‎"Being tender and open is beautiful. As a woman, I feel continually shh'ed. Too sensitive. Too mushy. Too wishy washy. Blah Blah. Don't let someone steal your tenderness. Don't allow the coldness and fear of others to tarnish your perfectly vulnerable beating heart. Nothing is more powerful than allowing yourself to truly be affected by things. Whether it's a song, a stranger, a mountain, a rain drop, a tea kettle, an article, a sentence, a footstep, feel it all -look around you. All of this is for you. Take it and have gratitude. Give it and feel love." 
--Zooey Deschanel.

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 beers.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.

The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. 

He then asked the students again if the jar was full.

They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.

Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full..

The students responded with a unanimous 'yes'.

The professor then produced two beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.

The students laughed..

'Now', said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions--and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car..

The sand is everything else--the small stuff.'

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness

Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. 

There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn.

Take care of the golf balls first--the things that really matter.

Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented.

The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked. The beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers with a friend.'

‎'I believe a strong woman may be stronger than a man, particuarly if she happens to have love in her heart. I guess a loving woman is almost indestructible.' John Steinbeck, East of Eden

‎"People get used to anything. The less you think about your oppression, the more your tolerance for it grows. After a while, people just think oppression is the normal state of things. But to become free, you have to be acutely aware of being a slave."

“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows.  Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul  If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic.  Authenticity is invaluable - Originality is non existent.”     - Jim Jarmusch

AFRICAN ASTROLOGY
June 5 to July 4

"The Ancestor"

This rich African symbol consists of a solid base upon which two forces lie supporting a figure striving to raise itself. Originally "The Ancestor" was a sign of power. Yet, as the symbol indicates, individual will has no more energy than it can derive from a strong support and the more noble a force is, the greater will be its compelling foundation.

Those of you born under the sign of "The Ancestor" invariably sense the joy or sadness in the lives of those around you, though you may have a tendency to become immersed in their more melancholic attitudes.

The favorite maxim of this sign would be "One must be fair." From this derives a propensity to use will power magnanimously which demonstrates your capacity as leaders of initiatives and champions of and projects.

It is the domain of "The Ancestor" to govern to govern and to guide. Difficulties and opposing forces can at first cause some discouragement, but due to strong self-knowledge, natives of this sign are informed by the wisdom of ancestral Africa and you recognize that you are often the cause of your own disappointments which you are quick to remedy.

As "The Ancestor", you must learn to detach yourself from natural egoism and reach toward a disinterested attitude. Take care not to lose yourself in utopian schemes, but stay true to your ideals.

By ridding yourself of all will to influence and impress those around you, you will be able to realize the sweetest of your dreams.

"Desiderata" by Max Ehrmann

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars,
you have a right to be here
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should