The Civil Graces Project

“Life is short, and we have never too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are traveling the dark journey with us. Oh, be swift to love, make haste to be kind.” -Henri Frederic Amiel This quote above is on my kitchen shelf, and it is one of the first things I see…

Etymology: from Latin confidentia, from confidere ‘have full trust’  “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.”  -Marie Curie When you are born into a huge family, people…

“Time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively. More and more I feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than have the people of good will. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad…

“Some men see things as they are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were, and ask why not.” Robert F. Kennedy What would it mean if we couldn’t breathe? That is a reasonably simple question because physiologically, we all know that we would cease to be. I remember as a kid the…

“Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.” -E.E. Cummings Isn’t it interesting the things we choose to remember in our lives? For instance, one of my earliest memories of school was in kindergarten, happily coloring away with a green crayon, only to look…

“No tree has branches so foolish as to fight amongst themselves.” -Native American Proverb Right before Thanksgiving Day, I had to stop at the market to get a couple last minute items, and waiting in the check out lane, I saw an issue of a national magazine stating that the Royal Family is divided. Again.…

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” ― Ernest Hemingway Did you ever do something as a child and get grounded? If you are like most pioneers who stepped outside the box, I am sure you did! It always was a funny phrase…

“Everything in nature is given some form of resilience by which it can rehearse finding its way, so that, when it does, it is practiced and ready to seize its moment. This includes us. When things don’t work out—when loves unexpectedly end or careers stop unfolding—it can be painful and sad, but refusing this larger…

“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.”–Mark Twain Years ago, I was hired by the Fetzer Institute to research the meaning of spiritual freedom. While I learned the various methods of encountering freedom from the voices of world-renowned professors, philosophers, and gurus, the exploration continued well beyond…