“Cand o usa a fericirii se inchide, o alta se deschide; dar deseori ne uitam atat de mult la usa inchisa ca nu o mai vedem pe cea care s-a deschis pentru noi.” - Helen Keller

"The greatest poverty of all is the absence of love.

Why choose to be poor when love is abundant?"

‎"An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made in a very narrow field." (Niels Bohr, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1922)

I hope it's not true. :)

Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.

Even as the shell of the seed must break, that its heart may grow into a tree, so must you know pain.

Ştim cu toţii că trăim într-o lume cu probleme, dar cea mai mare problemă este că mulţi nu ştiu că trăim într-o lume plină de soluţii.
– Julia Butterfly Hil

I align myself with people who support my growth.

If you meet someone whose soul is not aligned with yours, send them love and move along. - WD

‎"Lovers of God never run out of patience, for they know

time is needed for the crescent moon to become full." - Rumi

"Vices can be turned to virtues through awareness.

Look for a daily practice to cultivate your awareness."

‎"A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault." ~John Henry Newman †

"When you strike out, you always strike in.

Any weapon you use to strike, - clenched hand, angry voice, closed heart withholding love, - is double-sided with one edge always cutting deep into yourself. Sometimes a weapon is necessary, but use it wisely, - and remember that the cost of using one are your own wounds."

‎"Adesea eul ni se revelează mai bine tocmai în acele stări sufleteşti pe care le simţim mai străine de fiinţa noastră. Ciudat: când suntem mai aproape de noi, ne credem mai departe." - Lucian Blaga

‎"If the house of the world is dark,

Love will find a way to create windows."

~ Rumi

"Sometimes beginnings are only possible where there are endings.

Clear acknowledged endings are as necessary to intelligible life, as pauses between notes to intelligible music. Although endings sometimes feel like the end of you, take them for what they really are, - the end of a stage in your life. Here is to new beginnings!"

«Florile merg atât de departe cu bunătatea lor, încât parfumează mâinile celor care le strivesc.» - Monseniorul Vladimir Ghika

‎"The harder you work, the luckier you get. There are no shortcuts." - B. T.

‎"Together we are strong.

When you join your hearts and prayers and intentions with the hearts and prayers and intentions of others, almost anything becomes possible."

Freicirea unui om nu stă în absenţa, ci în stăpânirea pasiunilor lui. - A. L. Tennyson

“Nu există o sută de oameni în Statele Unite care urăsc Biserica Romano-Catolică. Dar există milioane de oameni care urăsc ceea ce, în mod eronat, consideră ei că ar fi Biserica Catolică.” (Ep. Fulton Sheen, în Scott şi Kimberly Hahn, Drumul nostru spre Biserica Romei, 9)

Everyone is looking for love, but the blessed ones do the opposite.   
Blessed are those looking to give love. Right now think of three simple ways you can give love and be blessed.

‎"Difficulty" is the name of an ancient tool created to define who we are.

There will be times when you feel tossed around by the tempests of your emotions.
When this happens, look for that still sacred space within you. Take some time to rest in that space. After a time, when you are ready, come out to face the world again.

Visualize your goals and ideals continually, to influence your subconscious mind. - B. T.

Everything will be alright.
It may seem dark at the moment, but don't lose hope. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, keep moving and you'll get there. God won't abandon you; let God be your light. It may take some time, but in the end, everything will be alright.

All men and women are connected by an energy which many people call love, but which is, in fact, the raw material from which the universe was built. This energy cannot be manipulated. - Coelho

‎"The life you are having is the life you are creating.
Even when this seems paradoxical on the surface, - how could you ever possibly want anything but happiness, - on a deeper level, there is something in you that is making it so. To transform your life you first must understand what is keeping it the way it is."

When you are at a loss of what to do, do nothing.
Doing nothing can be very wise. When you pause doing things, you become more aware of God's presence, and often an unexpected solution to your question will arise.

Freedom is within, not without.
Freedom is much misunderstood as freedom from something, as outward facing. Such freedom is illusory. Real freedom is freedom from mental sins of desire, hate, prejudice. Real freedom brings peace, grace, bliss.

Ori de câte ori amânaţi - mai ales când e vorba de sarcini importante - veţi fi stresaţi.
- B. T. -

So we wait

We wait in line at the grocery store, in traffic, to find true love, for health.
We wait for more money, freedom, time, for someone to come home.

We wait for inspiration, for a response, to hold someone we care for.
We wait to finally understand, to get it, to be seen, to live free and we wait to die.

We wait for the small things in Life, and we wait for the big things in Life.

Is it possible to not wait – to not want to be somewhere else than here – now?

You will probably be waiting for something later today, so have awareness of the fact that
you are given a pause – a time out – a moment to use as you please.

Make something out of this precious little moment – create something good.

There is no point waiting for Life – Life is waiting for you.

‎"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."

‎"Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally." - David Frost

‎"Don't be afraid to take chances. Most people achieved their greatest successes one step beyond what looked like their greatest failure." - B. T.

If you cannot accept failing, you cannot succeed.
Nothing truly meaningful is achieved on the first attempt, and if that's where you stop, then failure is all you will have.

‎"God sends us trials and afflictions to exercise us in patience and teach us sympathy with the sorrows of others." ~ St. Vincent de Paul †

‎"You can be like a tree which is both rooted and reaching.
In what ways can you root yourself in a reality or an environment which serves your need for stability? And in which ways can you reach toward the heavens for inspiration and connection to Divine?"

When you want God to knock on your door, you go and knock on God's door.
Give of yourself and you shall receive.

"Today don't beg, don't ask, just thank God in silence for all the blessings in your life."

If you're feeling in a slump, allow the winds of change to blow through your life.
Life is a learning process, and changes can be wonderful opportunities for growth. Don't be afraid of change! Embrace it and grow!

Love has already found you.
So much time has been spent trying to make yourself lovable. Trying to make yourself more attractive, more interesting. But love has already found you, perfect and pure love. Rest assured that God loves you just the way you are.

You are beautiful. 
Even when you feel ugly or depressed or guilty or ashamed, there is an inner spark in you which is light. This light is your beauty. This light is your reflection of God. You are a child of God, thus you are beautiful.

A new beginning is always possible.
Let the greening of the Earth in springtime be a sign for you that a new beginning is always possible, even after the longest, coldest, darkest winter.

Act with purpose, courage, confidence, competence, and intelligence until these qualities "lock in" to your subconscious mind. - B. T.

"Chaque jour la vie nous présente un certain nombre de problèmes à résoudre. Celui qui, au lieu de s’efforcer de les résoudre honnêtement, cherche à les esquiver, se trouvera bientôt devant des difficultés insurmontables. Pourquoi ? c’est très simple. Vous êtes allé à l’école, n’est-ce pas, et là vous avez étudié la grammaire, les mathématiques, etc. Pour chaque discipline vous avez eu des exercices à faire. Prenons les mathématiques, par exemple : imaginez qu’un élève commence par négliger les exercices correspondant à la première leçon, il lui manque les éléments pour aborder les leçons suivantes. Alors, que va-t-il faire ? La situation deviendra de plus en plus difficile, et le moment arrivera où il ne pourra plus s’en sortir. Il en est de même avec les problèmes que la vie nous présente. Chaque problème bien résolu nous donne les éléments pour affronter les problèmes suivants dans les meilleures conditions, car les efforts que nous avons faits portent leurs fruits : avec chaque exercice nous devenons plus perspicaces, plus patients, plus résistants.”

"Il ne faut jamais choisir un chemin pour les épreuves qu'on va y rencontrer, en s'imaginant susciter ainsi l'admiration des autres et l'approbation du Ciel. En Bulgarie, nous avons un proverbe qui dit qu'un saint trop zélé est même antipathique au Seigneur. Oui, car ce zèle-là est suspect. Il y a des êtres qui, par tempérament, sont poussés à se sacrifier pour des causes nobles. C'est leur idéal de générosité qui les pousse, presque malgré eux, sur cette voie difficile; et c'est ce même idéal qui leur permet de ne jamais se décourager, mais aussi de rester humbles et pleins d'amour quoi qu'ils accomplissent. Or, il faut reconnaître que ces êtres sont rares. Alors, attention aux fanatiques qui recherchent la gloire du martyre dans des actes insensés! Qu'ils ne s'imaginent pas qu'ils vont s'attirer ainsi les bénédictions du Ciel!”

‎"There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important thing. If you have two frogs, eat the ugliest one first. Did you eat your frog this morning?" - B. T.

"Doubt has been my own process, my own way to reach to truth. And I would like you to become more and more sharp, intelligent. Doubt more scientifically. Just as in science doubt helps you to discover, it also helps in the inward journey."

There is a right time for each of the things you do.
If you try to live counter to your personal rhythms, you will expend more time and energy to get things done. Body and soul suffer when you force yourself to wrestle against your own rhythms. Listen to your rhythms and follow them.

‎"Very often the world is as good as you see it is.
If you focus on the bad, you will see a 'bad' world. If you focus on the good, you will see goodness. Choose your focus carefully."

It's important you maintain your natural rhythm of life.
Everyone has their own rhythm of living, - for some it's faster, for other it's slower. When you are forced to live outside your own rhythm, it is exhausting. Remember to keep coming back to your own rhythm.

Beginning your day without prayer is like skipping breakfast.
Something will be missing. When you begin your day by communing with the Divine, you are spiritually fortified. Your day flows with grace.

To love God you must have an attitude of love.
An attitude of receptivity and warmth and readiness to receive God's grace. An attitude of giving and generosity and not-holding-back to let God's grace flow through you and on into the world. You know you love God when you feel love flowing through you.

"...viaţa continuă să bată la uşa ta şi tu nu eşti niciodată acasă - întotdeauna eşti altundeva. Dacă ai fi fost dansator, viaţa ar fi venit şi ţi-ar fi bătut la uşă pentru că ştia că eşti dansator. Însă aşa vine şi bate la uşă dar tu nu eşti acolo - tu eşti bancher. De unde să ştie viaţa viaţa că eşti bancher? Viaţa vine la tine aşa cum providenţa divină te-a hărăzit să fii; ea ştie numai adresa aceea - însă tu nu te afli acolo, eşti altundeva, ascunzându-te sub masca altcuiva, sub numele altcuiva. Existenţa tot te caută. Îţi ştie numele, însă tu ai uitat acel nume. Îţi ştie adresa, însă tu n-ai locuit niciodată la acea adresă. Ai lăsat lumea să te distragă."

"Your programming leads to your thoughts; your thoughts lead to your feelings; your feelings lead to your actions; your actions leads to your results. Therefore, just as is done with a personal computer, by changing your programming, you take the first essential step to changing your results." - T. Harv Eker

‎"If you want to move to a new level in your life, you must break through your comfort zone and practice doing things that are not comfortable."  -  T. Harv Eker

‎"Successful people are successful because they do more things that increase the probabilities that they will achieve the success they want."- T. Harv Eker

‎"If you have not experienced what you want in your life, it is not because God has failed to answer your prayers. Rather, it is because you have been thinking, speaking, or acting in contradiction to what you have been desiring." . - N. D. W.

You will blossom.   
A flower starts deep under the dirt and has to fight against gravity in the darkness before finally breaking free and opening its bloom to the sun. You may feel like you're in darkness and everything around you is muddy, but keep pushing toward the Light and when the time is right, you will burst into blossom. 

Humans learn only by trial and error, and that includes you.
You've got to live life, not think about it. Step into the midst of things, try and fail and learn and stand up again. The question is not whether you will or will not make mistakes - you will. The question is do you want to learn and grow, or do you want to shrink back and be stuck? Take that step you've been avoiding. Humans learn only by trial and error, and that includes you.
You've got to live life, not think about it. Step into the midst of things, try and fail and learn and stand up again. The question is not whether you will or will not make mistakes - you will. The question is do you want to learn and grow, or do you want to shrink back and be stuck? Take that step you've been avoiding.

Cu ceva timp în urmă am citit într-o carte această definiţie: "Creştinul e deseori acea persoană care se odihneşte pe un vulcan aprins (viaţa), trăgând satisfăcut din biberonul pe care îl are în mâini (religia personală) şi adormind liniştit la gândul relaxant că preoţii/pastorii au grijă de el de aici de pe pământ iar Dumnezeu are grijă de el de sus din cer. Biberonul lui e practic umplut cu somnifere dintr-o cutie pe care scrie: "eu nu am nimic de făcut, se va găsi întotdeauna cineva care să-mi facă treaba". Sunteţi de acord?

Noi nu mai trăim în democraţie, ci în
mediacraţie. Mass-media creează şi menţine pentru noi o transă culturală la
care noi aderăm inconştient.
- Alberto Villoldo -

YOU are the gardner of your soul.
Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of expecting someone else to leave you wilted flowers.

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” Carl Gustav Jung

Cei care au mai multă minte fac şi cele mai mari nebunii. Se pare că între a avea multă minte şi a-ţi pierde minţile nu există decât o chestiune de echilibru psihic. - Victor Duta

"Viata noastra constienta nu este decat o coaja de nuca plutind pe oceanul inconstientului nostru." Carl Gustav Jung

The great advantage of having nothing is that everything becomes a gain.
Losing everything is at the same time the scariest, as well as the most liberating experience you can have. When you have something, - anything, you've got to protect it from disappearing. And so worry becomes a resident in your heart. When you've got nothing, your heart overflows with gratitude for every offering you receive.

You can't walk in love for free… it costs something. - Joyce Meyer

Love is the blood of the soul. God wants all beings to have healthy and strong souls, so God created a simple law to nourish the soul: the more you give love, the more you receive love. Remember all the beings you love - people, animals - that you haven't thought of lately. Do not wait anymore, reconnect with them today and express your love.

All those little things that annoy you, are God's way of watching out for you.
You never know when an untied shoelace saves you from an onrushing car. On September 11th, one man was saved because he had to get donuts for his team; another because he developed a blister on his foot from wearing new shoes.

Tacerea are glasurile ei de intelepciune: ascult-o! - Nicolae Iorga

Understanding comes from love.
You might believe that you need to understand another to love them. The truth is you need to love them to understand them.

Inainte ca sa-i spun vietii mele ce vreau sa fac cu ea, trebuia sa las viata sa-mi spuna cine sunt eu. - Parker J. Palmer

Cand un om se priveste prea mult pe sine, ajunge sa nu mai stie care ii este chipul si care masca. -  Pio Baroja

No one is in charge of your happiness but you. - Coelho

When you are unsure how to proceed, stop.
Be still and enter into the silence. Allow your mind to cease its restless thinking. Wait. Let the answer come in its time.

Little children can do the most amazing things with such joy and fun. You were little once too, and knew how to turn everything into a game. So, turn your work into a game, and you will find joy and satisfaction in it. What are some ways you can start being playful with work?

Your heart's deepest desire must be the will of God for he cannot have made you so that your heart should run counter to his will; let him but have his own way with you, and your desire he will give you.

The wonderful truth is that you can control only one thing in your life -- your thoughts! - Brian Tracy

It's important to appreciate and respect the young ones.
Let them feel your love. These children and young people will inherit our earth, and as they have been treated, so will they treat others.

A lot of things you think are important, are just urgent, but not important. Focus on what really matters.
A phone call for example is always urgent - it rings only a few times and is gone, but is often not important. If you are in the middle of something truly important - playing with kids, being present with your loved one, - do not stop just because a silly phone rings. Stay present with what's important now.

One good deed can shift the balance of the whole world.
Never underestimate the power of your goodness and kindness.

When whispers do not get your attention, bricks will fly your way.
Don't speed through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention. Slow down and be present.

When what you are doing is not working, do something else.
Anything else. You'll only get the same results if you do what you have always done.

‎"The fear of suffering is worse than suffering itself." - Coelho

"Este mult mai uşor de recunoscut eroarea, decât de găsit adevărul; 
Eroarea stă la suprafaţă, adevarul în adâncime."

O eroare este cu atat mai primejdioasa, cu cat contine mai mult adevar. - Henri Frederic Amiel

"Singura realitate pe care eu pot să o cunosc este lumea aşa cum o percep şi o experimentez eu în acest moment. Sigura realitate pe care eu o pot cunoaşte este aceea pe care o percepi şi o experimentezi în acest moment. Şi singura atitudine este aceea că cei care percep realitatea sunt diferiţi. Există atâtea lumi 'reale ' câţi oameni există." (C.Rogers, 1980)

To worship God you must go beyond words to speak with your heart.
You can mouth the words of a prayer all day long and just waste your time, unless you also speak with your heart. And to speak with your heart means to embody first. If you pray for love, be loving. If you pray for wealth, be generous. If you pray for health, practice health yourself. What is your favorite prayer? How can you begin to embody it?

"Tu cauţi o metodă prin care să faci ca viaţa să decurgă bine. Ceea ce cauţi tu e altă variantă a Căii Vechi. Eu aş vrea să îţi arăt Calea Nouă. Orice metodă pe care o alegi devine stăpânul tău. Ai slujit la mulţi stăpâni în viaţa ta, dar  ţelul tău a rămas acelaşi. Tu nu vrei altceva decât Viaţa mai Bună pe care experienţa te-a învăţat s-o doreşti. Ţelul acesta e un idol. Trebuie abandonat. Tu îţi doreşti lucruri mici. Aspiraţiile mărunte dau naştere la idoli, dumnezei nevrednici cărora le sacrifici viaţa ta. Rugăciunile tale sunt o închinare la idoli. Ai fost legat de dorinţa ta de o Viaţă mai Bună, pe care o defineşti prin prisma experienţei tale cu privire la plăcere şi durere. Aş vra să-ţi arăt Calea Nouă spre o Speranţă mai Bună. Tu vrei să afli o metodă eficientă, nu te preocupă să afli  ce e sfânt.
[...] Caută numai binecuvântarea prezenţei lui Dumnezeu şi vei şti ce să faci pt a fi fericit. Aceasta îţi va umple sufletul de bucurie."

Eu cred ca adevărul, dacă nu este unic, nu există…  - Petre Ţuţea

Today you have a cause for celebration.
Today, you should celebrate what an unbelievable life you have had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships because they have served to make you stronger. Just as a gem cannot be polished without friction, nor can a life be perfected without trials. Take a time to acknowledge your life and to praise God.

‎"Iubirea nu trebuie să fie neapărat perfectă, dar trebuie să fie neapărat adevărată."

‎"Când te afli în faţa unui obstacol, nu te gândi la cât de dificil e să-l depăşeşti, ci la cât de bucuros vei fi după ce îl vei fi depăşit."

Although forgiveness is very hard, it is necessary.
Holding onto anger and old hurts hardens your heart and hurts only you. Ask for help in letting go of the anger. Ask to see the situation through the eyes of compassion. Allow yourself to feel the lightness of forgiveness.

Nu cunosc soluţia pentru a atinge succesul, dar ştiu că pentru a eşua e suficient să încerci să multumeşti pe toată lumea. (Bill Cosby)

There is no such thing as conditional love.
Love is either unconditional or it's no love. You might like someone conditional on their personality or behavior or circumstances. But love accepts no boundaries. So never say 'I love you because', for love has no cause, love comes from God.

Your pilgrimage to God is your pilgrimage to yourself.
It's never too late to start, and it's never too soon to take one more step on your pilgrimage.

When we renounce our dreams and find peace, we go through a short period of tranquility. But the dead dreams begin to rot within us and to infect our entire being.
We become cruel to those around us, and then we begin to direct this cruelty against ourselves. That’s when illnesses and psychoses arise. What we sought to avoid in combat – disappointment and defeat – come upon us because of our cowardice.

And one day, the dead, spoiled dreams make it difficult to breathe, and we actually seek death. It’s death that frees us from our certainties, from our work, and from that terrible peace of our Sunday afternoons - Coelho

There is no such thing as conditional love.
Love is either unconditional or it's no love. You might like someone conditional on their personality or behavior or circumstances. But love accepts no boundaries. So never say 'I love you because', for love has no cause, love comes from God.  - Coelho

‎"If you want to make your dreams come true, the first thing you have to do is wake up.", J.M. Power

You have to pass through a dark night of the soul.
Everyone does, including you. A time comes when what you have always believed is true melts away underneath you. When you cast in doubt even the most obvious, the most simple. When it seems that dark night is all around, and you are all alone. Take heart, this journey through abyss is the final barrier before your emergence into the heavenly light of a new synthesis of your being. God is waiting for you on the other side.

There is no such thing as a problem without a Divine gift hidden within it.
You have these problems because you need the gifts they carry within.

Ideile sunt caramizile. Dar pe mine ma intereseaza arhitectura. 
- Paul Zarifopo

Întâmplarea este o altă mască a Divinului, atunci când nu doreşte să fie recunoscut. - Albert Einstein

Inevitable is best accepted with serenity. There are times when you absolutely see no solution. When you've thought and thought and prayed and prayed; when you've sat still in meditation listening for an answer and still no answer comes. There are times when it's okay to just surrender.

Rugăciune

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going,
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.

I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

Thomas Merton

If you act like a victim, you are likely to be treated as one. - Coelho

Iubirea nu caută să găsească o persoană perfectă, ci caută să iubească perfect o persoană imperfectă.

"There are many ways to climb a mountain. There are many ways to worship God. There are many ways to live a life. Allow each person to choose their own path."

‎The world only gets better because people risk something to make it better. - Coelho

Omul nu are nimic. El este totul. - Sf. Ignatiu de Antiohia

"Nu suntem fericiţi făcând ceea ce vrem, ci ştiind/conştientizând ceea ce facem."

Eu - zice DOMNUL - te voi invata, si-ti voi arata calea pe care trebuie s-o urmezi, te voi sfatui, si voi avea privirea indreptata asupra ta.
PSALMUL 32, vs. 8

"There are only two ways to live your life: One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is. That's a quote by Albert Einstein. Don't wait for miracles, your whole life is a miracle."

Optimistul vede trandafirul, nu ghimpii sai;

 pesimistul vede numai ghimpii, uitand de trandafir.

Your unspoken prayers will be answered.
Yes, God knows you, God hears you, God loves you, God is there for you. 
You are blessed.

When you come to a wall, you can either climb it, or you can simply walk around until you find a door.
Don't make life so hard, - look for the doors!

"True faith flowers from and through doubt.
If you never questioned your beliefs, - you are just a puppet dancing to somebody's strings. 

If God had wanted your mindless obedience, you would've been created without mind and without free will. But you have both so you can come to God of your own accord. Just look at the lives of   

saints, - most of them had gone through a dark night of the soul, and that's why their faith was so strong.

The path to true faith always goes through doubt. So ask those questions you've always been afraid to ask, and find the answers, and then your faith will become unshakable."

‎"Changes only happen when we go against everything we're used to do."

‎"You are not to shut love out of your life by saying it is impossible to find and keep.
The quickest way to find love is to give love. If you want it too badly, you will not find it. The most secure way to keep love is to give it space and care to grow. If you hold it too tightly, you will lose it."