The sound of water says what I think …

The sound of the water
says what I think.
– Chuang Tzu

“In the name of the best within you, do not sacrifice this world to those who are its worst. In the name of the values that keep you alive, do not let your vision of man be distorted by the ugly, the cowardly, the mindless in those who have never achieved his title. Do not lose your knowledge that man’s proper estate is an upright posture, an intransigent mind and a step that travels unlimited roads. Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. check your road and the nature of your battle. The world you desired can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible, and it’s yours.” —Ayn Rand (thank you to Rena for this one)

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. there’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And, as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” —Marianne Williamson

“All of this trip reminded me of Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being—both a great book and a great film. Sometimes, being dark can be too painful for other people. To feel deeply, as the Binoche character in the film version does, is both a boon and a burden. To feel deeply is to have the capacity for both immense joy and immense sorrow. What one learns is that such emotions can be easily manipulated by others, as Binoche’s are by Tomas. What a shame that she didn’t know that, unless a relationship or circumstance makes you thrive, then you shouldn’t bother because, for those who feel deeply, it is a death sentence—or may be.” —Sadi Ranson-Polizzotti