Preview

1

We are not human beings on a spiritual journey
We are spiritual beings on a human journey

- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin -

This is a classic quote of French Philosopher Pierre, who enlightens us regarding the true nature of the human spirit and our real identity.

Our current human form may not be our real identity and it may only be a temporary identity that our spirit has acquired. In all probability, the spirit has acquired this identity to learn some valuable life lessons.

So, it is important for us to learn those lessons as long as we have this form. Because, in reality we will never know if we will ever get this opportunity again.

So, it is better to make the best use of this opportunity called human birth and learn the important lessons of life.

2

Great works are performed not by strength
but by perseverance

- Samuel Johnson -

Johnson highlights the importance of perseverance when we are trying to achieve something.

We do not need great strength to do great achievements. What is really needed is the ability to consistently work towards the goal without giving up.

With that kind of focus and perseverance, it is possible to do great things in life.

3

Human perspective
Results are recognized rather than the efforts

God's perspective
Efforts are recognized rather than the results

- Author -

This is an extraordinary line of thought which people should try to understand.

From a God's perspective, a truly great effort is always recognized irrespective of the success or failure of the effort.

From a human perspective, everything is measured in terms of results.

Consequently, human beings do not recognize those men who made a great effort and failed. And they recognize only those who have succeeded.

From a very practical point of view, a truly great effort always succeeds. But due to adverse circumstances and other reasons, it may fail sometimes.

But God measures success not in terms of results, but in terms of the growth it gives to the human being.

Any extraordinary effort always leads to growth in character and that is a great reward in itself. And it is a Bonus, if it also leads to favourable results!

4

God grant me the courage
to change the things I can,

And the serenity to accept
the things I cannot change,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

- Reinhold Niebuhr -

Niebuhr defines the fine balance we have to adopt in life to be happy.

Most importantly, this shows us, that acceptance is a key part of life.

As much as we want to change a lot of things in our life, we should also learn to accept a few things in our life that cannot be changed.

We should make a sincere effort to change the things that can be changed and accept the things that cannot be changed. And we should be wise enough to see the difference between the two.

5

Success is not final, failure is not fatal;
it is the courage to continue that counts.

- Winston Churchill -

Churchill states that success is not everything in life and failure does not kill us.

As long as we have the courage to get up and try again, life is always meaningful.

Nothing is lost in life as long as we have the courage to face the challenges in life. But everything is lost when we lose courage.

So, it is important to not get disheartened due to failures and instead should learn from them and make a better attempt, the next time.

6

Until you are broken,
You don’t know what you are made of

- Ziad K. Abdelnour -

Every human being’s real capacity and limit can be known only when they are pushed past their breaking point.

Only then, we come to know about our real strength and limit. We figure out where we really stand.

Once we have the understanding of where we stand, then we can make efforts to develop ourselves and improve.

So, any process of growth should start with understanding where we really stand, and then we should make consistent efforts to improve ourselves.

7

Life is a balance between
holding on and letting go

- Rumi -

This is a classic Rumi quote which shows us that there will be occasions in life when we have to hold on to things and there will be also be occasions when we have to let go of things.

We can say that we should hold on to things that will make you a better person and let go of the things that will destroy your happiness and peace.

If we understand this fine balance, then we can live a peaceful and happy life.

8

Some of the greatest battles will be fought
within the silent chambers of your own soul

- Ezra Taft Benson -

Ezra's iconic quote highlights the battle that each one of us have to fight with ourselves while trying to do the right thing.

While choosing between good and bad, the massive power of attraction that the bad things have, will try to derail us from the right path.

It requires extraordinary will power and moral behaviour to not go astray and stick to the right path.

Sticking to the right path will lead to development of character and strength. And any life built with character as the foundation will be a glorious one.

9

Watch your thoughts, for they become your words
Watch your words, for they become your actions
Watch your actions, for they become your habits
Watch your habits, for they become your character
Watch your character, for that becomes your Destiny

- Frank Outlaw -

This quote clearly shows us the very basis of our existence, which is our thought.

Any effort to transform our life has to start at the level of thoughts. We have to make a conscious effort to stop negative thoughts and channelize that energy into good thoughts and actions.

That in turn will help us to build good habits. Good habits will help us to form good character. And our character will determine our life and destiny.

10

Luck is a matter of preparation
meeting opportunity

- Oprah Winfrey -

Everyone should understand that luck is not a random occurrence.

Rather it is an event where opportunity comes along the way of a person who has prepared and worked hard for it.

The old adage, “harder you work, luckier you get” also conveys the same spirit of the message.

So, hardworking people will be blessed with opportunity and luck at the appropriate time and all the hard work they had made will begin to bear fruit.

Introduction

Whiteboard is a collection of wonderful quotes and thoughts of people from all walks of life. Their words of wisdom can be a guiding light to all of mankind. Their quotes can be a great support in all our journeys of life!

They can provide us with inspiration to make extraordinary efforts to reach our goals. They can lift us up in our moments of despair and failure. They can wake us up from our slumber and help us to achieve our true potential. They also give us a fresh perspective in life and help us to see the larger picture. They help us to rearrange our priorities in life.

And definitely they can help us in making our life successful and happy!

Just like the human body, which needs good food for nourishment, the human soul needs nourishment in the form of good thoughts. This book is a collection of good thoughts that can transform our life.

Nourishment

The first topic we will discuss is about the nourishment of the human system.

The human system is composed of three components namely body, mind and soul. And when it comes to nourishment, we only think about the nourishment for the body. The other components like mind and soul can also be nourished for maintaining the optimum health of the system. When it comes to body, we know that good and healthy food will provide nourishment to the body.

And the topic of food is very well researched and a lot of information is already available regarding general food guidelines and how they help us to keep the body healthy.

But the nourishment for the mind and soul is always ignored since we think that these components do not need nourishment. Though these components can very well sustain with the nourishment provided for the body, these components can actually be strengthened and made better by providing special nourishment.

So, let us take a look at the different ways to nourish the mind and the soul. Mind can be nourished by good thoughts. And soul can be nourished by good actions.

Since thoughts are the manifestation of the mind, we can say that good thoughts are good food for the mind. And bad thoughts are bad food for the mind.

So, in order to maintain the health of the mind, we have to take good food in the form of good thoughts. One of the important roles that books play in our lives is actually to provide the nourishment for the mind.

We have to make it a habit to read a good book for a few minutes daily to keep our mind healthy. Religious books, inspiration and motivation books, inspiring stories, self-growth books and humour books are different ways to provide nourishment to the mind.

Discussing and talking about good things with other people is also a great way to maintain our mental health.

When it comes to body, food provides nourishment for the body, and exercise provides fitness for the body. The same way, good thoughts provide food for the mind, and yoga and meditation can provide good fitness for the mind.

And since body and mind are intricately connected, a healthy mind will automatically influence the body and make it healthy too.

And when it comes to soul, the best nourishment will be in the form of good actions. We should help our fellow beings whenever we can.

Working on a social cause, doing charity, forgiving people, using nature friendly products and protecting nature, saving water, keeping our environment clean, planting trees, and taking care of animals are some of the actions that can provide nourishment to the soul. Prayer is also a very powerful way of providing nourishment to the soul.

So, we should devote some time for these activities in order to provide wholesome nourishment to the human system.