“For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.”

“Why , sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

“Do not allow your fire to go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swamps of the not-quite, the not yet, and the not at all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists. It is real. It is possible. It is yours.”

“We will have eternity to celebrate the victories but only a few hours before sunset to win them.”

“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.”

You’re never too late. 

“Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths.” M. Scott Peck

The Road Less Traveled

I have had this book in my possession for several years, but only recently have I decided to delve in and take in all that Dr. Peck has to offer regarding my personal journey through this life. And our journeys are personal, aren't they? We journey side by side, yet alone—such a paradox. Most of us don't like to voice how difficult life can truly be. It is easier to push it away and create a happier vision than to delay the gratification of something much better once we deal with our said problems. This book deals with such things. Here are the nuggets of wisdom that spoke to me.

The Journey of Self-Discovery

“When we avoid the legitimate suffering that results from dealing with problems, we avoid the growth that problems demand from us. “

*delaying of gratification
*acceptance of responsibility
*dedication to truth
*balancing

Tools For Dealing With The Pain Of Problems Constructively.

“Delaying gratification is a process of scheduling the pain and pleasure of life in such a way as to enhance the pleasure by meeting and experiencing the pain first and getting it over with.” In other words-deal with it.

“To willingly confront a problem early before we are forced to confront it by circumstances, means to put aside something pleasant or less painful. It is choosing to suffer now in the hope of future gratification., rather than choosing present gratification in the hope that future suffering will not be necessary.”

“Reality is that when you stop believing in it, it doesn't go away. “

“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it and join the dance”

Radical acceptance rests on letting go of the illusion of control and a willingness to notice and accept things as they are right now, without judging.

“A life of total dedication to truth also means a life of willingness to be personally challenged.”

“To be free, people must assume total responsibility for themselves, but in doing so, must possess the capacity to reject responsibility that isn't truly ours. Balancing is the discipline that gives us flexibility. “

“Those things that hurt is instruct” Benjamin Franklin

"Confronting and solving problems is a painful process which most of us attempt to avoid. Avoiding resolution results in greater pain and an inability to grow both mentally and spiritually. Drawing heavily on his own professional experience, Dr M. Scott Peck, a psychiatrist, suggests ways in which facing our difficulties - and suffering through the changes - can enable us to reach a higher level of self-understanding. He discusses the nature of loving relationships- how to distinguish dependency from love; how to become one's own person and how to be a more sensitive parent. This is a book that can show you how to embrace reality and yet achieve serenity and a richer existence. Hugely influential, it has now sold over ten million copies - and has changed many people's lives round the globe. It may change yours."

philosophy

Philosophy

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

mindfulness

Mindfulness

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

books

Books

M. Scott Peck

The Road Less Travelled

LET’S START WITH THE OBVIOUS, HOW TO CHOP WOOD.

“Chopping wood for your fire can be a potential disaster, but with a little preparation and knowledge, you can safely produce a stack of logs. Always wear safety equipment, and make sure there are no bystanders or pets in the vicinity. Your goal is to hit the log directly in the centre: a glancing blow may result in injury to yourself, so aim carefully. Never use a dull or damaged axe, and don’t attempt to chop logs at all if you have back problems.”

Chopping Logs: Things To Know Before Proceeding.

“Plant your feet firmly on the ground, shoulder width apart to balance your weight. Place one hand at the end of the axe handle, and hold tight close to the axe head with the other. Raise the axe in an arc over your shoulder, aim carefully for the centre, swing hard, and follow through to force the axe head right through the log and imbed itself in the chopping block”

How To Stand When Chopping Wood

Practical tip….Look after your tools and they’ll last longer. When you're finished using the axe, lightly oil the blade to prevent rust and put a cover over it for safety reasons and to help keep it sharp.

One more thing…..Indispensable things *Piles of logs*Saw*Hand axe*Safety glasses*Safety boots*Chopping bloc

As I journey through the pages of this quirky find, I will return and share advice from simpler times when things moved at a different pace and a day seemed longer. It was when friends gathered on front porches, exchanging stories about life and laughing a time, when cell phones weren’t glued to our hands. When the street lights came on you knew to go home. Catching fireflies on summer nights and listening to the crackle of a vinyl record playing. A time when neighbors knew each other by name, and Sunday dinners were a thing. There is magic in the simplicity of it all.

LIFE SKILLS: How to chop wood, avoid a lightning strike, and everything else your parents should have taught  you.”  Humorous and for most of us, probably useless information, but then again, you never know!

Behold, a comprehensive visual guide on everything you've thought learning might be useful but never got around to doing just yet. Whether you're 17 or 700, Life Skills is your personal road map to becoming a fully functioning adult - it's your mentor, tutor, driving instructor, mom and dad, grand parent, scout master, and coach rolled up into one. In user friendly, terms and with a witty voice, Life Skills will be your go-to guide for most (if not all) of your problems. Whether crafts or camping tickles your fancy (as well as every subject in-between) you'll be well disposed to have this guide on yours side. Simple instructions direct you through the essential steps to make you a fully functioning adult. From patching a whole in your pocket to preforming the Heimlich Maneuver, you'll be hard pressed to find a book that covers your needs so extensively. With beautiful engravings and clear step-by-step instructions, this book contains everything you need to become a fully functioning adult.If you didn't know where to look to learn first aid techniques that could save someone's life; alternative cleaning methods to make your home look immaculate; instant gourmet recipes to impress your friends; basic car and bicycle maintenance techniques and fantastic DIY tips... well you do now. Almost every dilemma you could possibly be faced with, for making the best martini to escaping a sinking car are bundled up in this handy little book.

Nic Compton

Kim Davies

David Martin

Sara Rose

Life Skills

We make it trickier than need be. The mere fact that you pick out what you're going to wear is an act of being creative. 
Creativity means using your imagination, originality, and resourcefulness to generate new ideas. It involves thinking beyond conventional boundaries, exploring possibilities, and expressing yourself in unique ways. 
Creativity is often associated with seeing the world from different perspectives and finding connections between seemingly unrelated things. It's about bringing something new or valuable into existence.

The act of creating

The ability to look deeply is the root of creativity. To see past the ordinary and mundane and get to what might otherwise be invisible.

"In Japanese pottery, there's an artful form of repair called kintsugi. When a piece of ceramic pottery breaks, rather than trying to restore it to its original condition, the artesian accentuates the fault by using gold to fill the crack. This beautifully draws the attention to where the work was broken, creating a golden vein. Instead of the flaw diminishing the work, it becomes the focal point, an area of both physical and aesthetic strength. The scar also tells the story of the piece, chronicling its past experience."

"Sometimes disengaging is the best way to engage."

"Listening without prejudice is how we grow and learn as people."

"Try  to experience everything as if for the first time."

"Failure is the information you need to get where you're  going."

"Art has the power to snap us out of our transfixion, open our minds to what's possible, and reconnect with the eternal energy that moves through all things.

"Self-awareness is a transcendence.  An abandonment of ego.  A letting go."

Meet Mr. Rick Rubin, record exec extraordinaire.  Co-founder of Def Jam Recordings and author of the book The Creative Act: A Way of Being.  As a creative, I always seek inspiration and like minds that will spur me on to further growth.  

The #1 New York Times bestseller. From the legendary music producer, a master at helping people connect with the wellsprings of their creativity, comes a beautifully crafted book many years in the making that offers that same deep wisdom to all of us. "A gorgeous and inspiring work of art on creation, creativity, the work of the artist. It will gladden the hearts of writers and artists everywhere, and get them working again with a new sense of meaning and direction. A stunning accomplishment.” —Anne Lamott “I set out to write a book about what to do to make a great work of art. Instead, it revealed itself to be a book on how to be.” —Rick Rubin Many famed music producers are known for a particular sound that has its day. Rick Rubin is known for something else: creating a space where artists of all different genres and traditions can home in on who they really are and what they really offer. He has made a practice of helping people transcend their self-imposed expectations in order to reconnect with a state of innocence from which the surprising becomes inevitable. Over the years, as he has thought deeply about where creativity comes from and where it doesn’t, he has learned that being an artist isn’t about your specific output, it’s about your relationship to the world. Creativity has a place in everyone’s life, and everyone can make that place larger. In fact, there are few more important responsibilities. The Creative Act is a beautiful and generous course of study that illuminates the path of the artist as a road we all can follow. It distills the wisdom gleaned from a lifetime’s work into a luminous reading experience that puts the power to create moments—and lifetimes—of exhilaration and transcendence within closer reach for all of us.

You’re never too late.

The Road Less Travelled

Life Skills

The Creative Act

Tammy Holmes