Solitude and Loneliness

Happypizza: Here is an amazing collection of quotes on the subject of loneliness and solitude. Definitely worth a read, with some positive ways to look at the experience–and sometimes pain–of loneliness.

• All humans are frightened of their own solitude. But only in solitude can we learn to know ourselves, learn to handle our own eternal aloneness.–Han Suyin
• Be able to be alone. Lose not the advantage of solitude, and the society of thyself.–Thomas Browne
• Being solitary is being alone well: being alone luxuriously immersed in doings of your own choice, aware of the fullness of your won presence rather than of the absence of others. Because solitude is an achievement.–Alice Koller
• Do not rely completely on any other human being, however dear. We meet all life’s greatest tests alone.–Agnes Macphail
• Each of us is alone in the world. It takes great courage to meet the full force of your aloneness. … When you face your aloneness, something begins to happen. Gradually, the sense of bleakness changes into a sense of true belonging. This is a slow and open-ended transition but it is utterly vital in order to come into rhythm with your own individuality. –John O’Donohue (Eternal Echoes: Celtic Reflections on Our Yearning to Belong)
• I feel the same way about solitude as some people feel about the blessing of the church. It’s the light of grace for me. I never close my door behind me without the awareness that I am carrying out an act of mercy toward myself.–Peter Hoeg (Smilla’s Sense of Snow)
• I learned…that inspiration does not come like a bolt, nor is it kinetic, energetic striving, but it comes into us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness.–Brenda Ueland
• I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity.–Albert Einstein
• I never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude.–Henry David Thoreau
• Inside myself is a place where I live all alone and that’s where you renew your springs that never dry up.–Pearl S. Buck
• Isolation is aloneness that feels forced upon you, like a punishment. Solitude is aloneness you choose and embrace. I think great things can come out of solitude, out of going to a place where all is quiet except the beating of your heart.–Jeanne Marie Laskas
• It is not necessary that you leave the house. Remain at your table and listen. Do not even listen, only wait. Do not even wait, be wholly still and alone. The world will present itself to you for its unmasking . . . in ecstasy it will writhe at your feet.–Franz Kafka
• It is well to be alone. It fertilizes the creative impulse.–Max Nordau
• Language has created the word “loneliness” to express the pain of being alone, and the word “solitude” to express the glory of being alone.–Paul Johannes Tillich
• Leisure is a form of silence, not noiselessness. It is the silence of contemplation such as occurs when we let our minds rest on a rosebud, a child at play, a Divine mystery, or a waterfall.–Bishop Fulton J. Sheen
• Like water which can clearly mirror the sky and the trees only so long as its surface is undisturbed, the mind can only reflect the true image of the Self when it is tranquil and wholly relaxed.–Indra Devi
• Man cannot survive without air, water and sleep. Next in importance comes food. And close on its heels, solitude.–Thomas Szasz
• One must learn an inner solitude, where or with whomsoever he may be. He must learn to penetrate things and find God there, to get a strong impression of God firmly fixed on his mind.–Meister Eckhart
• Only in quiet waters do thing mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world.–Hans Margolius
• Only when one is connected to one’s own core is one connected to others I am beginning to discover. And, for me, the core, the inner spring, can best be refound through solitude.–Anne Morrow Lindbergh (Gift from the Sea)
• The person who has not learned to be happy and content while completely alone for an hour a day, or a week has missed life’s greatest serenity.–H. Clay Tate (Building a Better Home Town)
• Solitude can be frightening because it invites us to meet a stranger we think we may not want to know–ourselves.–Melvyn Kinder
• Solitude can be used well by very few people. They who do must have a knowledge of the world to see the foolishness of it, and enough virtue to despise all the vanity.–Abraham Cowley
• Solitude gives birth to the original in us.–Thomas Mann
• Solitude is as needful to the imagination as society is wholesome for the character.–James Russell Lowell
• …solitude is such a potential thing. We hear voices in solitude, we never hear in the hurry and turmoil of life; we receive counsels and comforts, we get under no other condition…–Amelia Barr

You Were Created to be Loved

"Fly Away With Me" series - v1 --By Han Ghazi “Consider our little friend here,” she began (referring to a blue jay that landed on the kitchen windowsill). “Most birds were created to fly. Being grounded for them is a limitation within their ability to fly, not the other way around.” She paused to let Mack think about her statement. “You, on the other hand, were created to be loved. So for you to live as if you were unloved is a limitation, not the other way around.” Mack nodded his head, not so much in full agreement, but more as a signal that at least he understood and was tracking. That seemed simple enough. “Living unloved is like clipping a bird’s wings and removing its ability to fly. Not something I want for you.” There’s the rub. He didn’t feel particularly loved at the moment. “Mack, pain has a way of clipping our wings and keeping us from being able to fly.” She waited a moment, allowing her words to settle. “And if it’s left unresolved for very long, you can almost forget that you were ever created to fly in the first place.” (Conversation between God—“Elouisa”, and Mack) (Excerpted from, “The Shack” –WM. Paul Young. Copyright William P. Young. Used without permission.)

Letter To A Young Activist During Troubled Times

Face to the wind on Flickr - Photo Sharing--by Ian@NZFlickr Great inspiration for the new year (2010) Letter To A Young Activist During Troubled Times –By Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés. Mis estimados: Do not lose heart. We were made for these times. I have heard from so many recently who are deeply and properly bewildered. They are concerned about the state of affairs in our world right now. It is true, one has to have strong cojones and ovarios to withstand much of what passes for “good” in our culture today. Abject disregard of what the soul finds most precious and irreplaceable and the corruption of principled ideals have become, in some large societal arenas, “the new normal,” the grotesquerie of the week. It is hard to say which one of the current egregious matters has rocked people’s worlds and beliefs more. Ours is a time of almost daily jaw-dropping astonishment and often righteous rage over the latest degradations of what matters most to civilized, visionary people. …You are right in your assessments. The lustre and hubris some have aspired to while endorsing acts so heinous against children, elders, everyday people, the poor, the unguarded, the helpless, is breathtaking. Yet … I urge you, ask you, gentle you, to please not spend your spirit dry by bewailing these difficult times. Especially do not lose hope. Most particularly because, the fact is — we were made for these times. Yes. For years, we have been learning, practicing, been in training for and just waiting to meet on this exact plain of engagement. I cannot tell you often enough that we are definitely the leaders we have been waiting for, and that we have been raised since childhood for this time precisely. …I grew up on the Great Lakes and recognize a seaworthy vessel when I see one. Regarding awakened souls, there have never been more able crafts in the waters than there are right now across the world. And they are fully provisioned and able to signal one another as never before in the history of humankind. I would like to take your hands for a moment and assure you that you are built well for these times. Despite your stints of doubt, your frustrations in arighting all that needs change right now, or even feeling you have lost the map entirely, you are not without resource, you are not alone. Look out over the prow; there are millions of boats of righteous souls on the waters with you. In your deepest bones, you have always known this is so. Even though your veneers may shiver from every wave in this stormy roil, I assure you that the long timbers composing your prow and rudder come from a greater forest. That long-grained lumber is known to withstand storms, to hold together, to hold its own, and to advance, regardless. …We have been in training for a dark time such as this, since the day we assented to come to Earth. For many decades, worldwide, souls just like us have been felled and left for dead in so many ways over and over – brought down by naiveté, by lack of love,

Lonely At Christmas?

“Make the world a little less lonely on Christmas by being there for someone who is alone.” Excerpts below, taken from an article “Looking for Christmas” written by Nyx Martinez for Activated Magazine. …several years ago, Christmas didn’t bring the same good feelings for me. Maybe that was because I was a 20-year-old single girl who was craving a different kind of love that Christmas. I wanted someone to share it with, someone to love. That didn’t happen. Instead, I faced a string of personal problems and a lot of turmoil. I was spending Christmas near the equator, and my heart felt wintry cold. …Then came Christmas Day. Kelly, one of my best, wackiest friends, phoned in tears. She had tried to reconcile with her boyfriend the night before, but was rejected—turned away on Christmas Eve. It was the saddest story I had heard in a long time. I tried to comfort her, but my own disappointed hopes were too strong, it seemed. What could I say? Together, we prayed over the phone, committing to God our hearts’ desires and expectations. As I listened to Kelly thanking God despite her tears, I felt ashamed of my selfishness. Maybe true Christmas love was there all along, and I just hadn’t noticed. Had I missed it? I had been looking for happiness in a person—someone to fill my need for love. But instead, I had found so many also looking for something real—they were the lonely, the poor in spirit, the outcast, the forgotten, the dejected. It dawned on me: That’s what God’s love is really for, isn’t it? It loves the unlovely, enters a world of disappointment, and brings hope. That December taught me that the spirit of Christmas is alive for everyone, and those who don’t see it are people like me who look in all the wrong places. Yet some folks look in the right places, with open hearts, and they do find that treasure. Joseph and Mary were looking for a decent inn; they found an animal stable. The Wise Men were looking for a king’s royal palace; they found a carpenter’s simple abode. The angels were looking for people to spread the glad tidings of the newborn Savior; they found humble shepherds. God was looking for someone to bring heaven’s love to, and He looked in the right place. He found you. I hope that this time, we will also look in the right place and find those to bring His love to. I hope that each year we will all find Christmas. © 2009 Aurora Production AG www.auroraproduction.com All Rights Reserved Other Article of Interest: Loneliness spreads in social networks

Different, With a Purpose

..In all the ages there never has been and never will be a man or woman just like you. You are unique and have no double. No two leaves, no two jewels, no two stars, no two lives are alike. Every life is a fresh thought from God to the world. There’s no one in the entire world who can do your work as well as you. There is a need for you. God has a plan for you. And if you don’t find and enter into God’s purpose for your life, there will be something missing from the glory that would otherwise have been there. Every jewel gleams with its own radiance, every flower distills its own fragrance, every believer has his own particular bit of Jesus’ radiance. Has God given you a different personality? He has also created a particular circle of individuals who can be reached and touched by that personality only, and you can do it as none other in all the world.

–Virgina Brandt

The Spark Divine

Happypizza: This was very encouraging.

At one time or another, each of us must face life’s tough, emotion-wrenching moments. We might deal with the trials of rejection, poverty, terminal illness, conflict, loneliness, unhappy partnerships, or even death. No matter what difficulties we may face, love is the universal answer to them all.

The power of love—that spark of the divine inherent in each of us—smoothes and soothes, heals and restores. We long for it in our relationships; we desire it in our lives. We admire it in others; and want to cultivate it in ourselves.

We grasp for it with both hands and, if we are wise, we give it away with both, understanding that love, like music, is a melody that lingers in the heart long after the words have been sung. Love is what helps us to feel for each other, to put ourselves into our neighbor’s places. It helps us to see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and feel with their hearts. Better yet, it teaches us to view others the way God sees them.

–Author Unknown

That’s Bad, That’s good

…One day a man bought a stallion, and all of his friends said, “That’s good.” The next day the stallion ran away, and all of his friends said, “That’s bad.” Two weeks later the stallion returned with a herd of mares. His friends said, “That’s good.” The next day his son broke his shoulder when the stallion threw him off. The friends said, “That’s bad.” The next month war broke out. Because the boy was injured, he could not go to war. The friends said, “That’s good.”
-Dan Millman

̒̒̒̒ ̒ all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. ̓̓ ̓̓

Romans 8:28(NKJV)

Email From God

God's Email

To: YOU
Date: TODAY
From: GOD
Subject: YOURSELF
RE: LIFE

Dearest One,

Hi there! This is God. Today I will be handling All of your problems for you. I do Not need your help. So, have a nice day.

I love you.

God

P.S. And, remember…

If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do Not attempt to resolve it yourself! Kindly put it in the “SFGTD” (Something For God To Do) folder. I will get to it in MY TIME. All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not necessarily yours.

Once the matter is placed in the folder, do not worry about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life right now.

If you find yourself stuck in traffic, don’t despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

Should you have a bad day at work; think of the man who has been out of work for years.

Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; think of the person who has never known what it’s like to love and be loved in return.

Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; think of the man or woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed their children.

Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes they had hair to examine.

Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking “what is my purpose?” Be thankful. There are those who didn’t live long enough to get the opportunity.

Should you find yourself the victim of other people’s bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; remember, things could be worse–you could be one of them!

Now, you go ahead and have a nice day.

–Author Unknown

God loves you!

Is Your Grasp Slipping?

Happypizza: I first read this story (below) many years ago. Since then I’ve often been reminded of it especially during tough times–always thought it had a very unique “life lesson”. Sometimes I’ve found I just have to let go, and let God have His way in life….not matter how terrifying it may seem at first. As in the story below….you might be in for a surprise!

Holding on?

Trust Him….He will hold you up!

A story is told of a man who slid down a rope into a well. He supposed the rope to be of ample length, but to his dismay when he reached the end of it he could not touch the bottom of the well with his feet. He tried to climb back up the rope but could not. In vain he gripped, struggled and clawed at the rope hoping to get back to the top but a mixture of moisture, grease and his sweaty palms made the task all but impossible. Desperate, fearful and terrified he held on for dear life. He dared not let go knowing full well he would be dashed to pieces at the bottom. Eventually he reached his limit and could hold on no more. His strength and every bit of energy he had within him was gone. He finally gave in and let the rope slip from his grasp. He fell-just three inches!

Can You Tell Me Why Disasters?

Happypizza: My deepest and sincerest prayers and condolences go out to all those who lost loved ones and/or suffered harm, injury or any kind of loss during the recent cyclone in Myanmar and/or earthquake in China.

I’ve been carefully following the news of the two recent natural (or as some say “unnatural”) disasters in both Burma and China. It is so sad and sobering to watch as the full scope of the desolation, which tragically resulted in the loss of an untold thousands of lives, unfolds before our eyes.

It’s real to me personally as I have been to Burma before and have friends in both China and Burma—who thankfully from what I’ve heard are all safe.

I will not get into the politics of the disaster….especially considering the one in Burma where it seems the horror of the disaster is compounded by the political situation. What I do want to write about and touch on is the “God factor” of these events or “acts of God” as natural disasters are often referred too. Especially the question: How could God allow these things to happen?

It seems that natural disasters cause many to lose hope and faith in God. I find it can also, strangely enough, strengthen my faith and hope in God!

You might wonder how I could find a natural disaster to be faith-building? Well, first off it’s helpful to start with a belief in a God of Love and a belief in an afterlife—this life is definitely (and I want to emphasize this point) definitely not the end!!

In short–I believe that death for the loving is not something to dread and fear. This physical life/existence is not eternal or final and we can look forward to the eternal life/existence beyond this life! So I feel no matter how tragic the circumstances are in are in our current physical reality, those who lives have ended and who have passed on to the next are in the loving hands of their Creator and what better place can you be then that? –Maybe it was his mercy?

If you want some further reading on how one can look at tragedies and disasters in the positive–click to read this dissertation below:

“Why Disasters?”

And for a compilation on comfort read here:

“God’s Promises of Comfort and Deliverance”

One addition–not long after I watched a report of both the disasters on the international news, I came across and listened to a old song titled “Can You Tell Me Why Disasters” written and sung by an artist named “Zac Lightman”. I liked it so much that I transcribed it from my MP3 player to my computer so I could post the lyrics with this post. I think the song’s message is as hauntingly applicable for today as it was when it was written over 20 years ago.

Here are the lyrics:

Can You Tell Me Why Disasters?

Why do the innocent seem to fall for no reason?
They say the good die young,
While the guilty go along
You must believe in Love
to truly understand.

It is the same question down through the ages
if God is love how could he let this be?
How could he allow the poor to suffer
and then let the guilty go free?

Although death is not a curse for the loving–
it’s a gateway from suffering and pain
It’s the mercy of God to end their sorrow
and a chance to start over again

Can you tell me why, why, why disasters?
Why do the innocent seem to fall for no reason?
They say the good die young
while the guilty go along
You must believe in Love
to truly understand

Lyrics by Zac Waxman

Please continue to keep the victims of these disasters in your prayers. Pray that help, relief and supplies will get to those who need it desperately and that those who survived will be taken care of and comforted. Please also pray for the commendable and laudable efforts of all those involved in the relief and rehabilitation work–for their strength, courage, skill, and protection while they are helping those who were affected.

You say…God says!!!

HappyPizza says: It has been awhile (a few weeks) since I posted something but I think sometimes a blogger must live life a bit in order to experience things to write about that will have a positive or meaningful effect on others. Sometimes I’m tempted to start writing and or posting something automatically….but I feel there should be a balance to that. This last little while, I decided to give my posting a little pause…it was good a chance to reflect and experience….I’m glad I did, I was able to muse over the purpose and benefit of my blog. So far I think it has hit the mark of what I initially intended for it to be—in short a positive and meaningful read.

Luckily for me during this period of waiting I was rewarded with a “secret stash” of inspirational quotes and stories which a friend passed on to me that are certainly worth sharing. I enjoyed them and I think they are in tandem with the theme of my blog. On a side note: at least for my blog an RSS feed is the best way to monitor posts.

Here is one of the articles I liked:

OF ALL THE NEGATIVE THINGS WE HAVE TO SAY TO OURSELVES, GOD HAS A POSITIVE ANSWER …

You say: It’s impossible.

God says: All things are possible. –(Lk.18:27)

You say: I’m too tired.

God says: I will give you rest. –(Mat.11:28-30)

You say: Nobody really loves me.

God says: I love you. –(Jn.3:16; Jn.13:34)

You say: I can’t go on.

God says: My grace is sufficient. –(2Cor.12:9; Psa.91:15)

You say: I can’t figure things out.

God says: I will direct your steps –(Pro.3:5-6)

You say: I can’t do it

God says: You can do all things. –(Phi.4:13)

You say: I’m not able.

God says: I am able.–(2Cor.9:8 )

You say: It’s not worth it.

God says: It will be worth it.–(Rom.8:28 )

You say: I can’t forgive myself.

God says: I forgive you. –(1Jn.1:9; Rom.8:1)

You say: I can’t manage.

God says: I will supply all your needs. –(Phi.4:19)

You say: I’m afraid.

God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear. –(2Tim.1:7)

You say: I’m always worried and frustrated.

God says: Cast all your cares on Me. –(1Pet.5:7)

You say: I don’t have enough faith.

God says: I’ve given everyone a measure of faith. –(Rom.12:3)

You say: I’m not smart enough.

God says: I give you wisdom. –(1Cor.1:30)

You say: I feel all alone.

God says: I will never leave you or forsake you. –(Heb.13:5)

Reject Rejection

Reject rejection.

(Lisa Jimenez)

Rejection to the sales person is the greatest form of failure. No one would want to be rejected, right? Wrong! There is one kind of person who doesn’t mind rejection. This person is someone who understands the Law of Averages (LOA). He or she knows that it often takes ten rejections to get one yes. Thus rejection simply means you are that much closer to making a sale or getting a yes. Rejection is just a part of the journey to success. Reject rejection by accepting the Law of Averages.