Inspirational Messages

We are here to Listen
Autobiography in Five Short Chapters
Shine
Lovingkindness
Serenity Prayer
If my Insides were my Outsides
Parable of a Cherokee Chief
On Joy and Sorrow by Kahil Gibran

We are Here to Listen

Adapted from Bader and Haas

We are here to listen,
Not to work miracles.

We are here to help people discover what they are feeling,
Not to make feelings go away.

We are here to discuss steps with people,
Not to take steps for them.

We are here to help people discover their own strength,
Not to rescue them and leave them still vulnerable.

We are here to help people discover they can still help themselves,
Not to take responsibility for them.

We are here to help people learn to choose,
Not to make it unnecessary for them to make difficult choices.

We are here to provide support for change.

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Autobiography in Five Short Chapters

By Portia Nelson

Chapter I

I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in
I am lost . . . I am helpless
It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter II

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don’t see it.
I fall in again.
I can’t believe I am in the same place.
But, it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter III

I walk down the same street
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in . . . it’s a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

Chapter IV

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

Chapter V

I walk down another street.

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Shine

By Nelson Mandela

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate;
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us.
We ask ourselves,
“Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?”
Actually, who are you NOT to be?
You are a child of God.  Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that others will not feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine – as children do.
We are born to manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just some of us: it is all of us.
As we let our own light shine, we give others permission
to do the same.  As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others from their fear.
May we all give ourselves permission to shine today
so that the truth is reflected in all of us.

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Lovingkindness

A traditional Buddhist meditation and self-blessing

May I be safe from inner and outer harm.
May I be happy and peaceful.
May I be healthy and strong.
May I care for myself lovingly in the world.

May all beings be safe from inner and outer harm.
May all beings be happy and peaceful.
May all beings be healthy and strong.
May all beings care for themselves lovingly in the world.

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Serenity Prayer

Reinhold Neibuhr

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.

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If my Insides were my Outsides

If my inside were my outside
Then no one would know
In a glance
In a first look
What I was
Or more important
Who I was
We all know there's harassment
It takes on many forms
It happens in the classroom
In organizations
In residence halls
But if my inside were my outside
We could change this reality
Because you'd have to forget all the stereotypes
And just concentrate on me
If my inside were my outside
Then you couldn't
Judge me
Label me
Make assumptions 
without first
Asking me questions
And you would want to ask me
If my inside were my outside
Because it would be the only way
To know
What I think
What I feel
What I love
What I hate
What movies I like to watch
What food I like to eat
What music I like to listen to
What language I like to speak
If my inside were my outside
Then the first thing you'd see
Wouldn't be
My color
My breasts
My walk
My hair
My heritage
My talk
If my inside were my outside
Then you wouldn't make
Mistaken assumptions
I am here to get married
Of course I want a beer
I am here on a scholarship
I am sensitive by nature
I have feelings
I shouldn't be called on in class
You better lock your doors
I'll understand and tolerate your jokes
I have money and you can't have any
I'll probably get AIDS
I'll only sit with people like me
I'll use my body as a resume
If my inside were my outside
Then I wouldn't be afraid
To walk with myself alone
To sit with you in the cafe
To raise my hand in class
To let you know who I am
To go to parties where I'm out-numbered
To see a teacher after class
To be counted among the masses
To spend all my time trying to fit in
To spend all my time trying to match your life
Instead of investigating my own
If my inside were my outside
Then you really wouldn't know
You'd have to get to know me first
You'd have to start by saying hello
And after you got to know me
You may still find I'm a jerk
But you couldn't just assume it
It would take a little work
And you might find out
I'm beautiful
You might find that in the end
And you'll get something
You hadn't counted on
You'll get yourself a friend
We all know there's harassment
It takes on many forms
It happens in the classroom
In organizations
In residence halls
But if my inside were my outside
We can change this reality
Because you'd have to forget all the stereotypes
And just concentrate on me!

Unfortunately, we don't know the author of this poem. 
Email us if you know the author!

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Parable of a Cherokee Chief

An elder Cherokee Chief took his grandchildren into the forest and said to them, "A fight is going on inside me. This is a terrible fight between two wolves. One is the wolf of fear, anger, arrogance and greed. The other wolf is the wolf of courage, kindness, humility and love." The children sat very quiet listening to their grandfather. He then said to them, "This same fight between the two wolves that is going on inside of me is going on inside of you and inside every person." The children thought about it for a minute and then one child asked the chief, "Grandfather, which wolf will win the fight?" He said quietly, "The one you feed."

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On Joy and Sorrow

from the Prophet by Kahil Gibran

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 hold 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.
Some of you say, "Joy is greater than sorrow," and others say, "Nay, sorrow is the greater."
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.
When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.

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