Credit : Apollo 17 Crew, NASA

We’ve been taught to look forward to our future. Somehow, we believe, things will be better then. But the future is not available to be lived – we can only live NOW. So what are we doing to live best right now? What are we doing now that will bear fruit when we reach some future now? "Let him who would enjoy a good future waste none of his present.” -- Roger Babson

Is there something in your life you might be willing to give another try? “Change. It has the power to uplift, to heal, to stimulate, surprise, open newdoors, bring fresh experience and create excitement in life. Certainly it is worth the risk.” -- Leo Buscaglia

I’ve learned that if I put a smile on my face when I’m feeling down, my spirits will automatically lift. The body knows that a smile means happiness. Knowing this doesn’t mean I’m always willing to do it. Many times, I have absolutely refused to cheer myself up. Isn’t that interesting! It’s a clue that sometimes the ego positively enjoys being miserable. It can been lightening to explore the pay-offs we get from our black moods. "Depend upon it that if a man talks of his misfortunes there is something int hem that is not disagreeable to him; for where there is nothing but pure misery there is never any recourse to the mention of it." -- Samuel Johnson

"Eventually, meditation will make our mind calm, clear, and as concentrated as a laser which we can focus at will. This capacity of one-pointed attention is the essence of genius. When we have this mastery over attention in everything we do, we have a genius for life itself: unshakable security, clear judgment, and deep personal relationships." -- Eknath Easwaran

Our entire universe is energy -- vibrating waves of pure potential. The electromagnetic vibrations of our consciousness interact with the energetic potential that exists everywhere as the life force to ‘collapse’ the waves and create matter. So the patterns of our minds create the form of our world. By simply observing a form, we influence it. We in turn are influenced by others. This challenges us to be more aware of the quality of our being and the vibrations we transmit. "There is no reality in the absence of observation." -- The Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

Credit: Apollo 8 & NASA

A person asked Buddha:“Are you a God?” Buddha’s reply was “No.” “Are you an Angel?” “No.” “Then what are you?” “I am Awake.” -- Unknown Source

Our lives really begin to change when we learn to shift our perspective on ‘problems.’ From the spiritual perspective, problems offer our best path to growth. Like it or not, pain gets our attention. Pain also challenges the ego's perception thati t is in complete control of life. This opens the door for soul’s guidance. If we want to be rid of the pain, we must do the work that leads us to greater consciousness. Paradoxically, we can only get rid of the pain by moving through it. The next time you feel “poor me,” stop and ask, “What needs to change? What does my soul want me to learn?” “No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” -- Source Unknown

"There are only two ways to live your life: One is as though nothing is a miracle, The other is as though everything is a miracle. I believe in the latter." -- Albert Einstein

“We live in a world of theophanies. Holiness comes wrapped in the ordinary.There are burning bushes all around you. Every tree is full of angels. Hidden beauty is waiting in every crumb. Life wants to lead you from crumbs to angels, but this can happen only if you are willing to unwrap the ordinary by staying with it long enough to harvest its treasure.” -- Macrina Wiederkehr

The Tibetan teacher, Chogyam Trungpa, warned of the trap of spiritual materialism. He says we must be ever diligent to spot the ego’s use of the spiritual journey to further its own ends. We may think it’s spiritual to yearn for divine connection. And yet, if the longing is to fill an emptiness inside, just how does this differ from the one who yearns for money or possessions to fill the inner void? Do we look to our spiritual practices as proof of our evolved consciousness or as protection against fears? Any time we use spiritual disciplines to maintain our identity and security, weare not yet on the path of genuine spiritual development. "Enlightenment is ego’s ultimate disappointment."-- Chögyam Trungpa