Let's Talk About Words

"It is better to suffer wrong than to do it, and happier to be sometimes cheated than not to trust ." -Samuel Johnson     In my previous blog post  Life is hard without trust , I wrote about the importance of trusting others. Today's quotation, addresses the issue of having trust in yourself and in others, as well as trusting life itself. When others hurt me or even if living life simply causes me pain, I want to close up so that I don't get hurt anymore. I know that rationally that is not how I want to live my life. I want to be open to experience the fullness of all of life, the good and the bad. The advice I repeat to myself and to others when confronted with pain and sorrow is...don't lock yourself up. Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow them." -Louisa May Alcott    Feeling the warmth of the sun and seeing it shine brightly in the sky, always fills me with hope and passion for the future. I take today as a time to reaffirm my life goals that began this blogging quest just 7 months ago with my first post,  What are your life goals? Life Goals 1. Write and publish a fiction book 2. Travel and hike   -Grand Canyon   -Yellowstone   -Italy   -Australia 3. Inspire, mentor and/or teach others     (May entail getting my Master's Degree) If my life should end tomorrow, these would be my regrets.... The sunshine does, indeed, feel good. Read my words and see my quotes at http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com or follow my page at https://www.facebook.com/susanmarie.schulhof.7?ref=hl

    Eric Hoffer, who was an American moral and social philosopher said,  "You can never get enough of what you don't need to make you happy ." People drink to try and feel better; gamble in an attempt to relieve their stress or shop to try and fill the emptiness in side of them. None of these vices will help in the end, and will problem lead to even more unhappiness. Drinking , gambling and shopping are actions, not feelings. Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com     

     "A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug ," according to Patricia Neal. I do believe in the use of medicine to cure illnesses, yet like Patricia Neal's quote, I feel that a person's attitude can do much in helping cope. A positive attitude may not cure a person, but it can give someone the help they need to handle whatever they are facing. People also seem to turn to drugs and alcohol to deal with problems in their life when instead they could take an "attitude" drug . Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com     

"It is wise to apply the oil of refined politeness to the mechanisms of friendship." -Colette    We often take our friends and family for granted. We are friendly and polite to our waitress at a restaurant, but let our loved ones experience the consequences our bad mood. Tell your closest friends how you are feeling, yet treat them as well as you would an acquaintance. Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com     

"Eat to live, don't live to eat." -Benjamin Franklin     I heard this quote many years ago; although I never would have guessed that Benjamin Franklin said it. I have struggled to keep my weight in check since I was a teenager. I could not even begin to count the amount of diet books I have read over the years. As I near 50, I would finally like to take Mr. Franklin's advice. I want to eat foods that are nutritious and taste delicious, not food that fills up the empty places in my heart and soul.  Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com     

"'I have done my best.' That is about all the philosophy of living one needs." -Lin Yutang    They say that an unexamined life is no life at all. I want to study my life and my choices. I want to ponder my existence. I want to have a calm attitude in difficult situations. I want to be philosophical towards life. Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com     

"There are admiral potentialities in every human being. Believe in your strength and your youth. Learn to repeat endlessly to yourself 'It all depends on me'." -Andre Gide     Just today I watched two movies. One was Divergent and the second was Twelve Years a Slave . Both movies amazed as well as inspired me. Although Divergent is fiction, Twelve Years is based on a true story. Little things like a break up or financial instability can weigh me down and threaten to crush me, yet these people survived and had hope even during horrible situations. I want to find my strength and reach my potential in this world. Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"We are all something, but none of us are everything." -Blaise Pascal    It is a delicate balance believing that we matter in this enormous world we live in while understanding that our life is not any better than other's lives. I want to be remembered. I want to make a difference, but even if I achieve that, I am not more important than anyone else. Everyone is important. Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"The best mirror is an old friend ." -George Herbert     Sometimes my friends don't always want to tell me the truth , but I want honesty in my life. I choose to learn my life lessons, and see my true self . Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

     "If only we'd stop trying to be happy , we'd have a pretty good time," according to Edith Wharton. We don't try to have a good time on vacation . We don't try to be happy when on vacation . We just are. View life as a  vacation. Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"Never cut down a tree in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make you most important decisions when you are in your worst moods. Wait. Be patient. The storm will pass. The Spring will come." -Robert H. Schuller    Today's quote by Robert H. Schuller says everything that I would want to say. His quote does what all good quotes should do; it inspires me. I choose to see every day as Spring ; a renewal, an awakening, an end to the storm. I am ready for Spring . Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership , of getting along with people, of getting things done." -Dwight D. Eisenhower     I have never wanted to be the boss or be in charge, since I abhor telling people what to do. It is easier for me to just do it myself instead of having to tell someone else what to do. Since I am passionate about taking care of infants and love my job, I can however show others how to do things and model how to be an infant teacher. For me, I choose to lead by my example. Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"You can't shake hands with a clenched fist." Indira Gandhi      Often in life, my preconceived ideas can interfere with my job, create conflict in my family and just produce adversity and trouble. As much as I would like to approach other people and situations with a clean slate, my previous experiences can effect my thoughts . I want to treat others fairly. I choose to lose my prejudices . Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance ." -Oprah Winfrey        With St. Patrick's Day  today, many people have been celebrating all weekend long. Although it is great to have a reason to revel , we should celebrate every day. We should be grateful and joyful each and every day of our lives. Celebrate life and don't be afraid to dance . Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

      Ben Johnson was quoted as saying, "True friendship consists not in the multitude of friends , but in their worth and value." Just like family  members, I sometimes take my friends for granted, expecting that they will always be around. Even though we may reconnect in the future, the truth is that friends do go off to college, take jobs that force them to  move away, or even die too early. Other times life simply takes them down paths that are different from the one that you are on, and you grow apart. While they are in my life, I want to show my friends that I care about them. Value your friends . Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way." -Native American Proverb    Today's topic relates directly to my previous post Faith just is, you cannot learn it . When everything is going great, but especially when life is throwing me curve balls, I need and want to have faith . I choose to believe that blessings are coming. Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature ." -Anne Frank    Today in Chicago , Illinois, the temperature is predicted to reach 50 degrees when we have been having below average temperatures. As soon as I am off of work, I am finally going for a walk outside because I agree with Anne Frank's quote. I can find myself when I get lost in nature . Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"I pay no attention whatever to anybody's praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings ." -Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart     Asking other people for advice is a common endeavor. When I am faced with a decision or I encounter a problem, why not ask my friends and family members for advice? Nothing is wrong with that except that it can distract me from learning my own lessons and listening to my own heart. I can request other's opinions, but I need to understand my own intuition . Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"Everything's got a moral , if only you can find it." -Lewis Carroll     It is difficult sometimes to understand the meaning behind everything that happens in life . Sometimes it is even hard to comprehend why we do many of the things that we do in life . The important part is in the trying. We should try to understand why we make the choices that we make, as well as, try to understand what we feel is the purpose of our lives . Our morals guide our choices . Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

    Norman Vincent Peale said, "Change your thoughts and you change your world." Generally speaking, I love life . I enjoy my job; my children and my family bring me happiness; I feel healthy, and I am active. There are things in my life though, just like everyone else's, that make me sad, that make me question the choices I am making and the life that I am living. I am going to follow Norman's advice, and think happy thoughts for the rest of the day and maybe all week. Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." -Marcel Proust   Other people can really influence our life by how they treat us; whether they use care or stomp all over us. I am a big believer in not letting other's impact how we live, yet sometimes we can only control our response to them. I am writing a book called Growing Flowers that addresses the issue of how flowers , as well as people, can thrive and grow under adverse conditions. We are all flowers .     Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"So divinely is the world organized that every one of us, in our place and time, is in balance with everything else." -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe     Science has never been one of my favorite subjects in school although many scientific concepts amaze me. I read once that the beating of a butterfly's wings in the Amazon can influence the formation of a tornado in Texas.  I don't understand how, yet I believe it. I think that all of life is interconnected; everything that we do and say effects other's lives. Science can explain mysteries, but for me it is just enough to know that it can. I don't need to understand how.  Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

    C.S. Lewis said, " Friendship is born at the moment when one person says to another,'What! You too? I thought I was the only one.'" Many people say that opposites attract, which may be true, but I think in order to be happy in friendship or in love, it is important to be compatible . I want to spend my free time with other people that like to read, hike and go to movies. Occasionally, I may step out of my interests and do something that others enjoy, yet I want to spend my free time doing what I enjoy. Compatibility is important to me. Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort , that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers." -M. Scott Peck       The truth is that when my life is going well, I get lazy and put off following my dreams. Trouble and problems force me to change my life and pursue my passions. Discomfort can lead to happiness. Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

    Chief Tecumseh said, "When you arise in the morning , give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself." Whether life is causing you sadness or happiness, there is always something to be grateful for. I may often struggle with money, yet I never go without food or shelter. I have three wonderful children and a job that I love. I am also thankful that every morning is a new opportunity; another chance to follow my dreams. Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him, and to let him know that you trust him." -Booker T. Washington     As my daughters get older, I give them more opportunities to make their own choices. They receive a later curfew every year, are able to choose all of their electives in high school, and even senior year, they are able to decide when they miss school. The summer before they start college, they actually have no curfew as long as I know they are safe. I want them to make their own decisions, and show them that I trust them. Life is hard without trust . Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"Not truth, but faith it is that keeps the world alive." -Edna St. Vincent Millay    For me, faith is not simply believing that everything will work out as I would like it to. Faith instead is the understanding that there is purpose and meaning to the life that I am living and the situations that I encounter, even the negative ones. I make a choice every day to believe . Faith just is, you cannot learn it. Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

   Pablo Picasso said, "Every child is an artist . The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." I am fortunate to be an infant teacher so I am privileged every week to see the children express themselves creatively. They display so much joy and happiness as they paint and draw. It is sad to think that at some point, they will stop enjoying it or just stop because others tell them that they are not good enough. I wish we could be more like babies because infants express themselves freely. Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"Did you ever see an unhappy horse? Did you ever see a bird that had the blues? One reason why birds and horses are not unhappy is because they are not trying to impress other birds and horses." -Dale Carnegie     Although my daughter, Sydney, learned in her Environmental Science class at school that animals can, indeed, be unhappy, this quote is interesting to me on many levels. In one way, animals seem to find joy in simple things like in a good bone. They also can bring happiness to others simply be being. Even though animals that are abused or in captivity can be sad, generally animals are happy creatures. We can learn from animals . Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort." -Herb Albright    I don't care about annoying other people, but I would like to be the type of person that chooses to be positive even when faced with problems. And I do mean positive, not happy, since acting happy would be pretending. I want to look at adversity in my life with a glass half full attitude. There are times that I fall into the "why me" or "poor me" trap, yet I try to look at the positives . Negativity is a choice. Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com