e. e. cummings: Time's a strange fellow; more he gives than takes (and...

The hardest challenge is to be yourself in a world where everyone is trying to make you be somebody else.

e. e. cummings

loving-life being-yourself self-esteem

We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit.

e. e. cummings

trust inspirational life

Yours is the light by which my spirit's born: - you are my sun, my moon, and all my stars.

e. e. cummings

stars light moon

To be nobody-but-yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.

e. e. cummings

motivational graduation inspirational

Love is the voice under all silences, the hope which has no opposite in fear; the strength so strong mere force is feebleness: the truth more first than sun, more last than star.

e. e. cummings

uplifting love life

Trust your heart if the seas catch fire, live by love though the stars walk backward.

e. e. cummings

trust stars love

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.

e. e. cummings

motivational birthday inspirational

The first step to expanding your reality is to discard the tendency to exclude things from possibility.

e. e. cummings

steps reality firsts

You and I are more than you and I because it's we.

e. e. cummings

Here's to opening and upward... and to yourself and up with you and up with and up with laughing.

e. e. cummings

opening laughing

...remember one thing only: that it's you-nobody else-who determines your destiny and decides your fate. Nobody else can be alive for you; nor can you be alive for anybody else.

e. e. cummings

fate destiny alive

Whenever you think or you believe or you know, you're a lot of other people: but the moment you feel, you're nobody-but-yourself.

e. e. cummings

inspirational believe thinking

i like my body when it is with your body. It is so quite new a thing. Muscles better and nerves more. i like your body. i like what it does, i like its hows. i like to feel the spine of your body and its bones, and the trembling -firm-smooth ness and which i will again and again and again kiss, i like kissing this and that of you, i like, slowly stroking the, shocking fuzz of your electric fur, and what-is-it comes over parting flesh ... And eyes big love-crumbs, and possibly i like the thrill of under me you so quite new.

e. e. cummings

kissing eye love

Exists no miracle mightier than this: to feel.

e. e. cummings

miracle feels

I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes.

e. e. cummings

thank-you inspirational life

I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing than to teach ten thousand stars how not to dance.

e. e. cummings

dance teacher inspirational

Only by you my heart always moves.

e. e. cummings

my-heart heart moving

Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.

e. e. cummings

confidence life believe

The three saddest things are the ill wanting to be well, the poor wanting to be rich, and the constant traveler saying 'anywhere but here'.

e. e. cummings

three memorable travel

the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses

e. e. cummings

small-hands eye inspirational

Time's a strange fellow; more he gives than takes (and he takes all).