The Power Of Words

Eastern Wisdom

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breathe.

The Pause Upon Which All Else Relies
by Leo
9 Feb 2012 at 8:56am
Post written by Leo Babauta. There is one little habit I’ve learned that has changed everything else in my life. The pause. When we fail, it’s because we act on urges without thinking, without realizing it. We have the urge to eat junk, and we do it. We have the urge to check email instead [...]
The Thousand Cuts Fitness Program
by Leo
6 Feb 2012 at 10:43am
Post written by Leo Babauta. I’ve trained for marathons, triathlons, 10Ks, a 13.5-hour challenge, Ubanathlons, and more. But my favorite fitness program isn’t one where you train for a major event. It’s where you get fit by a thousand little actions. When the actions are tiny, they are easy. You have no excuse. You can [...]
The Two-Headed Beast of Successful Habit Change
by guest
2 Feb 2012 at 9:20am
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Tyler Tervooren of Advanced Riskology. I used to have a lot of bad habits. I still do, but I used to have a lot more. Here?s just a small sampling: I woke up late and went to bed early. I procrastinated on my most important work. I [...]
Create the Habit of Meditation, & the Zen Habits Premium Membership
by Leo
31 Jan 2012 at 3:03pm
Post written by Leo Babauta. It’s something I should have created a long time ago: the Zen Habits Premium Membership, and a mini-course that’s included with it called Create the Habit of Meditation. The membership is a monthly subscription of $19.99, but really it’s a commitment to changing your life, and the tools needed to [...]
Creating Silence from Chaos
by Leo
27 Jan 2012 at 3:20pm
Post written by Leo Babauta. We are often afraid of silence, because its emptiness feels idle, boring, unproductive, and scary. And so we fill our lives with chaos, noise, clutter. But silence can be lovely, and therapeutic, and powerful. It can be the remedy for our stress and the habits that crush us. If we [...]
The Habits That Crush Us
by Leo
23 Jan 2012 at 11:26am
‘Don’t panic.’ ~Douglas Adams Post written by Leo Babauta. Why is it that we cannot break the bad habits that stand in our way, crushing our desires to live a healthy life, be fit, simplify, be happier? How is it that our best intentions are nearly always beaten? We want to be focused and productive, [...]
Learning to Sit Alone, in a Quiet Empty Room
by Leo
17 Jan 2012 at 1:49pm
‘All men’s miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone.’ ~Blaise Pascal Post written by Leo Babauta. Think about some of the problems of our daily lives, and how many of them would be eased if we could learn to sit alone, in a quiet empty room, with contentment. If [...]
Life as a Conscious Practice
by Leo
13 Jan 2012 at 9:15am
‘Everything is practice.’ ~Pele Post written by Leo Babauta. When we learn a martial art, or ballet, or gymnastics, or soccer ? we consciously practice movements in a deliberate way, repeatedly. By conscious, repeated practice, we become good at those movements. Our entire lives are like this, but we’re often less conscious of the practice. [...]
Your Top 10 Clutter Questions, Answered
by Leo
11 Jan 2012 at 11:33am
Post written by Leo Babauta. Decluttering is a skill that you learn with practice, just like any skill. And just like other skills, there are many little questions and problems you need answered and solved as you get started. Those of you taking the Clutterfat Challenge this month are facing these problems, and I’m here [...]
Clearing Your Life for a New Year
by Leo
9 Jan 2012 at 12:55pm
Post written by Leo Babauta. Every January, people rush out and get a gym membership, set a list of goals or resolutions, and get ready to take on a new year of frenetic activity. Unfortunately, we don’t often clear space to make room for all this new stuff. The beginning of the year is a [...]


The Power Of Words

Here is your Friday STORY on: HAPPINESS: Happiness is having what you really want, or is it? Or is it allowing OTHERS to have what they really want? To WANT happiness yourself is fine, but it is how you achieve it or plan it that really counts. It is not the destination that is important but the journey. If you were to plan to travel to your promised land to find happiness, you are instantly limiting yourself to no further happiness until you arrive. It is as EQUALLY important to allow happiness to arise upon the journey. Notice the word ALLOW and how integral that word is to those first few paragraphs. Don't restrict or confine; allow! Today's story is an amusing look, but nonetheless loaded with ALLOWING, which brings happiness. Please enjoy... WHAT WOMEN REALLY WANT Young King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of a neighbouring kingdom. The monarch could have killed him, but was moved by Arthur's youth and ideals. So the monarch offered him freedom, as long as he could answer a very difficult question. Arthur would have a year to figure out the answer; if, after a year, he still had no answer, he would be put to death. The question: What do women really want? Such a question would perplex even the most knowledgeable man, and, to young Arthur, it seemed an impossible query. But, since it was better than death, he accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by year's end. He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everybody: the princess, the prostitutes, the priests, the wise men and the court jester. He spoke with everyone, but no one could give him a satisfactory answer. Many people advised him to consult the old witch--only she would know the answer. The price would be high; the witch was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged. The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no alternative but to talk to the witch. She agreed to answer his question, but he'd have to accept her price first: The old witch wanted to marry Gawain, the most noble of the Knights of the Round Table and Arthur's closest friend! Young Arthur was horrified: She was hunchbacked and hideous, had only one tooth, smelled like sewage, made obscene noises... etc. He had never encountered such a repugnant creature. He refused to force his friend to marry her and have to endure such a burden. Gawain, upon learning of the proposal, spoke with Arthur. He told him that nothing was too big a sacrifice compared to Arthur's life and the preservation of the Round Table. Hence, their wedding was proclaimed, and the witch answered Arthur's question thus: What a woman really wants is to be in charge of her own life. Everyone instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth and that Arthur's life would be spared. And so it was. The neighbouring monarch granted Arthur total freedom. What a wedding Gawain and the witch had! Arthur was torn between relief and anguish. Gawain was proper as always, gentle and courteous. The old witch put her worst manners on display, and generally made everyone very uncomfortable. The honeymoon hour approached. Gawain, steeling himself for a horrific experience, entered the bedroom. But what a sight awaited him! The most beautiful woman he'd ever seen lay before him! The astounded Gawain asked what had happened. The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her when she'd appeared as a witch, she would henceforth be her horrible, deformed self half the time, and the other half, she would be her beautiful maiden self. Which would he want her to be during the day, and which during the night? What a cruel question! Gawain pondered his predicament. During the day she would be a beautiful woman to show off to his friends, but at night, in the privacy of his home, an old witch? Or would he prefer having by day a hideous witch, but by night a beautiful woman with whom to enjoy many intimate moments? What would you do? What Gawain chose follows below, but don't read until you've made your own choice. * * * * * * * * Noble Gawain replied . . . . . that he would let her choose for herself. Upon hearing this, she announced that she would be beautiful all the time, because he had respected her enough to let her be in charge of her own life. Is there a moral here? . . . . . . . . . Certainly: Treat your woman (guys) with total respect (and love) and like the queen she is or should be, and watch how beautiful she will be. Or, (on the other hand): If your woman doesn't get her own way, . . . . things are going to get ugly! : ) (Unknown Author) QUOTE: "I believe the greater handicap, the greater the triumph.' (John H. Johnson)


I believe in the power of words, but how potent are they?
What if scenario: What if a large population of the world, say 1 billion to be on the safe side, were all literally on the same same page. If that huge group all read from the same book at the exact same time? What do you believe would happen? Do you think the effect would be different depending on the book? What 1 book would you recommend all these people to read, & why?

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How on earth does Obama manage to , , , ?
...give such outstanding speeches? I was going over some of his speeches including the nobel prize acceptance speech, the Cairo university speech and few others . It's brilliant how he makes use of the power of words and i don't see any teleprompter nor any earpiece.NOTHING. I know he is a great orator but its difficult to digest that he is a great orator coupled with the fact that he is the president of the US,simply because every word he says is of great significance and therefore zero margin for error.Add to this the fact that Bush couldn't come close even with the help of prompters. Now am not talking about Obama's policies or other stuff but am very much intrigued on how he delivers on those speeches. i don't think its his speech writer,but then what could it be? does he have a microphone transplanted into his ear for good? Or is it just that he is one in a million. what do you guys think? in fact i believe he is the only nobel peace prize recipient who talked about War throughout his acceptance speech and everyone there including the queen and the prince gave him a standing ovation. if you analyze the cairo speech,after one of his phrases, someone from the gallery shouts a compliment in arabic and Obama acknowledges it with a thank you which shows that he is aware of not only what he is talking,what he has to say next but also the responsiveness of the audience,even if its in a foreign language. one more thing that struck me was,unlike motivational speakers or anyone else for that matter, he does not have a sip of water throughout the entire speech.That one's got me really baffled.I mean if i were to sit there listening to him speak for an hour,i would mostly have some water in between but this guy just doesn't even though he's the one who's doing all the talking. how for fcuks sake is he doing this?

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What is the power of words?
Words have always worked for me. A balm for a wound, a wing to a prayer, a valve to let pressure release. The life vest worn while sinking in sludge, the tail in my kite's high flight. Words were my sight, my taste and my might. Today they have all run from me. And never before have I felt so incredibly lonely.

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The Power of Words

23 Feb 2010 at 3:08am


Morgan Freeman: The Power of Words

23 Dec 2009 at 3:04pm


Angelou On The Power Of Words (CBS News)

15 Apr 2007 at 6:59pm



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THEATER REVIEW | 'A COOL DIP IN THE BARREN SAHARAN CRICK'; The Force Of Water...

29 Mar 2010 at 12:00am  If words were water, the drought problems so lengthily discussed in the new play by Kia Corthron, ''A Cool Dip in the Barren Saharan Crick,'' would evaporate pretty quickly. The title alone would suffice for a sponge bath. The subject of water actually consumes a large portion of the dialogue in this venturesome but disjointed drama about a young...

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