I am sensible, cautious, careful & practical. I am clever, gifted, or talented, but modest. I am not a person who makes friends too quickly or easily, but someone who's extremely loyal to friends I do make and I expect the same loyalty in return. Those who really get to know me realize it takes a lot to shake my trust in my friends, but equally that it takes me a longer time to get over if that trust is ever broken.

A Few Favorite Quotes

"Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Albert Einstein

To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.

Freedom 2010

The major astrological event for you in 2010 is the movement of lucky and optimistic Jupiter, your traditional planetary ruler your Sun sign. Jupiter takes 12 years to go around the Zodiac and so this represents the beginning of a major new 12 year cycle of personal growth and development for you. With Jupiter in your Sun sign, you may gain a sense of freedom and release now. Therefore if certain aspects of your life are not quite working out as you think they should, this may be the time to move on, let go of the past and explore pastures new. You're also likely to feel and appear increasingly more confident and self-assured and therefore you will be able to present a more positive self-image of yourself to the world.

What Does My Birthstone Say About Me?

There Comes a Time in Life ...

The Optimist's Creed

After a While by Veronica Shoffstaff

After a while you learn
The subtle difference between
Holding a hand and chaining a soul
And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
And company doesn't always mean security.

And you begin to learn
That kisses aren't contracts
And presents aren't promises
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes ahead
With the grace of a woman
Not the grief of a child

And you learn
To build all your roads on today
Because tomorrow's ground is
Too uncertain for plans
And futures have a way
Of falling down in mid flight

After a while you learn
That even sunshine burns if you get too much
So you plant your own garden
And decorate your own soul
Instead of waiting
For someone to bring you flowers

And you learn
That you really can endure
That you are really strong
And you really do have worth
And you learn and you learn
With every good bye you learn.

Veronica A. Shoffstall

Promise Yourself

• To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
• To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.
• To make all your friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.
• To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
• To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.
• To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
• To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
• To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature you meet.
• To give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
• To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
• To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deeds.
• To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side, so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

After A While by by Veronica Shoffstall

Thoughts

Destiny – nothing happens by chance

Luck – is when preparation meets opportunity

The Laws of Attraction – works and is in action

Progress – don’t worry about those I have to leave behind

Stress – time must be spent alone to recoup and rejuvenate

You are the master of your own destiny – I decide what happens to me; don’t look at what others are doing.

Life is what you make it. – I have to go on regardless of who tries to keep me back

New challenge – do what has to be done to get where you want to go. Do not depend fully on any one to collaborate with you on your journey. Each person is on their own journey. What you are looking for on your journey is not necessarily what others will want to include on their journey. Don’t look back, don’t hesitate, GO! Go onward on your journey and remember to enjoy every moment of the journey. "BourMac"

The Serenity Prayer

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen. --Reinhold Niebuhr

"One Moment in Time"

Each day I live, I want to be
A day to give the best of me
I'm only one, but not alone
My finest day is yet unknown

I broke my heart fought every gain
To taste the sweet, I face the pain
I rise and fall, yet through it all
This much remains

I want one moment in time
When I'm more than I thought I could be
When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away
And the answers are all up to me

Give me one moment in time
When I'm racing with destiny
Then in that one moment of time
I will feel, I will feel eternity

I've lived to be the very best
I want it all, no time for less
I've laid the plans, now lay the chance
Here in my hands

Give me one moment in time
When I'm more than I thought I could be
When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away
And the answers are all up to me

Give me one moment in time
When I'm racing with destiny
Then in that one moment of time
I will feel, I will feel eternity

You're a winner for a lifetime
If you seize that one moment in time, Make it shine

Give me one moment in time
When I'm more than I thought I could be
When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away
And the answers are all up to me

Give me one moment in time
When I'm racing with destiny
Then in that one moment of time
I will be, I will be, I will be free
I will be, I will be free

Who am I?

I am an Aries. According to my Zodiac sign, I am adventurous and energetic, pioneering and courageous, enthusiastic and confident, dynamic and quick-witted, selfish and quick-tempered, impulsive and impatient, foolhardy and daredevil.

Religion - Buddhism

Buddhism is the 4th largest religion in the world. Exceeded by Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. Buddhism is a path of practice and spiritual development leading to Insight into the true nature of life. Buddhist practices such as meditation are means of changing oneself in order to develop the qualities of awareness, kindness, and wisdom. The experience developed within the Buddhist tradition over thousands of years has created an incomparable resource for all those who wish to follow a path — a path which ultimately culminates in Enlightenment or Buddhahood. Because Buddhism does not include the idea of worshipping a creator god, some people do not see it as a religion in the normal, Western sense. The basic tenets of Buddhist teaching are straightforward and practical: nothing is fixed or permanent; actions have consequences; change is possible. Thus Buddhism addresses itself to all people irrespective of race, nationality, or gender. It teaches practical methods (such as meditation) which enable people to realise and utilise its teachings in order to transform their experience, to be fully responsible for their lives and to develop the qualities of Wisdom and Compassion. There are around 350 million Buddhists and a growing number of them are Westerners. They follow many different forms of Buddhism, but all traditions are characterised by non-violence, lack of dogma, tolerance of differences, and, usually, by the practice of meditation.


Four Noble Truths
1) Suffering Exists.
2) Suffering Arises from Attachment to Desires.
3) Suffering Ceases when Attachment to Desire Ceases.
4) Freedom from Suffering is Possible by Practicing the Eightfold Path


Noble Eightfold Path
• Right View/ Understanding
• Right Thought
• Right Speech
• Right Action/ Conduct
• Right Livelihood
• Right Effort
• Right Mindfulness
• Right Concentration

Quotations

"Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: it transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural & spiritual, and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity" A widely cited, but apparently spurious quotation attributed to Albert Einstein

"The greatest achievement is selflessness. The greatest worth is self-mastery. The greatest quality is seeking to serve others. The greatest precept is continual awareness. The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything. The greatest action is not conforming with the worlds ways. The greatest magic is transmuting the passions. The greatest generosity is non-attachment. The greatest goodness is a peaceful mind. The greatest patience is humility. The greatest effort is not concerned with results. The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go. The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances." Atisha.

"When the mind begins to become still, we then begin to truly see it. When you first try to stabilize and pacify the mind, initially it will become very busy because it’s not accustomed to being still. In fact, it doesn’t even necessarily want to become still, but it is essential to get a hold of the mind to recognize its nature. This practice is extremely important. ... Eventually you will find yourself in a state where your mind is clear and open all the time. It is just like when the clouds are removed from the sky and the sun can clearly be seen, shining all the time. This is coming close to the state of liberation, liberation from all traces of suffering. ... The truth of this practice is universal. It isn’t necessary to call it a religion to practice it. Whether one is a Hindu or a Moslem or a Christian or a Buddhist simply doesn’t matter. Anyone can practice this because this is the nature of the mind, the nature of everyone’s mind. If you can get a handle on your mind, and pacify it in this way, you will definitely experience these results, and you will see them in your daily life situation. There is no need to put this into any kind of category, any kind of "ism." Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche

Inspirations

• A life of wealth enjoyed by a mind of peace comes most often to men who maintain a positive mental attitude.

• Control your mental attitude with definiteness of purpose. Emerson said:"The world makes way for a man who knows where he is going."

• A positive mind tunes in on other positive minds.

• You cannot have peace of mind while you fear anything or anyone nor while you entertain the kind of anger which brings you to a desire for revenge or a desire to injure another, no matter what the justification may seem to be.

• Life says yes when you maintain a positive mental attitude.

• Focus your mind upon a single purpose and you seem to achieve "genius" powers because your mind works far more efficiently.

• Free yourself of fear, and you free yourself of a man - made devil.

• When you fear something, that thing is more likely to find you and harm you. When you look a threat in the eye and know you are going to overcome it - that is when great powers come to your aid.

The Recipe for Tracy-Ann

The Recipe For Tracy-Ann

3 parts Daring 2 parts Aspiration 1 part Sweetness Splash of Mania Chug!

What's the Recipe for Your Personality?

In the Beginning

Wow! My own blog. I finally did it after much procrastination. A journey through my eyes for my eyes.