Happy New Year

Wishing you all the best of this coming 2015! Happy New Year to you!

The photo is a Christmas ball on a table cloth with a bokeh of colored lights in the background.

gift of Christmas

I love this quote from Pope Francis. We are all eagerly awaiting his arrival here in the Philippines next year.

Christmas Wish For You

I just have a simple wish for you and your loved ones...
May your Christmas be filled with blessings and your New Year full of hope and Abundance!

The photo is a sunset scene at Corregidor Island here in the Philippines.

The beginning of love

"Let those we love be perfectly themselves..." I love this quote from Thomas Merton. If we truly love somebody, then we love them because they are themselves and not because we think we can change them to be what we want them to be.

Thomas Merton is a Trappist monk who is a writer, a poet, a mystic, and a social activist. He is best known for his best selling, autobiographical work - "The Seven Storey Mountain." It is said that many trooped to the monasteries after reading his autobiography.

The photo I used here is a curled fern frond that I converted into a mirror image in Photoshop.

Desire is the starting point of all achievement

I find this quote from Napoleon Hill so true. If we don't have desire for anything that we are doing, then we will never succeed. We will only end up with something that we might not even be proud of.

The background picture is actually a fireworks photo that I played around with in Photoshop using various blend moods.

When man is with God

There are many ways of praying and I like how Karl Rahner describes what praying is.

Karl Rahner is a German Jesuit priest who has written so many books. His theological views are considered as very influential.

The photo is a sunrise scene of the Cordillera mountains here in the Philippines.

What Happiness Is

When I thought about the times in my life when I was happy, I tend to agree with Thomas Merton. Yes indeed, those happy times represented times when there was balance, order, rhythm and harmony. Maybe I should also add here, that we also experience happiness when we are at peace.

Thomas Merton is a Trappist monk who wrote many books.  I first encountered him when I read his book "The Seven Story Mountain." I love his deep insights about many things. You can read more about him here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Merton

true happiness

When are we truly happy?

I like the way this unknown author tells us what true happiness is. That it "comes from the feeling that our soul is expanding, that we are learning and applying something new that brings us closer to God."

The photo is a colorful butterfly as it softly alights on a leaf during its early morning round.

What lies within us

 I love this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson. It reminds us that what is inside of us, our inner being, is truly more important that everything outside of us. Before focusing on externals, we must first focus on what is inside us.

The photo I used here is a solitary raindrop with a flower reflected inside it.

Ralph Waldo Emerson is one of my favorite writers. I first knew him as a poet, but then I discovered later his other writings as an essayist and lecturer. Several of his quotes resonate well with what I believe in.

grandchildren and grandparents

Let us celebrate grandparents' day with this quote from Mary H. Waldrip.

There is very little known about Mary H. Waldrip except that she was a British nurse.  However to her are credited a few inspirational quotes and this is one of them.

The photo is my grandson and I.

Which wolf do you feed

I find this story about the wisdom of an old Cherokee so empowering. It kind of awakens me to examine my life and find what I spend most of my time on.  Do I spend it on positive/good or on negative/evil things? Which wolf do I really feed?

true happiness and God

This quote from an unknown author really makes me imagine my soul expanding. As it expands, I can feel a sense of lightness and an immense space that has no bounds. Yet I know that there is still something or someone out there. Have you ever ever felt the same way?

The flower I used here is the star-shaped flower of a false Mussaenda or Pseudomussaenda flava.

If you want something you've never had

I like this quote from Thomas Jefferson. It tells us to be willing to take action for whatever we want. Sometimes we wish for some things and yet we do not do anything about it. Taking action is very important in achieving our wishes.

The photo shows a man making a purposeful walk along the beach while others are simply lazing around.

when our hearts are conscious of our treasures

This quote from Thornton Wilder tells us that our hearts know and have their own consciousness. It seems that our hearts and not our brain are really the ones that know about our true self. Even St. Exupery talked about seeing with the heart and now Wilder talks about being conscious with the heart.

By the way, Thornton Wilder is an American play write who won three Pulitzer Prizes for a novel and two plays. 
 

The photo I used here is the the flower of the matchstick bromeliad or Aechmea gamosepala.

start to be great

I like this quote from Zig Ziglar. I find it so inspiring and motivational.

Zig Ziglar is a businessman, author and motivational speaker. His full name is Hilary Hinton Ziglar. Some of his popular books are: Born to Win: Find Your Success Code;Raising Positive Kids in a Negative World; Top Performance: How to Develop Excellence in Yourself and Others.

The photo I used here is a young plant just beginning to face the world and the sun. It looks like it's eager to start a new adventure into the world.

one acorn, a thousand forest

This quote Ralph Waldo Emerson is a bit cryptic. I think it's another way of saying that we can start with small things to create big things. Or one small idea can produce grand visions. What do you think?

The photo I used here is a new sprout of the money tree plant or  Malabar chestnut  (Pachira aquatica).

You can get cards, posters, prints, iphone/ipad cases of  of this photoquote in my RedBubble site.

the One who strengthens me

With the One who strengthens us on our side, there is really nothing we cannot do.

I love this quote from the Philippians. It is so inspiring. 

The photo I used here is a spider lily. I thought it looks so strong and pure against the dark green background.

your world should match the dreams in your mind

 I like the positivity of this quote from Mike Dillard. It tells us that we can "create the world" around us so that they "match the dreams in your mind."

Mike Dillard is an entrepreneur who founded a group, The Elevation Group with the purpose of "teaching people to invest like the rich."

 

The photo I used here to create this photoquote, is that of my grandson who is impervious to everything around him as he creates his own world. I don't know if he already has dreams in his mind at this age, but he surely does know how to create his world!

the choices you make

I find this quote from Chris Murray so true. What we are now and what our future will be, are really determined by the choices we make and not by any external factors or forces.

The photo is a view of the Cordillera mountains here in the Philippines.

Commit to the Lord

I find that this quote from Proverbs 16:3 is a good reminder for us to commit everything to the Lord as it is a sure way for us to succeed. Isn't this great?

The photo is a bunch of bamboo leaves photographed against the sky. Looking up the sky always makes me see things from a whole new perspective.

Pope John XXIII, on what is still possible

I love this quote from Pope John XXIII, now saint.  It is so inspiring and motivating. It exhorts us to never give up on our dreams or unfulfilled potential or what is still possible to do.

Three things to be truly happy

I love this quote from Tom Bodett. It's so simple yet so powerful! These three things are something we can easily do.

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The photo is a bottle brush flower, a Callistemon species. The shrub kind is endemic to Australia. I got this photo though while I was in Malaysia and it is from a tree, not a shrub.

Happy Mother's Day

Just want to greet all mothers, a Happy Mother's Day!

give and receive

This quote from an unknown author is so true. The only way we can create abundance in our life is to give generously because giving creates for us a sense of abundance. Then, since in universal laws, like attracts like, we then attract more abundance into our life.

The photo shows the Oxalis plant looking like it is both giving and receiving.

God teaches by means of opposites

Rumi, speaks wisely about our life lessons in opposites. We appreciate more the essence of things when we are exposed to opposites.

The photo is a bird spreading its wings to explore what the early morning sun illuminates.

truth and wisdom

 According to Wikipedia, the source of this quote, Joseph Smith Jr., is the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, or the Mormons. Whatever his religious affiliation is, I still find his belief in God inspiring.

I do believe that yes, God is our ultimate source of truth and wisdom. There is no other way but through Him!

The photo is a lone gold mum to which I added layers to give it a new dimension.

where there is love

This quote from Mahatma Gandhi is so simple yet so profound. He is able to express the essence of life in just a few words.

The photo is a macro shot of a water drop on the petals of a red rose. Drops always remind me of life.

Imagination is the golden pathway

I love this quote from Terence McKenna. With imagination, we can really go anywhere. There are no boundaries, no limits. It is the "golden pathway to everywhere." Isn't this exciting?

The photo is a group of trees in a resort, planted in such a way that they form a pathway.

Believe you can

This quote from Theodore Roosevelt is so inspiring. It inspires us to believe in ourselves and motivates us to start doing something towards our dreams.

The photo is a sunset scene from Zambales, a town here in the Philippines. This area is usually covered with water during rainy season and becomes so dry during summer months. Still the people here have managed to survive and make a living.

patterns and moments

I like this quote from Jenny Downham. It reminds me of the patterns we make in our life. It reminds me that somehow these patterns are interwoven at some points with the patterns of other people who cross our life. Sometimes the shared patterns are wide and strong, at other times they are short and flimsy. However, no matter how strong or flimsy those patterns are, we have shared precious moments and hopefully learned from them.

I coupled this quote with this photo of a tea kettle. Why, because tea kettles always remind me of shared warm and cozy moments.

Pray for others

Isn't it a beautiful feeling when you know that someone is praying for you? Do you feel that oneness with the universe when you send out a prayer for others? This quote from an unknown author says it all about the blessings we get as we pray for others.

The photo is a lily which I processed in photoshop to give it a softer effect.

peace, joy and serenity

Ëvery breath we take, every step we make, can be filled with peace, joy and serenity." I just love this quote from Thich Nhat Hanh. It reminds me of the power of stillness and serenity in our life.

This photo is another early morning scene from my favorite island, Boracay. The morning is so still and the colors are muted and golden. The fishermen must be experiencing such a blissful morning.

be joyful

This is my 365th post! I am celebrating the first anniversary of this blog! I am celebrating by using this verse from Thessalonians. It is about being joyful! This is because it has been a joy-filled, and inspiration-filled year for me. Every post always brings a smile on my face and joy in my heart. So let us celebrate people who inspire us through their various quotes!

As a celebration gift, I am allowing you free use of any of the photoquotes I have posted here. The only return I ask is for you to please acknowledge where you got it. If you use it in your website, please link back here. Thank you! Enjoy!
Happy 1st Anniversary to Get Inspired!

out of the storm

Sometimes we need storms in our life because as what Haruki Murakami said in this quote, "you won't be the same person" when you come out of the storm.  Oftentimes, we come out of a storm stronger and better.

The photo is a stormy scene with coconut trees swaying in the wind.

worry, sorrow and strength

This quote from Corrie ten Boom is so true. Worry actually does not just empty today of its strength, but it also makes us forget about the beauty of today.

The photo is a person who is probably feeling pensive or is even worrying. It's just good that it's almost the end of the day, so tomorrow might bring her something to smile about.

Hope and faith

The relationship between hope and faith is well explained in this quote by Rex Rouis. It's really true that "Hope keeps you alive" and that "Faith gives your life meaning...."

 

I took this photo of two kids who kept on helping each other as they clambered up one rock after another.

wonders of the universe

Choosing what we focus on will really create our own surroundings and our own world. So as Rachel Carson said, "The more we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction." For how can we destroy something that is wonderful?

The photo I used here is an abstraction of an original photo. I created this new image in Photoshop by playing around with the distort mode.

beautiful souls

I like how Michel de Montaigne describes what a beautiful soul is. I find it so inspiring and empowering!

The photo is a purple mum that I processed in Photoshop using blends and gradient. If you want a card or large print and other products of this, you may check it out in:lensbaby/works/12102586-beautiful-souls

peace within

This quote from William Hazlitt is another way of saying that we cannot have peace with others if we are not at peace with ourselves.

The photo is an early morning scene with everything so still and at peace. This is taken from my favorite island, Boracay, here in the Philippines.

positive thinker

I like this quote from an anonymous author. I find it so inspiring and motivating. Positive thinking really helps us achieve many things.

The photo is a flower that I processed in photoshop using layers, blends and gradient.

world full of magic

Indeed our world is full of "magic things" we just don't pay attention to the beauty and magic around us. However, it is never too late to start developing our senses. So let's begin!

The photo is an abstract of an original photo. This was created through photoshop. 

weave in faith

"Weave in faith and God will find the thread." I like the way this unknown author describes what faith is.

The photo is a woven piece of cloth displayed on the wall of a museum. I love the intricate and color design. It does seem that God is the one who put all the threads together.

friends are like flowers

This unknown author knows the value of his/her friends for sure. Don't you agree?

The photo is a bi-colored Gerbera daisy.

act of worship

I wholeheartedly agree with this quote from an unknown author about "giving God all of you" as an "act of worship." Giving God all that we are is truly the only way we can show how much we worship and appreciate our gift of life from God.

The photo is a sunset scene from Manila Bay here in the Philippines.

Commitment and character

This quote from an unknown author really tells us plainly the relationship between commitment and character.

The photo is a fern frond whose leaflets are standing out and firm. They kind of indicate commitment, don't they?

miracles will happen

I like this message from Reginarosa. It not only reminds us of God's power in our lives but it also reminds us to "take time to be quiet" or we might not catch a miracle happening.

The photo is inside one of the churches that we passed during our pilgrimage to Regina Rica here in the Philippines.

do good to others

This quote from Marcus Aurelius tells good is a natural thing, as natural as bees making honey of vines bearing grapes. So why don't we do good to others then?

The photo is a bee doing its rounds of flowers in my garden.

face reality

This quote from Jack Welch is a good reminder for us. We really have to learn to face reality or we will not be able to move on.

The photo is a bud of the Dahlia flower.

friends and family

This quote from Jess C. Scott is so simple yet so profound. We indeed cannot choose our family, but we can choose our friends.

The photo is a group of mushrooms, each one different from each other, yet stay they together.

everyone is like a butterfly

This quote from Drew Barrymore is simply perfect for this photo of a butterfly emerging from what remains of its pupa. I took this photo from a butterfly garden in Malaysia.

We can take heart from this quote as it makes us hopeful that we can indeed emerge as a beautiful butterfly.