A Soulful Journey

To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to give of one's self; to leave the world a bit better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with exultation; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived... this is to have succeeded... - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"God, You’ve given me 
the physical, emotional 
and spiritual will 
to overcome so many obstacles 
that have risen before me. 
How many times have I faced 
what I perceived to be 
impossible, hopeless situations 
and withstood them— 
and discovered creative solutions 
through which to surmount 
and master them. 
You’ve strengthened me 
again and again. 
I know that You 
will never fail me." 
 -Rebbe Nachman, The Gentle Weapon

"No matter how far you’ve strayed, returning to God is always possible. 
Agree therefore that there is absolutely no place for despair." 
 - Rebbe Nachman, The Empty Chair

Even when no words come, do not despair. Come back day after day to your secluded spot and wait. Just wanting to speak to God is in itself a very great thing."  
- Rebbe Nachman, The Empty Chair

 "Some people shake your hand; other people shake your soul." - Rebbe Nachman

“The past is not dead.   It isn’t even past.” -William Faulkner Where do we go?  We cannot move forward until we realize and embrace the past.

John Donne, Shakespeare’s contemporary, wrote: “No man is an island.” And I humbly add, “but every one of us is a peninsula.”   -Daniel Oz  We are connected. And still we are unique and separate.