to live content

  To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common--this is my symphony. - William Henry ChanningThat was his. This is mine:  

[twloha]

“You are worthy of all the wonderful things you have tried to deny yourself because you didn’t think that you were enough. You are lovable in your darkest night, and in the moment when you don’t see how anyone could or should stay by your side. You are lovable even when the world seems to scream that you’re not. Your worth is not defined by those who haven’t taken the time to get to know you for all of the beautiful elements that make up who you are.”

— Helen Schmidt, “I Was Never Unlovable” 

[tolivecontent]

to always remember your worth;

[tolivecontent]

Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.

Saint Francis de Sales

[tolivecontent]

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The mouth should have three gatekeepers. Is it true? Is it kind? And is it necessary?

Arab Proverb (via creatingaquietmind)

[nypl]

Happy birthday, Maya Angelou! Get the story behind this fantastic New York Times photo of her dancing with Amiri Baraka at our Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

[vogue-enfant-deactivated2013042]

[tolivecontent]

[tolivecontent]

What if you fly?

[tolivecontent]

A bird on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking because her trust is not in the branch but in its own wings. Always believe in yourself.

Unknown

[tolivecontent]

#Werk

[theglitterguide-deactivated2021]

[tolivecontent]

I think some people have more curiosity than others, but to use it as a tool does take work. You have to say, “What other subjects are out there?” And then “What’s my entry point?” For example, with Apollo 13, I didn’t know anything at all about aerodynamics or the space program of that era. But when I saw a 12-page outline of what was going to be a book by Jim Lovell, I thought, “Wow, what would it be like to survive a situation like that?” So that was my entry point—survival. And then I wondered, “What resources were available to these three astronauts? Who did they communicate with?” You have to assault a topic kind of like a scientist would assault a subatomic particle, to get very granular and ask endless questions. You often think you’re asking your best ones first. But I find that they usually come somewhere in the middle, because that’s when you’re most engaged. People like to talk about themselves. The sexiest guys are the ones who look into that girl’s eyes and ask her all the questions she’s always wanted to be asked. It happens in romance, and in the full spectrum of life.

Excerpt from “Life’s Work: An Interview with Brian Grazer” in the May 2015 edition of Harvard Business Review

[ashlinakaposta]

[tolivecontent]

Home is where the coffee is. ❤️

[tolivecontent]

You are braver than you believe, strong than you seem, and smarter than you think.

From A. A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh. Happy Monday!

[justthedesign]

Street Style 2015: Kristina Bazan is wearing a white oversized shirt with a pair of ash grey trousers, black heels and a creme clutch bag 

[tolivecontent]

Nothing says spring like jeans, sandals, and a billowy blouse 👌.

[tolivecontent]

Paulo Coelho: The Advantages of Growing Old

A legend tells of a man who used to carry water every day to his village, using two large pitchers tied on either end of a piece of wood, which he placed across his shoulders.

One of the pitchers was older than the other and was full of small cracks; every time the man came back along the path to his house, half of the water was lost.

For two years, the man made the same journey. The younger pitcher was always very proud of the way it did its work and was sure that it was up to the task for which it had been created, while the other pitcher was mortally ashamed that it could carry out only half its task, even though it knew that the cracks were the result of long years of work.

So ashamed was the old pitcher that, one day, while the man was preparing to fill it up with water from the well, it decided to speak to him.

"I wish to apologize because, due to my age, you only manage to take home half the water you fill me with, and thus quench only half the thirst awaiting you in your house."

The man smiled and said: "When we go back, be sure to take a careful look at the path." The pitcher did as the man asked and noticed many flowers and plants growing along one side of the path.

“Do you see how much more beautiful nature is on your side of the road?” the man remarked.

“I knew you had cracks, but I decided to take advantage of them. I sowed vegetables and flowers there, and you always watered them. I’ve picked dozens of roses to decorate my house, and my children have had lettuce, cabbage and onions to eat. If you were not the way you are, I could never have done this. We all, at some point, grow old and acquire other qualities, and these can always be turned to good advantage.”

[katherinesmclean]