Happy Year of the Fire Horse

Year of the Fire Horse February 17, 2026 - February 5, 2027

A horse loves freedom, and the weariest old work horse will roll on the ground or break into a lumbering gallop when he is turned loose into the open. - Gerry Rafferty

Happy Lunar New Year! We are moving into the Year of the Fire Horse. The predictions are that this will be a year where things will happen fast. You will have to be a careful yet daring and determined rider to stay in the saddle at such a quick pace.  

In 2026 the restlessness of the Chinese zodiac animal horse combines with the intensity of the fire element. This is not a time to stand still. The New Year will bring transformation, speed and passion, new ideas, bold solutions, and a quick-paced change. It is the time to break free from old constraints, habits and thought patterns that hold you back. Prepare for action but choose your own direction if you can, and move with purpose. 

As you embrace the fast moving horse, understand that the fire element brings some danger with it. Fire brings light and warmth but it can also bring destruction to an established order. Plan and prepare wisely but move without fear. If you need a breakthrough in your endeavor, now is the time for action. You may have to walk and trot before you move into a full gallop, but move you must. 

No matter what the predictions for the Year of the Fire Horse may be, remember that you are the ultimate master of your fate.  

Wishing everyone Happy and Auspicious Lunar New Year - Dominique

 

   新 年 快 樂 

Dominique Allmon©2026

On Being Mindful

 

The habit of ignoring our present moments in favor of others yet to come leads directly to a pervasive lack of awareness of the web of life in which we are embedded. 

 

This includes a lack of awareness and understanding of our own mind and how it influences our perceptions and our actions. It severely limits our perspective on what it means to be a person and how we are connected to each other and the world around us. 

 

Religion has traditionally been the domain of such fundamental inquiries within a spiritual framework, but mindfulness has little to do with religion, except in the most fundamental meaning of the word, as an attempt to appreciate the deep mystery of being alive and to acknowledge being vitally connected to all that exists. 

 

By Jon Kabat-Zinn

Planting The Seeds Of Excellence

By cultivating the beautiful we scatter the seeds of heavenly flowers, as by doing good we cultivate those that belong to humanity. - Robert A. Heinlein

For James

We may never know how many dreams may have been destroyed by the words of others or how many lives took a different turn because of lack of encouragement.

What if you could have been a very different person if only someone did not repeat it to you over and over again that you were useless? What if you gave up a long time ago because people who loved you told you that you would never make it in life? What if someone told you that you were too stupid, too ugly, too poor, too young, too old, to even make it in the big world? What if that person was someone you loved and trusted?

What if the chronic seed of insecurity was planted in your heart a long time ago and today you still struggle to become a respected human being?

I know people who had chosen "smaller" lives because their wings were cut off when they were young. Like many others I also gave up some dreams because I was told that people so much "better" than me could not make it in a particular field. Why would I even want to waste my time and energy when so many others have failed. This was back in high school and when I look back today, I still regret that I listened to my teacher who, instead of motivating her pupils, implanted in them the seeds of self doubt.

Don't get me wrong. One can still have a very successful and fulfilled life even if one gave up his early dreams, but this is not what I want to talk about in this article. Instead, I want to concentrate on the fact that everything we say has consequences.

Words carry enormous energy. It doesn't matter whether it is your private self talk, or whether you voice your opinions and criticize others. Every time you say something you plant a seed. Why not plant a seed of excellence? Sometimes a good word is all a person needs to see the light. A good word might be all a person needs to feel worthy again.

You may realize that sometimes your good words may be falling on a barren ground, but this should not discourage you from trying to motivate others. Some people have such strong beliefs about themselves that no amount of encouragement will help them change the direction of their lives. But there are many others who simply cannot believe that what they've got is all they deserve in life.

Imagine that you have met someone who was constantly discouraged and forgot to believe in himself. In a short time you realize that this person is a goldmine of knowledge and has some hidden talents. Imagine that your words of encouragement wake up his old desire to do exceptional things. Imagine that this encounter could change that man's life forever. 

This happens over and over again when people meet up with motivational speakers or success coaches. The good word sparks a wave of enthusiasm and a will to change. If this can happen to adults, why not encourage kids when they are still full of hope. Why not teach them to dream big? Why not plant a seed of excellence?

And remember to plant a seed of excellence in your own heart because you too are good and worthy and no one can take this away from you. But if you have nothing good to say to others or to yourself, do not say anything at all because your vitriol may cause more harm than you can even imagine. 

Dominique Allmon

Dominique Allmon©2026 

This article was first published here 

AI generated image source here 

Aloka And The Buddhist Monks' Walk For Peace

“Let us walk with open hearts, with respect for every life, every path, every faith. May every footprint we leave behind bloom into flowers of peace, so that wherever these steps have touched the earth, there remains a quiet fragrance of loving kindness.” - Tue Nhan Bhikkhu known as the Rev. Nguyen, the vice president of the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center 

In a Buddhist tradition of peace activism, on October 26, 2025, a group of Buddhist monks in Fort Worth, Texas embarked on a 2,300 mile (3,700 kilometers) long journey for peace. The pilgrimage leads through ten states and Washington, DC is set to be the final destination. The monks are accompanied by a dog named Aloka. On route to the US Capitol the monks will be stopping at state capitols, historic landmarks and community centers to share their message of peace and invite people to join them for prayer and reflection.  

Aloka - an Indian stray Pariah dog that marches with the monks became a social media sensation in his own right. In India the dog followed a group of Vietnamese-American wandering Buddhist monks for one hundred days. He was with them despite the hardships he experienced. He was injured when a car hit him and was very sick, but rejoined the monks over and over again. Eventually, the monks adopted him and brought him with them to the United States. Now he bravely and cheerfully follows them on their journey through the United States. The puppy has a distinctive heart shaped mark on his forehead, wise eyes and very cheerful disposition. His name Aloka is quite fitting. In Sanskrit it means light, brightness or radiance and symbolizes knowledge and enlightenment. This name is often associated with hope and guidance suggesting a bringer of clarity and joy to all around them. 

Accompanied by Aloka, the monks will be following the practice of self-discipline that involves humility, endurance and spiritual focus. They will be eating one meal a day and sleeping outdoors in tents pitched on public or private grounds provided by churches, temples, private persons or local communities. Some of the monks walk barefoot. Some are over sixty years old. No community and no individual that comes in contact with the monks will remain unaffected by their motivation, wisdom, humility and serenity. Their pilgrimage will end on February 13, 2026, with a message of healing, compassion, mindfulness, renewal, and peace. 

"The Walk for Peace is a simple yet meaningful reminder that unity and kindness begin within each of us and can radiate outward to families, communities, and society as a whole.” - Venerable Bhikkhu Paññākāra

The Walk for Peace is a journey that is meant to bring blessings to individuals and communities in a world that is filled with restlessness and uncertainty. 

Our world was never a perfect place but there were at least some short periods of peace in some regions. The new millenium began with a beautiful vision for the planet but the New York attack on September 11, 2001, destroyed our hopes for a better, more enlightened world. Belligerent ideologies seemed to be spreading around the world and by 2025 there were more regional conflicts than ever. Many people feared the possibility of another world war. The never ending conflict in the Middle East and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine gave us little hope for peace on Earth in 2026.

In the United States and in many European countries citizens experience extreme violence on daily bases, often perpetrated by people of different cultural backgrounds that were once invited to live in their communities. Cultural incompatibility and different moral values make harmonious coexistence impossible. Rape, murder, robberies, arson, vandalism, and violent attacks seem to dominate the daily news cycle in mamy urban centers. Many people live in fear. 

At the same time, the social fabric, the respect for life or property, the respect for individual rights and the right to one's own opinion, are completely disappearing in so many places. This process began with totalitarian measures imposed on many societies during the 2020 pandemic. The decline of civility is appalling. Social media allows the spread of verbal aggression never seen before and allows that aggression to spill out to our streets. The belligerence and intolerance seem to be spreading through our societies like cancer and that "cancer" is often exploited for political reasons. Many tormented souls live their aggression out in the real world. Mental disease and drug abuse are prevalent and often remain untreated. Financial instability and lack of perspective aggravate the situation. 

Can this downward spiral be stopped? Is there hope for our societies? Is there any hope for the world?

A practicing Buddhist would understand the current conditions as a reflection of inner chaos and suffering. Buddha himself believed that true peace comes from within when the mind is free from greed, anger and delusion. It can only be achieved by profound introspection and the practice of mindfulness. This however is difficult if not impossible in a world where people are slaves to their electronic devices; in the world where people have time to insult and abuse others but have no time for introspection and self-reflection; in the world where people demand respect for their opinions without acknowledging that others have the same right. People no longer agree that it is all right to disagree and demonize others for having their own mind. 

Peace is not a mere idea. It is a practice. The path to peace begins with a single step within. 

Mindful walking and a quality time spent in nature might be the first step to inner healing. There is a beautiful practice in Japan called Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing where a practitioner consciously relaxes and engages with nature focusing all the senses on the experience. The practice is known to improve mood and reduce stress. Quality time spent away from electronic devices and the noise of discord and argument may help calm the troubled souls, induce inner peace and a completely new outlook on things that matter. 

Our societies, our world will not change overnight and suddenly become peaceful but each of us has the potential to bring peace to our immediate surroundings, to our homes and the workspace. We can refuse to get triggered, we can refuse to get angry and judgmental and instead, lead by example. Mindful detachment, mutual respect, loving-kindness (mettā), and the understanding that we all are on a journey, is a good place to start. 

"What we think, we become" - Buddha 

By Dominique Allmon

Post scriptum

On November 19, 2025 a car slammed into the escort vehicle that accompanied the monks. One of the monks, the Venerable Maha Dam Phommasan, abbot of the Wat Lao Buddha Khanti in Snellville, Georgia, was seriously injured and taken to hospital. The damage was very serious and the bhikkhu's left leg had to be amputated. He is no longer able to continue the Walk For Peace in person but follows the monks in spirit. 

Today, on January 12, Aloka underwent surgery at the Charleston Veterinary Referral Center (CVRC) in South Carolina for a flare up of an old injury he sustained to one of his legs back in India. In order to heal the veterinarians, who performed their services free of charge, advised the monks that Aloka should stay in the clinic until he has healed completely. This sweet puppy needs some rest in order to heal. He will be taken care of for at least one week and as soon as it is safe for him, he will join the monks and walk with them again. 

On January 17, 2026, after 84 days on the road, the Venerable Samma Maggo, 68 years old Vietnamese monk from France terminated his pilgrimage and will be returning to his temple in France. 

"The Venerable never spoke of endurance, yet that solitary figure along the long road became a teaching in itself - quiet, unheroic, without drama - simply walking on, and enabling those who followed to stand more upright within their own lives." - Venerable Baro Beso

I wish I could be there to meet these monks on the road. Since this is not possible I follow their progress online. It is very touching to watch these men walking with such determination, dispensing blessings to all and sharing the message of peace. We can only hope that all the people who meet the monks will have the strength to hold on to the wisdom imparted on them. 

"May you and all beings be well, happy and at peace." 

Dominique Allmon©2026 

To learn more about the Walk For Peace and to support the monks in their endeavor please click here 

Follow Aloka the Peace Dog on Instagram 

A "gofundme" page was set up for the Venerable Maha Dam Phommasan.  

Images source X 

Quote of the Day

If you look the right way, 

you can see that the whole world is a garden.

- Frances Hodgson Burnett in "The Secret Garden" 

 

Happy first day of Spring!

 

Image: Flower Garden - Gustav Klimt, oil on canvass. The Golden Phase, 1905 - 1907

Medicine Buddha

Ancient teachings tell us that merely seeing the Medicine Buddha, or even seeing an image of the Medicine Buddha, or hearing the name of the Medicine Buddha, can confer inconceivable benefits. - Spiritual Bliss

Bhaisajyaguru, commonly known as the Medicine Buddha, is the Buddha of healing and medicine in Mahayana Buddhism. He is a fully enlightened being capable of healing both, the outer and the inner, suffering or dukkha by applying his teachings as medicine. He has unbiased compassion for all sentient beings. He offers protection from physical harm and mental afflictions, as well as other dangers and obstacles. He helps the faithful to eradicate the three unwholesome roots (poisons) or kleshas of attachment, hatred and ignorance that are considered to be the source of all suffering.

In a Sanskrit manuscript called Medicine Buddha Sutra (Bhaisajya-guru-vaiḍūrya-prabhā-rāja Sūtra) he was described as a bodhisattva who upon enlightenment made twelve great vows:

1. To illuminate countless realms with his radiance and enable anyone to become a Buddha.
2. To awaken the minds of sentient beings through the light of lapis lazuli.
3. To provide all sentient beings with all necessary material needs.
4. To correct heretical views and inspire all sentient beings toward the enlightened path of the Bodhisattva.
5. To help all sentient beings follow the Moral Precepts of Buddhism even if they have failed before.
6. To heal sentient beings born with deformities, illness or other physical sufferings.
7. To help relieve the destitute and the sick from their suffering.
8. To help women who wish to be reborn as men achieve their desired form of rebirth.
9. To heal sentient beings from their mental afflictions and delusions.
10. To help the oppressed be free from their suffering.
11. To relieve those who suffer from terrible hunger and thirst.
12. To help clothe those who are destitute and suffering from cold weather or mosquitoes.

The idea of Buddha as a metaphorical healer is as old as Buddhism itself and goes back to the historical Buddha who found the cure for suffering and presented his formula as the Four Noble Truths.

Medicine Buddha is one of the emanations of the Gautama Buddha as understood in Mahayana Buddhism. He is venerated in China, Japan and Tibet. He is often depicted as a seated Buddha with a stem of the Aruna fruit (Terminalia chebula) wearing the three robes of a Buddhist monk, sometimes blue-faced or having a blue body and holding a lapis lazuli medicine bottle.

Bhaisajyaguru (Medicine Buddha) Mantra

namo bhagavate bhaiṣajyaguru
vaidūryaprabharājāya tathāgatāya arhate
samyaksambuddhāya tadyathā:
oṃ bhaiṣajye bhaiṣajye
bhaiṣajya-samudgate svāhā

The practice of Medicine Buddha is considered to be a very powerful tool for liberation from suffering. The faithful recite either the dharani or the mantra that helps them overcome the inner "sickness" of attachment, hatred and ignorance. It also helps ease the outer, physical suffering and purify the negative karma.

By Dominique Allmon

Dominique Allmon©2025

Images: Medicine Buddha by Dominique Allmon

 

It's All Yours, Forever

Nothing you love is lost. Not really. Things, people - they always go away, sooner or later. You can’t hold them, any more than you can hold moonlight. But if they’ve touched you, if they’re inside you, then they’re still yours. The only things you ever really have are the ones you hold inside your heart. - Bruce Coville in "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher"

Happy heavenly birthday to my late husband James!

Image: My husband with our puppy at the Bottomless Lakes, Roswell, NM, long before the cancer diagnosis. Both gone now but mine, forever.

Do Silly Things

Do silly things. 

Foolishness is a great deal more vital and healthy 

than our straining and striving after a meaningful life. 

- Anton Chekhov

Lost Dreams

I had grand dreams when I was younger. 

I imagined a life of fame and glory, 

but as real life caught up with me

I had to downsize my dreams. 

Today they are all meaningless. 

Life became small and grey, 

and I am no longer that dreamer...

Image: Lost Dreams by Dominique Allmon©2024 

Just Listen in Silence

The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention... A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well-intentioned words. - Rachel Naomi Remen 

Wishing everyone a very peaceful start into a New Year - Dominique

Image: Silence by Dominique Teng©2024

How to Be Grateful When You Have Nothing to Be Grateful For

The greatest source of happiness is the ability to be grateful at all times. - Zig Ziglar

Thanksgiving is a time of reflection. It is a time when families gather together to count their blessings and express their gratitude for all the good things in their lives. 

But what if you have nothing to be grateful for? What if your loved one or you were diagnosed with an incurable disease? What if you lost your home due to a natural disaster? What if you lost your job? What if you were a victim of a terrible crime? What if all your savings are gone thanks to the raging inflation? What if you lost someone? 

It isn't easy to express appreciation and gratitude in challenging times. When bitterness, fear, disappointment, anger, and uncertainty dominate your emotional landscape, it is difficult to be grateful. And yet, we can only survive the storm if we have hope.

Can we fake gratitude? 

Research shows that people who feel grateful are not only happier but also healthier. Scientists measured lower levels of stress hormones, less inflammation in the body, and even improved immunity in people who felt grateful or had thoughts of gratitude.* Wouldn't this alone be a good reason to motivate oneself to a daily practice of gratefulness? 

Do not compare your misery to the happiness of others. Accept reality as it is and do not suppress your real feelings. Instead, try to find something that will bring you joy every day and be grateful for it. Take time to observe nature, listen to music, read poetry, or talk to a dear friend. Take time to pamper yourself. Shift your attitude. Embrace activities that give you comfort and consciously express your gratitude even if you do not feel like it. If there is nothing at all, recall a happy moment from the past.

Start your day by counting the good things in your life and end it reflecting on all the things that warmed your heart: a smile from a child, a kind gesture from a stranger, a leaf falling off the tree and dancing before you... Make gratitude a habit. This will give you the strength to continue even in the most difficult circumstances. 

The tragedy of our existence is the realization that good things do not last. But neither do the bad things, and this alone is a very good reason to be grateful. 

Wishing you a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving - Dominique

Post scriptum

Stress kills so please, do not underestimate the impact your nastiness, your anger, your egoism and intolerance have on others, especially those who are sick, those who are trying to heal and are too weak or simply no longer willing to fight with you. 

When I wrote this post my husband who was diagnosed with stage IV kidney cancer in 2021 was still alive. His cancer treatment was terminated in October. We still had hope and felt grateful that he made it so far. I was in Europe, scheduled for a medical check up and could not be around for Thanksgiving. We were used to the fact that sometimes the only way to celebrate was to spend hours on the phone. On Thanksgiving's Eve James felt a little tired and weak but was in a rather good mood. On Thanksgiving Day, however, my husband's condition deteriorated considerably after his daughter, an obtuse woman in her late 40s, quarreled with him over the phone. She scolded him because he declined a dinner invitation that would have involved a 70-miles drive from Roswell, NM, to her home in Carlsbad, NM, and he did not feel that he could do that. This quarrel stressed and depressed him more than one could even imagine. He collapsed later in the evening and had to be taken by helicopter from Roswell, NM to a hospital in El Paso, TX. He never recovered and eventually left this plane of existence on December 15, 2023. He was 70 years old.

Also of interest: The Importance of Being Grateful

*Lilian Jans-Beken, Nele Jacobs, Mayke Janssens, et al. Gratitude and health: An updated review. The Journal of Positive Psychology. 2020/15:6. pp 743-782

Dominique Allmon©2023

You Too Can Grow Through Dark Times

 

Like the lotus, 

you too can grow through dark times and difficulties. 

You can rise again and again to shine like new 

because there’s something inside of you 

that the world can’t touch. -  

Jennifer Healey

 

Image source unknown but greatly appreciated

Happy Summer Solstice!

One way of celebrating the Solstice 

is to consider it a sacred time 

of reflection, release, restoration, and renewal. 

- Sarah Ban Breathnach, author, philanthropist, public speaker

 

Image: Golden Bee by Dominique Teng©2023

Achiever's Motto

Anything worth doing is worth doing well. 

Hunter S. Thompson 

Winter Solstice and the Longest Night

December 21, the shortest day of the year, the longest night, the beginning of Winter... This is the time for comfort and introspection.

"The Winter Solstice is the time of ending and beginning, a powerful time - a time to contemplate your immortality. A time to forgive, to be forgiven, and to make a fresh start. A time to awaken." - Frederick Lenz (1950-1998)

Image: Candles by Dominique Teng©2022

Let Lemons Be Lemons!

As you go about your daily life, you will encounter many lemons. Sour expressions, sour attitudes, sour auras! The good thing is that if you don’t want to be a lemon, you don’t have to be! Just don’t let those lemons rub themselves all over you! And you don’t even have to save them! Let lemons be lemons! One of the most important things that I have ever learned, is that I don’t have to save people. - C. JoyBell C.

Take the advice!

Let lemons be lemons 

and shine on this first day of summer! 

~ Dominique

 

Image: Let Lemons Be Lemons by Dominique Allmon©2018

Ikigai - Japanese Secret To A Long And Happy Life

People can feel real ikigai only when, on the basis of personal maturity, the satisfaction of various desires, love and happiness, encounters with others, and a sense of the value of life, they proceed toward self-realization. - Kobayashi Tsukasa

We seldom meet people who do not wish for a happy life. For many, the struggle is hard, but it shouldn't be. One has to simply love what one does. That's all. 

Nothing easier said than done. Unfortunately, most people end up in jobs they hate and vegetate unhappily till their retirement. Life is postponed for that later moment in time, when there is more money, more freedom, more time, more leisure, to do what we please and love. Unfortunately, that moment seldom comes, but if it does, it does not last long and does not bring the effect that we had hoped for. Happiness seems to be a habit that must be cultivated all life long. One does not simply retire from a tedious job and become happy the next day, but one can certainly change the direction of one's life early enough not to end up frustrated at an older age.

Have you heard of Ikigai? 

Ikigai is a Japanese concept of our reason for existence, very similar to the French raison d'être, or the ultimate purpose of one's life. The Japanese believe that everybody has ikigai. Ikigai is the force, the motivation, the passion that makes our life worth living. In other words, ikigai is what makes us tick. Those who find their ikigai can enjoy a long and happy life.

The Germans say that you are a happy man if you know how to combine the "nützlich" or the useful, with the "angenehm" or pleasant and enjoyable. Many of us have heard stories of successful Wall Street bankers leaving everything behind only to grow organic food or raise chickens on a farm. Such dramatic decisions are not necessarily motivated by money alone and there is always more to their story.

If your job doesn't make you really happy, but it pays for your lifestyle and allows you to keep up with the Joneses, you might not find your ikigai; but if you have moved to an English countryside to restore and sell antique furniture because antiques are your passion since your early discovery and exploration of your grandma's attic, you are meant to find your ikigai, even if the money you earn isn't buying you an English manor right away. 

 

 

Ikigai is to live to your own expectations, not to the expectations of others. If you are a lawyer because everybody in your family is, and this is your passion, you are the lucky one. However, if you were "coerced" in this direction by your relatives, but would rather be a concert violinist, you may end up unhappy sooner or later. Emphasis on "might" because a lifelong practice of law may help you discover aspects of your profession that are deeply satisfying.

Ikigai is to lose yourself in your passion or, in other words, find passion in everything you are doing, and carry it all life long. Ikigai is what makes the difference between a lethargic, tired retiree who isn't needed anymore, and a happy, energetic, active octogenarian who is traveling the world, painting landscapes on a seaside, learning Chinese calligraphy, or preparing for a marathon run.

Discovery of one's own ikigai requires deep introspection, courage, maturity, and a very honest assessment of one's current place in the world. The compromise one is willing to make in early twenties, may not hold up to the litmus test later.

 
Finding your ikigai early enough can make an incredible difference in your life. The choice between deep frustration and genuine happiness looks like a no-brainer, but this choice can only be made if one is brave enough to leave the assumed comfort zone.

If you can balance your chosen profession with your mission in life, your vocation, and that which you are truly passionate about, you are meant to experience ikigai.

How to find ikigai?

To find your ikigai you will have to honestly answer four questions:

• What do you love doing? - Ask yourself what it is that gives you the greatest joy and makes your heart beat faster.
• What are you truly good at? - Name your natural talents and skills that you have mastered.
• What is your vocation? - Do you have a cause you want to fight for? Is there anything you would do to make the world a better place?
• What do you get paid for? - What skills and services can you offer in exchange for money without compromising your values? 

Take a moment to look into your heart before you answer these questions. Take a piece of paper and write down your answers. You may want to use an ikigai diagram of overlapping circles to better illustrate common aspects of your existence. Reflect on your current situation and visualize where you would rather want to be. At the end of this exercise, ask yourself a question about what needs to be changed or done to bring you closer to your ikigai and follow this direction.

As I wrote above, certain maturity and a high dose of honesty is required to make big changes in one's life. If you are not truly happy, if you feel that something is missing in your life, you might have to take a close look at yourself. What you could find, might surprise you.

By Dominique Allmon
 

Dominique Allmon©2017

IKIGAI Long Sleeve Shirt design by my late husband James W. Allmon  Not an affiliate link

Unlimited Vision

I've learned that fear limits you and your vision. It serves as blinders to what may be just a few steps down the road for you. The journey is valuable, but believing in your talents, your abilities, and your self-worth can empower you to walk down an even brighter path. Transforming fear into freedom - how great is that? - Soledad O'Brien

Image: James Gurney Steampunk Specs

Image source unknown but greatly appreciated

Magical Rose Garden

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today. - Dale Carnegie

Harmony and Love

Harmony 

is one phase of the law 

whose spiritual 

expression is 

love. 

 James Allen

Image: "The Bug And The Wild Rose... In Perfect Harmony" by Dominique Teng©2016