06 Dec 2015 Leave a comment

by John P.Schulz in quotes, quotes and notes, Uncategorized Tags: , , , ,

 

Facing the future

Prehistoric tree planters. Mural in Atlanta. Photo by Dekie Hicks

“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”—Martin Luther—

Looking at this quote takes me to the one in which Winnie the Pooh says, “What if it doesn’t?”
What if the world doesn’t go to pieces? What if the tree doesn’t fall on you? What then?

Accept what is happening today for what it is but look forward to all of the good things ahead. Plant your tree. Eat an apple. Hope and Love are eternal.
Share a smile. Give someone an apple
Everything is going to be all right.
John P. Schulz—“Sweetie Drives on Chemo Days.”

When The Storm Has Passed…

02 Dec 2015 2 Comments

by John P.Schulz in quotes, quotes and notes, Uncategorized Tags: , ,

after the storm

Fears come with the approaching storm. Courage comes with the storm. Smiles follow it all.

“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.” –Haruki Murakami–

It seems that we are constantly walking through storms. Some of them get really frightening. I think, though, that most of the fear comes to us as we hear the far off approaching thunder. We “hunker down” and endure the storm, walking out on the other end into a sunny day. The fear subsides

Share a smile today.
Everything is going to be all right.
John P. Schulz—“Sweetie Drives on Chemo Days.”

What’s On The Other Side Of Fear?

25 Nov 2015 1 Comment

by John P.Schulz in quotes, quotes and notes, Uncategorized Tags: , , , ,

 

The other side of fear

“Ultimately we know deeply that the other side of fear is freedom.”
–Marilyn Ferguson
Are everyday fears keeping you from enjoying the moment? Are specific fears slowing down the attainment of your goals?
To start with, recognize those fears. Point a finger at each one of them and say, “I know you.” Then caress the fears gently and set them aside. Move on to the other side of the fears. Find freedom from their chains. Enjoy your life.

And keep on smiling.
Everything is going to be all right
John P. Schulz—“Sweetie Drives on Chemo Days.”

Reflections In Solitude

24 Oct 2015 Leave a comment

by John P.Schulz in inspirational quotes, quotes, quotes and notes Tags: , , ,

Quotes and Notes #354, October 24

Time to think,

Time to think, “What do I really want?” photo by Bill Land

“If men could regard the events of their own lives with more open minds, they would frequently discover that they did not really desire the things they failed to obtain.”—Andre Maurois—   

We search and search to find things to fill up our spaces. We are not really looking for things but for satisfaction, status, instant gratification or other forms of what we perceive happiness to be. As time goes by, the results of these searches begin to matter less and less.

My wife has a rule that I love. She says, “If something comes in, something must go out.” Now, when I look at a bauble that promises passing pleasure, I must ask myself, “What will I get rid of?”

Perhaps I should do this with the multitude of fears that I am often offered. Maybe it should be something like, “I could be afraid that I would die at home in a fire—but first I must stop being afraid that a horde of angry Mongols will cut my head off before I get home.” I enjoy my lonely reflections—I never know quite where they will go.

Share a smile with the clerk in the bauble store today
Remember that You are the only You in the world.
Everything is going to be all right.

John P. Schulz—“Sweetie Drives on Chemo Days.”

Fight Fear With The Ultimate Weapon…

02 Sep 2015 Leave a comment

by John P.Schulz in quotes, quotes and notes Tags: , , , ,

Quotes and Notes #302, September 2

Conquer fear with understanding.

Conquer fear with understanding.

 

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”–Marie Curie–

We must look inside ourselves to understand. It is easy to know, but understanding takes more time, care, and examination.
My mother asked me once about my take on all of the things that were physically wrong with me at the time. I said, “We will see what can be fixed and get it fixed, then we will deal with the rest later—that will involve attitude.” Fear makes things worse. Understanding makes things better.
There are many things in this world that we cannot understand. For those occasions, it is best to turn your back on it, throw your hands in the air, and walk off as you say, “Oh, Well.”

But you can always share a smile.
Sharing a smile is like butter—butter makes it better.
Everything is going to be all right.

John P. Schulz—“Sweetie Drives on Chemo Days.”

Out of the Comfort Zone

21 May 2015 Leave a comment

by John P.Schulz in Uncategorized Tags: , , ,

Quotes and Notes #193, May 21

“Most learning happens outside of your comfort zone.”—Cassandra Huysentruyt Grey, as quoted in Vanity Fair, April 2015—

On May 21, 1927, Charles Lindbergh landed in Paris. It seems to me that learning is a product of curiosity, necessity, and fear. I know that fear is much more intense with the absence of knowledge about the nature of whatever is causing the fear. “Know thy enemy” is a valuable piece of advice to follow. As I have stated before, one of my favorite questions (and the one which, over the years, has gotten me into the most trouble) is,

“I wonder what would happen if…”

Share a smile
Everything is going to be all right.
John P. Schulz—“Sweetie Drives on Chemo Days.”

You never know what you will find outside the comfort zone.

You never know what you will find outside the comfort zone. (Calceolaria uniflora)

Optimism vs. Fear and Superstition

07 May 2015 Leave a comment

by John P.Schulz in quotes and notes Tags: , , , ,

Quotes and notes #183, May 7

“Human spirit is the ability to face the uncertainty of the future with curiosity and optimism. It is the belief that problems can be solved, differences resolved. It is a type of confidence. And it is fragile. It can be blackened by fear and superstition.”—Bernard Beckett—

To my mind, this is a well stated observation. Look at the idea that curi

Fear and Superstition will set a cloud in front of optimism

Fear and Superstition will set a cloud in front of optimism

osity and optimism help us to face uncertainty but that these qualities may be influenced in a negative way by fear and superstition.

Superstition may be looked at as a traditional and unfounded method for dealing with fear.

And that brings us to dealing with the influence fear as a factor in facing the uncertainty of the future. The solution is to isolate and examine the sources of our fears and to understand them. This will lead to the ability to deal with future unknowns with confidence and optimism.

Share a smile
Everything is going to be all right
John P. Schulz
“Sweetie Drives on Chemo Days.”

Security Versus Adventure

12 Feb 2015 Leave a comment

by John P.Schulz in quotes Tags: , ,

Quotes and Notes #102, February 12

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”–Helen Keller

Living in fear is counter-productive. We can live in fear of a powerful terrorist organization only to be struck down by a microscopic bacterium. To live life fully, we must be humorous and daring. We must be able to reach out to new adventures with great expectations, and we must be able to face daily adversities without fear. That is reason enough to practice optimism. Share a smile with your banker today.

Everything is going to be all right.

John P. Schulz

Fears and wisdom

02 Feb 2015 Leave a comment

by John P.Schulz in Uncategorized Tags: , ,

Quotes and Notes, #93 February 2

“To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.”–Bertrand Russell

First we must get to know our fears, isolate them, study them, and perhaps name them Jim or Roger or something like that. After that we can accept them, defeat them, learn to live with them, give them up as silly, laugh at them, or, as my brother Tom says, “pack them in the back of your mind and pretend they don’t exist.” Help someone else to conquer their fears today by giving them a free nod and a smile to use as a weapon.

Everything is going to be all right.

John P. Schulz

Laugh at your fears

20 Jan 2015 1 Comment

by John P.Schulz in Uncategorized Tags: , , , ,

“In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.”–Khalil Gibran

When I was a very small child, I ran to my mother crying and afraid in the middle of a thunderstorm. She said, “Don’t be afraid, it’s only thunder,” and she took me out on the front porch to watch the storm. We sat in the swing and when it thundered again, we slapped our legs and forced a laugh. When it thundered once again, we laughed, but the laugh was not forced, it was genuine. This I remember, sixty-six years later. Now, the thunder often comes in many disguises and I still slap my knee and laugh at it. Laughter is life’s greatest medicine and Man’s greatest weapon. Go out today and share a smile.

Everything is going to be all right

John P. Schulz

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