Catalyst Quotes

“Today is Filled With Anger / Make Every Tomorrow a Vision of Hope

 

 

“I resent violence or intolerance in any shape or form.  It never reaches anything or stops anything.  A revolution must come on the due installments plans.  It’s a patent absurdity on the face of it to hate people because they live round the corner and speak a different vernacular, so to speak.”     (James Joyce, Ulysses)

 

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“If you start by hating one or two people, you won’t be able to stop.  Pretty soon you’ll hate a hundred people.”
“A zillion?”
“Even a zillion.  A little hatred goes a long, long way.  It grows and grows.  And it’s hungry.”
“Like Cimmamum?”
“Even hungrier.  You keep feeding it more and more people, and the more it gets, the more it wants.  It’s never satisfied.  And pretty soon it squeezes all the love out of your heart” — I pointed to her heart; she looked down at her chest — “and all you’ll have left is a hateful heart.”     (Jerry Spinelli, Love, Stargirl)

 

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“Today is filled with anger, fueled with hidden hate.
Scared of being outkast, afraid of common fate.
Today is built on tragedies which no one wants to face.
Nightmares to humanity and morally disgraced.
Tonight, is filled with Rage, violence in the air.
Children bred with ruthlessness cause no one at home cares.
Tonight, I lay my head down but the pressure never stops,
knowing that my sanity content when I’m dropped.
But tomorrow I see change, a chance to build a new,
build on spirit intent of heart and ideas based on truth.
Tomorrow I wake with second wind and strong because of pride.
I know I fought with all my heart to keep the dream alive.”     (Tupac Shakur)

 

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“One theory says that if you treat people well, you’re more likely to encourage them to do what you want, making all the effort pay off.  Do this, get that.
Another one, which I prefer, is that you might consider treating people with kindness merely because you can.  Regardless of what they choose to do in response, this is what you choose to do.  Because you can.”     (Seth Godin, Seth’s Blog, June 2, 2014)

 

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“Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself.  I mean, do not be disheartened by your imperfections, but always rise up with fresh courage.  How are we to be patient in dealing with our neighbor’s faults if we are impatient in dealing with our own?  He who is fretted by his own failings will not correct them. All profitable correction comes from a calm, peaceful mind.”     (St. Francis de Sales)

 

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“Yesterday is but a dream, tomorrow is but a vision.
But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day.”     (Sanskrit proverb)

 

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“Our First Teacher is Our Own Heart”

 

“I had a monumental idea this morning, but I didn’t like it.”     (Samuel Goldwyn)

 

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“To know how to wonder and question is the first step of the mind towards discovery.”     (Louis Pasteur)

 

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“The winds of grace are always blowing, but it is you that must raise your sails.” (Rabindranath Tagore)

 

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“Seek not that the things which happen should happen as you wish; but wish the things which happened to be as they are, and you will have a tranquil flow of life.” (Epictetus)

 

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“Our first teacher is our own heart.”     (Cheyenne saying)

 

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“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds:  Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world.  Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.”     (Patanjali)

 

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“A mind once stretched by a great idea or new understanding will never fully return to its original dimensions.”     (William James)

 

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“The Choice – Attitude”

 

The Choice

“Attitude is the most important choice any of us will make.  We made it yesterday and we get another choice to make it today.  And then again tomorrow.
The choice to participate.
To be optimistic.
To intentionally bring out the best in other people.

We make the choice to inquire, to be curious, to challenge the status quo.
To give people the benefit of the doubt.
To find hope instead of fear in the face of uncertainty.

Of course these are attitudes.  What else could they be?
And of course, they are a choice.  No one does these things to us.  We choose them and do the work (and find the benefits) that come with them.”     (Seth Godin, Seth’s Blog, January 1, 2017)

 

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“The only one who can tell you ‘you can’t ‘ is you.
And you don’t have to listen.”      (Nike)

 

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“We all think we’re going to be great and we feel a little bit robbed when our expectations aren’t met.  But sometimes expectations sell us short.  Sometimes the expected simply pales in comparison to the unexpected.  You got to wonder why we cling to our expectations, because the expected is just what keeps us steady. Standing.  Still, the unexpected is just the beginning; the unexpected is what changes our lives.”     (Grey’s Anatomy)

 

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“Life is like a sandwich!

Birth as one slice,
and death as the other.
What you put in-between
the slices is up to you.

Is your sandwich tasty or sour?     (Allan Rufus)

 

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“The purpose of life is not to be happy.  It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”    (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

 

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“But there’s something in me that just keeps going on.  I think it has something to do with tomorrow – that there is always one, and that everything can change when it comes.”     (Augusten Burroughs)

 

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“Life is what you make it.  Always has been, always will be.”     (Eleanor Roosevelt)

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“A Chapter of Life”

 

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A Chapter of Life

“Life is like a book with many different chapters.
Some tell of tragedy, others of triumph.  Some chapters are dull and ordinary, others intense and exciting.
The key to being a success in life is to never stop on a difficult page, to never quit on a tough chapter.
Champions have the courage to keep turning the pages because they know a better chapter lies ahead.”     (Author Unknown, Bits & Pieces)

 

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“Do more than exist – live.
Do more than touch – feel.
Do more than look – observe.
Do more than read – absorb.
Do more than hear – listen.
Do more than listen – understand.”     (John H. Rhoades)

 

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“Adults follow paths.  Children explore.  Adults are content to walk the same way, hundreds of times, or thousands; perhaps it never occurs to adults to step off the paths, to creep beneath rhododendrons, to find the spaces between fences.  I was a child, and I knew a dozen different ways of getting out of our property and into the lane, ways that would not involve walking down our drive.”     (Neil Gaiman, The Ocean at the End of the Lane)

 

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“People do what people see.
They forget your words but follow your footsteps.”     (John Maxwell)

 

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“Without realizing it, we fill important places in each other’s lives.  It’s that way with the guy at the corner grocery, the mechanic at the local garage, the family doctor, teachers, neighbors, coworkers.  Good people who are always ‘there,’ who can be relied upon in small, important ways.  People who teach us, bless us, encourage us, support us, uplift us in the dailiness of life.  We never tell them. I don’t know why, but we don’t.
And, of course, we fill that role ourselves.  There are those who depend on us, watch us, learn from us, take from us.  And we never know.
You may never have proof of your importance, but you are more important than you think.  There are always those who couldn’t do without you.  The rub is that you don’t always know who.”     (Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten)

 

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“Love is sometimes shown in the things you don’t say, don’t keep track of and don’t notice.  The greatest kindness is often shown in letting things go. None of us is perfect, but we can all be perfect friends and perfect partners by allowing those that we love to be imperfect.  Give those around you the ‘break’ that you hope the world will give you on your own ‘bad day’ and you’ll never, ever regret it.”    (Neale Donald Walsch)

 

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“Be yourself.  Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish.”     (John Jakes)

 

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“Never Neglect the Little Things”

 

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If not now, when?
Care a little more.
Show up.
Embrace possibility.
Tell the truth.
Dive deeper.
Seek the truth behind the story.
Ask the difficult question.
Lend a hand.
Dance with fear.
Play the long game.
Say ‘no’ to hate.
Look for opportunities, especially when it seems like there aren’t any left.
Risk a bigger dream.
Take care of the little guy.
Offer a personal insight.
Build something magical.
Keep your promises.
Do work that matters.
Expect more.
Sign your work.
Be generous for no reason.
Give the benefit of the doubt.
Develop empathy.
Make your mom proud.
Take responsibility.
Give credit.
Play by a better set of rules.
Choose your customers.
Choose your reputation.
Choose your future.
Thank the ref.
Reward patience.
Leap.
Breathe.
Because we can.
It really is up to us.  Which is great, because we’re capable of changing everything if we choose.
All we can do is all we can do, but maybe, all we can do is enough.     (Seth’s Blog, Seth Godin, 11.8.16)

 

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”Never neglect the little things.  Never skimp on that extra effort, that additional few minutes, that soft word of praise or thanks, that delivery of the very best that you can do.  It does not matter what others think, it is of prime importance, however, what you think about you.  You can never do your best, which should always be your trademark, if you are cutting corners and shirking responsibilities. You are special.  Act it.  Never neglect the little things.”     (Og Mandino)

 

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“Be an encourager.  The world has plenty of critics already.”     (Dave Willis)

 

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“There are five important things for living a successful and fulfilling life:  never stop dreaming, never stop believing, never give up, never stop trying, and never stop learning.”     (Roy Bennett)

 

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“Every act of kindness gets the nod, opens the heart, dampens the fear, turns the page, ups the ante, tips the point, heightens the joy, changes the world, rows the boat, adds to the love, and if you’ve been rather extraordinary lately, turns Thursdays into Fridays.

See?   (Signed)    The Universe”     (Notes from The Universe, Mike Dooley)

 

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“There is Something Inside You That is Greater”

 

 

“It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being.”     (John Joseph Powell, The Secret of Staying in Love)

 

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“Place your hand over your heart, can you feel it?  That is called purpose.  You’re alive for a reason so don’t ever give up.     (Unknown Author)

 

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“Here is a test to find out whether your mission in life is complete.  If you’re alive, it isn’t.”     (Richard Bach)

 

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“Sometimes you climb out of bed in the morning and you think, I’m not going to make it, but you laugh inside — remembering all the times you’ve felt that way.” (Charles Bukowski)

 

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“Believe in yourself and all that you are.  Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.”     (Christian D. Larson)

 

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PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline                       1-800-273-8255

We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.

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From Catalyst Quotes:  “If you or someone you know needs help, please call.  Believe in yourself.”   (AP)

“What is It We Are Questing For?”

 

“That thing you thought you’d do

You start to think you can’t;

You always say tomorrow,

But you haven’t got a plan.

Everyone’s asking questions,

And all you do is dodge.

That career that you’d imagined

Was only a mirage.

The older that you get,

The smaller that you feel;

You forget what’s only in your head,

And what is really real.

Sometimes people make it;

They become who they meant to be.

But most of the time,

Dreamers only dream.”    (Margo T. Rose, The Words)

 

 

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“Oh soul,

you worry too much.

You have seen your own strength.

You have seen your own beauty.

You have seen your golden wings.

Of anything less,

why do you worry?

You are in truth

the soul, of the soul, of the soul.”   (Rumi)

 

 

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“What is it we are questing for?  It is the fulfillment of that which is potential in each of us.  Questing for it is not an ego trip; it is an adventure to bring into fulfillment your gift to the world, which is yourself.  There is nothing you can do that’s more important than being fulfilled.  You become a sign, you become a signal, transparent to transcendence; in this way you will find, live, become a realization of your own personal myth.”    (Joseph Campbell, Pathways to Bliss:  Mythology and Personal Transformation)

 

 

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“Beyond work and love, I would add two other ingredients that give meaning to life.  First, to fulfill whatever talents we are born with.  However blessed we are by fate with different abilities and strengths, we should try to develop them to the fullest, rather than allow them to atrophy and decay. We all know individuals who did not fulfill the promise they showed in childhood.  Many of them became haunted by the image of what they might have become.  Instead of blaming fate, I think we should accept ourselves as we are and try to fulfill whatever dreams are within our capability.

Second, we should try to leave the world a better place than when we entered it.  As individuals, we can make a difference, whether it is to probe the secrets of Nature, to clean up the environment and work for peace and social justice, or to nurture the inquisitive, vibrant spirit of the young by being a mentor and a guide.”    (Michio Kaku)

 

 

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“Whenever you want to achieve something, keep your eyes open, concentrate and make sure you know exactly what it is you want.  No one can hit their target with their eyes closed.”    (Paulo Coelho, The Devil and Miss Prym)

 

 

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“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be.  Now put the foundations under them.”    (Henry David Thoreau, Walden)

 

 

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“Reach high, for stars lie hidden in you.  Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.”    (Rabindranath Tagore)

 

 

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“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.”    (Wayne W. Dyer)

 

 

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“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”    (Oscar Wilde)

 

 

 

 

“Do You Know What You Are?”

 

“Do you know what you are?
You are a manuscript of a divine letter.
You are a mirror reflecting a noble face. 
This universe is not outside of you. 
Look inside yourself;
everything that you want, 
you are already that.”    (Rumi, Hush, Don’t Say Anything to God: Passionate Poems of Rumi)

 

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“You are one thing only.  You are a Divine Being.  An all-powerful Creator.  You are a Deity in jeans and a t-shirt, and within you dwells the infinite wisdom of the ages and the sacred creative force of All that is, will be and ever was.”    (Anthony St. Maarten, Divine Living: The Essential Guide to Your Destiny)

 

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“As you think, so shall you become.”    (Bruce Lee)
“As you think, so shall you be.”    (Wayne Dyer)

 

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“The mind is everything.  What you think, you become.  What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create.”    (Buddha)

 

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“Imagine, and it shall be.
There are no limits.⁠⁠⁠⁠”     (Evelyn Skye, The Crown’s Game)

 

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“If you believe you can, you might.  If you know you can, you will.”    (Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free)

 

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“A human being always acts and feels and performs in accordance with what he imagines to be true about himself and his environment …  For imagination sets the goal ‘picture’ which our automatic mechanism works on.  We act, or fail to act, not because of ‘will,’ as is so commonly believed, but because of imagination.”    (Maxwell Maltz, The New Psycho-Cybernetics)

 

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“I have a habit of letting my imagination run away from me.  It always comes back though . . . drenched with possibilities.”    (Valaida Fullwood)

 

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“The unreal is more powerful than the real.  Because nothing is as perfect as you can imagine it.  Because its only intangible ideas, concepts, beliefs, fantasies that last.  Stone crumbles.  Wood rots.  People, well, they die.
But things as fragile as a thought, a dream, a legend, they can go on and on.  If you can change the way people think.  The way they see themselves.  The way they see the world.  You can change the way people live their lives.  That’s the only lasting thing you can create.”    (Chuck Palahniuk, Choke)

 

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“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.  Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”     (Roald Dahl)

 

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