In
life we are to encourage and build up each other;
not
to discourage and tear down one another.
In
life we are to add, not subtract;
to
multiply, not divide.
In
life we are to leave an enduring impression;
not
a careless dent.
In
life we are to smooth out the rough roads along the
journey; not create new potholes.
In
life we are to sing a joyful song;
not
just drone a groan.
In
life we are to add our harmonious strains to life's
symphony; not strain the symphony with clatter and clang.
In
life we are to soar on eagles' wings;
not
to peck and cluck with our beaks in the dirt like
chickens.
In
life we are to radiate light into unseen places; not
permit unknown fears to dim our radiance.
In
life we are to leap in faith;
not
to limp with doubt.
In
life we are to give freely of our time, our love, our
resources; not to cling on to them greedily.
In
life we are to lift up others;
not
push them down.
In
life we are to open our hands to those in need; not
to clutch our hands in fists of distrust.
In
life we are to lend a helping hand to make loads lighter;
not use heavy hands to hold others back.
In
life we are to be messengers of peace, signs of joy;
not Chicken Little portents of gloom-n-doom.
In
life we are to enjoy, to savor, to remember, to reflect;
not to overlook, to forget, to ignore, to reject.
In
life we are to seek conscious awareness;
not
doze in the doldrums of half-awake.
In
life we are to dare mighty things;
not
to fear things gravely.
In
life we are to show up, stand up, step forward and speak
up; not to cringe in fear, choosing to sit down, to
step back, allowing the voices of silence to speak so
loudly.
In
life we are to exercise proper stewardship of earth's
resources; not pillage the heritage of future generations.
In
life we are to move forward through forgiveness; not
grind to a halt mired in bitterness and resentment.
In
life we are to be wacky, weird, and wonderful
in
our own unique God-given way; not to be staid-n-proper
lemmings, stuck on life's treadmill.
In
life we are to reach, to stretch, and to soar; not to
slink in fear, held back by mistrust and doubt.
In
life we are to realize: "I am a remarkable Somebody!";
not listen to other's jabs: "You're a Nobody, an Everybody,
an Anybody."
In
life we are to comprehend, "I am worthwhile"; not tremble
with feelings of worthlessness.
In
life we are to create, to laugh, and to live life nobly;
not to despair, to moan, or to live life less.
Fr.
Brian began collecting quotations, anecdotes and stories
in 1977 as a form of journal-writing therapy, which blossomed
into a fruitful hobby. Over the years he has compiled
an anthology of hand-written journals of
quotations and ten composition books of stories. From
this collection he edits "Apple Seeds," a monthly quoteletter
of motivation and inspiration for students, faculty and
a growing mailing list. To review the online version
of Apple Seeds and additional works of Fr. Brian, go to
www.appleseeds.org. |