Inspirational Avenue

DAILY QUOTES

The Inspirational Avenue is one that is paved with the thoughts, words and ideas of brilliant minds before and of our age. This is an avenue on which you can not only be inspired but you can inspire others as well. It provides words, videos and photos that are uplifting, of wisdom and comforting. 

Concerning daily quotes, there will be a week dedicated to a great and influential thinker, writer/poet, musician etc. and everyday, there will be a different quote from this person. This page remains open to suggestions! So if you have someone in mind whose quotes you would like to see here, feel free to say so.

I begin the first week with a woman who needs no introduction, her wisdom, scope of knowledge, unsurpassed creativity and the pure genius of her brilliant mind speak for themselves. She is not only an inspiration to me but my mentor; and so,

I present to you:

Maya Angelou Week:

March 5, 2012 

One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous or honest. 

March 6, 2012 

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back

March 7, 2012 

I can be changed by what happens to me; but I refuse to be reduced by it.

March 8, 2012 

Love life! Engage in it! Give it all you've got. Love it with a passion, because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it.

March 9, 2012 

Nothing will work unless you do!

March 10, 2012 

You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.

March 11, 2012 

If you don't like something, change it! 

If you can't change it, change your attitude.

This week, I chose another one of my mentors. She has shown that brilliance is not dependent on conformity or normality. Through adversity as well as physical challenges, she has been able to not only leave a lasting legacy of intelligence behind but her determination, lack of self-pity and perseverance is testimony that we can be or do anything as long as we believe strongly enough, work hard enough and stand firm enough. 

I present:

Helen Keller Week:

March 12, 2012

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved.

March 13, 2012 

Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows

March 14, 2012  

Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all

March 15, 2012 

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement!

March 16, 2012 

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.

March 17, 2012 

Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.

This week is a bit different. As I had mentioned earlier, this page is open to suggestions and thus you can choose someone who inspires you and their quotes or ideas etc will be featured for a week. Well someone has taken me up on this offer and as a result, I am quite pleased, honored and privileged to have the contribution and support of

Blaine Marcano, a true friend and confidant who has chosen someone who inspires him  for this week's quotes. 

Blaine says...

"I am a dreamer, and as a dreamer and a young man of African ancestry I connected with one of the biggest dreamers of recent times - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His courage, his daring, his wisdom and leadership all blew my mind due to their nature of being unthinkable at the time in which they occurred. Though I had not witnessed him myself, he inspired me through the accounts shared by countless books and articles.

Interestingly enough, I came to understand that he too was inspired by someone - just as I am by him. His thoughts and actions were guided by the example of one before him, just as I as well wish to be guided by his example, so that I too, in some strange way can be connected to this chain of great believers who inspire others by their actions.

It is for this reason that I chose, the man who was an inspiration the man who inspires me…  

I therefore introduce: Mohandas Mahatma Gandhi."

Mahatma Gandhi Week:

March 18, 2012  

Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If  I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn't have it in the beginning.

March 19, 2012   

Be the change you want to see in the world!

March 20, 2012  

Happiness is when, what you think, what you say and what you do, are in harmony.

March 21, 2012 

It is unwise to be unsure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the weakest might err.

March 22, 2012  

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.

March 23, 2012 

Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.

March 24, 2012  

Faith is not something to grasp, it is a state to grow into.

"...And who shall I feature this week?" That was the question that had been plaguing my mind all weekend long! "Should it be Langston Hughes? I quite like him!" "...Or, should it be Robert Frost?" I went back and forth with this and then a conversation with a friend gave me a "EUREKA!" moment. This friend said to me, "why don't you feature Mark Twain?" 

So, since Twain is an author whom I quite like, I thought.."Why Not?"

It gives me  joy to feature quotes from this one of a kind humorist and author and so 

I present to you... (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)

Mark Twain Week:

March 25, 2012 

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. 

Explore. Dream. Discover.

March 26, 2012 

Its not the size of the dog in the fight. Its the size of the fight in the dog.

March 27, 2012 

A man's character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation

March 28, 2012 

Life is short. Break the rules. Forgive quickly. Kiss slowly. Love truly. 

Laugh uncontrollably, and Never forget anything that makes you smile!

March 29, 2012 

Always do right! This will gratify some people and astonish the rest

March 30, 2012 

Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.

March 31, 2012 

Any emotion, if it is sincere, is involuntary!

Okay so its April! and you may be wondering, "What is so special about the month of April?"  Maybe its the fact that it got its origin from the Latin word 'aperire' which means to open thus signifying the opening of spring when things begin to grow again and buds begin to open. Well, whatever you would like to associate the month of April with is just as wonderful! For me it means something entirely different. April kicks off with National Poetry Month and no better way to continue my posts along this avenue of inspiration than with the works of my all time favorite poets. 

This week I feature a man who has captured my attention mainly because of the style of his writing and well maybe his good looks too, but this poet has the Midas touch when it comes to poetry. With a rustic, rhythmic soul his poems are so lyrical that he jazzes his way into your life and then... before you know it you're indulged and in love!!

With great enthusiasm and without further ado I present James Mercer Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes Week:

April 1, 2012 

"I stay cool, and dig all jive
That's the way I stay alive
My motto,
As I live and I learn,
Is...
Dig and be dug
In return"

April 2, 2012 

"So since I'm still here livin',
I guess I will live on
I could have died for love...
But for livin' I was born

April 3, 2012 

God in his infinite wisdom,
Did not make me very wise-
So when my actions are stupid
They hardly take God by surprise.

April 4, 2012 

Let the rain kiss you

Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops

Let the rain sing you a lullaby

The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk

The rain makes running pools in the gutter

The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night

And I love the rain

April 5, 2012 

Gather quickly 

Out of darkness

All the songs you know

And throw them at sun

Before they melt

Like snow.

April 6, 2012 

Hold fast to dreams 

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow.

April 7, 2012 

When you turn the corner

And you run into yourself

Then you know that you have turned

All the corners that are left 

Continuing with poetry month, I feature another one of my favorite poets, like I mentioned I would. Following suit after Mr. Hughes, is another gifted and prodigious mind who has too many poems to keep count. Known as the preeminent voice of 20th century poetry with a style that's romantic, avant-garde  as well as satirical. I present the brilliant Edward Estlin Cummings (E.E. Cummings).

E.E. Cummings Week:

April 8, 2012 

Love is a place 

and through this place of

love move

(with brightness of peace)

all places

Yes is a world

and in this world of 

yes live

(skillfully curled)

all words

April 9, 2012

 I shall imagine life

is not worth dying, if

(and when) roses complain

their beauties are in vain

but though mankind persuades

itself that every weed's 

a rose, roses (you feel

certain) will only smile

April 10, 2012 

May my heart always be open to little

birds who are the secrets of living

whatever they sing is better than to know

and if men should not hear them man are old

May my mind stroll about hungry 

and fearless and thirsty and supple

and even if it's Sunday may I be wrong

for whenever men are right they are not young

and may myself do nothing usefully 

and love yourself so more than truly

there's never been quite such a fool who could fail

pulling all the sky over him with one smile

April 11, 2012

the goal of living is to grow)
forgetting why, remember how
in time of lilacs who proclaim
the aim of waking is to dream,
remember so(forgetting seem)
in time of roses(who amaze
our now and here with paradise)
forgetting if, remember yes
in time of all sweet things beyond
whatever mind may comprehend,
remember seek(forgetting find)
and in a mystery to be
(when time from time shall set us free)
forgetting me, remember me

April 12, 2012

Yes is a pleasant country:

if's wintry 

(my lovely)

let's open the year

both is the very weather

(not either)

my treasure,

when violets appear

love is a deeper season

than reason;

my sweet one

(and april's where we're)

April 13, 2012

if you like my poems let them
walk in the evening,a little behind you
then people will say

"Along this road i saw a princess pass
on her way to meet her lover(it was
toward nightfall)with tall and ignorant servants."

April 14, 2012

in spite of everything
which breathes and moves,since Doom
(with white longest hands
neatening each crease)
will smooth entirely our minds
-before leaving my room
i turn,and(stooping
through the morning)kiss
this pillow,dear
where our heads lived and were.

This week, I decided to ask a dear friend of mine, whom I had been trying to get to fall in love with poetry for some time now, to choose the poet for this week, which would definitely be his favorite poet. Although he was quite unsure of his favorite poet, he was pretty sure of what his favorite poem was! For this reason, I was quite happy and honored to not only find out more about this poet, but also to feature his work (which I found to be quite interesting) this week. An Irish born, Symbolist  poet, he is considered one of the 20th century's key English language poets! He was also the driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival. I present to you W.B. Yeats (William Butler Yeats)

W.B. Yeats Week:

April 15, 2012

He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven

Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

April 16, 2012

When You Are Old

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim Soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

April 17, 2012

The Sorrow of Love

The quarrel of the sparrows in the eaves,

The full round moon and the star-laden sky,

And the loud song of the ever-singing leaves,

Had hid away earth's old and weary cry.

  And then you came with those red mournful lips,

And with you came the whole of the world's tears,

And all the sorrows of her labouring ships,

And all the burden of her myriad years.

  And now the sparrows warring in the eaves,

The curd-pale moon, the white stars in the sky,

And the loud chaunting of the unquiet leaves

Are shaken with earth's old and weary cry. 

April 18, 2012 

The Heart of the Woman

O what to me the little room  

That was brimmed up with prayer and rest;  

He bade me out into the gloom,  

And my breast lies upon his breast.  

O what to me my mother's care,

The house where I was safe and warm;  

The shadowy blossom of my hair   

Will hide us from the bitter storm.    

O hiding hair and dewy eyes,  

I am no more with life and death,

My heart upon his warm heart lies,  

My breath is mixed into his breath. 

April 19, 2012 

The Young Man's Song

I whispered, "I am too young,"

And then, "I am old enough";

Wherefore I threw a penny

To find out if I might love.

"Go and love, go and love, young man,

If the lady be young and fair,"

Ah, penny, brown penny, brown penny,

I am looped in the loops of her hair.

Oh, love is the crooked thing,

There is nobody wise enough

To find out all that is in it,

For he would be thinking of love

Till the stars had run away,

And the shadows eaten the moon.

Ah, penny, brown penny, brown penny,

One cannot begin it too soon.

April 20, 2012 

Death

Nor dread nor hope attend
A dying animal;
A man awaits his end
Dreading and hoping all;
Many times he died,
Many times rose again.
A great man in his pride
Confronting murderous men
Casts derision upon
Supersession of breath;
He knows death to the bone -
Man has created death.

April 21, 2012 

Love's Loneliness

Old fathers, great-grandfathers,
Rise as kindred should.
If ever lover's loneliness
Came where you stood,
Pray that Heaven protect us
That protect your blood.
The mountain throws a shadow,
Thin is the moon's horn;
What did we remember
Under the ragged thorn?
Dread has followed longing,
And our hearts are torn.