This is the latest installment of quotes and words that move me for the weekend of 2/2/13 (Volume 27). I hope you enjoy them too.
A special thank you to everyone for the thoughts, prayers, hugs and support this week during my time of worry and uncertainty around my dog’s health. Her biopsy went well, though she had quite a loopy evening. Results Tuesday or Wednesday… I’ll keep you all posted as I learn more. I’m doing my best to not worry–a perfect topic for this weekend’s selection (and a helpful distraction for me to compose). A quick note on the first two songs: my mom would often sing these songs to me as a child–to this day, they still calm and ease my worried mind. As for the closing song, I discovered Bob Marley later in life, and while “Three Little Birds” may better fit the Don’t Worry theme, “No Woman, No Cry” relaxes me more when I am stressed. I mentioned to a friend that it’s impossible to be sad and listen to Bob at the same time. I hope you enjoy the songs and quotes. Thanks again for all the love! ~ Christy
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“And if I ever lose my eyes
If my colours all run dry
And if I ever lose my eyes – Oh,
I won’t have to cry no more
Yes, I’m being followed by a moon shadow
Moon shadow moon shadow
Leaping and hopping on a moonshadow
Moon shadow moon shadow”
~ Cat Stevens (Yusuf), “Moonshadow”, on album “The Very Best of Cat Stevens“, video link HERE.
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Alternate song: “Everything’s Alright” performed by Yvonne Elliman from “Jesus Christ Superstar” original cast recording, video link HERE
“Try not to get worried, try not to turn on to
Problems that upset you, oh.
Don’t you know
Everything’s alright, yes, everything’s fine.
And we want you to sleep well tonight.
Let the world turn without you tonight.
If we try, we’ll get by, so forget all about us tonight”
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“Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” ~ Corrie ten Boom, Clippings from My Notebook
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“Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen.
Keep in the sunlight.” ~ Benjamin Franklin
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“But I can hardly sit still. I keep fidgeting, crossing one leg and then the other. I feel like I could throw off sparks, or break a window–maybe rearrange all the furniture.” ~ Raymond Carver, Where I’m Calling From: New and Selected Stories
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“They need to worry and betray time with urgencies false and otherwise, purely anxious and whiny, their souls really won’t be at peace unless they can latch on to an established and proven worry and having once found it they assume facial expressions to fit and go with it, which is, you see, unhappiness, and all the time it all flies by them and they know it and that too worries them no end.” ~ Jack Kerouac
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“If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it’s not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever.” ~ Dalai Lama XIV
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“Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.” ~ Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
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“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” ~ Matthew 6:27 and 6:34
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“There are very few things in the mind which eat up as much energy as worry. It is one of the most difficult things not to worry about anything. Worry is experienced when things go wrong, but in relation to past happenings it is idle merely to wish that they might have been otherwise. The frozen past is what it is, and no amount of worrying is going to make it other than what it has been. But the limited ego-mind identifies itself with its past, gets entangled with it and keeps alive the pangs of frustrated desires. Thus worry continues to grow into the mental life of man until the ego-mind is burdened by the past. Worry is also experienced in relation to the future when this future is expected to be disagreeable in some way. In this case it seeks to justify itself as a necessary part of the attempt to prepare for coping with the anticipated situations. But, things can never be helped merely by worrying. Besides, many of the things which are anticipated never turn up, or if they do occur, they turn out to be much more acceptable than they were expected to be. Worry is the product of feverish imagination working under the stimulus of desires. It is a living through of sufferings which are mostly our own creation. Worry has never done anyone any good, and it is very much worse than mere dissipation of psychic energy, for it substantially curtails the joy and fullness of life.” ~ Meher Baba, Discourses
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“That the birds of worry and care fly over you head, this you cannot change, but that they build nests in your hair, this you can prevent.” ~ Chinese Proverb
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“Don’t worry. Worry is useless. I worried anyway.” ~ John Green, The Fault in Our Stars
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“You worry too much. Eat some bacon…what? No, I got no idea if it’ll make you feel better, I just made too much bacon.” ~ Justin Halpern, Sh*t My Dad Says
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STRANGE MIRACLE
O Wondrous creatures,
By what strange miracle
Do you so often
Not smile?
~ Hafiz, I Heard God Laughing: Poems of Hope and Joy
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THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS
When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
~ Wendell Berry, “The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry“
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“Good friends we have had, oh good friends we’ve lost, along the way
In this bright future you can’t forget your past
So dry your tears I say
No woman, no cry
No woman, no cry
Oh my little sister, don’t shed no tears
No woman, no cry
Everything’s gonna be alright
Ev’rything’s gonna be alright
Ev’rything’s gonna be alright
Ev’rything’s gonna be alright”
“No Woman, No Cry” by Bob Marley, available on “Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and The Wailers“
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Sh*t my Dad Says is one of my favorites. Reading that book always changes my perspective….or just plain confuses me. Bacon does help by the way…..😁
Bacon is like the wonder drug, or a damn good placebo. But what I really want to know is… how can anyone cook too much bacon? I mean seriously, come on now!
Now I’ve got those old bacon cookie cravings again.
Have a great weekend my friend!
ditto on “good2gegone” comment
been prayin’ for you and your girl
peace and love for you both (and your mom too) xox
Thanks Lisa for the prayers!
xoxo
So strange when I realize Mom will be gone two years this March–seems I remember something new about her everyday. Makes me smile!
Have a wonderful weekend sweetie, eat some of those candy hearts for me and I’ll have some turkey bacon for you.
“Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”
Yes!! This just so beautifully and concisely summed up what I try to tell myself about worrying. I must write this down, and look at it when I feel worry creeping up on me.
Lovely list again….
Thanks Michelle! I actually have that quote on a Mary Engelbreit greeting card, I love it. You can probably find a similar item on-line, or even make or paint your own if you’re feeling crafty. I hope you’re enjoying your quiet weekend… loved the then vs. now post!
How about some late 70′s pop rock to listen to while you mess around the house this weekend? Maybe dance around a little if you feel like it. Everything’s gonna be alright.
I
Well, “hello… Hello again!” How’d you know a little Ric Ocasek was “just what I needed”? Uh-oh, it must be “magic”!
Nothing like a few good times to “brush my rock n roll hair”, when those Chinese Worry Birds start trying to nest. Then I can shake it up, dance all night and whirl (my) hair, trying not to worry about my two left feet…
“You might think I’m crazy”, but I forgot how much I love The Cars. Thank-you for reminding me!
And I am old enough to have sung “Try not to get worried”‘ at my High School talent night (also known as the “don’t you wish you had some” Talent Night). Glad that music is able to soothe your fears! And I’m so happy that you stumbled by my place (thank you, El Guapo!)
That is really cool! I did several stage plays in my youth, but I was never brave enough to sing on stage. That was probably a good thing for everyone, lol.
I’m thrilled to have stumbled your way!
Oh, let me clarify! I only sang in the shower or in small, select groups of friends! Every time I tried out for a stage show, I was cast as one of those “chorus leader” types with one spoken line and a two measure solo!! I am incredibly talented in my own fertile mind, though!
Tee hee, me too! As much as I love music, I wish I could sing better, but I must have been standing in line for ice cream when they were handing out singing talent.
Thanks, lady
I needed every single one of those quotes today.
Awesome, Kristin! I’m glad they came your way at the needed time. Been missing you… hope you’re healing up well and quickly. Hug that cow puppy for me!
Great collection. Loved the Marcus Aurelius quote.
I don;t know where I heard this, but sometimes as I get into bed, I’ll say this quote to myself:
Today’s work is done. Tomorrow’s is for tomorrow. It will keep until then.
I thought you’d like the Aurelius quote, Guap. It reminded me of a recent comment you left for me on your blog.
Hope you got out to ski today!
We can not worry about those things we have no control over,.. The energy & stress expended is most times worse than the subject of worry.. Sending prayers for you and doggies.. remember, do-not-worry.. after all, Mr Marley said it first!!
Thanks Lynne! And Mr. Marley said it SO well didn’t he? Including, “the best thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain…”
Had to laugh during the Super Bowl at one of the VW ads. White dude from Minnesota is walking around the office sounding like an optimistic Bob Marley—too funny!
You are amazing and an inspiration to so many! I hope you know how much you do for people on here, week in, week out. It’s just not fair. Big hugs…
Savingmylifeandsoul xx
Hey Carrie, I’m so happy to see you comment, thank you! That’s such a nice thing to say… I really REALLY appreciate it.
I hope you’ve been doing well! Hugs, Christy
Christy, I somehow missed your last post about your dog. I’m SO sorry you–and she–are having to go through this. We had a similar experience with one of our cats, whose enlarged lymph nodes I discovered quite by accident when I was scratching under her chin. We also feared it was cancer. Countless tests and specialty vets later, they still aren’t sure what it is–some kind of inflammatory process, apparently. Though she’s had some problems, she’s done okay on steroids for over a year now.
Like others, I’m admiring of the attitude this post reflects–yet another affirmation that today is all we have for certain, and we should make the most of it.
Hoping for the best for your sweet doggie.
xx/Susan
Hi Susan, thank you so much for the kind message. I’m still keeping my fingers crossed for Spot. I read during my google searches that someone’s dog had similar symptoms and was diagnosed with allergies, so stories like yours and those offer me a little line of hope–dental floss sized line maybe–but still hope.
I’ve come to terms that I can be prepared for or accepting of the situation, almost like resignation, but I don’t have to like it.
So grateful for your comment and your support. Love, Christy
Oooohhh I LOVE THAT SONG FROM JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR!!!! Sorry for yelling but it’s giving me such pleasure right now as I type, I haven’t heard it for ages and ages. I’m so sorry to hear about your dog, really I am. I hope he’s ok. Best of luck dealing with all those strong emotions sober, I know you can do it. xxxx
YAY!!! I’M SO GLAD YOU LOVE IT, MRS. D!!! WOO-HOO!!! Never apologize for shouting for joy around here. Your comment made me laugh and smile. I know you’ve been super crazy busy with your thesis, so I’m glad the song could cheer you up too.
Thanks for your thoughts, I really appreciate them! xxx
There are so many grains of wisdom in this post. The Clippings from my Notebook piece really resonated. I need that tattooed in my brain. Thank you for sharing what helps you through the rough times. Many warm thoughts to you and your sweet baby.
Fingers, toes and eyes crossed for a clean, negative biopsy!
thank you for all of the reminders in this post. Peace be with you, C….L.
More beauty and inspiration! Thank you for this. And I LOVE Ben Franklin’s quote. “Keep in the sunlight.” That would make for a great tattoo.