Real confidence comes from knowing and accepting yourself - your strengths and your limitations - in contrast to depending on affirmation from others.--Judith Bardwick
defined as:
1: an agreeing either expressly or by conduct to the act or offer of another so that a contract is concluded and the parties become legally bound
2: the quality or state of being accepted or acceptable
3: the act of accepting : the fact of being accepted : approval
4 a: the act of accepting a time draft or bill…
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Added by Bruce M. on April 25, 2009 at 11:45am —
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Forgiveness is the name of love practiced among people who love poorly. The hard truth is that all of us love poorly. We need to forgive and be forgiven every day, every hour — unceasingly. That is the great work of love among the fellowship of the weak that is the human family.–Henri Nouwen
defined as: 1 a: to give up resentment of or claim to requital for b: to grant relief from payment of … 2: to cease to feel resentment against (an offender) : pardon intransitive verb: to grant forgi…
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Added by Bruce M. on March 20, 2009 at 11:30am —
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Do not ask for fulfillment in all your life, but for patience to accept frustration. Do not ask for perfection in all you do, but for the wisdom not to repeat mistakes. Do not ask for more, before saying “Thank You” for what you have already received.–Brenda Short
defined as: 1: bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint… 2: manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain… 3: not hasty or impetuous… 4: steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity
5 a: able or willi…
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Added by Bruce M. on March 9, 2009 at 9:51pm —
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As we become purer channels for God’s light, we develop an appetite for the sweetness that is possible in this world. A miracle worker is not geared toward fighting the world that is, but toward creating the world that could be.–Marianne Williamson
defined as: 1: an act or the power of foreseeing : prescience… 2: provident care : prudence …3: an act of looking forward; also : a view forward
Practicing the principle of foresight can be a very valuable tool for strategic activities in my…
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Added by Bruce M. on March 1, 2009 at 1:53pm —
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Don’t waste your time trying to control the uncontrollable, or trying to solve the unsolvable, or think about what could have been. Instead, think about what you can control and solve the problem you can solve with the wisdom you have gained from both your victories and your defeats in the past.–David Mahoney
defined as:
1 : to find a solution, explanation, or answer for …2 : to pay (as a debt) in full…intransitive verb…: to solve something…
Much of what recovering folks do is solve pro…
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Added by Bruce M. on February 12, 2009 at 9:30pm —
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Everybody my friend, everybody lives for something better to come. That’s why we want to be considerate of every man.–Who knows what is in him? Why was he born and what can he do?–Maxim Gorky (The Lower Depths)
defined as:
1 : marked by or given to careful consideration : circumspect 2 : thoughtful of the rights and feelings of others..
In my work and especially in my interactions with others in recovery, and the general public, I come into contact with a large range of different types…
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Added by Bruce M. on February 3, 2009 at 9:30am —
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The majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass through this world. There will most likely be no ticker-tape parades for us, no monuments created in our honor. But that does not lessen our possible impact, for there are scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our unique talents. Someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give. Too often we underestimate the power of…
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Added by Bruce M. on January 27, 2009 at 3:22pm —
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Real education should educate us out of self into something far finer–into a selflessness which links us with all humanity.–Nancy Astor
defined as:
1archaic : highborn… 2 a: characterized by a noble or forbearing spirit : magnanimous, kindly… b: liberal in giving : openhanded…
This principle is one of the most difficult practices for me. I struggle with ego driven motives to help others sometimes. My passion to help others is evident in my life today. In many ways it borders on selfish…
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Added by Bruce M. on January 20, 2009 at 9:30pm —
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Be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet. Make all your friends feel there is something in them. Look at the sunny side of everything. Think only of the best, work only for the best, and expect only the best. Be as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. Give everyone a smile. Spend so much time imp…
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Added by Bruce M. on January 19, 2009 at 8:30pm —
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You cannot speak that which you do not know. You cannot share that which you do not feel. You cannot translate that which you do not have. And you cannot give that which you do not possess. To give it and to share it, and for it to be effective, you first need to have it. Good communication starts with good preparation.–Jim Rohn (Jim Rohn’s Weekly E-zine 10/13/03)
defined as:
1: an act or instance of transmitting…2 a: information communicated b: a verbal or written message…3 a: a process…
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Added by Bruce M. on January 10, 2009 at 6:14pm —
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If one could only learn to appreciate the little things…
A song that takes you away, for there are those who cannot hear. The beauty of a sunset, for there are those who cannot see. The warmth and safety of your home, for there are those who are homeless. Time spent with good friends for there are those who are lonely. A walk along the beach for there are those who cannot walk. The little things are what life is all about. Search your soul and learn to appreciate.–Shadi Souferian
defined…
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Added by Bruce M. on December 23, 2008 at 10:46am —
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Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life. Remember that fear always lurks behind perfectionism. Confronting your fears and allowing yourself the right to be human can, paradoxically, make yourself a happier and more productive person.–Dr. David M. Burns
defined as:
1obsolete : outcome, result…2 a: degree or measure of succeeding b: favorable or desired outcome;… also :…
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Added by Bruce M. on December 13, 2008 at 4:59am —
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Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible–the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family.–Virginia Satir
defined as:
1 a: courteous behavior b: a courteous act or expression…2 a: general allowance despite facts : indulgence b: consideration, cooperation, and generosity in providing something (as a gift or privilege);… also : agency, means… -used chief…
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Added by Bruce M. on December 9, 2008 at 10:57am —
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Empowerment gives birth to responsibility; this responsibility is to serve. We need to serve where we find ourselves; wherever we are. You don’t need to identify with service, or speak of it. Better just to guide, love and care. Silence is a great aid in service; the more you are able to listen, the greater help you can be–energy escapes when you talk. And when you have achieved serenity, you will benefit others by your presence. When your inner noise is silenced, you will have a quick, clear…
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Added by Bruce M. on December 2, 2008 at 10:30pm —
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Both abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend…when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present–love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature and personal pursuits that bring us pleasure–the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience Heaven on earth.–Sarah Ban Breathnach
defined as:…1: of, relating to, consi…
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Added by Bruce M. on November 17, 2008 at 12:47am —
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Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan, ‘press on’ has solved, and always will solve, the problems of the human race.–Calvin Coolidge
defined as:
the action or condition or an instance of persevering : steadfastness…
I…
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Added by Bruce M. on October 28, 2008 at 7:54pm —
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At a time when opportunism is everything, when hope seems lost, when everything boils down to a cynical business deal, we must find the courage to dream. To reclaim romance. The romance of believing in justice, in freedom, and in dignity. For everybody.–Arundhati Roy (The Ordinary Person’s Guide to Empire)
Defined as:
1… a: the maintenance or administration of what is just especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments… b:…
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Added by Bruce M. on October 10, 2008 at 3:36pm —
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There is divine beauty in learning, just as there is human beauty in tolerance. To learn means to accept the postulate that life did not begin at my birth. Others have been here before me, and I walk in their footsteps. The books I have read were composed by generations of fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, teachers and disciples. I am the sum total of their experiences, their quests. And so are you.–Elie Wiesel
Defined as:…
receptive to arguments or ideas…
One thing I have come…
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Added by Bruce M. on October 7, 2008 at 1:18pm —
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Many people believe that humility is the opposite of pride, when, in fact, it is a point of equilibrium. The opposite of pride is actual a lack of self-esteem. A humble person is totally different from a person who cannot recognize and appreciate himself as part of this worlds marvels.–Rabino Nilton Bonder
Defined as:…
: the quality or state of being humble…
“Oh lord it’s hard to be humble.”… In my previous entry I talked about getting down on my hands and knees to push the pen. In man…
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Added by Bruce M. on September 28, 2008 at 11:30am —
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We accept the verdict of the past until the need for change cries out loudly enough to force upon us a choice between the comforts of further inertia and the irksomeness of action.–Louis L’Amour
Defined as:…
1 : inclined or favorably disposed in mind… : ready2 : prompt to act or respond…3 : done, borne, or accepted by choice or without reluctance…4 : of or relating to the will or power of choosing : volitional; synonyms see voluntary…
Many of us have the experience of multiple treatment…
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Added by Bruce M. on September 23, 2008 at 2:37pm —
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