Life has many twists and turns and sometimes what looks like a very bad day can just be clearing the way for good things to come. ~J Kim Wright

Life has many twists and turns and sometimes what looks like a very bad day can just be clearing the way for good things to come. ~J Kim Wright

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J Kim Wright

Kim is a lawyer, a teacher, a coach, the publisher of CuttingEdgeLaw.com and author of Lawyers as Peacemakers...

If today were my last day on Earth and I could share 500 words of brilliance with the world, here are the important things I'd want to pass along to others...

When I went to bed on September 15, 1994, I was excited about the creation of a new life. For weeks, I had been talking to the two partners of a law firm. We'd met, talked and looked at their spare offices. I had recently passed the North Carolina bar exam and was hoping to start my first job as a lawyer.

While unemployed, I was house-sitting. My friend was returning. I had answered an ad for a rental house near the new job and had filled out the application. My friend, Andy, had offered to pay half the rent in exchange for handling his mail and storing his belongings while he traveled on business.

My youngest daughter had spent the summer in Florida, taking care of my elderly grandmother. When my parents brought her back, my partner of five years hitched a ride for a Florida vacation, traveling light and leaving everything in storage. It was time to arrange the return trip.

With plans for a new job and not knowing where else to enroll her, I had registered my dau...

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You ARE inspired! ~Prasann Thakrar

You ARE inspired! ~Prasann Thakrar

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Prasann Thakrar

Prasann is an author, coach and an expert on bridging science and spirituality.

If today were my last day on Earth and I could share 500 words of brilliance with the world, here are the important things I'd want to pass along to others...

Inspiration!

The word itself sounds, for a lack of a better word, inspirational, doesn't it? (As Gordon Gekko, a character played by Michael Douglas, in Wall Street, would say if he were writing this piece.) It has this aura about itself; this uplifting feeling to it!

You may or may not have heard the meaning and source of this wonderful word - In-Spirit. Meaning, one becomes connected to their spiritual source; i.e., one is "in" spirit.

However, I would say that it is actually us getting to a place of knowing that we are already connected to, and part and parcel of, the Primary Spirit, Divine Energy, Universal Mind, Supreme Consciousness or the Entity, Being, or Force commonly known as God. (One can give it any name at all; a Rose by any other name would not smell less sweet - as Shakespeare has said so poignantly.)

In the movie, Bulletproof Monk, Chow Yun Fat, as "the monk with no name," says to Kar, played by Seann William Scott, that "The Wise know ot...

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Taste and see that life is good. ~Brenda Shoshanna

Taste and see that life is good. ~Brenda Shoshanna

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Brenda Shoshanna

Brenda is a psychologist, speaker and author of Fearless: The 7 Principles of Peace of Mind.

If today were my last day on Earth and I could share 500 words of brilliance with the world, here are the important things I'd want to pass along to others...

The greatest gifts I've received from life have come unexpectedly, sometimes during a time of challenge, other times when I'm engrossed in helping another, and often when I'm simply open and grateful for the great banquet life constantly presents. I've learned to let go of expectations of how things will or should turn out. They don't anyway. The more I let go of my demands on life, the more I receive and the more open I am to the incredible beauty that's all around me.

A long term practitioner of Zen, I am profoundly grateful for this practice, which helps me stop, be still, and become awake to the simple treasures of everyday. I've learned to focus on what I'm doing, to open my hands and say yes to whatever comes along, to let go of judging, rejecting and turning aside from someone who needs me. Of course this is an on-going practice, much like taking a shower and brushing my teeth. The natural tendency can be to do otherwise, to reject, refuse and insist that my life play...

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Society Nurtures APTITUDE ~Beeaje Quick

Most people get interested in stocks when everyone else is. The time to get interested is when no one else is. You can't buy what is popular and do well. ~Warren Buffett

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Beeaje Quick

Beeaje is among the most eclectic and creative artists and thinkers of our century, and is dedicated to inspiring others through his many artforms.

If today were my last day on Earth and I could share 500 words of brilliance with the world, here are the important things I'd want to pass along to others...

There is a bountiful spectrum of inspiration to draw from in life. One way to channel inspiration is from the divine influence within us, commonly delivered in the form of a feeling. Each one of us gravitates to colors and smells we like, or do we? It's no secret that we are heavily influenced by marketing, economics, and cultural upbringing, so it might be fair to contest that our natural inspiration can become manipulated, arresting our core development. I use my own experiences to illustrate this point.

When I was a teenager, I wanted to become a cartoonist, but a teacher said that cartoonists usually possess an aptitude for drawing, and since I had no discernible ability, I was encouraged to do something else. Then I boldly announced I would become a writer! Another teacher concluded that I had very poor language skills and offered a similar contention: "Writers usually possess a facility for words, and you are an immigrant with poor language skills." This teache...

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Live with an open, wise and compassionate heart ~Bob Stahl

Resist and the tides will sweep you off your feet... Allow, and grace will carry you to higher ground. ~Dana Foulds

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Bob Stahl

Bob founded and directs mindfulness-based stress reduction programs, and is the author of A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook.

If today were my last day on Earth and I could share 500 words of brilliance with the world, here are the important things I'd want to pass along to others...

If this was my last day on earth, my words to all of you would be is to live with an open, wise and compassionate heart. Please do no harm: to yourself and to all beings. Please recognize the sacredness of life and cherish it. You may want to consider being a vegetarian so you don't contribute to hurting animals. Respect the earth and treat her with care. Live simply. Grow a garden. Walk in the woods. Enjoy your friends and be of service to others. The secret of love is that the more you love others the more you will be loved.

Practice mindfulness everyday. Why not be fully present in your life since the only moment you ever really live in, is the present moment. Be mindful in daily life when you are eating, walking, talking, being at work or at home. Remember, the moment you realize you are not present, you are. The moment you recognize you have been trapped by your thoughts, you can begin to step out of the trap.

Practice S.T.O.P. from time to time
"S" Sto...

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The degree of success you have is directly proportionate to the risks you're prepared to take. ~ Ken Vrana

The degree of success you have is directly proportionate to the risks you're prepared to take. ~ Ken Vrana

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Ken Vrana

Ken is a former Hollywood writer and producer and the founder of the breast cancer charity The 1in8 Foundation.

If today were my last day on Earth and I could share 500 words of brilliance with the world, here are the important things I'd want to pass along to others...

The well-known actor Jack Lemmon once told me, when I asked him for his recipe for success, that "The degree of success you have in this world is directly proportionate to the risks you're prepared to take."

I'd always remembered that no risks, no significant success. When I left Hollywood a few years later, because I didn't want to raise my then infant daughter Caiti, in Los Angeles, my plans were to try and get into law school. I know at age 50 that this was going to be a huge challenge, first because of my age and second because I'd forgotten how to study.

When I applied to local law schools, here in North Carolina, I was denied admittance because they said that my under graduate grade point average was not high enough. I tried to argue that those grades were 40 years old, and that I had gained substantial knowledge since then, working at places like the White House, owning my own ad agency and becoming a successful writer and producer in LA.

I also...

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Work less...earn more--and have more fun! ~ Ernest Oriente

Work less...earn more--and have more fun! ~ Ernest Oriente

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Ernest Oriente

Ernest is an executive coach, the author of Smart Match Alliances and the founder of PowerHour.com.

If today were my last day on Earth and I could share 500 words of brilliance with the world, here are the important things I'd want to pass along to others...

Do you know what genius work is?

As a leader within your company, are you spending today doing genius work...the kind of work that is the most valuable and best use of your time? Genius work can be defined as a peak performance state-of-mind. This means that when you are immersed in the genius work you most love and you are working on the projects that require your maximum attention, the results will be world-class! Doing genius work also means that you are focusing on the activities and the action steps that will deliver high impact results, on both a professional and personal level.

Defining genius work
"If I could only focus on two key areas today, what would the most valuable and best use of my time be?"

This is the easiest and fastest way to define genius work. As a leader in your company, genius work might include an important interview to hire a new SuperStar, a presentation to your Board of Directors on your financial performance or meeting...

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Question: what is 100 x 365? ~Lawrence Chernin

Always remember that there is a retirement home waiting somewhere and so we have to surpass ourselves everyday, make every day undying. Climb our own personal Everest and do it in such a way that every step is a little bit of eternity. ~Muriel Barbery

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Lawrence Chernin

Lawrence is a chip designer in Silicon Valley, an architect and the founder of BrainiacDating.com.

If today were my last day on Earth and I could share 500 words of brilliance with the world, here are the important things I'd want to pass along to others...

Question: what is 100 x 365? A relatively small number nevertheless, but likely bigger than the number of sunsets that you and I may experience in our lifetimes. Ever watch the changing colors of the light from yellow to purple and wonder how we came to be to experience the sun in all its majesty? What makes the colors, how do we see them, and what does our brain reveal? This is what makes us human and different from a rock. Did you try to ever hug a rock? Not to belittle rocks, but life is short, and every day one is alive is a magical gift to be able to wake anew and to experience a new daily adventure that is beyond any monetary value.

Life is not about trivial things like money and possessions, rather it's the earth and above and below and with all its life - to be inspired by and to be cherished. Make a note to go outside soon and to hug a tree, then look up to its tall branches swaying in the wind, and imagine just how many sunrises and sunsets it has witnessed. Th...

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Don't get so focused on one goal that you miss other opportunities that might pop up right beside you. Sometimes the journey is more fun than reaching

Don't get so focused on one goal that you miss other opportunities that might pop up right beside you. Sometimes the journey is more fun than reaching the end. ~Jason O'Neill

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Jason O'Neill

Jason is the founder of PencilBugs.com.

If today were my last day on Earth and I could share 500 words of brilliance with the world, here are the important things I'd want to pass along to others...

After having my business, Pencil Bugs, for five years, my life is definitely different than most kids my age. The one thing that hasn't changed, though, is that I still get to be a regular kid. My parents believe kids should be kids first and that childhood goes by too quickly so we all work to keep things balanced.

In 500 words, I can't begin to write all of the things I have learned from the experiences and opportunities I have had but I did publish my first book, Bitten by the Business Bug: Common Sense Tips for Business and Life from a Teen Entrepreneur, in which I share my stories, advice, and life lessons. Here are just a few life lessons I want to share with you now.

Success does not equal wealth and it is not always about the money. Even if you are wealthy, it is more important what you do with the money than how much you have. The same goes for donating to a charity. Some people think that how much they give is more important than what they do. Even the smalles...

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It is not important how we come to the events in our lives...what is important is how we deal with those events. ~ Troy Evans

It is not important how we come to the events in our lives...what is important is how we deal with those events. ~ Troy Evans

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Troy Evans

Troy is a former bank robber who managed to earn two college degrees while in prison and is now a professional speaker and author.

If today were my last day on Earth and I could share 500 words of brilliance with the world, here are the important things I'd want to pass along to others...

Time is our most valuable commodity bar none. It is, hands down, the most precious thing we have, yet it is the one thing with which we are most often wasteful. You can't recycle it, regain it, rejuvenate it, rediscover it, or reuse it. Once it's gone, it's gone. Now, I'm not saying we shouldn't have relaxation time, hobby time, lay on the couch and read a book time, or sit in the sun and do absolutely nothing time. It's all about balance in our lives. But we all need to have some type of time management tool that assures us that we are using out time as effectively as we can. And to help drive home this importance of time I want to share some different perspectives with you...some perspectives that you may never have stopped to consider:

To realize the value of one year, ask the student who has failed his final exam
To realize the value of one month, ask the mother who has given birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of one week, ask the editor of a weekly ...

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All there ever was and will be is love ~David Daniels

Not knowing how near the Truth is, people seek it far away. What a pity! They are like one who, in the midst of water, cries out in thirst so imploringly. ~Zen master Hakuim

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David Daniels

David is a clinical professor of psychiatry/behavioral sciences at Stanford Medical School and co-author of The Essential Enneagram.

If today were my last day on Earth and I could share 500 words of brilliance with the world, here are the important things I'd want to pass along to others...

If this were my last day, my only day - there is only love. All there ever was and will be is love. Brilliance comes from the inner knowing of this. And by love, I mean the connection of us humans in body, mind, and heart - souls together in harmony with gratitude for what is. When love is present everything radiates and beauty abounds. We are not captured and hostage to our personality structure, to our opinions or our judging mind, and we know that the fabric of the universe is seamless until we cut into it, creating cause and effect, conflict and damage.

When love is present, no one person is more or less than any other sentient being. We understand the oneness of all. Possibility abounds in love which, yes, starts with a separate self that can pursue wholeness and therein union with others and the universe. Nothing destroys the essence of love. To me love is the divine, the everlasting.

If this were my last day but unknown to me as such, I would start and end this ...

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Life isn't about you - it's about your contribution. ~Elaine Starling

Life isn't about you - it's about your contribution. ~Elaine Starling

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Elaine Starling

Elaine is the founder of Promise Power, believing that each person is endowed with a passion and a unique reason for being.

If today were my last day on Earth and I could share 500 words of brilliance with the world, here are the important things I'd want to pass along to others...

I am inspired by Contribution and I'd like to encourage you to notice, acknowledge and celebrate contributions of all kinds. It's amazing how this practice will enrich your life.

Contribution is what creates relationships because it establishes a shared experience. Contribution nourishes both the giver and the receiver - a double gift that lasts forever in the heart. It's the little things you contribute that aggregate into really BIG things. Take a smile, for example. A simple smile can quickly build into an emotion of interest, of curiosity, of excitement - that inspires a reciprocal action! A contribution can be something very simple or something profound - the choice is yours.

Contribution does three things:
Expresses your talents
Exposes your beliefs
Establishes connection and trust

Remember the story, "Stone Soup," where, one-by-one, individuals add something to the pot of water to create a magnificent feast? Each member of t...

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Three Magic Moves ~Kathlyn and Gay Hendricks

Man is made God's plaything, and that is the best part of him. Therefore every man and woman should live life accordingly, and play the noblest games...what, then, is the right way of living? Life must be lived as play. ~ Plato, Laws

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Kathlyn and Gay Hendricks

Among other things, Kathlyn and Gay contribute to the field of body/mind integration and therapies.

If today were my last day on Earth and I could share 500 words of brilliance with the world, here are the important things I'd want to pass along to others...

Consider this amazing fact: what you give attention to grows. So no matter where you are right now in your life, if you practice three magic moves, you can expand your vitality and creativity while continuing to open a flow of love and connection with others.

The three moves:
1. Do your best to speak honestly, rather than concealing the truth. When you focus your attention on noticing your body sensations and describing them, sharing your feelings as they arise, and especially sharing what's familiar in any conflict, you immediately open more aliveness in you. You also solve problems more quickly and free up lots more free time for creating and connecting.

2. Take healthy responsibility, wonder rather than blaming others. When you catch yourself blaming yourself or others, simply take a breath to be present with what's happening, then create a pleasant "hmmm" sound either out loud or inside yourself. Then add this powerful question: "Hmmm..., I won...

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There is a magnificent life that is waiting for you to wake up and remember who you are and why you are here. ~ Rev. Cynthia James

There is a magnificent life that is waiting for you to wake up and remember who you are and why you are here. ~ Rev. Cynthia James

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Rev. Cynthia James

Reverend Cynthia is a transformational specialist, the author of What Will Set You Free and the co-author of seven cds of music and meditation.

If today were my last day on Earth and I could share 500 words of brilliance with the world, here are the important things I'd want to pass along to others...

I believe every person and organization has a unique destiny, vision and purpose. We are all here because our presence on the planet is essential at this extraordinary time in history.

I believe that opening to a vision creates a synergy that is powerful and dynamic. There is a vibrant mission that is calling us all to higher ground and to more deeply loving and profound experiences.

I believe that each person and organization has a unique capacity to be of service to the community and world at large. Our only job is to uncover our core power, gifts and talents and activate a willingness to serve in expansive ways.

I believe there are no obstacles to our greatness. There has never been an event that defines our future. We have never experience anything that can stop us from soaring into a greater yet to be. The only limitations are created in our thinking. There are exciting experiences awaiting us, the moment we look at life through the lens of infinite possibilit...

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Be the light you want for the world, always remembering you are the Gaian vibration... rising. ~Patricia Cori

Be the light you want for the world, always remembering you are the Gaian vibration... rising. ~Patricia Cori

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Patricia Cori

Patricia is the founder of SoulQuest Journeys, radio show host of BEYOND THE MATRIX and author of Where the Pharoahs Dwell.

If today were my last day on Earth and I could share 500 words of brilliance with the world, here are the important things I'd want to pass along to others...

Were I to leave an inspirational message for the world upon my departure from this magnificent planet, it would be simple: Pay Attention.

By and large, our modern societies have imposed the tools and parameters of our utter distraction: cement jungles of our largely dysfunctional cities inane and manipulative messages of coercive media the goings-on of our governments with their hidden agendas daily distractions of our runaway technologies and their abstract impressions, overlaid upon the tapestries of our richly woven lives as "spiritual beings, having a human experience."

Every life is a chalice, which carries the potential to be filled with the all the light of creation, as we learn to embrace our own godliness: co-creators of the Dream and sparks of Divine Spirit. If only we stop, and pay attention to the Earth and to each other -to all living beings- we remember our higher purpose, just as we remember our role in the unfolding of our collective experience ...

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I believe if you set your mind to something, you can accomplish anything! ~Michaela Carrozzo

I believe if you set your mind to something, you can accomplish anything! ~Michaela Carrozzo

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Michaela Carrozzo

Michaela is an actor, as well as the writer, director and star behind her play Miki's Bus.

If today were my last day on Earth and I could share 500 words of brilliance with the world, here are the important things I'd want to pass along to others...

My inspiration to everyone young or old is to NEVER STOP!! If you have a dream, go for it! Everyone has a dream. They key to success is to never use the word fail. Start out with a vision. It's good to put down on paper what you plan on achieving in life. To see your dream come true you must visualize it, almost believing as if it has already happened. Keep your eyes open for any opportunities that come your way. If you live like you have achieved your dream, you'll be able to seize that opportunity when it comes.

If there is one thing I have learned from being in show business is that there are a lot of disappointments. Even in careers not related to show biz, you always have to struggle to succeed. Learning from our mistakes is a real challenge, but in the end it helps us grow. You have to put the past behind you and look forward.

There is the perfect opportunity for "you" out there you just have to find it. And be patient because that day will come.

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You don't have to get it perfect, you just have to get it going. Babies don't walk the first time they try, but eventually they get it right. ~ Jack C

You don't have to get it perfect, you just have to get it going. Babies don't walk the first time they try, but eventually they get it right. ~ Jack Canfield

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Jack Canfield

Jack is the co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and is known as "America's #1 Success Coach."

If today were my last day on Earth and I could share 500 words of brilliance with the world, here are the important things I'd want to pass along to others...

5 Steps to Keeping Your (Busy) Life in Harmony

A "harmonized" life these days sounds like a tall order. Between housework, homework, workwork, and busywork, there are perpetually too many things to do, and not enough time to find that mythical balance. Nothing is more frustrating than feeling like you're doing doing doing but getting nothing truly done that you really want. Working with people from all walks of life, from fulltime moms to CEOs at large companies, I've distilled many universal truths about success. There's a secret I've learned that works quite well at helping you to achieve what you want: Decide what you want.

It sounds so simple, but here's the problem: I see plenty of people who are overly-busy yet who feel unsatisfied and unfulfilled. They are physically tired, spiritually drained, and far from where they'd like to be—as if they've been running on a treadmill going nowhere fast. Why? Because they haven't clearly mapped out what t...

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