Keep on moving...

If you want to succeed in the world you must make your own opportunities as you go on.

The man who waits for some seventh wave to toss him on dry land will find that the seventh wave is a long time a coming.

You can commit no greater folly than to sit by the roadside until someone comes along and invites you to ride with him to wealth or influence.

John B. Gough

Another reminder about the importance of taking responsibility for ourselves and the path we chose to take through life...

Silence ...

'Silence' is one of the things I've been thinking about this week, so I decided to write about it, as part of my recent challenge to myself to write something every day. Below is an extract of what I wrote..

What is silence?

Silence is ...

The space between thoughts... the pause between sentences, the moment between a breath in and a breath out... Silence is two pairs of eyes meeting for a split second... it is the moment when the rain stops ... the little bridge of time between being awake and falling asleep. Silence is when the music stops... when the TV is turned off. When guests leave; when the phone stops ringing.

Silence is a Sunday morning when the roads are quiet and no-one is around. Silence is being up early in the morning and late at night. Silence is taking a moonlit walk under the stars - alone with your thoughts. Silence is when the dog stops barking and the ringing car alarm finally grinds to a halt. Silence is when the laughter stops and when the baby stops crying. Silence is when no-one else is home.

Silence is solitude. Silence is necessary for some but uncomfortbe and unwanted for others. In silence is when we can truly connect with ourselves. Silence is within the beating heart and it's when the soul whispers its secrets and wisdom. Do we ever hear? Do we ever listen?

Silence lets us connect with what we are afraid of admitting to ourselves and to anyone else. In silence we can find oursleves. in silence, we can truly listen.

We notice the sounds of life that are normally drowned out by the incessant waves of sound that pound every day of modern life... We can become aware of the sound of a cat's content purr and the whisper of the gentlest breeze. The sound of our every breath in and out - the rise and fall of our chest.

We can hear the song of the bumblebee and the poem of the butterfly's wings. The lullaby of the calm sea and the rustling of autumn leaves falling.

Silence creates awareness. In silence we find truth. But that truth is something we don't always want to hear... maybe because once we know the truth, it becomes our responsibilty...

What does silence mean to you?

Try sitting quietly for a while, and write, paint, or photograph, what comes to mind...

Responsibility

There is no other person who is smart enough, or experienced enough, or informed enough or insightful enough to tell you how to live. That's up to you. Certainly the advice and guidance of others can be extremely valuable. Yet when it comes to expressing and fulfilling the best of who you are, you are the world's foremost expert. It feels good to be praised and it hurts to be criticized. Always keep in mind, though, that those who offer their opinions of you cannot possibly see the whole picture.
Your life is your responsibility. That is simultaneously a sobering obligation and a fantastic opportunity.
Successful living is difficult work and yet you are absolutely qualified to do it. You are worthy and capable of creating and enjoying whatever it is that truly fulfills you.
Make the commitment, do the work, accept the responsibility that is necessary for that fulfillment. Live the outstanding life that is yours to experience.
Ralph Marston