Elysium on earth

And, oh! if there be an Elysium on earth,
It is this, it is this.

~Thomas Moore, (1759 – 1882)

the light that shines from within

Nothing can dim the light
that shines from within.

~Maya Angelou, (1928 – 2014)

the soil out of which joy blossoms

Let every hindrance to joy become
the soil out of which joy blossoms.

~Elizabeth George

without leaving a mark

Move lightly through life,
touching the hearts of others
without leaving a mark.

~Unknown

but we can begin

We can’t heal the world today
but we can begin
with a voice of compassion,
a heart of love,
an act of kindness.

~Mary Davis

what you do for a living

When they ask what you do for a living, say, I Love.

~Jaiya John

when you’re standing under the sky

When life feels too big to handle, go outside.
Everything looks smaller
when you’re standing under the sky.

~L. R. Knost

even the trees leaned toward her

A woman described a friend of hers as being such a keen listener that even the trees leaned toward her, as if they were speaking their innermost secrets into her listening ears. Over the years I’ve envisioned that woman’s silence, a hearing full and open enough that the world told her its stories.

~Linda Hogan

This is the way

I know you’re tired,
but come. This is the way.

~Rumi

what you hope for

The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for.
And the most you can do is live inside that hope.
Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.

~Barbara Kingsolver