A real treasure becomes such only after it’s been desperately sought after.

Life is a test. It was designed to be so. It is where we taste the bitter and the sweet; where we feel pain and pleasure; where we learn right from wrong; where we pass...

WRITER’S NIGHTMARE””I felt a grip on my arm that shook my body, forcefully pulling me toward a tunnel of darkness. The threat of consciousness stole my steady breath. For a moment I believed myself to...

Don’t give up.I know you’ve made a thousand attempts to reach your goal, but look at it this way: after repeatedly banging your head against the wall, you ought to be numb enough break through...

Evil exists in this world because it has its place. For had you never sat blindly through the darkness of night, your eyes wouldn’t turn toward the sunrise to appreciate its warmth and illumination.

If we were always given a choice as to every path presented us in life, a multitude of roads leading to priceless treasures would forever go untraveled.Be grateful for your adversities. From toil and triumph...

When I say I love the silence, I’m not being entirely truthful. What I actually love are the abundant, delicate sounds that amplify when I’m silent. These curious creaks, mutters, and hums compel my imagination.

A great many problems could be solved by nothing more than a change in thinking.

‘I’m sorry’ won’t fix what’s been broken. It can’t reverse time or undo the damage or change anything that happened. But a sincere, humble apology can serve to soften the sting and sometimes do a...

Five truly effective prescriptions to remedy a bad day. (You can’t overdose.)—Pray; discuss your troubles with God.—List your blessings. (The blue sky, soft cookies, warm socks, etc.)—Call your mom.—Visit an animal shelter and hug a...

You stare at your dream from a distance, longing, sighing, seeing what you deem is a warning of IMPOSSIBLE. But if you’d squint real hard you’d see the truth; the sign correctly reads, ‘I’M POSSIBLE.

There are no rest stops on the road of life. Otherwise they’d be congested with traffic.

Enemies may unite to eliminate a common threat, but never without a wary eye fixed on their ally.

A person’s needs are met, and his appetite subsides. A person’s wants are met, and his thirst swells greedily without end.

The key to valuing something is to lose it and then realize how rare it was—after which you pray like mad to regain what you foolishly lost. The value of an item often depends upon...

Sunlight’s warmth on my face awoke me in the morning. I didn’t remember falling asleep or how I came to be in my own bed. But I did recall nightmares. Awful nightmares featuring Gwen.I turned...

Time and again the sun sets like a bedimming curtain before my eyes, taking with it all illumination, warmth, and color. I am overwhelmed by night and the monsters that lurk in shadows of despair....

A new star, the Christ child, God’s gift to mankind; these are what Christmas is made of.

Happiness must be a jealous pet. When you try seeking yours out, it tends to keep hidden. But as soon as you turn to help a friend find his, your own happiness comes bounding out...

The things that inspire your life should consume your life.

Sometimes while gazing at the night’s sky, I imagine stars looking down making wishes on the brightest of us.

Every person sees the world through lenses of his or her own design—individual goggles that alter focus and perspective as desired. For those who wish the world to be dark and ugly and unapproachable, it...

Don’t ever quit pretending.

Our greatest duty to our children is to love them first. Secondly, it is to teach them. Not to frighten, force, or intimidate our children into submission, but to effectively teach them so that they...

Two powerful, little words I’ve learned to use when facing challenges, fears, and doubts—so what?

Even among familiar faces, people often feel invisible and desolate, like an island in cold waters or a shadow apart from the crowd. Be the reason another never feels alone.

We never think lightly of those who walk with us on our uphill days.

The power behind living a dream lies in either believing it’s a dream or knowing it’s not.

Knowing the path through the forest doesn’t make the trip any less daunting. Knowing the steps to your dreams doesn’t make the climb any less of a challenge.

The greatest gift you can give is your time. Not money, not items, not food, not pretty cards with handwritten sentiment, but time. People need your presence. The way you can help a soul the...

If you’ve put a smile on someone’s face today, you’ve done more good than you know.

The road of life is paved with daily successes, a great number of them penny and nickle triumphs. Sadly, these little feats are often seen as worthless―even failures―because we dream of greater gain. Our greed...

I have lost my spark, I’m told, and should seek to rekindle it. Respecting the messenger, I wonder if this is true. I feel as if my spark endures, but having opened up to the...

A daydreamer is a writer just waiting for pen and paper.

How does knowing ‘things could be worse’ than what I already deem is awful make me feel any better? You mean I could sink even lower? Oh joy!

Compliments land assoft and gentle on my earsas a butterfly.

It’s okay to be absurd, ridiculous, and downright irrational at times; silliness is sweet syrup that helps us swallow the bitter pills of life.

I’m a sucker for curiosity’s whims.Does that make me a cat person?

If the world appears abundant in smiles or overwhelmed by scowls, you might ask yourself if you’re not to blame.

Kisses are a means to plant on another’s lips a smile glossed with happiness.

Just resign yourself to the fact that you’re going to be miserable so you can finally be happy. (It’s a sound theory if you think about it hard enough.)

To fight discouragement, remind yourself of the basics: I can write.I have the opportunity to do so. I love what I write. Now smile and be thankful.

There are people who are never content, never appeased, forever dissatisfied—who continually look to what escapes them, convincing themselves that if only they could attain that one desire outside of reach they would be happy....

I made a sorry face in response to such strong insistence, but I couldn’t believe him. Fantasies were exactly that..…..fantasies. Whimsy. Wishes. Mere castles in the sky without foundation or substance. Dreams didn’t come true....

You’re right; you can’t make someone be happy. But I don’t see the harm in trying.

I learn by doing….the same thing over and over and over again countless times.

Win or lose, good or bad, the experience will change you.

To have a caring and committed heart toward someone—a heart so firm in its devotion as to sooner stop beating than neglect the object of its desire despite the person’s state of health, appearance, reputation,...

I have always felt that fear possesses such great power, enough to paralyze and quake an individual. Pondering this, I realized that the source of fear’s power comes from within me. So, I ask myself,...

Happiness isn’t reserved for privileged individuals. It is a state of mind that can neither be bought nor stolen nor traded; it is a liberty available to anyone.