What started as a necessary evil, Twitter, has turned into a fun social media experiment. At last count, my Twitter ( @EnlightenYurDay ) had 2,153 followers. I Tweet and Retweet inspiring and eye-catching quotes along with current Social Media Trends from TweetDeck. I use # HashTags and referral sites like MrTweet to cast my net wider. My Twitter philosophy is simple: share truth and beauty. Here is list of my favorite Retweets and Tweets. Kindest Regards to all my Twitter contributors.

RT Inspiring Tweets and Zen Retweets from my Twitter Contributors

flickr photo by scarbody

Zen ReTweets

• RT @MarkIsMusing: For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream” Van Gogh #quote
• RT @joyfrequencies: Awesome! “It was the work of the quiet mountains, this torrent of purity at my feet” Jack Kerouac #quote #quotes
• RT @beiruta: Great #quote “First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win” Mahatma Gandhi
• RT @fitwriter Now that my house has burned down, I have a much better look at the sky–Zen saying
• RT @traveleverywher: RT @Ladyalana: It’s not what if, it’s what now. ~Author Unknown #quote
• RT @ScreamingEagle1: “We make our world significant by the courage of our questions & the depth of our answers” ~ Carl Sagan #quote
• RT @allaboutenergy: The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of Hell, a hell of Heaven. ~ John Milton #quote
• RT @screamingeagle1 Great quote thanks irenerencsi: RT: “Be realistic: Plan for a miracle”— Osho?

flickr photo by Licht

Lovely ReTweets

• RT @MarkIsMusing: To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead” Bertrand Russell #quote #zen
• RT @lovepeaceunity: RT @MARCOME: “Love’s the only engine of survival.” ~ Leonard Cohen (via @mscator)
• RT @SusanCosmos: “If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.” - Bruce Lee #quote
• RT @quotesource: “The greatest treasures are those invisible to the eye but found by the heart.” #quote
• RT @AlexKaris #QUOTE At the moment of commitment, the universe conspires to assist you~ Goethe
• RT @NoTwidiot: “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius & it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring…” ~unknown?

flickr photo by Browni63

Social Media ReTweets

• RT @alvinyudistira: RT @unmarketing: The key to understanding “social media” is to focus on the first word of the term.
• RT @lululemon: “How would you start loving your body if you stopped comparing it to others?” Love your body!
• RT @1800GOTJUNK: RT @Earth911 Google got rid of individual employee trash cans to minimize waste & encourage recycling http://snurl.com/k6rlo from TweetDeck ?

flickr photo by digitalTool

Self-Actualization ReTweets

• RT @quotesource: I like that. RT @ColaAllen: Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it” Henry David Thoreau #zen
• RT @SusanCosmos: In response to those who say to stop dreaming and face reality, I say keep dreaming and make reality” Kristian Kan #quote
• RT @NadiaKoligman: RT @ImproveLife: “The only place where your #dream becomes impossible is in your own thinking” Robert Schuller #quote
• RT @ScreamingEagle1: “Begin each day as if it were on purpose.” ~ Mary Anne Radmacher #quote zen
• RT @JavierChua: #Quote: “We know what we are, but know not what we may be.” ~ William Shakespeare
• RT @Montsterr: RT @MarkIsMusing: It is not our abilities that show what we truly are…it is our #choices. Albus Dumbledore #quote #zen
• RT @NDFootballFan1: It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” Lou Holtz #quote #ND #quotes
• RT @quotesource: RT @mariaporter RT @TeddyShabba “Circumstances do not make a man, they reveal him.” Dr. Wayne W. Dyer #quote. Agreed!!
• RT @ghostcrabby: RT @thewebchild “#Success comes in cans, not cant’s.” - Unknown #quote #quotes #zen
• RT @SusanCosmos: Playing safe is probably the most unsafe thing in the world. U cannot stand still. U must go forward” Robert Collier #quote
• RT @JazmineSpirit: Intense desire not only creates its own possibilities-but its own talents -Kobi Yamada #quote
• RT @brandisco: RT @MurrayMelb: #Success is how high you bounce after you hit bottom. - General George Patton. #quote

Funny Tweets From @EnlighenYurDay

• “I’m such a good lover because I practice a lot on my own.” Woody Allen #quote #love #movie

• Curiosity killed the cat, but for a while I was a suspect.” Steven Wright #quote #humor

• Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use” Wendell Johnson #quote #quotes #zen

• Luke, there is no try, there is either do or not do” George Lucas #quote

• The worst thing about new books is that they keep us from reading the old ones” John Wooden #quote #quotes #books

• Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before.” Mae West #quote

• A word to the wise ain’t necessary - it’s the stupid ones that need the advice” Bill Cosby #quote #humor

• “Constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil.” Jerry Garcia #music #quote

flickr photo by nighthamk3 (away for some time)

Dreamy Tweets From @EnlighenYurDay

• #Dreams are true while they last, and do we not live in dreams?” Alfred, Lord Tennyson

• #Dreams are illustrations… from the book your soul is writing about you.” Marsha Norman #quote

• The robber of your free #will,” writes Epictetus, “does not exist” Marcus Aurelius #quote

• There is no snooze button on a #cat who wants breakfast.” Unknown #Zen #quote

• A little girl, asked where her home was, replied, “where mother is.” ~Keith L. Brooks #quote #mother #day

photo of Olivia Wilde

Sexy Tweets From @EnlighenYurDay

• For it was not into my ear you whispered But into my heart Twas not my lips you kissed But my soul” Judy Garland #quote

• After the first blush of sin comes its indifference” Henry D Thoreau #quote

• We have to believe in #free-will. We’ve got no #choice” Isaac B Singer #quote

• The question is not whether we will die, but how we will #live” Joan Borysenko #quote #zen

• #Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.” James Dean #quotes #quote #zen

• People living deeply have no fear of death” Anais Nin #zen #quote #quotes

• Never pretend to a #love which you do not actually feel, for love is not ours to command” Alan Watts #quote #zen

flickr photo by weirena

Enlightened Tweets From @EnlighenYurDay

• The gratification comes in the doing, not in the results.” James Dean #quote #quotes #zen

• The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow #quote #zen

• I cannot make my days longer so I strive to make them better. Paul Theroux #quote

• “If U can concentrate always on the present, U’ll be a #happy man. #Life will be a party for U, a grand festival” The Alchemist #Coelho

• No man was ever wise by chance.” Seneca #quote #wisdom

• Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.” #Zen #Proverb #quotes

flickr photo by vanvos

Beauty Tweets From @EnlighenYurDay

• If the path be beautiful, let us not ask where it leads.” Anatole France #quote #zen #beauty

• “Let tears flow of their own accord: their flowing is not inconsistent with inward peace and harmony” Seneca #quote #peace

• To rise from error to truth is rare and beautiful” Victor Hugo #quote #art

• A beautiful thing never gives so much pain as does failing to hear and see it” Michelangelo #quote

• The sound of a kiss is not so loud as that of a cannon, but its echo lasts a great deal longer” Oliver W Holmes #quote

• “The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude” Friedrich Nietzsche #quote #art

• #Love and Compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them #Humanity cannot survive” Dalai Lama #quote

• There are no days in #life so memorable as those which vibrated to some stroke of the #imagination” Ralph Emerson #quote

• I define nothing. Not beauty, not patriotism. I take each thing as it is, without prior rules about what it should be” Bob Dylan #quotes

flickr photo by Jessica Shannon

Money Tweets From @EnlighenYurDay

• Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is.” H. Jackson Browne #quote #zen

• He makes no friends who never made a foe” Tennyson #quote #friends #zen #quote #quotes

• My #motto is: Contented with little, yet wishing for more. Charles Lamb #quote

• #Money is everywhere but so is #poetry. What we lack are the #poets ” Federico Fellini #quote

• #Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.” Goethe #quote

• “If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable” Seneca #quotes #quote

• If you’re not failing every now and again, it’s a sign you’re not doing anything very innovative.” Woody Allen #quote

• “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” Winston Churchill #quote

• Money won’t make you happy… but everybody wants to find out for themselves.” Zig Ziglar #quote

• The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities” Stephen Covey #quote

• All men dream; but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity.” but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act out their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible” T. E. Lawrence #quote

Related posts: Yes, I love all things Social Media.

A list of inspiring quotes and pictures to elevate your day

What defines originality?  Setting out to explore this topic, I quickly realized the simple complicated truth: Everything and nothing is original.  Each new idea is spun from a web of past experiences and knowledge.

For instance, can anything claim to be more original then the light bulb.  And yet, even Edison’s idea is not original.  It’s a thought born from the sun, passed onto the candle, until it became the light bulb.

I realize now, my personal quote “I love all things original“, is fundamentally flawed and probably the result of having heard something from a forgotten source.  What I should say is, “I love all things”, for everything is connected, everything is a part of something else.  Therefore, originality is beyond any definition I can provide for you.  So I decided to transform this question into my monthly E.Y.D Photo Blog hoping it will spark some illuminating thoughts.  To compliment these Social media photos, I have added a few appetizers to meditate upon…  Each photo was tagged under Originality, and links directly to the Artists kind enough to share their work on Flickr

Can you define Originality?  Drop me a comment with your thoughts on what originality is to you, or just add one idea you think is original.

Related Post:

E.Y.D Photo Blog Part I : The beauty of photography captured in a kiss

E.Y.D Photo Blog Part II:  orig·i·nal·i·ty

God has given you one face, and you make yourself another.” Shakespeare

Pronunciation: \?-?ri-j?-?na-l?-t?\ Function: noun Date: 1742
1 : the quality or state of being original 2 : freshness of aspect, design, or style 3 : the power of independent thought or constructive imagination

Almost every man wastes part of his life in attempts to display qualities which he does not possess, and to gain applause which he cannot keep.  ~ Samuel Johnson, The Rambler, 1750

“A quality given to ideas expressed as unique, novel or different from any other previously recognized ideas of a similar nature.”

There is just one life for each of us: our own. ~ Euripides

“It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.”  Herman Melville

How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone.  ~ Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind. ~ Dr. Seuss

“Originality is simply a pair of fresh eyes.”   Thomas W. Higginson

Wherever you go, go with all your heart. ~ Confucius

“Utter originality is, of course, out of the question”  Ezra Pound

Originality is the fine art of remembering what you hear but forgetting where you heard it.  Laurence J. Peter

Most people are other people.  Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.  ~ Oscar Wilde, De Profundis, 1905

“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius & it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring…” ~unknown

If you are ashamed to stand by your colors, you had better seek another flag. ~ Author Unknown

“Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring two pence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it. ” C. S. Lewis

“Be yourself” is about the worst advice you can give some people.  ~Tom Masson

Originality is nothing by judicious imitation. The most original writers borrowed one from another.  Voltaire

If you cannot be a poet, be the poem.  ~David Carradine

“You’ve gotta be original, because if you’re like someone else, what do they need you for?”  Bernadette Peters

“Should we all confess our sins to one another we would all laugh at one another for our lack of originality”  Kahlil Gibran

Related Post: E.Y.D Photo Blog Part I : The beauty of photography captured in a kiss

Borges

Flickr photo by Stellablue72

“Any life is made up of a single moment, the moment in which a man finds out, once and for all, who he is.”  Jorge Luis Borges

Upon finding a great Author that captures your heart, look further down the rabbit hole to find the writer that captured theirs.   Literature is often a road map of wisdom sending omens and random coincidences to guide you.  I’m always listening and watching for a recurring name or title to seek it out.

I found Jorge Luis Borges in Paulo Coelho’s book Confessions of a Pilgrim.  Paulo shared a story about taking a long bus trip to see Borges in person.  Upon arriving and seeing Borges, he didn’t talk to him or ask him any questions.  He just looked at him and then returned home.  I pondered why he didn’t saying anything to his favorite writer. What stopped him from a hello or hand shake.  Paulo is an avid blogger communicating directly with his fans on a regular basis, so I have a good chance of finding my answer.  I will keep you posted on the results.

In the mean time, I would love to hear your thoughts or theories on why he didn’t say anything. What would you say given the opportunity to meet your favorite writer?

Short Bio on Borges From The Modern Word

Jorge Luis Borges was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina on August 24, 1899. He was always expected to be a writer… He started writing at the age of six, mostly fanciful stories inspired by Cervantes. When he was nine, he translated Oscar Wilde’s “The Happy Prince” into Spanish, an effort which appeared in a local newspaper called El País.”

Poetry Spotlight on Jorge Luis Borges:

“Poetry remembers that it was an oral art before it was a written art.”  Jorge Luis Borges

Flickr photo by kai photography

Flickr photo by Eric Flexyourhead

Instants by Jorge Luis Borges

If I could live again my life,
In the next - I’ll try,
- to make more mistakes,
I won’t try to be so perfect,
I’ll be more relaxed,
I’ll be more full - than I am now,
In fact, I’ll take fewer things seriously,
I’ll be less hygienic,
I’ll take more risks,
I’ll take more trips,
I’ll watch more sunsets,
I’ll climb more mountains,
I’ll swim more rivers,

I’ll go to more places - I’ve never been,
I’ll eat more ice creams and less (lime) beans,
I’ll have more real problems - and less imaginary
ones,
I was one of those people who live
prudent and prolific lives -
each minute of his life,
Off course that I had moments of joy - but,
if I could go back I’ll try to have only good moments,

If you don’t know - that’s what life is made of,
Don’t lose the now!

I was one of those who never goes anywhere
without a thermometer,
without a hot-water bottle,
and without an umbrella and without a parachute,

If I could live again - I will travel light,
If I could live again - I’ll try to work bare feet
at the beginning of spring till
the end of autumn,
I’ll ride more carts,
I’ll watch more sunrises and play with more children,
If I have the life to live - but now I am 85,
- and I know that I am dying …

Flickr photo by xiaming

We are the time. We are the famous by Jorge Luis Borges

We are the time. We are the famous
metaphor from Heraclitus the Obscure.

We are the water, not the hard diamond,
the one that is lost, not the one that stands still.

We are the river and we are that Greek
that looks himself into the river. His reflection
changes into the waters of the changing mirror,
into the crystal that changes like the fire.

We are the vain predetermined river,
in his travel to his sea.

The shadows have surrounded him.
Everything said goodbye to us, everything goes away.
Memory does not stamp his own coin.

Flickr photo by Miceeatcheese

However, there is something that stays
however, there is something that bemoans.

Jorge Luis Borges

In Confessions of a Pilgrim, Paulo Coelho recited one of his favorite poems by Jorge Luis Borges:

I will not be happy now. It may not matter.
There are so many more things in the world.
Any random instant is as crowded
And varied as the sea.  A life is brief, and though
The hours seem long, there is another
Dark mystery that lies in wait for us-
Death, that other sea, that other arrow
That frees us from the sun, the moon, and love.
The happiness you gave me once and later
Took back from me will be obliterated.
That which was everything must turn to nothing.
I only keep the taste of my own sadness
And a vain urge that turns me to the South side,
To a certain corner there, a certain door.

Jorge Luis Borges

Flickr photo by takiostavim

“To die for a religion is easier than to live it absolutely.” Jorge Luis Borges

Related Posts:  My response to Ed Varney’s poem titled Happiness

The beautiful & enchanting wisdom of Hugh Prather

Flickr photo by Alicepopkorn

1.)  “That which you resist stays.”  David R. Hawkins

2.)  “Would you rather be right or free?”  Byron Katie

3.)  “Misery is complexity. Happiness is simplicity.”  Lester Levenson

4.)  “The more you have, the more you are occupied, the less you give.”  Mother Teresa

5.)  “Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother.”   Khalil Gibran

6.)  “And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to the span of life?”  Jesus

Photo found on Pixdaus

7.)  “To be in time is to be asleep: to be awake is to be in eternity.”  Osho

8.)  “Wherever we may come alive, that is the area in which we are spiritual.”  David Steindl-Rast

9.)  “When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.”  Rumi Quote

10.)  “Success is a welcomed gift for the uninhibited mind.”  Adlin Sinclair

11.)  “I love all religions, but I am in love with my own.”  Mother Teresa

12.)  “I consider myself a student of many religions. The more I learn, the more questions I have.”  Dan Brown

Flickr photo by Impersonne

13.)  “Wisdom tends to grow in proportion to one’s awareness of one’s ignorance.”  Anthony de Mello

14.)  “The Church has its problems, but the older I get, the more comfort I find there.”  Bono

15.)  “The less you open your heart to others, the more your heart suffers.”  Deepak Chopra

16.)  “The purpose of the heart is to know yourself, to be yourself, and yet one with God.”  Edgar Cayce

15.)  “The lust for comfort murders the passions of the soul.”  Khalil Gibran

16.)  “The personal life deeply lived always expands into truths beyond itself.”  Anais Nin
17.)  “If you reflect within yourself and find nothing to be ashamed of, how could you have anxiety or fear.”  Confucius

18.)  “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”  Jesus

Flickr photo by Xavier .

19.)  “You are here to enable the divine purpose of the universe to unfold. That is how important you are!”  Eckhart Tolle

20.)  “Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.”  Carl Jung

21.)  “I believe in myself. I believe in the hands that work, in the brains that think, and in the hearts that love.”  Richard Branson

22.)  “It enables me to go to bed with an enriching feeling in my soul and the belief that I am changing myself.”  Nelson Mandela

23.)  “But maybe, by raising my voice, I can help the greatest of all causes - good will among men and peace on earth.”  Albert Einstein

Flickr photo by Eddi 07

24.)  “Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.” The Buddha

25.)  “One hour’s meditation on the work of the Creator is better than seventy years of prayer.”  Muhammad

26.)  “In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness.”  Gandhi

27.)  “…where we entirely miss the obvious-that is, that we are all trying to decipher life’s big mysteries, and we’re each following our own paths of enlightenment.”  Dan Brown

28.)  “When a warrior learns to stop the internal dialogue, everything becomes possible; the most far-fetched schemes become.”  Carlos Castaneda

29.)  “Follow your bliss and don’t be afraid, and doors will open where you didn’t know they were going to be.”   Joseph Campbell

Flickr photo by Job earth

30.)  “It is love alone that leads to right action. What brings order in the world is to love and let love do what it will.”  Jiddu Krishnamurti
31.)  “Death is not the biggest fear we have; our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive - the risk to be alive and express what we really are.”  Miguel Angel Ruiz

32.)  “It’s just such a freeing thing to set these great challenges for yourself, to travel, to learn more about the world, to just go out there and get crazy and get free and get strong.”  Angelina Jolie

34.)  “I think there’s an invisible principle of living too. If we believe we’re guided through every step of our lives, we are. It’s a lovely sight, watching it work.”  Richard Bach

35.)  “Look at every path closely and deliberately, then ask ourselves this crucial question: Does this path have a heart? If it does, then the path is good. If it doesn’t, it is of no use.”  Carlos Castaneda

36.)  “However many holy words you read, However many you speak, What good will they do you If you do not act on upon them?”  Buddha

Flickr photo by quas

37.)  “It is only by grounding our awareness in the living sensation of our bodies that the “I Am,” our real presence, can awaken.”   G.I. Gurdjieff

38.)  “We have always been involved in spiritual evolution. We are spiritual beings, we have always been spiritual beings and we will always be spiritual beings.”  Gary Zukav

39.)  “Christian, Jew, Muslim, shaman, Zoroastrian, stone, ground, mountain, river, each has a secret way of being with the mystery, unique and not to be judged.”  Rumi

40.)  “In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.”  Buddha

41.)  “The Buddha’s teachings on love are clear. It is possible to live twenty-four hours a day in a state of love. Every movement, every glance, every thought, and every word can be infused with love.”  Thich Nhat Hanh

42.)  “The continual awareness of what was going on made me feel ashamed I wasn’t saying anything. I burst out because I could no longer play that game any more, it was just too much for me.”  John Lennon

Flickr photo by Yorick

43.)  “Without faith, hope and trust, there is no promise for the future, and without a promising future, life has no direction, no meaning and no justification.”  Adlin Sinclair
44.)  “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.”   Buddha

45.)  “We must have the faith that things will work out somehow, that God will make a way for us when there seems no way.”  Martin Luther King
46.)  “Through awareness, you get a certain attitude. That’s the way, you see, to achieve more peaceful, more compassion, more friendship through that way.”  14th Dalai Lama

47.)  “Spiritual practices help us move from identifying with the ego to identifying with the soul. Old age does that for you too. It spiritualizes people naturally.”  Ram Dass

48.)  “The sage seeks freedom from desire. He does not collect precious things. He learns not to hold on to ideas. He brings men back to what they have lost.”  Lao Tzu

Flickr photo by Xavier Fargas

49.)  “If we knock on the door until it opens, not taking no for an answer, our lives will be transformed as we step up into a higher awareness.”  James Redfield
50.)  “I see the potential for a new world being born in front of me and all around me, and I feel the only way to bring that potential into being is to know myself.”  Gary Zukav

51.)  “No one in the world was ever you before, with your particular gifts and abilities and possibilities. It’s a shame to waste those by doing what someone else has done.”  Joseph Campbell

52.)  “We will discover the nature of our particular genius when we stop trying to conform to our own or other people’s models, learn to be ourselves, and allow our natural channel to open.”  Shakti Gawain

Flickr photo by Eddi o7

53.)  “The highest level of creativity consists in being, not doing. When the being is intense enough, when the words are spoken enough, when the thoughts are thought enough, the doing will automatically follow.”  Marianne Williamson

54.)  “Only as a warrior can one withstand the path of knowledge. A warrior cannot complain or regret anything. His life is an endless challenge, and challenges cannot possibly be good or bad. Challenges are simply challenges.”  Carlos Castaneda

55.)  “If you deny yourself access to the child within because you’re too serious, you also block your connection to the divine Light and your feminine self. Every creator who’s any good uses their feminine side to create with.. Whether a scientist working on a hunch, a painter working on the interplay of colors, or a musician dealing with the juxtaposition of notes and chords.”  Stuart Wilde

56.)  “Love the animals, love the plants, love everything. If you love everything, you will perceive the divine mystery in things. Once you perceive it, you will begin to comprehend it better every day. And you will come at last to love the whole world with an all-embracing love.”  Fyodor Dostoyevsky

57.)  “The secret of attraction is to love yourself. Attractive people judge neither themselves nor others. They are open to gestures of love. They think about love, and express their love in every action. They know that love is not a mere sentiment, but the ultimate truth at the heart of the universe.”  Deepak Chopra

Flickr photo by Ben

58.)  “I think the new spirituality will be a spirituality that’s not based on a particular dogma. And that steps away from the old spiritual paradigm that we have created on this planet, which comes from a thought that there is such a thing as being better.”  Neale Donald Walsch

59.)  “I have an almost religious zeal… not for technology per se, but for the Internet which is for me, the nervous system of mother Earth, which I see as a living creature, linking up.”  Dan Millman

60.)   “Where is the peace in more is better?  This idea keeps us exclusively in the physical domain.  You can replace the more is better belief with an inner serenity that doesn’t need more to be acceptable.  There is no peace in more is better, and if it doesn’t being peace to your life, then it’s something you want to discard.”   Wayne Dyer

61.)  “Happiness is not pleasure, it is victory.”  Zig Ziglar

Related Posts:  E.Y.D Author Page

A debate on the most important questions in life???

Enlightening Chinese proverbs and a question from a quote

Looking back to my first posts on E.Y.D, I realized it took a year to find the true voice of this blog.  Now, I feel my direction is clearly defined.  What I hope to accomplish with Enlighten Your Day is a Meditative Thought Blog.  A portal on the net for anyone seeking a momentary pause to contemplate something positive, to see something brilliant, or share some insight.

To celebrate my first year anniversary, I’m sharing what I learned and loved while journeying into the Blogosphere. 

Photo found here on Vi.sualize.us

I.)  First and foremost; it’s all about friends.

I have come to know a myriad of wonderful people and gained a community dedicated to sharing wisdom, laughter, and beauty. My first Cyber connection was Matt a.k.a WOlfhOund: a writer, Social Media Guru and Blogger (Homeless Tales).  Although we got off on the wrong foot, (my fault - never blog before being caffeinated!), I quickly learned the value and importance of friendships.  In the world of Blogging, you can’t be an Island and succeed, you need to build bridges.  Next came Babbages4life and TopSurf, true pioneers of the Stumble-Blog.  It was simple, we shared countless photos, lols, and : ).  Thank You.  Finally, to the many Bloggers who have shared their thoughts and wisdom with me, it has been a pleasure.  Big love goes out to Evelyn (Attraction Mind Map), Mommy Mystic (BellaOnline), 1000meditations (axel g), along with so many others for all your support.

Please share links in my comment section to one or more of your posts so that others can find your work.

Photo found here on Vi.sualize.us

II.)  Secondly, God does create a lot of controversy and a comment fight is a good thing.

My most commented post to date:  Amazing tips for living a better life.  One simple line, “God heals almost everything”, sparked a wild debate.  This debate opened my eyes to the revolving door of being both teacher and student as a Blogger.  It was inspiring to learn from people expressing themselves for reasons greater then the need to be right or win. Instead, being interested in understanding other perspectives and challenging their soul to grow.  Here are my two favourite comments readers were kind enough to share.

This first comes from the post mentioned above.  JM Response to Amazing tips:

“Wow. Reading the above postings was a special experience. It’s as though #28 ruined the day for everyone who read it. I’m agnostic or atheist or I don’t really know what, but it’s really irrelevant. I’m just blown away by the negativity that one comment can provoke in people who are logging on to a website based on “enlightenment.” My personal advice would be to “Fucking lighten up.” But perhaps more sage advice would be what a Buddhist monk once told me when I struggled with one of the teachings: “Ignore that teaching. If it is a roadblock to accepting the good parts in the other passages, then you must discard it. Maybe one day you will feel differently about it, maybe not, but don’t let it get in the way of the parts which are helpful to you.” That’s my two cents. Feel free to get angry, I won’t.”

The second comment comes from a question I asked in: Enlightening Chinese proverbs and a Question from a Quote.  “Religion answers questions. spirituality asks questions. Is one inherently better then the other?”

Photo by Photizo on Gaia

Ian Ward’s response was brilliant: “Spirituality is the journey. All religions are just sign posts. The trouble with religion is that if you only focus on the sign posts, you miss out on experiencing the journey. The good thing about spirituality is that you can pick your own path for your journey and don’t necessarily need any sign posts.”  Ian

III.)  The present moment is always best.

My most viewed post to date, 11 Enlightening movie quotes that will touch your heart, was insanely popular.  Kung Fu Panda was hot at the box office at that time, and starting with that quote seemed to me to make all the difference. The reason being, it was in the present moment; which is the secret of enlightenment.

“Quit, don’t quit, noodles, don’t noodles. You are too concerned with what was and what will be. There is a saying, “Yesterday is History, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, that’s why it is called a present.” Kung Fu Panda

What can you expect from this second year of E.Y.D?  I think my Bio line on Twitter sums it up nicely:  “A Meditative Thought Blog sharing Your Daily Cup of Enlightened Zen and Artistic Beauty. Find Inspiration, Insight, Gorgeous Photos, Quotes, Meditations, and more. ”

I hope you will join me….

My New Subscription Page:  Subscribe Now!

Photo found here on Vi.sualize.us

Please share some related post or anything you desire below.  The Link Lines are Open…

Related Post: A debate on the most important questions in life???

Recent Realizations

Those that get it are lucky:  Funny Zen story of two monks and a lovely girl

Everybody loves the Alchemist:  Inspiring passages for Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist

A short creative Essay on Social Media.

Once considered to be the Pope of Facebook by my coworkers; I have since moved on to be king of StumbleUpon. I check my analytics, Feed and blog comments with religious zeal, while simultaneously reading prolific blogs like Zen Habits and Dosh Dosh. I give Karmic Link-Love to all those who are kind enough to share.

I Tweet, I vote, I comment and I share heart pounding reviews for everyone to see. I meditate in the vortex of cyberspace while searching for that latest pop culture phenomenon I can launch further into the stratosphere. I tremendously enjoy giving daily Cups of Enlightened Zen to thousands of readers each week. My popularity online grows bigger with each passing moment, the last time in needed an ego boost, I counted a total of 3256 friends, subscribers, followers, and fans (which made me feel better).

On a monthly basis I make deep heart-rooted connections in the Blogosphere. Even though I have 896 friends on Digg; there is something I don‘t trust about that site. I am currently trending towards Mixx being cool, Reddit a new addiction, Vi.sualize.us a hidden gem, Twitter a necessary evil, and StumbleUpon a home where everybody knows my name. Sometimes I even scribble the name WordPress and draw little hearts around it. Double :) Yes, I love all things Social Media. (Even Propeller - well kind of?)

Photo by Will Lion found on Techipedia

Photo by Todd Malicoat on Stuntdubl

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The beauty of photography captured in a kiss.  Thy Addiction to Stumbleupon has brought forth a new love in my life. The love of photography. The extraordinary amount of breathtaking pictures I have viewed on social media sites has been a wonderful experience. So I have decided to highlight each month, one Photo blog and an assortment of pictures I discover on the net. This month, I am highlighting both Design Swan and Kiss Me Daily.  Design Swan is a wonderfully unassuming blog with mind boggling photos that elevate the imagination. Check out this amazing set of photos: Droste Effect: magic happens when math meet image…

Kiss Me Daily is so simple it’s sweet; its greed  “A kiss is all we need….”. I have decided to use this theme for my first post in this new continuing series on Photography and Photo Blogs.

“There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are.” ~ Ernst Haas

Part 1.  ”A kiss is all we need…”  Inspired by Kiss Me Daily

Related Posts:  A photo definition of cute and some Winnie the Pooh wisdom

Wonderful Proverbs complimenting Beautiful Photos

Photo by Aremac

I recently read a brilliant post about writing your own personal creed on Attraction Mind Map by Evelyn. The post was in response to Daphne Lim from Joyful Days who asked readers to submit their personal creed. Immediately, I felt inspired to write my own creed as a free writing exercise. Free writing is when you set a specific amount of time and don’t stop writing until its over. Just open the flood gates of your mind and let your inner thoughts and emotions flow. My creed felt wonderful to express and I enjoyed the experience tremendously. I titled my creed: I will. It embodies the direction I set forth for my heart and soul.

 I will by J.M.H

I will dream and never stop dreaming…

I will give up suffering…

I will strive for love…

I will seek knowledge…

I will find happiness…

I will yield not to fear…

I will seize the day…

I will be honest when it hurts…

I will conquer what I desire to conquer…

I will nourish my soul with my dreams…

I will smell the flowers on a rainy day…

I will be purposeful in my actions…

I will reach for the grandiose…

I will know love is friendship set on fire…

I will never rest from travel…

I will roar triumphantly…

I will feed inspiration to my senses…

I will not interpret my dreams in gold and silver…

I will give genuine and sincere compliments…

I will chose love, always love…

I will laugh at myself, life and everything around me…

I will throw caution to the wind in pursuit of pleasure…

I will cherish both my friends and enemies…

I will love like I have never been hurt…

I will work like I don’t need the money…

I will know that I am somebody special capable of anything…

I will dance down the street like dingledodies…

I will not be a critic, critics are useless…

I will know not Defeat, heartbreak, and surrender; those are not in my creed…

I will not understand those definitions…

I will not wait for the ship to come it, I will swim out to it…

I will listen to my heart that is capable of carrying me through anything…

I will look through the arch way of experience into the unknown…

I will know that my failures lead to the backdoor of success…

I will know mean-spirited people cannot rain on my parade…

I will know negative people cannot infect me with their thoughts…

I will chose determination, will, and above all hope as my being…

I will know weakness, pain, and hopelessness are not in my being…

I will never quit, never give up, and never surrender…

I will live this day like it will be my last…

I will remember to be grateful; and that will be enough…

I will understand victory, and nothing else!

Photo by Kwerdeldein

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Photo by Lord V

It was a chilly damp Saturday in Vancouver as I strolled the streets with my broken umbrella. I have a few days off and a seemingly impossible list of things to do. I feel blue melancholy with a hints of hopelessness. I feel the dull beat of my heart in the succumbing presence of my being. Sad tears tapping down letters and words from its beat. Nonsensical music fluttering out of my pores. Disdainful thoughts of nothing more. Blackening tremors of firth. A loveless day. In hopes of lifting my spirits, I perused the used book stores looking for inspiration, something to bring new hope; maybe even an omen. Looking to enlighten my own sad day. Only one author comes to mind, Kahlil Gibran, who writes pure stark beauty for the soul.

 Quotes from the book: Spiritual Sayings of Kahlil Gibran.

 “Passionate love is a quenchless thirst.” p. 30

“To be closer to god, be closer to people.” p. 3

“The pain that accompanies love, invention, and responsibility also gives delight.” P. 36

 “Faith is a knowledge within the heart, beyond the reach of proof.” p. 28

dancretul’s photo

“Sayings remain meaningless until they are embodied in habits.” p. 27

 “It is slavery to live in the mind unless it has become part of the body.” p. 4

Photo by Marco Guerra

“Does the song of the sea end at the shore or in the hearts of those who listen to it?” p. 9

“No lower can a man descend than to interpret his dreams into gold and silver.” p. 3

“Poverty is a temporary fault, but excessive wealth is a lasting ailment.” p. 29

 “Three things I like in literature: rebellion, perfection, and the abstract. And the three things I hate in it are imitation, distortion, and complexity.” p. 8

“Keep me from the wisdom that does not weep, and the philosophy that does not laugh, and the pride that does not bow its head before a child.” p. 18

Photo by carf

“They say if one understands himself, he understands all people. But I say to you, when one loves people, he learns something about himself.” P. 37

“Art arises when the secret vision of the artist and the manifestation of nature agree to find new shapes. “ p. 24

 Photo by Michael G. Magin

“The difficulty we meet with in reaching our goal is the shortest path to it.” p. 23

“We may change with the seasons, but the seasons will not change us.” p. 8

 “Beauty in the heart that longs for it is more sublime that in the eyes of him who sees it. “ p. 26

“The heartbreak of love sings, the sadness of knowledge speaks, the melancholy of desire whispers, and the anguish of poverty weeps. But there is a sorrow deeper than love, loftier than knowledge, stronger than desire, and more bitter than poverty. It is mute and has no voice; its eyes glitter like stars.” p. 16 

 “Enthusiasm is a volcano on whose top never grows the grass of hesitation.” p. 22

 “Prayer is the song of the heart that makes its way to the throne of God even when entangled in the wailing of thousands of souls.” p. 54

 Photo by Olivia Leigh

“The poet is he who makes you feel, after reading his poem, that his best verses have not yet been composed.” p. 14

 “I prefer to be a dreamer among the humblest, with visions to be realized, that lord among those without dreams and desires. p. 2

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