This quote goes out to a friend:

Then a woman said, "Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow."
And he answered:
Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

In the connections that fulfill us we discover how utterly open our hearts can be; in those that disappoint us we find out how tenderly vulnerable our hearts can become. In any case, it is ultimately between one heart and another that the manna of human wholeness is exchanged, bestowed, and blessed. How fortunate we humans are that love, just love, turns out to be the only dawn it takes to dispel our isolation.

David Richo, The Five Things We Cannot Change: And the Happiness We Find by Embracing Them

If it is a new thought to you that gratitude brings your whole mind into closer harmony with the creative energies of the universe, consider it well, and you will see that it is true. The good things you already have have come to you along the line of obedience to certain laws. Gratitude will lead your mind out along the ways by which things come; and it will keep you in close harmony with creative thought and prevent you from falling into competitive thought.

Wallace D. Wattles, The Science of Getting Rich

By understanding that there is a purpose to each and every event, that there are no mistakes, we move into acceptance, because then everything is an opportunity for growth and learning. There is value in everything that comes our way, both good and bad. Understanding this will illuminate your life in new and intriguing ways, and will help you learn from the experiences in your life.

Charlene Belitz and Meg Lundstrom, The Power of Flow: Practical Ways to Transform Your Life with Meaningful Coincidence

Image courtesy of mrhappy8

Out of all of the five questions: who, what, where, when, how and why; why is the most important question. Why you ask? Good question. Why is the fundamental question. Like a building that will not be stable without first having a secure and solid foundation, your ability to live a fulfilling life also rests on having a solid basis of "why". Why provides the purpose, the reason, the meaning, the focus and the clarity. It also provides the framework. It completes the picture. It is the first thing that must be answered, "what is my purpose?" It is also the last thing that must be questioned, "did I fulfill my purpose?" Paradoxically, like all of life it is the beginning and the end at the same time. Why is the first question you must ask before doing anything in your life, be it something as trivial as eating a candy bar to something as major as changing your career path.