“Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength.”  August Wilson

Something about this quote touched me today.  I think it honors that individuals are complicated.   Individuals have broken parts of themselves and instead of hiding away that which isn’t bright and shiny it may be helpful to look at those parts.  Work on them, change them, accept what you cannot change and use the parts to highlight your strengths. People are complex and looking at those pieces we don’t particular like might just make us a richer, stronger, solid individual.  Just my thoughts today.

Dr. Suess Quotes

Dr. Suess was born in 1904 and died almost 20 years ago but some of the wisdom in his children’s books is ageless.  We try to teach kids to love themselves, love others, be kind, that they are unique and special and loved but sometimes we forget these simple, joyful  truths of life when we grow up.  Some of his quotes are a bit sad but today I’m sharing the Dr. Suess quotes that brought a smile to me and hope they bring you a little bounce too.

 “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” 

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.”

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own.
And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go.”

 “Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the things you can think up if only you try!”

 “Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”

Focusing On The Positive

At a training I attended this story was included in our materials.

An Old Cherokee Indian was speaking to his grandson: "A fight is going on inside me,"he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.  one is evil--he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.  The other is goo -- he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.  This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too."  The grandson thought about it for a long minute, and then asked his grandfather, "which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee replied simply, "The one you feed."

Source: Whittmer G. Willkers (as noted on the story I have but it appears to be on the Internet in many places but usually just states Cherokee words of wisdom.)

Take some time and reflect on the part of your soul that you are feeding.  It seems to reason that if your focus is consistently on all that is not OK, the parts of yourself you do not like, and your mistakes etc., that  you will be inviting more darkness and unhappiness into your life.  Conversely if you focus on the amazing parts of your being and embrace that which is good that you will invite a more positive energy into your life.