Clothes are fun. I especially like jackets, purses and scarves. A great jacket can be worn with wardrobe basics and voila! Suddenly you look put together. I have this thing about quality versus quantity, too. Most times, I prefer to purchase something that will last, look good and function well as opposed to a lot of stuff that falls apart after a few uses/washes. I am patient, so I will wait for a sale or clearance also. But ultimately, I know what is 'on the outside' is a small matter to what is 'on the inside'. Since high school one of my favorite quotes has been from R.W. Emerson~
What lies behind you,
and what lies before you,
Are tiny matters compared to
What lies within you.
Character cannot be bought. Manners, courtesy, compassion, patience and graciousness are not for sale. They must be nurtured and tended. Like a garden, left unwatered, unweeded, and uncared for it yields little and may eventually become barren. I planted bulbs last year in our backyard. We watered and weeded, we fertilized and tended. When we looked outside this morning we spotted something beautiful for our efforts.....
At the base of our large Bay Tree bloomed a Daffodil~
I thought you might enjoy this story shared with me by a dear friend of mine. It sums up my philosophy quite well!
One evening an old man told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.
"One is Evil - It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego..
"The other is Good - It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"
The old man simply replied, "The one you feed."
