A Righteous Life

"If a man aspires toward a righteous life,

his first act of abstinence is from injury to animals."

~ Albert Einstein

J. Robert Oppenheimer and Carl Sagan on War

"Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do." ~ Voltaire

"We knew the world would not be the same.  A few people laughed,

a few people cried.  Most people were silent.  I remember the line

from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita;  Vishnu is trying to

 persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and, to impress him,

takes on his multi-armed form and says, 'Now I am become Death, the 

destroyer of worlds.' I suppose we all thought that, one way or another." 

~ J. Robert Oppenheimer, after a nuclear test at Los Alamos.

"Nuclear warfare is like two men standing in a pool of gasoline,

one with five matches, the other with two."  ~Carl Sagan

the Environment

"Only after the last tree has been cut down.  

Only after the last river has been poisoned.

Only after the last fish has been caught.

Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten."

~Prophecy of the Cree Native American Tribe

from a Vietnam soldier's lighter:

"We the unwilling led by the unqualified to kill the unfortunate die for the ungrateful."

War

"Naturally, the common people don't want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor, for that matter, in Germany.  That is understood.  But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship... Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders.  That is easy.  All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger.  It works the same way in any country."

~Hermann Goring

Hermann Wilhelm Göring was a German politician, military leader, and leading member of the Nazi Party. A veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, he was a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as the "Blue Max". Wikipedia

Born: January 12, 1893, Rosenheim, Germany

Died: October 15, 1946, Nuremberg, Germany

Amazingly written by a 14 year old!

Read the following poem from top to bottom

then read the poem from bottom to top.

Keep in mind this is the amazing work of a 14 year old!

Today was the absolute worst day ever

And don't try to convince me that

There's something good in every day

Because, when you take a closer look,

This world is a pretty evil place.

Even if

Some goodness does shine through once in a while

Satisfaction and happiness don't last.

And it's not true that

It's all in the mind and heart

Because

True happiness can be obtained

Only if one's surroundings are good

It's not true that good exists

I'm sure you can agree that 

The reality

Creates

My attitude

It's all beyond my control

And you'll never in a million years hear me say that 

Today was a good day

Now read from bottom to top.

Open-Minded People

"Open-minded people do not impose their beliefs on others.

They just accept all of life's perspectives and realities,

doing their own thing in peace

without judging anyone."

~ Author Unknown

...life goes on.

"You have to take the good with the bad,

smile when you're sad, love what you've got

and remember what you had.  Always

forgive but never forget, learn from your mistakes, 

but never regret, people change, things go wrong,

just remember life goes on."

~ Author Unknown

Ability, Motivation, and Attitude

"Ability is what you are capable of doing.

Motivation determines what to do.

Attitude determines how well you do it."

~ Aldous Huxley

Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 - 22 November 1963) was an English writer, humanist, pacifist, and satirist.  Best known for his novels including Brave New World and a wide-ranging output of essays.  Huxley also edited the magazine Oxford Poetry, and published short stories, poetry, travel writing, film stories and scripts...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldous_Huxley

A Quote by Stephen Hawking

"Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change."

Stephen William Hawking, CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA is an English

theoretical physicist, cosmologist, author and Director of Research at 

the Centre of Theoretical Cosmology within the University of Cambridge...

Different Roads

"People take different roads

seeking fulfillment and happiness.

Just because they're not on your road

doesn't mean they've gotten lost."

~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

H. Jackson Brown, Jr.  An American author best-known for his inspirational book, Life's Little Instruction Book, a New York Times best seller (1991-1994).

In Describing a Soulmate...

Art by Amy Dixon

A soulmate is someone you have a very deep connection.

  It is not always easy explained.  

It is a meeting of mind, heart, body and soul on the highest of levels.  

Communication is at it's easiest, as they understand you perfectly,

 and accept you completely with no judgments. 

A soulmate is when you love an imperfect person perfectly.

To Accomplish...

A poem by Bessie Anderson Stanley 

“He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much;

Who has enjoyed the trust of pure women, the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children;

Who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;

Who has never lacked appreciation of Earth’s beauty or failed to express it;

Who has left the world better than he found it,

Whether an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul;

Who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had;

Whose life was an inspiration;

Whose memory a benediction.”

~ a Buddhist Homage

Life and Death are but an illusion.

Happy and Sad are just a state of mind.

Love and Compassion alleviates the suffering

Of All sentient Beings --- those who have been

our Mothers and our Fathers.

To recognize the interconnectedness of

all beings Is to know peace!

~ a Buddhist Homage

The Lone Ranger and Tonto

The Lone Ranger and Tonto were camping in the wilderness. After they got their tent set up, both men fell sound asleep. Some hours later, Tonto wakes the Lone Ranger and says,"'Kemo Sabe, look towards sky, what you see?"
The Lone Ranger replies, "I see millions of stars." 
"What that tell you?" asked Tonto.
The Lone Ranger ponders for a minute then says, "Astronomically-speaking, it tells me there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Time-wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three in the morning. Theologically, the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you,Tonto?"
"You dumber than buffalo... It mean someone stole tent."  :)

The Old Woman

The Old Woman

When an old lady died in the geriatric
ward of a small hospital near Dundee, Scotland, it
was believed that she had nothing left of any value.

Later, when the nurses were going through her meager possessions, they found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.  One nurse took her
copy to Ireland.

The old lady's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared
 in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the North Ireland Association for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been
made based on her simple, but eloquent, poem and this little
old Scottish lady, with nothing left to give to the world, 
is now the author of this "anonymous" poem winging across the Internet:

Crabby Old Woman

What do you see, nurses?
What do you see?
What are you thinking
When you're looking at me?

A crabby old woman,
Not very wise,
Uncertain of habit,
With faraway eyes?

Who dribbles her food
And makes no reply
When you say in a loud voice,
"I do wish you'd try!"

Who seems not to notice
The things that you do,
And forever is losing
A stocking or shoe?

Who, resisting or not,
Lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding,
The long day to fill?

Is that what you're thinking?
Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse,
You're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am
As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding,
As I eat at your will.

I'm a small child of ten
With a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters,
Who love one another.

A young girl of sixteen
With wings on her feet
Dreaming that soon now
A lover she'll meet

A bride soon at twenty,
My heart gives a leap,
Remembering the vows
That I promised to keep

At twenty-five now,
I have young of my own,
Who need me to guide
And a secure happy home.

A woman of thirty,
My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other
With ties that should last.

At forty, my young sons
Have grown and are gone,
But my man's beside me
To see I don't mourn.

At fifty once more,
Babies play round my knee,
Again we know children,
My loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me,
My husband is dead,
I look at the future,
I shudder with dread.

For my young are all rearing
Young of their own,
And I think of the years
And the love that I've known.

I'm now an old woman
And nature is cruel;
'Tis jest to make old age
Look like a fool.

The body, it crumbles,
Grace and vigor depart,
There is now a stone
Where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass
A young girl still dwells,
And now and again,
My battered heart swells.

I remember the joys,
I remember the pain,
And I'm loving and living
Life over again.

I think of the years
All too few, gone too fast,
And accept the stark fact
That nothing can last.

So open your eyes, people,
Open and see,
Not a crabby old woman;
Look closer . . see ME!!


Remember this poem when you next meet an
old person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within...........we will all, one day, be there, too!

PLEASE SHARE THIS POEM. IT'S SOMETHING
WE ALL NEED TO READ!