Day 2985: Confession Time!

Because it’s confession time, here are some quotes about confession:

The confession of evil works is the first beginning of good works.

St. Augustine

People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Art is always and everywhere the secret confession, and at the same time the immortal movement of its time.

Karl Marx

Confessions of errors is like a broom which sweeps away the dirt and leaves the surface brighter and cleaner. I feel stronger for confession.

Mahatma Gandhi

A confession has to be part of your new life.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Acting is a form of confession.

Tallulah Bankhead

Nobody likes to be found out, not even one who has made ruthless confession a part of his profession. Any autobiographer, therefore, at least between the lines, spars with his reader and potential judge.

Erik Erikson

Confession is good for the soul only in the sense that a tweed coat is good for dandruff — it is a palliative rather than a remedy.

Peter DeVries

Between lovers a little confession is a dangerous thing.

Helen Rowland

My whole act is a confession.

Shelly Berman

Psychoanalysis is the confession without without absolution.

Germaine Greer

The end of confession is to tell the truth to and for oneself.

J. M. Coetzee

I have a confession to make — I am very fond of junk food.

Siddharth Shukla

You know, I’ve got a confession to make myself. I’m not really a priest, I’ve just got my shirt on backwards.

Harry Styles

Confession Time! Whenever I present quotes, I arrange them by the birthdate of the person I’m quoting.

Yesterday I declared “Confession Time!” on Twitter:

Confession Time! Here and now, I can’t include any other images and I don’t know if I can publish this blog post. WordPress keeps confessing, “You are probably offline” although I don’t see how that is true. I confess that I can’t upload anything from my laptop or my phone and I confess this has never happened before in all my years of daily blogging.

Confession time! I wanted to write a quick blog post this morning so I could watch a special presentation about the musical “Rent.” Oh well.

Confession Time! No photos doesn’t prevent my from quoting the Daily Bitch Calendar for today: “Why is being alive so expensive? I’m not even having a good time!”

Since it is confession time, are there any confessions you’d like to make in the comments section, below?

It’s always gratitude time, so thanks to all the people I quoted, above, and thanks to YOU.

Day 2899: Insignificant

Is it insignificant that I did NOT call the Internal Revenue System yesterday about my significantly late tax refund, despite resolving to do so in my morning blog post?

Did I not call because I dislike how insignificant I feel whenever I deal with a huge bureaucracy? Or was it because the work I needed to do yesterday (remote psychotherapy and responding to crisis calls) made my contacting the IRS insignificant in comparison? Or did I have significant fear about what I might find out — that because my identity was stolen my tax refund was stolen too?

Sometimes, my confusion about the motives for my behavior is not insignificant.

Is the actual inspiration for today’s title insignificant?

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The Daily Bitch is never insignificant to me. Are today’s other images insignificant?

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I’ve done significant work to try to get to the point described in that last quote. Nevertheless, my mood shifted yesterday based on the insignificant actions of somebody else. Significantly, I communicated with that person and my mood shifted again. I believe that is not insignificant, although I clearly have more significant work to do.

Here is “Insignificant” by Spencer Elliott.

I hope you know your reactions to my posts are never insignificant to me.

My expressions of thanks here are insignificant in comparison with the gratitude I feel for all who help me blog every day, including YOU!

Day 2685: Despair

In all the two thousand, six hundred and eighty-five days I have been blogging, I have never once used the word “despair.”

Today, the news causes me to despair.

What should I do with despair?  I shall turn to others who have written about despair before:

“Because I remember, I despair.  Because I remember, I have the duty to reject despair.” — Elie Weisel

“The opposite of hope is despair, and when we despair, it is because we feel that there are no choices.” — Warren G. Bennis

“It is not despair, for despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not.” — J.R.R. Tolkien

“Never despair, but if you do, work on in despair.” — Edmund Burke

“The most common form of despair is not being who you are. ” — Søren Kierkegaard

“Despair is is the price one pays for self-awareness.  Look deeply into life, and you’ll always find despair.” — Irvin Yalom

“Despair is the fleeting fury of a hopeless soul.” — Immanuel Kant

“Despair is the suicide of the heart.” —  Jean Paul Richter

“Human life begins on the other side of despair.” — Jean-Paul Sartre

“Life, which creates despair, is stronger than despair.” — Alain Grandbois

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it–always.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

“But what we call our despair is often only the painful eagerness of unfed hope.” —  George Eliot

“Action is the antidote to despair.”  — Joan Baez

I was beginning to despair that all the quotes today would be from men, until I found those last two.

Do you see despair in any of my photos from yesterday?

Here is “Despair” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs:

I believe gratitude is an antidote to despair, so thanks to all who help me create this blog, day after day.

Day 2474: Compassion

In yesterday’s Coping and Healing group, the members chose to focus on the topic of “Compassion.”

What is your personal experience of compassion?  What gets in the way of you experiencing compassion?  How could you bring more compassion into your life?

In my responses to those questions about compassion, I mentioned self-compassion and also this song:

I had the compassion, just now, to choose a version of “Shower the People” by James Taylor that includes lyrics and which (I think!) is accessible to all my readers.

Here are some quotes about compassion:

“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, The Art of Happiness

“Compassion hurts. When you feel connected to everything, you also feel responsible for everything. And you cannot turn away. Your destiny is bound with the destinies of others. You must either learn to carry the Universe or be crushed by it. You must grow strong enough to love the world, yet empty enough to sit down at the same table with its worst horrors.”
― Andrew Boyd, Daily Afflictions: The Agony of Being Connected to Everything in the Universe“

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.”
― Plato

“Our task must be to free ourselves… by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.”
― Albert Einstein

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
― Leo Buscaglia

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
― Aesop

“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”
― Maya Angelou

“It is easy enough to be friendly to one’s friends. But to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

“Compassion is the basis of morality.”
― Arthur Schopenhauer

In the group yesterday, we also discussed the opposite of compassion, which some people thought was  indifference and others thought was cruelty.  Do you see compassion or the opposite of compassion in any of my other photos from yesterday?

I have compassion for any thoughts or feelings you choose to express in a comment, below.

Thanks to all the compassionate people out there, including YOU.

Day 2434: Permission

I hope I have my readers’s permission to start this post with a definition:

per·mis·sion
/pərˈmiSHən/
noun
consent; authorization.
“they had entered the country without permission”
synonyms: authorization, consent, leave, authority, sanction, license, dispensation, assent, acquiescence, agreement, approval, seal of approval, approbation, endorsement, blessing, imprimatur, clearance, acceptance, allowance, tolerance, sufferance, empowerment, freedom, liberty
an official document giving authorization.
plural noun: permissions
“permissions to reproduce copyright material”

I hope I have your permission to wonder this about that definition: Why are so many people so focused on others entering countries without permission? Is that REALLY the worst problem the world is facing?  Aren’t there other problems we should be erasing?

With or without permission, I’m going to state my position:  we are all occupants of this planet, dammit!  Why can’t we all come and go as we please, with more ease?

I know that if I were running for office in my home country with an attitude like that one, my quest for election would definitely be soon done.

Here’s my admission about why I’m focusing on permission:

I took that photo without anybody’s permission.    That was my decision.

Here are some quotes about permission, in addition:

“Nobody can hurt me without my permission.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

“When you give yourself permission to communicate what matters to you in every situation you will have peace despite rejection or disapproval. Putting a voice to your soul helps you to let go of the negative energy of fear and regret.”
― Shannon L. Alder

“A strong gives forgiveness but weak gives permission.”
― Santosh Kalwar, Quote Me Everyday

“The more people you have to ask for permission, the more dangerous a project gets.”
― Alain de Botton

“When people change they do not ask your permission.”
― Jennifer Pierre

“Quiet the noise around you; soften its pitch. Our deepest stories are our best teachers. Let the weapons of the weak — the poison, the nagging, the gossip — burn themselves to ash. Cast them to the wind. Take back the permission to succeed. Make it yours.”
― Elissa Altman

“Stop looking for permission from other people to do what you know you are meant to do.”
― Adam Smith

“Do you really need permission? Still waiting for that invitation to your life? No one is going to give it to you…only you can do that.”
― Jennifer Ho-Dougatz

“When we give ourselves permission to go wherever our outlandish thoughts take us, we feel that rush of creativity and excitement.”
― Teresa R. Funke, Bursts of Brilliance for a Creative Life blog

Without a permit, here are other photos I’ll submit:

You can give yourself permission, my dear,  to let go of future fear. Make a magic incantation without any hesitation.

Who gave me the permission to rhyme all this time?  It’s inspired  by listening to a rap musical sublime.

Whether Clark on Stage got permission to do this cover I don’t know. I’m still grateful that he gave it a go.

Whenever there’s a lot a stake, give yourself permission to take a break.

No matter what your position, you don’t need  permission to make a comment submission.

Thanks to all who help me create, including my readers, who are GREAT.

Day 1792: Yes!

Yes!  It’s another post at the Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally.

Yes!  I saw this yes-terday

and almost said “yes” to writing a post titled “No!”

Yes! I’ve already written Day 1539: The No List which includes interesting quotes about “No.” Yes!  I’ll wait while you read that other post.

Yes! There are also interesting quotes about “Yes!”

Always say ‘yes’ to the present moment… Surrender to what is. Say ‘yes’ to life – and see how life starts suddenly to start working for you rather than against you. — Eckhart Tolle

When you are discontent, you always want more, more, more. Your desire can never be satisfied. But when you practice contentment, you can say to yourself, ‘Oh yes – I already have everything that I really need.’  — Dalai Lama

Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn’t have the power to say yes. — Eleanor Roosevelt

A nice person is a ‘yes’ person, whereas a good person is a person who accepts their responsibility in things and moves forward and tries to constantly evolve and isn’t afraid to say no or challenge someone or be honest or truthful. — Miranda Kerr

Learn to say ‘no’ to the good so you can say ‘yes’ to the best. — John C. Maxwell

A ‘No’ uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble. — Mahatma Gandhi

The oldest, shortest words – ‘yes’ and ‘no’ – are those which require the most thought.  — Pythagoras

Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the furthest thing from it. Because cynics don’t learn anything. Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness: a rejection of the world because we are afraid it will hurt us or disappoint us. Cynics always say ‘no.’ But saying ‘yes’ begins things. Saying ‘yes’ is how things grow. — Stephen Colbert

Never say ‘no’ to adventures. Always say ‘yes’, otherwise you’ll lead a very dull life. — Ian Fleming

I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes. — e. e. cummings

Yes!  That last  quote is a nice segue to other pictures from yes-terday.

 

 

Would you say “Yes!” to things that are almost funny?   What do you say “Yes!” to, here and now?

Yes! I love Yes.  Here they are, when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame said “Yes” to them this year:

 

I always say “Yes!” to gratitude.  Thanks to all who helped me create today’s post and — yes! —  to you.  Yes, you!