Frederick Buechner wrote “The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn’t have been complete without you.  Here is the world.  Beautiful and terrible things will happen.  Don’t be afraid.  I am with you.  Nothing can ever separate us.  It’s for you I created the Universe.  I love you.  There’s only one catch.  Like any other gift, the gift of grace can be yours only if you’ll reach out and take it.  Maybe being able to reach out and take it is a gift too.”

How often do we miss opportunities, relationships, partnership and all that life has to offer because we did not have the courage to reach out?  Like the gift of grace, it is our choice to live the life we have been given.  I hope you are enjoying co-creating with the Universe!  There is a whole world full of marvelous gifts to choose from.

Debra Oakland @ Living in Courage

Are you tired of people thinking for you?  It is exhausting, and leaves  you feeling unfulfilled.  At birth we were each endowed with the Secrets of the Universe.  Each one of us holds the key to our own destiny.  Learning to de-program the illusions presented to us from the outside world can be quite a task.  It takes vigilance, courage and determination.  Not only that, it needs to be done in love.  Are you kidding, you might ask?  After finding out about world domination, I have to love these people!  You couldn’t write better material.  It’s freaking genius…it is enough to drive people insane! Oh, wait, it has!

Do you consider yourself sane?  I seriously question all of our sanity. By allowing ourselves to be dragged into the quicksand of the outer world, we turn away from who we are.  Our true identity is taken from us bit by bit.  Over time, we don’t even realize what has happened and why our world is in such turmoil.  Who are you?  Why is that knowledge repressed?  The many are controlled by the few.  An entire population has been convinced that everything is under control, they want us to stick to the routine of daily life and keep on sleeping in the shadows.

“Humanity is now faced with a stark choice: Evolve or die. … If the structures of the human mind remain unchanged, we will always end up re-creating the same world, the same evils, the same dysfunction.”
— Eckhart Tolle

Debra Oakland @ Living in Courage

The people we are in relationship with
are always a mirror, reflecting our own beliefs,
and simultaneously we are mirrors, reflecting their beliefs.
So… relationship is one of the most powerful tools for growth….
If we look honestly at our relationships,
we can see so much about how we have created them.

~ Shakti Gawain ~

]]> http://www.livingincourageonline.com/quotes-that-rock/mirror-mirror-on-the-wall/feed/ 0 http://www.livingincourageonline.com/books-i-read/climb-your-stairway-to-happiness/ http://www.livingincourageonline.com/books-i-read/climb-your-stairway-to-happiness/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:07:11 +0000 Debra Oakland http://www.livingincourageonline.com/?p=1556

Climb Your Stairway to Happiness by reading David Leonhardt’s book – Climb Your Stairway to Heaven.  Everyone searches for inner happiness, but it is not something you can purchase or build.  David has written a book that is funny, insightful, full of great quotes and antidotes.   You will receive instructions on climbing the stairway to greater happiness.  Imagine becoming happier every day.  It really is possible to make your dreams come true. You will be taught nine habits that are achievable.  You will enjoy the pop quizzes, quotable quotes, and stories to learn by.  Most people like to learn while they are having fun, and this book delivers from cover to cover.

I quote David Leonhardt – “Many happiness books on the bookstore shelves are just some author’s personal viewpoint. That’s fine, if you happen to be extremely similar to the author. But what about facts? True, I include many of my own experiences in this book — in fact, that’s what inspired me to write. But I also spent three months with my nose in the psychological journals. This self-help book is based on both my personal experiences and the best psychological research available. I did the work so you don’t have to.

On the other hand, several happiness books are written by very knowledgeable authorities, but most tend to the boring side. Many even sound like a session on a therapist’s couch. What gives? Shouldn’t a book on happiness energize you? Motivate you? Inspire you? Pump you up? Shouldn’t a book on happiness be fun to read? So I decided to write a fun, energetic, and engaging book. Go figure!”

Book like this are inspirational, encouraging, fun, courageous, motivating, and give value to the reader.  I hope you enjoy this excellent manual on Happiness!

Debra Oakland @ Living in Courage Online

Today I am in the mood for some courage quotes to kick start the day.  Here are a few by people I consider courageous.  Courage is required to reattempt a task after initial failure, and to continue on until success is reached.  Reading quotes of courage, fills me with confidence and a sense of inner power. Quotes are like condensed life lessons – to be shared with the world.

Have the courage to love your humanity free as it seeks to balance the mind and heart.  In this balance you will find your freedom. Debra Oakland

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. Winston Churchill

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.  Eleanor Roosevelt

Do the thing you fear to do and keep on doing it… that is the quickest and surest way ever yet discovered to conquer fear.  Dale Carnegie

One of the most courageous things you can do is identify yourself, know who you are, what you believe in, and where you want to go.  Sheila Murray Bethel

One man with courage makes a majority.  Andrew Jackson

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. Anais Nin

All our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them. Walt Disney

Pain nourishes courage. You can’t be brave if you’ve only had wonderful things happen to you.  Mary Tyler Moore

Thanks for visiting, and make it a great day – Debra Oakland @ Living in Courage Online

Enthusiasm is very important for success in any endeavor.  Mediocrity is easy.  Achieving greatness takes different skills which require courage. These 2 quotes are  a favorite of mine from Og Mandino.

~~Og Mandino~~

“Every memorable act in the history of the world is a triumph of enthusiasm. Nothing great was ever achieved without it because it gives any challenge or any occupation, no matter how frightening or difficult, a new meaning. Without enthusiasm you are doomed to a life of mediocrity but with it you can accomplish miracles.”

“I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply all my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy.”

Debra Oakland @ Living in Courage Online

I was thinking about ways to examine courage. Below are a few simple things that come to mind.

Learning new skills

Be authentic, just be yourself

Listening – Being Still and Present

Look into the eyes of a small child

Taking a walk in nature

Be grateful

Think of people who inspire you. One of mine is Oprah Winfrey

Play hard

Through an awesome, mind blowing quote

Smiling at and starting a conversation with a stranger

Making the decision to have a great day and letting nothing stand in the way

Start something new, something you are passionate about

Get really clear on what you want in life