that gives us life. And the spirit in which these amazing displays of ecstasy are created is the same spirit with which we were brought to this place and time. We are here to grow, to bloom, to share our gifts with the world.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> Without troubling a star."
-Francis Thompson (1859-1907)

There is a connection between the flowers, the stars, the rivers, between all of life.  There is an exchange of energy that takes place that can help us to thrive.  When we tend to a garden, we encourage growth.  The flowers on our table make us smile.  The fruits we eat nourish our bodies.  It's all good.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Fran Lebowitz

Fran Lebowitz is known for her funny outlook on life – but let’s look at the truth in this statement.  If we think of our “diet” as everything on our “plate” then that would include relationships, work, fun, and yes, food – among other things!  It’s a balance of things that keeps us healthy.  There’s an old saying that “man does not live by bread alone,” meaning that the other gifts of life – love, friendship, music, etc., also give us sustenance.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -W. Somerset Maugham

One way we can honor ourselves and our food is by paying attention to what we eat.  Start the meal with gratitude.  Enjoy the company of people you love.  Share with each other, both the food and the conversation.  Pause after the meal to rest and digest before transitioning to another activity.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Madame Benoit

Cooking is a wonderful way in which we can express our creativity.  We can improvise with herbs, experiment with color and presentation.  My friend Cheryl Sindell has a wonderful book that shows us how cooking can be fun and playful – and also intuitive!  It’s called “Cooking Without Recipes.”  That’s the way I like to cook, by what tastes good to me.  I rarely stick to any recipe!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Pearl S. Buck, 1967

Food is probably the most basic of human needs.  It’s one way that we take care of each other.  I think of when I would go over to my grandmother’s house.  She loved to feed me!  Somehow it made her feel good to see me eat.  There is a website now that we can visit, and just by “clicking” food is provided to people who need it most.  It doesn’t cost us anything because it is advertiser sponsored.  This is just one example of how people are coming together to help alleviate the hunger problem in the world.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826)

The more popular version of this saying is: “You are what you eat.”  That’s easy to understand in terms of food.  We know what’s good for our bodies.  But think of what we eat in terms of what we consume in the media, and the marketplace, too.  Are we buying and using products that are good for ourselves and the environment?  Are we reading, watching shows, and expressing ourselves in ways that are beneficial to humanity?  Food for thought!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> We must be busy when the corn is ripe.”
-Goethe (1749-1832)

There are times when everything just seems to come together.  It seems easy, almost like magic!  When that happens, we’re going with the flow.  We’re in tune with nature.  There’s a saying that luck is when preparation meets opportunity.  When we’ve taken the steps, planted the seeds, and tended the garden, then we have to expect that at some point our efforts will make a difference.  Are we ready when it’s time to reap the rewards?
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Sa’di (A.D. 1213? – 1292)

We’ve heard some version of this particular quote used for many different scenarios.  Its purpose is to show us that there is always something more.  There are no endings, only new beginnings.  Is that lucky for us?  It’s nature’s design!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Sallust (86? – 34? B.C.)

Whatever fortune we have, or don’t have, does not affect who we are.  Who we really are, our spirit, is unchangeable.  Our behaviors may change, our roles may change, or environments may change – how we express ourselves is our choice.  Fortune has no influence on our spirit one way or another.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774)

Fortune could be thought of in terms of money (“I made a fortune last year!” The Fortune 500, etc.) or in terms of luck (fortune cookies, “I had the good fortune to know him” etc).  Either way, since we create our lives, we are ultimately creating the fortune in our lives – so we have to give ourselves credit where it is due!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

Sometimes something we see as misfortune at the time can turn out to be one of the best things that has ever happened to us.  Maybe it’s a wake-up call – something that spurs us on to achieve.  Whatever it is, we have to have faith that all of the resources we need we already have.  We can do anything.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -C.S. Lewis (1898-1963)

C.S. Lewis had a very practical way of looking at the future.  In this description, the future could be seen as the great equalizer.  The truth is that the future belongs to each of us, and it is up to us how we approach it.  The possibilities are endless!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Charles E. Merriam (1876-1953)

Our present was at one time our future.  We got here because of the choices we made.  As we continue to learn and grow, we are better equipped to make the kinds of choices that bring us to the future we envision for ourselves.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -E.J. Hobsbawm (1917- )

Surprise!  The future is that realm of uncertainty – beautiful, and a little scary, but would we have it any other way?  Wouldn’t life be totally boring if we knew all the time exactly what was going to happen?  The future can change with a thought.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Simone Weil, 1968

It’s so amazing how true this is… so many times I meet people and our experiences in life have been so similar – it’s almost like we’re all living the same life – maybe in different places, or different times, but the lessons we learn are universal.  And the lessons don’t change.  We’ve heard them time and time again, it’s just up to us to assimilate them into our lives until we “get it.”
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Hazel Henderson (1981)

One of my favorite books of all time is Martin Seligman’s “Learned Optimism.”  It is a classic, and it makes so much sense.  The subtitle is “How to Change Your Mind and Your Life.”  It’s just a matter of looking at things, including the future, differently.  It can make a huge difference in how we experience things.  
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

How does your garden grow?  Remember that line from a nursery rhyme?  Now we can see how it applies to the ‘big picture.’  What choices are we making?  What colors are we choosing for our palette?    Do we have some vegetables in the mix?  Some fragrant flowers?  Are we showing our garden enough tender-loving-care?    We will harvest our rewards, and they can be as bountiful as we want them to be!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Joseph Joubert (1754-1824)

This week’s topic is gardening.  I’m looking at it in the bigger sense of the word.  There’s a reason why we understand the philosophy: ‘You reap what you sow’ - in gardening nothing is more true!  When we plant radishes, we can’t expect gardenias to spring up.  This life is our garden, and we can tend to it, and make it a beautiful place to be.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

Here’s an example of how the journey can be more important than the destination!  Thoreau is known as a naturalist.  He had a great affinity for nature, and loved to write about it.  Sure, the pudding must have been a nice treat, but I can see where Thoreau felt that the adventures that led up to the pudding made it all the more delicious!
-Lisa Marie Coffey

]]> -Bertha Damon, 1938

Both of my grandmothers had that “green thumb” that is so coveted by gardeners.  And my mother and my sister have it, too.  Gardening really is a kind of meditation.  It is a beautiful way to be close to Spirit – to co-create, to nurture and to guide these little plants to full glory.  I think of the joy that these women get from ‘working in the garden’ and I wonder what I’m doing inside on my computer!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Ruth Stout, 1955

We are so intricately connected and with each other that we can feel a person’s emotions.  It’s the same way with the earth – we are just as connected with this planet, so why wouldn’t ‘it’ be able to feel our emotions as well?  In the movie ‘Like Water for Chocolate’ there is a scene where a girl is broken-hearted.  As she cooks, her tears fall into the stew, and when the family eats the stew, they start to cry.  When we’re sick with a cold, the famous remedy is chicken soup – but what is the ‘magic’ ingredient that makes the soup so healing?  The love that the cook puts in there!  These are illustrations of how our emotions, or how our intent, can affect our environment, and the people in our lives.  In a way, we are gardening all the time.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931)

Often we associate genius with intelligence.  But according to Edison, it is much more than that.  There are a lot of really smart people in this world – but how many of them really channel that intelligence into something bigger than themselves?   How many can say that they have worked so hard that their efforts have created something that benefits all of mankind?  These are the true geniuses.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)

Given this explanation, we all have the potential for genius.  I think a genius is someone who has worked so hard at something that they make it look easy, effortless.  In Howard Gardner’s book, “Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences,” he identifies seven kinds of intelligence, and he recently added an eighth.  Genius can be found in any field, and it shines as a bright example for all of us.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

We are so intricately connected with nature.  And nature has so much organizing power and so much intelligence that we can tap into!  We can harness that energy, we can flow with it and create anything we can imagine.  We can work together with nature, for the good of nature, and all of us.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -William James (1842-1910)

Ah!  How true!  It’s thinking “out of the box” or “breaking the mold!”  It’s breaking that karmic cycle of doing the same thing, the same way, over and over again.  Genius is originality!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Mary Russell Mitford, 1813

Versatility, flexibility, enthusiasm – these are all traits that I would associate with genius. You’ve got to be able to go with the flow, take what comes and adapt – and you’ve got to love what you’re doing to be able to keep doing it until you reach the desired results. It’s hard work, and it’s also insight, seeing “inside” and having that vision that keeps you going.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Harriet Martineau, Society in America, 1837

This is so cool.  There are geniuses at Ivy League schools, no surprise there – and there are geniuses who are in kindergarten.  It doesn’t matter about age, or gender, education or nationality – the potential for genius is everywhere equally.  It’s in all of us, right now!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Mary Austin, Everyman’s Genius (1925)

The potential for genius is within all of us.  Genius can be expressed in so many different ways.  Howard Gardner has come up with the theory of Multiple Intelligences – and he has named 8 of the in his books.  Genius can show up in athletics, in music, in mathematics, in a “green thumb” – in so many different ways!  We can develop genius, we can pursue it.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Mary Russell Mitford, 1813

Can you just imagine Benjamin Franklin putting the key on the kite – and flying it out in the storm – the guy had to have had a sense of playfulness!  And think about modern day geniuses, like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs playing with their inventions in the garage, dreaming up programs to come up with home computers.  There must have been set-backs all along the way, but the ability to be versatile, flexible, to go with the flow had to have kept them going when other would have given up.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Maude Adams, 1907

Genius is able to see things that are there, that others overlook.  It’s not “rose-colored glasses” or “x-ray vision” – it’s more like heightened perception.  Seeing the big picture, and the details at the same time.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Arlene Croce, Afterimages, 1976

We hear a lot lately about “out of the box” thinking – that’s what genius is.  There are no boundaries, no limits – there is unlimited potential, including potential for greatness.  I don’t think genius is so rare as it is so rarely expressed.  We have these expectations that we place on ourselves, or that are placed on us, and we tend to go just that far.  But, oh, the possibilities that are out there for us!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Han Suyin, 1952

Think of some of the people in this world who have been an example to us of gentleness: Jesus Christ, Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama.  These people also demonstrate great strength.  Gentle does not mean weak.  Gentleness is kind and loving.  It is a quality which grows and expands in us as we recognize and live in love.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> the bread you meet each day
is still rising
Don’t scare the dough.
-Macrina Wiederkehr, 1979

Our lives are a work in progress.  We’re all doing the best we can.  It helps to be nurturing, and encouraging to one another.  But if we can’t do that, the least we can do is to be gentle.  Allow for the process to happen.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Emilie Carles, 1977

We can be gentle with our place on the earth, with our role on the planet.  Flowers give us their beauty, and their fragrance.  They are happy to share – it is their dharma, their purpose!  When we are in nature, we can give respect, and not interfere.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Marlene Dietrich, 1962

What we do carries more weight than what we say.  If we mean what we say, how do we show it?  When we’re talking about love – it means being gentle, and tender, and loyal and available.  Think of how we respond to a sleeping baby – we cuddle and whisper and walk softly.  It’s in our nature to show love by being gentle.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Robert South (1634-1716)

Each of our heroes, in life and in literature, throughout history – no matter how strong – has a gentleness to him or her, an openness, a sincerity that shows us that this person really cares.  Spiderman is so popular right now because he’s not just this “larger than life” character who has amazing powers – but because he’s also basically a nice guy.  He loves his family, and he struggles to do the right thing.  He doesn’t like to see people hurt.  He’s not all about the money or the recognition; he really wants to help.  Who wouldn’t love a gentle soul like that?
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Goethe (1749-1832)

This week our topic is goals.  We learn about the importance of setting goals, and we know how good it feels when we reach those goals.  But at the same time, we need to remember that each step is an important part of our progress.  We need to recognize this, and celebrate that we are moving forward.  We are learning and growing every day.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Horace Kallen, 1952

This is another way of saying that the journey, not the destination, is our goal.  We’re hear to be in the game, so we might as well play. Sometimes we have a good run, sometimes we score, and sometimes we fall down.  As long as our heart is in it, we’re making progress.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Lewis Mumford (1895-1990)

What I love about this quote is that it says “self-transformation,” not just “transformation.”  Transformation is change, growth.  We can’t change anyone but ourselves.  We can’t grow for anyone but ourselves.  When we realize, as a whole, how important it is for us to transform individually, and we each take responsibility for this, then great change will occur globally.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Anna Jameson, 1855

We wouldn’t aspire to something if it wasn’t within our capability to achieve it.  We can see, both literally and figuratively, ahead as far as we want to go.  Because we can perceive something means that it is already a part of us.  Distance, whether in time or space, is all relative.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> To greatness, but an ignorance of aims
Makes it impossible to be great at all.”
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning, 1851

A lot of times we hear stories about entrepreneurs who say they didn’t know just how they were going to make their business work, they just knew they were going to do it.  They had a goal, and worked toward that goal diligently.  When we keep our “eye on the prize” it’s easier to let obstacles fall by the wayside.  We become creative in our quest.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> What good have I done today?”
-Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

Benjamin Franklin used to start his day with the first question, and end his day with the second.  He consciously set out to do good, every single day.  And he checked back with himself to make sure that he followed through.  It was important to him.  Good here is a noun, used in the way that he wanted to make some contribution.  We’ve seen the grand contributions that Franklin has made to the world, but I’m sure that given his philosophy, there was much more good that he did that we are not aware of: lives he touched, people he helped.  What a wonderful example to us!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Francesco Guicciardini (1483-1540)

Ah!  Too many times the “what’s in it for me?” creeps up when we are in a position to do some good.  We wonder if it is worth the effort, and the time it takes, to go out of our way.  But when we really do good, without expectation of any reward or reciprocation, it feels good.  And isn’t that the best compensation anyway?
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Marcus Aurelius (A.D. 121-180)

There are so many debates about what “good” is, and man’s nature, whether we are “wired” for good or selfish motives.  But does it matter?  We all have our own definitions of what good is.  If we’d just live up to that, this world would be a better place.  Do good, be good – whatever that means to you!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Rousseau (1712-1778)

Our actions help to create our reality.  Do we think good thoughts?  Do we do good things?  Do we help out?  By doing good, we see ourselves as good, and then that is our reality.  When we can see it in ourselves, we can see it in the world.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

The words that follow “I am…” help us to define ourselves.  We strive for harmony, and balance, within our own physiology and within our world.  Good is positive, and healthy – healthy for our minds and bodies and emotions and self-esteem.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

Ever noticed how it is harder to climb up than it is to climb down?  It’s a tough go, each step is a challenge, and the higher you go, the harder it gets because you get tired and sore from working so hard.  But the air gets more clear, and the view gets better – there are many advantages to “rising above.”  Sometimes we can take those stairs two at a time – but most often it’s just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other to make continual progress.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Could this be how we can distinguish between the great and the average?  This is an important component of greatness – the ability to know that strength within, and the intelligence to use that strength rather than to rely on outside adornments (a title, a paycheck, a uniform or a vehicle) to get things done.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

It all starts with us – right where we are.  We have the capacity for greatness, we have the ability to achieve and accomplish whatever it is that we set out to do.  But do we know this?  Do we believe it?  Do we act as if this is true?  Or do we hesitate, procrastinate, or hedge our bets?  We must be confident and forge ahead if we are going to get anywhere.  And how far we go is simply a matter of how fast we move and how long we keep going!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Mark Twain (1835-1910)

People who are “great” feel so jealousy or competition with others.  They understand that there are no limits, that there is no lack.  A little encouragement and support go a long way toward helping someone pursue, and eventually achieve, his ambitions.  It feels good to hear someone say: “if I can do it, you can do it!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910)

This week the topic is “greatness.”  Is goodness a prerequisite for greatness?  I think so.  Greatness is different from power, from fame.  It’s something that is not completely defined, but is instantly recognized.  It cuts across lines of age, race and gender.  We all have the potential for greatness.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948)

We talk about how the heart thinks, and how the heart is intuitive - and we also understand that the heart has a conscience.  We ask what is in someone's heart, meaning that we want to know their intentions.  But we can't do anything about anyone else's heart.  We can only work on ourselves, and learn to tune in to our own heart's wisdom and desires.
-Lissa Coffey

]]>     For in one soul are contained the hopes and feelings of all Mankind."
-Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931)

Love is strong, love is powerful - love makes all things possible.  This same strength is within each one of us.  Physically, our heart is the "engine" that drives our whole body.  Emotionally, love is what keeps us going.  Love lights the way for us.
-Lissa Coffey

]]>     For in one soul are contained the hopes and feelings of all Mankind."
-Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931)

Love is strong, love is powerful - love makes all things possible.  This same strength is within each one of us.  Physically, our heart is the "engine" that drives our whole body.  Emotionally, love is what keeps us going.  Love lights the way for us.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Joseph Roux (1834-1886)

We say: Listen to your heart.  Follow your heart.  But do we take our own advice, or do we overthink and rationalize?  Where does intuition come from?  We feel it in our gut or know it in our hearts.  Too often we ignore it, thinking that we know better, that logic says something different.  Our heads can argue, we can debate an issue with ourselves and end up more confused than ever.  But our heart doesn't waver.  It offers a clear direction.  When we take the time to tune in, its message is simple.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Zelda Fitzgerald, 1945

The heart is associated with love.  How much love can we hold in our hearts?  What is our capacity for love?  It is immeasurable!  There's not a limit on how many people we can love, or how much we can love, or how deeply we can love.  Love can't be quantified.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Evelyn Underhill, 1955

The heart has its own intelligence.  Paul Pearsall wrote an amazing book called "The Heart's Code" where he talks about all the research he has done that proves that the heart actually "thinks."  This is not just an organ in our body that serves a function for us to live.  The heart is a sophisticated tool that can help us to live better, more beautifully.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -George Eliot

When we look for our dharma, our purpose in life, we recognize it when we can affirmatively answer the following questions:  Is this something I love to do?  Is this something that helps others?  Of course there is a huge range of things that qualify as helpful, and we can’t all be Mother Teresa.  But we can each contribute to making the world a better place, and spreading some light, love and laughter in our own unique way.   
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Wilfred Grenfell

Helping other is not just an obligation; it’s a responsibility.  Are we making a difference in the world, or are we just taking up space?  There are opportunities for service presented to us every day, and these are also opportunities for our own learning and growth.  It can be something simple, or something grand, and when we rise to the occasion we know we’ve done something good, because we feel good.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Herman Melville

When we help one person, we’re helping all people – and we’re helping ourselves.  Because of our intricate connection with each other – we feel it on some deep primordial level.  And it works the other way, too.  When one of us is hurt, all of us are hurt.  Because of technology and advances in communications, we can understand better how something like a war, way on the other side of the world affects each one of us.  We see the war; we feel the emotions.  People we love are far away from us, and our hearts are with them, and their families.  We can help them with our thoughts and prayers.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Ben Sweetland

We’re all connected.  By helping another, we’re helping ourselves!  And for that reason, we need to be able to ask for help when we need it, too.  By allowing someone to help us, we are actually giving that person the opportunity to learn and grow!  It’s good to help out, and it’s good to seek help when we need it, too.  We’re all in this together!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Helen Keller

A basic human need is to feel needed.  When we are feeling unhappy, we can step outside of ourselves and do something to help someone else.  Once we see the effect that our actions have in the world, how our helping does some good, we are reminded how much we truly are needed.  We are here for a reason.  There are so many things we can do to help, we just have to get out there and do them!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)

Our topic this week is honesty.  Policy is open to interpretation.  Honesty is clear, and simple.  When we live honestly we are governed by our own conscience, we answer to ourselves.  Relationships based on honesty have clear channels of communication, which generate openness and trust.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881)

There are so many things in this world that we would like to change, if only we could.  Yet so much is out of our personal control.  What we can work on, at any given moment in time, is changing our own behavior.  It starts with a decision.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Socrates (469-399 B.C.)

The most important aspect of being honest is being honest with ourselves.  This involves self-trust, and self-knowledge.  It is important to learn who we are, and to express who we are freely.  No masks, no illusions.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

It is our nature to be honest.  Look at how everything else in the world expresses itself.  We don’t expect antelope behavior from a lion, that would be silly.  And yet many times we go around being untrue to ourselves.  We are strong, beautiful, creative – so let’s not be afraid to show it!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> - William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

Being called honest is a compliment.  And it feels good to hear that someone appreciates that about us.  It’s because we value honesty, it’s important to us.  We like to be dealt with fairly and honestly.  Honesty engenders trust, which builds strong relationships.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Barbara Grizzuti Harrison, 1992

What is real?  What is illusion?  These are two of the biggest questions we’re faced with in this lifetime.  Especially today, when we have TV and “reality TV” – who is real and who is putting on a show?  But one thing we know is that there are indeed illusions, and it’s just a matter of each one of us figuring out for ourselves what is real, what is important, what is ever-lasting.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Judith Guest, 1976

There seems to be a lot of escapism in our society.  We like to go to movies and get lost in a story.  We like to visit places like Disneyland, called “the happiest place on earth.”  As much as we can enjoy these excursions, we can’t live in Fantasyland.  But what we must understand is that reality can be just as blissful.  We can create our lives so that we experience joy, love, peace, anytime we want to.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Henry Amiel (1821-1881)

Who do we think we are?  We go around acting like human do-ings, with families, jobs, cars, mortgages.  But is this our reality, or is it an illusion, a play?  There’s an ancient Indian saying that explains that we are actually spiritual beings having a human experience.  Let’s think of ourselves from that perspective, and see how things change for us.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

This quote makes me smile.  It’s a funny illustration of illusion.  It’s good to keep a sense of humor about ourselves.  Life can be hard, but we can still laugh.  Sometimes we think we’re going through something really painful, awkward, or difficult – and we look at each other and say “some day we’ll look back on this and laugh” – and that immediately lightens the situation because we know it’s true!  Life is full of experiences.  Sometimes we’re the ox and sometimes we’re the fly.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Plotinus (A.D. 205-270)

The outer:  the job, the money, the big screen TV – but what makes us go in pursuit of that?  Who makes us go in pursuit of that?  Eventually the same thing that drives us to go after “the outer” finds that it is not satisfied.  With maturity and experience we learn that the inner world holds treasures for us far more valuable than we ever could have imagined.  The veil of illusion is lifted when we tap into the power of love.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> And many a message from the skies,
That something in us never dies.”
-Robert Burns (1759-1796)

Nature illustrates its message to us in so many beautiful ways.  The cycles of the seasons – the sun rising every day – the rainbow after the storm.  Life is beautiful and bold, precious and strong – and such a ride!  Nature mirrors our Spirit.  Nature nurtures our Soul.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach (1830-1916)

I had to smile when I read this quote!  It’s so funny because it rings true!  There are universal truths in life – certain things that are said over and over again – and maybe the first person who makes the statement gets the credit for it, and the others are left to quote this person.  But knowledge and wisdom is available to all of us – whether we read it in a book, or obtain it through meditation.  Probably everything that needs to have been said, has been said already – but by saying it again, in a different way, time, or place, someone hears it for the first time.  Truth resonates.  Truth is immortal no matter who says it.
-Lissa Coffey

]]>   And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
  Was not spoken of the soul.”
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

This is from one of my favorite poem’s “A Psalm of Life” – it’s the one that also expresses:
“Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime
And departing, leave behind us
Footprints in the sands of time.
Let us then be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate,
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.”
Longfellow said it so well – and his words live on, appropriate for anytime or place, because they echo the truth so beautifully.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> A Sequel stands beyond –
Invisible, as Music –
But positive, as Sound.”
-Emily Dickinson (1862)

I just love this!  We close our eyes and it is there, beautiful music – undeniable.  It’s that faith that even though we can’t see something, it exists.  It is within it, it is all around us.  
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Benedict De Spinoza

Immortality is a big word that is open to so much interpretation.  What does it mean to you?  This is a good one for the discussion boards!  Instinctually, we know that there is some degree of immortality to life.  Whether it’s in memories, or history, we each make kind of some impression on this world just with our presence.  And when we add to it the work that we do, and the love we share, there’s a part of ourselves that lives on far beyond our time here on earth.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Erma Bombeck, 1971

Life is funny – and people are funny – isn’t great that we can laugh at ourselves?  We all go through ages and stages – and somehow we make it through.  Our individuality shines through the more we learn and grow.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948)

This week out topic is individuality.  We often ask ourselves in our spiritual practice the “who am I?” question.  Three little words, and such a big question!  We learn more about this every day as we learn more about the world we live in.  It becomes “who am I and what can I do to help?”  “What makes me different?”  “What are my unique qualities which I can use to make a contribution to the world?”  And as we learn and grow we progress, and the world progresses right along with us.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -John Lyly (1554?-1606)

I’ve always heard this “broke the mold” quote and now I know where it came from!  Yes, we’re all made up of the same “stuff”: bones, water, muscle tissue, etc.  But each one of us is completely and totally unique and individual.  Our looks contribute to our individuality, but mostly it’s our character, our values, our interests, our ideas, and our opinions – the “intangible stuff” that “defines” who we are.    We are creating our lives, and our individuality, every day.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Margaret Mead (1910-1978)

We are all One, and we are all individuals – we are each an individual expression of the Spirit that animates us.  It is because of our differences, and our uniqueness, that we can help each other and learn from each other.  We each have something to contribute – because we are each a part of the Whole.  And yet, we are whole and complete within ourselves, and we have that in common with everyone else!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)

I think we’ve all heard the advice: “Just be yourself.”  To do that we have to know whom that “self” is!  It is in the process of our growth that we develop our individuality, and that we understand and accept who we are - and at the same time, create for ourselves the life we want to live.  As we learn more about ourselves, we can appreciate our worth, and see all that we have to share with the world.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792)

Our topic this week is industry.  Whether you call it industry, or action, there’s no substitute for good, old-fashioned effort.  There is definitely a place for thinking positively.  And that must be followed up with planning and organizing.  Then steps must be taken to implement the plan.  All this is industry, and we can use it to create, to make things happen!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)

Work worth doing hardly seems like work at all – it’s a pleasure!  Doing good work makes us feel alive.  It’s wonderful to be able to contribute, to be able to make an impact, make a difference.  Any work you love doing, any work that helps people, or makes the world a better place in any way – that is work worth doing.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Henry Taylor (1800-1886)

Advancement is moving forward, improvement, growth.  We are driven to industry, attracted to it, because we know how much further we have to go, and how much further it can take us.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

What is your passion?  Where do you put your energy?  There are choices we have to make everyday about how we spend our time.  Think about it, and choose wisely.  There is so much we can do, but we can’t do it all at once!
-Lissa Coffey


]]> -Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931)

Good advice from someone who knows!  We can take Edison’s word for it because we know he worked hard.  And we know the work he did produced some amazing results!  But, Edison didn’t just work hard, he worked smart.  He was organized, and had a plan, and he didn’t give up.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Anna Freud

Our topic this week is insight.  The word itself, “in-sight,” explains its meaning.  It is looking within, and seeing what is there.  Our strength, confidence, wisdom, creativity, beauty, power – all of it – comes from within.  We carry it with us.  When we are aware of its presence we can more easily bring it forward.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Florida Scott-Maxwell

All of the experiences we’ve gone through in life have brought us to where we are right now.  When we look at the lessons learned, we understand that it’s all part of the process.  We can’t change the past, and we can’t control the future, but we can live in this moment, aware and grateful for the person we are today.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Martha Washington

I think it was Abraham Lincoln who later said: “We’re about as happy as we make up our minds to be.”  Events and circumstances change all around us, all the time.  And yet our spirit remains present throughout.  In difficulties, it doesn’t retreat to wait on more ideal times.  We can choose our attitude.  So why not choose to garner insight and make the most of any condition?
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Louisa May Alcott

As we go through life, learning and growing, we gain insight. And often what we see is that the formula for success, and happiness, is really very simple.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Marcia Wieder

Believe in yourself.  Be yourself.  Wise words, but do we take them to heart?  Do we even understand the deep meaning of these words?  First we need to know who we are.  When we recognize and acknowledge the wisdom, strength and beauty that is within us, we understand that we can’t be anything less.  Our dreams and desires are empowered by our faith and conviction.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -D.H. Lawrence

We are attracted to what we are attracted to for a reason.  We want what we want for a reason.  We are drawn in a certain direction for a reason.  These are all clues as to our purpose in life.  Our instincts work to bring us to our desires.  They don’t come to us so much as we go to them through our actions and efforts.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -George Bernard Shaw

We know what is good for us.  That’s common sense.  We don’t even have to think about it.  When we apply that same common sense, that same instinct, to the big things in our lives then they can come just as easily, just as effortlessly for us.  The universe is made up of infinite intelligence, and we can tap into it if we would just get out of our own way.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Holmes

There are so many examples in nature of animals that follow their instinct.  It is really our nature to do so.  So why do we fight it?  We think we know better?  We are equipped with this instinct for a reason.  It’s our radar, and it’s build into our system.  We just have to use it.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Stanley Kubrick

We know when something feels right.  Our body sends us that signal of comfort when we are making a good decision.  And when we have that feeling of discomfort, then something is wrong.  It’s a signal for us to choose again.  The “feel” of it leads us to the truth.  If we had to make a decision solely based on thinking, we may come to an entirely different conclusion.  There are too many other factors to consider, and our mind weighs the alternatives.  Easier, and quicker, to “go with the gut” in many cases, and basically follow our instinct.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -John Sterling

I like John Sterling’s definition of instinct.  It sounds like thinking with our heart, rather than our head.  Sometimes in our head we over-think, and maybe that’s where the self-consciousness comes in.  Our ego second guesses us.  But the way our hearts think it’s pure; it’s instinctual.  Paul Pearsall wrote a book called “The Heart’s Code” that explains a lot of this.  It’s a remarkable concept.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Society challenges us all the time.  We’re here in this human existence to learn and to grow, and facing these challenges is one way for us to do that.  What wins out, temptation or conviction?  Integrity has a lot to do with it.  Like Jiminy Cricket sings: “always let your conscience be your guide.”
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Hermann Hesse (1877-1962)

Promptings come from the true self all the time.  But are we listening?  Are we responding?  There is so much clutter and confusion in the world that too often we aren’t tuning in to that still small voice inside.  And yet that’s where all the wisdom is, with the true self.  First we need to listen, and then we can live in accord with those promptings.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

So of course it follows that integrity with knowledge is strong and powerful.  We’re here to learn and to grow.  When we educate ourselves we become better decision makers.  And when we back up our wisdom with integrity we can change the world.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -George Washington (1732-1799)

There must have been many reasons why our founding fathers chose George Washington to be the first president of the United States.  And it is likely that one of those reasons was that he was a man of integrity.  When we have integrity, we earn respect and trust.  These are important qualities in a leader.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.”
-Shakespeare (1564-1616), Hamlet

Integrity is meaning what you say, it’s doing what you say you will do.  It’s being honest, but more than that, it is staying true to what you believe to be right, just, and fair.  When we know who we are, integrity comes easily.  We expect nothing less of ourselves.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -John Dewey (1895-1952)

IQ tests are one measurement of intelligence.  It is interesting to note that one person’s score on a test can change, indicating that the person’s intelligence can change.  We can actually teach ourselves to think smarter.  One way to do this is through meditation, tapping into the wisdom of the universe.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Sharon Begley et al (in Newsweek, 1986)

Technology may attempt to keep pace with the mind, but no computer will ever be as intelligent as a human being.  A computer represents just one kind of intelligence, while we wonderful creatures also exhibit emotional intelligence, spiritual intelligence, physical intelligence, and so much more that’s just not programmable into a mere machine.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Woodrow Wilson

We don’t need to know everything.  Isn’t that great?  What a burden it would be to carry around all that information constantly.  And yet everything we could ever need, or want, to know is available to us at any time.  All we have to do is ask!  We are here to help each other, we are our own greatest resource.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -John Naisbitt

Data and information are computed in the mind.  When intuition comes into play then we are thinking with our heart.  Using our mind and our heart together we tend to make much more intelligent decisions.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -John G. Stoessinger

Intelligence is a wonderful trait, it serves us well in so many ways.  And yet, wisdom, which is knowledge seasoned with experience, and compassion, which is heartfelt empathy, makes us all the more intelligent.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Mary Kay Blakely, 1989

Yes, we are independent, as people and as a nation, and at the same time we are interdependent.  We rely on each other.  We support and sustain one another.  Each person, independently, makes contributions that have far-reaching effects.  It’s the pebble in the pond example, where the ripples are felt for a long time after the stone has landed.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Brooke Medicine Eagle, 1991

The great web of life – this amazing connection that binds us together.  These days when we hear “web” we think of the worldwide web.  And this is a great analogy for how we can really move beyond space and time to experience our connection with one another.  I had a service question for aol recently, and ended up speaking with a technician in India!  We had a great conversation.  He solved my problem and I showed him my whatsyourdosha.com website.  Although Ayurveda is somewhat new to us here in the west, it’s a part of everyday life in India, and he was pleased that we are finally “getting” it!
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Rosamond Marshall, 1943

We have an inherent obligation to help out.  When someone is in pain, that hurt affects more than just that one person.  By reaching out, by showing compassion, by doing whatever we can to ease the burden, we make it better for all of us.  Love lifts, love heals, love lightens.  Whether it’s right here at home, or across the world, there are so many opportunities to make a difference.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, 1893

I guess you could say that what comes around, goes around, and why not in a good way?  Think of it as some kind of karmic bank account that keeps track of our good deeds.  We don’t have to keep score, the universe takes note!  So we don’t have to think about it, we just have to take action, help out, do our best to make the world a better place for all of us.  It all works out.
-Lissa Coffey

]]> -Penelope Lively, 1987

Hinges open doors!  Isn’t this great?  We have the power, and the privilege, to open doors for people, to create opportunities, to make life better!  And when we work together, doors come flying open,