“When people go through the motion of walking, what they are doing, in effect, is going through a controlled fall. They lean forward with their upper bodies and throw out a leg, just in time. That’s why even a small crack in the pavement can tip them over. Psychologically and emotionally, life is the same as walking for most people.

They constantly lean into life, yearning, dreaming, pining. They are often dissatisfied with what they are and with what they have. Instead, they seek someone or something to lift them up. They want to be declared special – they want life easy, delivered on a plate. In the process of leaning, they trash their emotional balance and drift from one gratification to another. They exist at the edge of their balance and their ability to control. One adverse condition – a casual remark, a small setback – and their energy collapses. Psychologically and emotionally, they fall on their noses.

The initial point in consolidating your silent power is to discipline yourself to stop leaning. When you are the most desperate to lean in on people, that’s when you should exercise control. The game is called: “Stand Straight in Life.” Not many have heard of it.”

Stuart Wilde, in “Silent Power”

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Jeff Maziarek, author of Spirituality Simplified and Codi’s Journey, launched Pondercentral.com in April 2007 as a Web-based forum for “PONDER on THIS,” a series of weekday inspirational email messages he began sending to subscribers in March 1999. A FREE service since its inception, “PONDER on THIS” provides subscribers with meaningful content to assist them on their individual paths of spiritual growth. In addition, it benefits subscribers, authors, and publishers by including links to Amazon.com where subscribers can learn more about the book being quoted, and also purchase it.

“When I walked to Chicago in 1996, my companions and I stopped at a small cemetery near Brookside, Wisconsin. Wandering through the rows of headstones – some dating back 150 years, some only weeks old – was a very humbling experience. As I noticed the ages on many of them from the last century, I realized that so often they had passed away in their teenage years. Some had made it into their 40s, yet still before it should have been there time. Any time that you have left – that they did not – is gravy as far as I’m concerned. Once your name is etched in stone, there are no second chances to make that phone call, no more opportunities to say you’re sorry, no more days to hold a hand or buy an ice cream or watch the sunrise. Your time is gone. How much time do you have left to really live?”

John St. Augustine, in “Living an Uncommon Life”

For more information regarding this book, visit Amazon.

Jeff Maziarek, author of Spirituality Simplified and Codi’s Journey, launched Pondercentral.com in April 2007 as a Web-based forum for “PONDER on THIS,” a series of weekday inspirational email messages he began sending to subscribers in March 1999. A FREE service since its inception, “PONDER on THIS” provides subscribers with meaningful content to assist them on their individual paths of spiritual growth. In addition, it benefits subscribers, authors, and publishers by including links to Amazon.com where subscribers can learn more about the book being quoted, and also purchase it.

“Why do you allow yourself to be in situations throughout the day, even minor ones with store clerks, customers, or telephone calls, in which you are made to feel depreciated? It is because of a belief many of you picked up from your culture that you do not have the right to choose whom you are around. You may feel you owe your time and energy to others, or that you are obligated to give them attention if they want to be a part of your life.

Some of you believe you must be loving, supportive, and caring to everyone. Loving someone does not mean making their feelings more important than your own. If you study the lives of highly evolved beings, you will see that there are many ways to be loving to others, including being blunt and not tolerating petty behavior, although speaking bluntly is done with compassion and love.

Being committed to your higher purpose and loving to yourself is the first priority. In your day-to-day contacts, know that you do not owe anyone your time or energy. They are the greatest gifts you have been given, and how you use them will determine how much you will evolve in this lifetime.”

Sanaya Roman, in “Personal Power through Awareness”

For more information about this book visit Amazon.

Jeff Maziarek, author of Spirituality Simplified and Codi’s Journey, launched Pondercentral.com in April 2007 as a Web-based forum for “PONDER on THIS,” a series of weekday inspirational email messages he began sending to subscribers in March 1999. A FREE service since its inception, “PONDER on THIS” provides subscribers with meaningful content to assist them on their individual paths of spiritual growth. In addition, it benefits subscribers, authors, and publishers by including links to Amazon.com where subscribers can learn more about the book being quoted, and also purchase it.

“So many of us live our lives as if the secret purpose is to somehow get everything done. We stay up late, get up early, avoid having fun, and keep our loved ones waiting. Sadly, I’ve seen many people who put off their loved ones so long that the loved ones lose interest in maintaining the relationship. I used to do this myself. Often, we convince ourselves that our obsession with our “to-do” list is only temporary – that once we get through the list, we’ll be calm, relaxed, and happy. But in reality, this rarely happens. As items are checked off, new ones simply replace them

The nature of your “in-basket” is that it’s MEANT to have completed in it – it’s not meant to be empty. There will always be phone calls that need to be made, projects to complete, and work to be done. In fact, it can be argued that a full “in-basket” is essential for success. It means your time is in demand!

Regardless of who you are or what you do, however, remember that NOTHING is more important than your own sense of happiness and inner peace and that of your loved ones. If you’re obsessed with getting everything done, you’ll never have a sense of well-being! In reality, almost everything can wait. Very little in our work lives truly falls into the “emergency” category. If you stay focused on your work, it will all get done in due time.”

Richard Carlson, PH.D., in “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff”

For more information about this book visit Amazon.

Jeff Maziarek, author of Spirituality Simplified and Codi’s Journey, launched Pondercentral.com in April 2007 as a Web-based forum for “PONDER on THIS,” a series of weekday inspirational email messages he began sending to subscribers in March 1999. A FREE service since its inception, “PONDER on THIS” provides subscribers with meaningful content to assist them on their individual paths of spiritual growth. In addition, it benefits subscribers, authors, and publishers by including links to Amazon.com where subscribers can learn more about the book being quoted, and also purchase it.

“Some of the most awesome experiences in our lives come when we connect with others, and especially when we allow them to touch us. Think about a first kiss, or seeing a birth, or walking down the aisle, or watching your daughter graduate. Think about moving into your first house, or buying your first car. Or remember hiking over a ridge at sunset, or taking that first sip of morning coffee. Moments like these shape a life. And while we each have our own take on the world and a unique experience within it, this stuff is also universal.

We approach our lives with our own original flair, but we come together as part of this human experience. That means we all experiences loss and joy, fear and disappointment. We have all been there. And for that reason alone, everyone is worthy of our kindness and compassion.

When you can, take a moment to connect to someone’s pain, or smile when they’ve treated you poorly. If you can reach out with empathy and understanding instead of berating them for bad behavior, you are engaging in life at the fullest level. In those moments, you can remind us all about how awesome it is to be human.”

Polly Campbell, in “How to Live an Awesome Life”

For more information about this book visit Amazon.

Jeff Maziarek, author of Spirituality Simplified and Codi’s Journey, launched Pondercentral.com in April 2007 as a Web-based forum for “PONDER on THIS,” a series of weekday inspirational email messages he began sending to subscribers in March 1999. A FREE service since its inception, “PONDER on THIS” provides subscribers with meaningful content to assist them on their individual paths of spiritual growth. In addition, it benefits subscribers, authors, and publishers by including links to Amazon.com where subscribers can learn more about the book being quoted, and also purchase it.