When You Meet God, You Meet Yourself!

I'm not big on religion and government, since they both stifle the spirit. But I do have a deep respect for the unseen and the multitude of messages that come at us and through us every single day. Bishop Noel Jones once said, "When you meet your god, you meet yourself." I like that quote because it gives attention to the importance of being one's self, following your calling, even in the face of ridicule or cowardness. For many of us, including myself, it's a lifelong process. For some, it's as easy and as simple as saying
hello.

I'm driven by people like Jones. They have courage and
purpose. The same courage and purpose it took for me to reject
doctoral studies money in the name of holding on to my identity
and having my own voice.

The following are quotes from other people--well-known or
from my own kitchen--who also inspire me, as I hope they inspire you--
*****************************************************************************

"To imagine that some little thing--food, sex, power, fame--will make you happy is to deceive oneself. Only something as vast
and deep as your real self can make you truly and lastingly
happy."--Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, Hindu Sage

"The scientific method is a product of individuals who are
limited in their perception to what their eyes, ears, nose, skin,
and tongue can reveal to them...Our goal is no longer survival,
but spiritual growth. That requires the development of inner
knowing and inner authority. It requires the heart, not the
intellect."-- Gary Zukav, Spritual Advisor

"Every crisis I've been through has somehow made things better
for me."-- Corey Booker, Mayor of Newark, NJ

"You can't control how others act, but you can control how you react to them."-- U.S. Anderson, Motivationalist

"If you speak the truth you don't need a memory."-- Judge Judy, TV Court Figure

"When fear comes out like that, it becomes loathing, and then it becomes judgement...Is my child here for my heart? Or am I here for his heart?"-- Sean Penn, Film Director

"Children come through us, not from us."-- Kahlil Gibran, Islamic Prophet

"You keep being so picky that one day you'll end up picking shit!"-- Trinidadian grandmother

"You gotta give in before you give up."-- My daughter, Chanou at 17

"Racism is so universal in this country, so widespread and deep-seated that it is invisible because it is normal."-- Shirley Chisolm, First Black woman elected to U.S. Congress

"I don't want to think. Tell me what to think."-- Rev. Jeremy Wright

"If you look at Matthew 25:25 it says, 'Shut da fuck up!'"-- Margaret Cho, Comedian

"We don't need another committee. We don't need to meet with so-called 'respected members of the community'. We need progressive, revolutionary action!"-- 101 Black Law Enforcement

"Poor folks, Black and White, have been virtually brainwashed to hate each other when it's our government we should be suspicious of."-- Rabbi Steven Leder

"Being manly or masculine, and being feminine or soft, have nothing to do with being a man or a woman. If you can't be all of you, then you're not at all a man or a woman."-- John Love, Jr., Actor

"If we face up to the terrible reality we are in, we can change our destiny."--Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Muslim Activist

"If you really want to see someone, close your eyes."-- Bob Marley, Rastafarian Icon