Catalyst Quotes

Compiled by Alex Pena ~ ‘Catalyst’: “to spark, to ignite, energize, mobilize; something that accelerates a reaction (DDI)." Thought-provoking & motivational quotes and stories for you to read, reflect on and move forward in making creative and positive changes in your life.

“Miracles do Happen and We All Have Goodness in Our Heart”

Although today’s post is a bit longer than my previous ones, I couldn’t excerpt parts of this without destroying the meaning of the story. Please bear with me and read the whole story. This story is a song by Trans-Siberian Orchestra and every time I hear it, I get a bit teary-eyed. Reading the lyrics below will hit you hard but try to listen to the song and get the full effect of it and understand why one can get a bit teary-eyed and understand that miracles do happen and that we all have goodness in our hearts. ~ GM Universe

OLD CITY BAR

In an old city bar, that is never too far
From the places that gather, the dreams that have been

In the safety of night with its old neon light
It beckons to strangers and they always come in

And the snow it was falling; the neon was calling
The music was low, and the night Christmas Eve

And here was the danger, that even with strangers
Inside of this night it’s easier to believe

Then the door opened wide and a child came inside
That no one in the bar had seen there before

And he asked did we know that outside in the snow
That someone was lost standing outside our door

Then the bartender gazed through the smoke and the haze
Through the window and ice to a corner streetlight

Where standing alone, by a broken pay phone
Was a girl the child said could no longer get home

And the snow it was falling, the neon was calling
The bartender turned and said, not that I care
But how would you know this?
The child said I’ve noticed, if one could be home, they’d be all ready there

Then the bartender came out from behind the bar, and in all of his life he was never that far
And he did something else that he thought no one saw when he took all the cash from the register draw

Then he followed the child to the girl cross the street and we watched from the bar as they started to speak

Then he called for a cab and he said J.F.K., put the girl in the cab and the cab drove away
And we saw in his hand that the cash was all gone from the light that she had wished upon

If you want to arrange it this world you can change it
If we could somehow make this Christmas thing last

By helping a neighbor or even a stranger
And to know who needs help you need only just ask

Then he looked for the child but the child wasn’t there
Just the wind and the snow waltzing dreams through the air

So he walked back inside, somehow different I think
For the rest of the night no one paid for a drink

And the cynics will say that some neighborhood kid
Wandered in on some bums in the world where they hid

But they weren’t there so they couldn’t see
By an old neon star on that night, Christmas Eve

When the snow it was falling the neon was calling
And in case you should wonder, in case you should care

Why we’re on our own
Never went home
On that night of all nights
We were already there. ” (‘Old City Bar’ lyrics, Trans-Siberian Orchestra)

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“Here are a few suggestions for special gifts: a firm handshake to a shaky soul, a kind word to a lonely person, a warm smile to the disheartened, a sincere concern for someone troubled, a feeling of compassion for the neglected, a comforting thought for the bereaved, a respect for the dignity of others, a defense of the rights of individuals, a word of witness to help a seeking soul, a Merry Christmas to all.” (Source Unknown)

“Someday We’ll All Be Free”

 

“My worry is that what you measure yourself with ends up defining you.  You pour yourself into the thing that measures you and it defines you.  And I just hope that one day you find out that you’re fuller when you measure yourself in love and people and moments, instead of things, adoration and money.”      (pleasefindthis)

 

 

“Your way is decided.  There is nothing you will not be told, if you acknowledge this.”

“Whenever you are tempted to undertake a useless journey that would lead away from light, remember what you really want …”

“All you need to do is but to wish that Heaven be given you instead of hell, and every bolt and barrier that seems to hold the door securely barred and locked will merely fall away and disappear.”            (Meditations from A Course in Miracles, Helen Schucman and William Thetford, Barnes and Noble)

 

 

‘Someday We’ll All Be Free’

“Hang onto the world as it spins around

Just don’t let the spin get you down

Things are moving fast

Hold on tight and you will last

Keep your self-respect . . . the pride

Get yourself in gear, keep your stride

Never mind your fears

Brighter days will soon be here

Take it from me some day; we’ll all be free, yeah

Keep on walking tall, hold your head up high

And lay your dreams right up to the sky

Sing your greatest song

And you’ll keep, going, going on

Take it from me some day; we’ll all be free, yeah

Hey, just wait and see someday we’ll all be free, yeah

Take it from me; someday we’ll all be free

It won’t be long, take it from me someday we’ll all be free

Take it from me, take it from me, take it from me.       (Someday We’ll All Be Free lyrics, composed by Donny Hathaway)

 

“Become the Light and Share It; Listen to the Sound of Your Heart”

 

“No mirror ever became iron again;

No bread ever became wheat;

No ripened grape ever became sour fruit.

Mature yourself and be secure from a change for the worse.

Become the light.”           (Rumi)

 

 

“For what it’s worth, it’s never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be.  There’s no time limit.  Start whenever you want, you can change or stay the same.  There are no rules to this thing.  We can make the best or the worst of it.  I hope you make the best of it.  I hope you see things that startle.  I hope you feel things you never felt before.  I hope you meet people with a different point of view.  I hope you live a life you’re proud of.  If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”      (‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’)

 

 

“There comes a time in every life when the world gets quiet and the only thing left is your own heart.  So you’d better learn to know the sound of it.  Otherwise you’ll never understand what it’s saying.”      (Just Listen by Sarah Dessen)

 

 

“When you are afraid of anything, you are acknowledging its power to hurt you.  Remember that where your heart is, there is treasure also.  You believe in what you value.  If you are afraid, you are valuing wrongly.”       (Meditations from A Course in Miracles by Barnes and Noble)

 

 

“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened.   Happiness never decreases by being shared.”         (Buddha)

  

“Logic and/or Imagination”

“To be always intending to make a new day and better life but never to find time to set about it is as to put off eating and drinking and sleeping from one day to the next until you’re dead.”         (Og Mandino)

 

 

“When I was young, my ambition was to be one of the people who made a difference in this world.  My hope still is to leave the world a little bit better for my having been here.  It’s a wonderful life and I love it.”       (Jim Henson)

 

 

“When everyone has access to the same tools … then having a tool isn’t much of an advantage.  The industrial age, the age of scarcity, depended in part on the advantages that came with owning tools others didn’t own.    Time for a new advantage.    It might be your network, the connections that trust you.  And it might be your expertise.  But most of all, I’m betting it’s your attitude.”          (Seth Godin)

 

 

“They can do all because they think they can.”         (Virgil)

 

 

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”         (Albert Einstein)

“I Wish I Could Have Known Earlier”

 

“A man approached JP Morgan, held up an envelope, and said, ‘Sir, in my hand I hold a guaranteed formula for success, which I will gladly sell you for $25,000.’  ‘Sir,’ JP Morgan replied, ‘I do not know what is in the envelope, however if you show me, and I like it, I give you my word as a gentleman that I will pay you what you ask.’  The man agreed to the terms, and handed over the envelope.  JP Morgan opened it, and extracted a single sheet of paper.  He gave it one look, a mere glance, and then handed the piece of paper back to the gent.  And paid him the agreed – upon $25,000.    Contents of the paper:     

1)  Every morning, write a list of the things that need to be done that day.    

2)  Do them.”                      (Unknown Author)

 

 

“Do not say, ‘It is morning,’ and dismiss it with a name of yesterday.  See it for the first time as a new-born child that has no name.”         (Rabindranath Tagore)

 

 

“You are now at a crossroads.  This is your opportunity to make the most important decision you will ever make.  Forget your past.  Who are you now?  Who have you decided you really are now? Don’t think about who you have been.  Who are you now?  Who have you decided to become? Make this decision consciously.  Make it carefully.  Make it powerfully.”        (Anthony Robbins)

 

 

“I wish I could have known earlier that you have all the time you’ll need right up to the day you die.”        (William Wiley)

 

“Best Way to Predict the Future”

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched — they must be felt with the heart.” (Helen Keller)

 

 

“Few men during their lifetime come anywhere near exhausting the resources dwelling in them. There are deep wells of strength that are never used.”      (Richard E. Byrd)

 

 

“As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light of meaning in the darkness of mere being.”       (Carl Jung)

 

 

“People who don’t take risks generally make about 2 big mistakes a year.
People who do take risks generally make about 2 big mistakes a year.”      (Peter Drucker)

 

 

“Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use.”      (Wendell Johnson)

 

 

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”      (Peter F. Drucker)

“It’s Never Too Late to Be …”

 

“If you think you are beaten, you are.

If you think you dare not, you don’t!

If you want to win, but think you can’t,

It’s almost a cinch you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost;

For out in the world we find

Success begins with a fellow’s will;

It’s all in the state of the mind.

Life’s battles don’t always go

To the stronger and faster man,

But sooner or later the man who wins

Is the man who thinks he can.”          (Walter D. Wintle)

 

 

“Think that it’s fun, that you’re guided, and that all is well.   Think that there’s time, that life is easy, and that the best is yet to come.   Think that the reasons that elude you will one day catch up, that the lessons that have stumped you will one day bring joy, and that the sorrows that have crippled you will soon give you wings.    Think that you’re important, that you cannot fail, and that happiness always returns.   And think that you’re beautiful.”       (‘Notes from the Universe,’ ©Mike Dooley)

 

 

“We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.”       (George Bernard Shaw)

 

 

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”       (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

 

 

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”      (George Eliot)

 

“Be Your Own Author”

“Each man must look to himself to teach him the meaning of life.  It is not something discovered: it is something molded.”         (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

 

 

‘The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom’

“1. Be Impeccable With Your Word

Speak with integrity.  Say only what you mean.  Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others.  Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don’t Take Anything Personally

Nothing others do is because of you.  What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream.  When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don’t Make Assumptions

Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best

Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick.  Under any circumstance, simply do your best and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.”      (Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom)

 

 

“To be authentic literally means to be your own author.”      (Dan Millman)

“Difference Between Try and Triumph”

“Without faith, nothing is possible. With it, nothing is impossible.” (Mary McLeod Bethune)

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“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” (Walt Disney)

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“Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.” (Joel Barker)

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“We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter’s evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true.” (Woodrow Wilson)

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“The difference between try and triumph is a little umph.” (Unknown)

“I Wish He’d Go Away; Only Love Can Drive Out Hate”

 

“As I was walking up the stair,

I met a man who wasn’t there.

He wasn’t there again today.

I wish, I wish he’d go away.”      (Hugh Mearns)

 

 

In the old days, words like sin and Satan had a moral certitude.  Today, they’re replaced with self-help jargon, words like dysfunction and antisocial behavior, discouraging any responsibility for one’s actions…”         (Don Henley)

 

 

“Too much sanity may be madness.   And maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be.”           (Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, ‘Don Quixote’)

 

 

“Every positive change — every jump to a higher level of energy and awareness — involves a rite of passage.  Each time to ascend to a higher rung on the ladder of personal evolution, we must go through a period of discomfort, of initiation.  I have never found an exception.”       (Dan Millman)

 

 

“You never know when someone
May catch a dream from you.
You never know when a little word
Or something you may do
May open up the windows
Of a mind that seeks the light …
The way you live may not matter at all,
But you never know, it might.”      
(Author Unknown)

 

 

“We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.”       (George Bernard Shaw)

 

 

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”        (Martin Luther King, Jr.)

 

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