This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
I have far more enthusiasm in life than I have actual energy. In my excitement, I routinely take on more that I can physically or emotionally handle, which causes me to break down in quite predictable displays of dramatic exhaustion. You will be the one burdened with the job of mopping me up every time I've overextended myself and then fallen apart. This will be unbelievably tedious. I apologize in advance.
Care | History | Love | Man | Relationship | Romance | Time | Waiting | Victim |
Indeed, when I came to Italy, I expected to encounter a certain amount of resentment, but have received instead empathy from most Italians. In any reference to George Bush, people only nod to Berlusconi, saying, We understand how it is - we have one, too.
Confidence | Man |
There’s a reason they call God a presence- because God is right here, right now.
Elizabeth Browning, fully Elizabeth Barrett Browning
But since he had the genius to be loved, why let him have the justice to be honored in his grave.
Elizabeth Browning, fully Elizabeth Barrett Browning
A woman's pity sometimes makes her mad.
Meditation practice is like piano scales, basketball drills, ballroom dance class. Practice requires discipline; it can be tedious; it is necessary. After you have practiced enough, you become more skilled at the art form itself. You do not practice to become a great scale player or drill champion. You practice to become a musician or athlete. Likewise, one does not practice meditation to become a great meditator. We meditate to wake up and live, to become skilled at the art of living.
Attention | Divinity | Longing | Meditation | Mysticism | Nature | Religion | Self | Spirituality | Time | Friends |
Elizabeth Browning, fully Elizabeth Barrett Browning
How many desolate creatures on the earth have learnt the simple dues of fellowship and social comfort, in a hospital.
There's a joke about a very funny Italian poor man who goes to church every day to pray before the statue of a great saint, begging, Dear saint, please, please, please ... Give me the grace of winning the lottery. This lament goes on for months. Finally the exasperated statue comes to life, looks at him and says with a wearily: My son, please, please, please ... buy a ticket. '
Elizabeth Browning, fully Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Measure not the work until the day's out and the labour done, then bring your gauges.
Elizabeth Browning, fully Elizabeth Barrett Browning
And wilt thou have me fashion into speech the love I bear thee, finding words enough, and hold the torch out, while the winds are rough, between our faces, to cast light on each? -I dropt it at thy feet. I cannot teach my hand to hold my spirits so far off from myself--me--that I should bring thee proof in words, of love hid in me out of reach. Nay, let the silence of my womanhood commend my woman-love to thy belief, - seeing that I stand unwon, however wooed, and rend the garment of my life, in brief, by a most dauntless, voiceless fortitude, lest one touch of this heart convey its grief.
Elizabeth Browning, fully Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Nor myrtle--which means chiefly love: and love is something awful which one dare not touch so early o' mornings.
God | Good | Man | Companionship | God |
Elizabeth Browning, fully Elizabeth Barrett Browning
The music soars within the little lark, and the lark soars.
Man |
There's a power struggle going on across Europe these days. A few cities are competing against each other to see who shall emerge as the great 21st century European metropolis. Will it be London? Paris? Berlin? Zurich? Maybe Brussels, center of the young union? They all strive to outdo one another culturally, architecturally, politically, fiscally. But Rome, it should be said, has not bothered to join the race for status. Rome doesn't compete. Rome just watches all the fussing and striving, completely unfazed. I am inspired by the regal self-assurance of this city, so grounded and rounded, so amused and monumental, knowing she is held securely in the palm of history. I would like to be like Rome when I am an old lady.
Elizabeth Browning, fully Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Mountain gorses, ever-golden. Cankered not the whole year long! Do ye teach us to be strong, howsoever pricked and holden like your thorny blooms and so trodden on by rain and snow, up the hillside of this life, as bleak as where ye grow?
One of the problems of contemporary culture is that life moves at such a quick pace, we usually don't give ourselves time to feel and listen deeply. You may have to take deliberate action to nurture the soul. If you want to increase your soul's bank account, you may have to seek out the unfamiliar and do things that at first could feel uncomfortable. Give yourself time as you experiment. How will you know if you're on the right track? I like Rumi's counsel: 'When you do something from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.'
Age | Better | Cause | Earth | Enlightenment | Fame | Famous | Fortune | Good | Illusion | Kill | Labor | Light | Man | Mind | Money | People | Present | Problems | Shame | Terrorism | Work | Worry | Instruction | Understand |