Quotations Search Results
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The Wolf-Birds
"He stands on a snow-covered slope, head arched toward the moon. His cry pierces the valleys and echoes for miles. It is a cry that has inspired legends, fueled myths, stirred up fear and loathing. He is the 'big, bad wolf' of nursery stories. He is the fierce predator who circles the camp. He is the enemy, the invader, the spoiler," writes William J. Fitzgerald in One Hundred Cranes: Praying with the Chorus of Creation. The wolf is seen by many as the scourge of the earth. But there is another way to look at them.
This edifying children's book by Willow Dawson focuses on the partnership between wolves and ravens. When food is scarce, these winged and four-legged creatures look for their next meal together. The ravens are the first to see an injured deer, the wolves make the kill, and the ravens share in the banquet alongside the wolves.
In the alphabet of spiritual literacy, the practice of connections signals the varied ways in which animals (including human beings) can work together in order to survive. Scientists marvel at the symbiosis between these two species and have dubbed ravens as "wolf-birds."
This image of collaborators should replace the old model of all wolves as villains deserving of death. Scientists have identified other reasons why wolves play an important role in wilderness ecology. For example, by keeping down the elk population, they prevent over-grazing that can result in soil erosion.
An uplifting portrait of co-operation between ravens and wolves.
That's (Not) Mine
Putting others first is a spiritual practice that ought to be taught in the home. Children get the message in our consumer culture that greed is okay and it's normal to claim things as "mine." It is not easy to get rid of the habit of putting our pleasures over the rights and delights of others.
The married team of Anna Kang, who wrote the text, and Christopher Weyant, who provided the illustrations, have hit the jackpot with this endearing morality play about two bears squabbling over a chair. They take turns trying to get the other to move, and soon we get the picture it would be better to share!
This lively children's picture book is designed for kids from ages 2 through 7. It is an evergreen work since this egocentric behavior has been going on among human beings for centuries. Kang and Weyant have just found the right medium to express it.
A thoroughly delightful morality tale about sharing things.
Mine!
Amy is a little girl who properly loves all her things: a blankie she carries around and her three favorite stuffed animals — a bear, a bunny, and a bird. She says, "I love you all because we're together and because you're mine."
When the twins Zack and Jack come for a visit, Amy feels like she is under siege as the guests force her to cling even more fiercely to her possessions. When Baby Joe joins the group, he cuddles the stuffed bird and Amy is forced to decide whether to grab it from him or share it with him.
Mine! is written and illustrated by Sue Heap. It is designed for children of ages two - five.
A picture book that shows how a little girl learns to quit being possessive and selfish.
Powers of Two
We usually think of artists as loners set apart from the rules and regulations of society. But there is an adventuresome alternative to the lone-genius model — creative pairs. In this inspiring and edifying work, Joshua Wolf Shenk blends academic research, thorough reportage, and historical evidence as he presents profiles of those who have demonstrated the "powers of two." Among their number are John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, Vincent and Theo van Gogh, Susan Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. There are many variations in creative partnerships which feed on the paradoxical yearning for both security and novelty.
In a series of snappy chapters, Shenk looks at the star and the director, the dreamer and the doer, generators and resonators, and the dialogue of creative thinking. At one point, he quotes Arthur Koestler in The Act of Creation on "bisociation" — "the sudden interlocking of two previously unrelated skills, or matrices, of thought."
As Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, we have built a ministry and an entrepreneurial career out of our creative collaboration. It takes plenty of respect, discipline, imagination, and attention to work side by side as partners, but we've been doing it for nearly 45 years. We have different skills, and we appreciate and respect what the other does best. Through our work, we become one and experience the joy of co-creating a review, a spiritual practice, or an e-course.
A celebration of the creative collaboration of pairs.
Lottery Winner
I play the lottery regularly in the hopes of winning and doing some good in the world with the funds I receive. Very few of the things I would think of spending the money on are for personal reasons.
Yet I realized the other day that I have already won the lottery! For me the real lottery is about my life and family, the love we all share, and the things we have done and will do for others. That is of far greater value than any cash that may come my way from winning lottery ticket. To look around at generations of my family and feel the love and know the kindness of these people is to be and feel like a winner.
The majority of families who win the lottery find it to be one more reason to fight and argue over who deserves what. In our family we all share equally and have the children's welfare at heart. We are all winners, a wonderful feeling. Give it a try. Try seeing all the ways in which you are a winner.
Soulution of the Day: Win the lottery of life and share your love and winnings.
Sharing your love throughout generations.
Freely Given Gifts
We often get more gifts than we need and feel compelled to keep them out of some sense of honor to the people who give them to us. But if a gift is given freely with no strings attached, it should be yours to do with as you want. On your next birthday, anniversary, or Christmas, promise yourself that you will give at least one gift away within the week before you use it. You can give it to some friend or acquaintance who would enjoy having it. And you don't have to tell the giver what you have done with it.
How not to amass gifts you don't really need.
Honoring Our Common Humanity
It is hard to meet the homeless and treat them as our fellow human beings. Sometimes it is even hard to give them your loose change. The next time you have the opportunity, give a homeless person a handout of food or money, and also take the time to start a conversation. Ask the person's name, where he or she lives or hangs out, and whether the person would like you to bring food or clothing. In some way, acknowledge the person's humanity and individuality before you part.
Acknowledging a homeless person's dignity.
Active Listening
Let yourself listen to another with a warm, tender heart. Look within and see if you can open with kindness to another's point of view. Instead of jumping in with your opinions and judgments, try reflecting back what you have just heard, without interpreting or judging it. After sharing, you can ask, "Is that what you meant?" Active listening takes time to learn, so be patient.
Embracing silence and deep listening.
Stick
One of the best things about having a dog companion is watching him/her romping in a field as she/he chases after a stick. What is it that has wired these four-legged creatures to expend so much energy in pursuit of something so simple?
Andy Pritchell has written and illustrated this appealing children's picture book about a puppy who wants nothing more than someone to play stick with him. But the animals he comes across have their own pleasures: the cow has grass, the chicken has a worm, the pig likes mud. He finds out, much to his happiness, that the world has been created in such a way that all of us can find a friend to share our favorite things with. Stick is designed for children from the age of 4 through 8 years of age, and it is a winner all the way.
An appealing children's tale about a puppy looking for a friend to play stick with him.
What If Your Best Friend Were Blue?
We live in a world of infinite variety: people of all colors, creeds, political affiliations, ethnic backgrounds, and educational experiences.
A smart and sensitive little boy imagines that all the people around him are a different color. Would that change things in any significant way?
The boy surmises even if his best friend were blue he would still play soccer with him. Even if his doctor were yellow, he would still try to help the little boy if he was sick. Even if she were orange, the babysitter would still try to think up games for them to play. Externals like appearance do not matter as much as what lies inside each person. Or as the little boy puts it: People "like you just because you're you."
Writer Vera Kochan and illustrator Viviana Garofoli have put together a simple but elegant children's book affirming the special qualities and talents of individuals and a celebration of the diversity of humankind. Children from 4 years and up will enjoy and appreciate this book.
A special story teaching that your color doesn't matter because everyone has something unique to share.