You know I found a fun interview with Audrey Hepburn the other day and as I was reading through it I came across this quote from her:

” I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.”

It got me thinking of the simple things that bring us joy.  So, just for fun, I decided to compile my own Audrey-type  list.  What is on yours?

THINGS I BELIEVE IN:

Fairies
Laughing so hard that you pee your pants
Pink hair
Santa Clause and the magic of Christmas
Dancing without insecurity or care
That swinging can erase all of life’s troubles
That all people are inherently good, decent and kind
That every day brings a new opportunity for joy
That there is magic in even the smallest things
That love is the answer to everything

I came across some of the loveliest passages yesterday that really just spoke to me. The phrases came from a book  called Dance While You Can by Lance Wubbel.

I cannot tell you how many people I speak to who complain about hectic scheduling, unattainable job demands, sparse time with their loved ones and even smaller amounts of time spent on their faith and self-renewal.  Although these passages were not intended in this way, I believe they read more like a pledge to one’s self.  What do YOU think?

I will not stand to the side and allow the music in my heart to fade away and die.

I will slow down. I will put limits on my commitments and work and make certain that those whom I love remain first in my life.

I will quiet my soul… silence the noise in my head and heart and ask myself what I really want out of life.

I will make the necessary changes in my life to ensure that I am truly living consistently with what  I know to be in my heart and what I say I believe in.

I will remember that money is only material, that titles and positions mean little but that who I am is what really matters.

I will not allow the pressures that bear down upon our lives to get wedged between us and keep us apart.

A few precious words that really say it all.  I don’t know about you, but I could really use this reminder from time to time.

I came across a couple of quotes recently and it struck me that they were not only good advice for children, but also sage advice for mommies in the workforce.

Thought I would share:

“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.” – Christopher Robin to Pooh

“You can’t stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” - Winnie the Pooh

“If the person you are talking to doesn’t appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.” – Winnie the Pooh

Truer words were never spoken, huh?  This mommy is going to try to remember them when she has a bad day.

A bit of wisdom for your weekend:

“Don’t give up on what you want MOST for what you want at the present moment.”

Or in my case  – “Back away from the Twinkie!”

I got such a good response from last week’s “Inspiration Thursday” that I decided to make this a permanent feature.

This week’s inspirational musings:

• Do. Or do not. There is no try. — Yoda
• All the things I really like to do are either immoral, illegal or fattening. – Alexander Wollcott
• Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. – John Wooden
• Before God we are all equally wise – and equally foolish. – Albert Einstein
• Let your greatest fear be that there is no PMS and this is just your personality. – Anon (Submitted by my pal Gail Richards. Love it!)
• Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. – Abraham Lincoln

I’ve mentioned before that I am a quote collector. The right quote at the right time is it takes to get me through the day. (Besides alcohol, I mean. I’m still new at my job but I am pretty sure that drinking alcohol at my desk would be a career limiting move.)

Here are a couple of goodies to get you through YOUR day:

We should never permit ourselves to do anything that we are not willing to see our children do. – Brigham Young

People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.  - Dale Carnegie

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. – Anonymous

The question should be, is it worth trying to do, not can it be done. - Allard Lowenstein, twentieth-century American diplomat

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. – Matthew 7:7-8 (see also verses 9 -12)