Diantie's Daily Quote - "It is not how much we..."

What makes us happy? "Sunshine on my shoulders make me happy." (The wonderful John Denver song). How about having a day when everything goes our way?


Today's quote is "It is not how much we have but how much we give that makes happiness." Author Charles Spurgeon.

As a charity worker, I am always giving to some cause or volunteering to help at an event. I don't look at the giving I do as a source for my personal happiness. What makes me content is that whatever little I may have done, someone else received a benefit. As my favorite saying goes "I am responsible for my own happiness." I think the receiver of gifts is the person that should be happy.

Diantie's Daily Quote - "Wherever you go..."

How do you light up a room? How do you break the ice? Recently, I attended a class. Before the class started, everyone sat around the table and no one introduced themselves. All the eyes were moving but no words were spoken. What did I do? I politely turn to the person on my left and introduced myself, then I turn to the person on my right and introduced myself. What a trickling effect this had on everyone!

Today's quote is "Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine." Author Anthony D'Angelo.

Yes, we all have those sticky situations to deal with when we are invited to events. My solution, if you know the people who will be attending and they truly make you uncomfortable, then don't go. If your presence is required, talk to the strangers and reveal "your own ray of sunshine".

Diantie's Daily Quote - "Everyone is a house..."

Some of us question why we need to take liberal art classes in college, when at times, these classes have nothing to do with our major.

Today's quote is "Everyone is a house with four rooms, a physical, a mental, an emotional and a spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time, but unless we go into every room, everyday, even if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person". Indian proverb.

Interesting perspective. Actually, I would combine emotional and mental as one room. Acknowledging these rooms exist is one factor. Do I visit each room everyday even if only to keep it aired? sometimes! Am I less of a person because I don't follow these rules? Absolutely not!

What about those liberal arts classes? I am very pleased that I took them in college because they not only broaden my knowledge but also contributed to making me "a complete person".

For those of us that live in the New York City area, aren't you glad that heat wave is over?

Diantie's Daily Quote - "Nobody get to live life..."

Some of us wish that we can change things that happened in the past. Some of us can't wait for the future to arrive because this is when the plans we have made becomes reality.


Today's quote is "Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead, that is where your future lies". Author Ann Landers.


My two cents, learn from the past and prepare for the future. Remember my Russian proverb - "If you live in the past you are blind in one eye. If you ignore the past you are blind in both eyes".

Diantie's Daily Quote - "The human spirit needs..."

Summer is always a great time for vacations. The weather is usually nice and some of us pack up the car and take off for a drive; others get on a plane to visit a foreign land; and yes, others take a boat.

Today's quote is "The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man". Author Unknown.

So getting back to these places we visit on vacation. What amazes us more, the man-made infrastructure or the images of nature? As a child, my family used to visit this cave a lot. We were fascinated by the rocks and the great big opening in the cave with a picture perfect view of the Atlantic ocean. A sight not to be forgotten!


The picture above is from a different cave which is absolutely stunning!

Yes, we all like to visit various buildings and theme parks, but it is the little things in nature that we see along the way that touches our soul.

Diantie's Daily Quote - "A smile is a light..."

"Smile. You're on candid camera". Remember that show!

"Smile an everlasting smile a smile can bring you near to me..." sung by Rita Coolidge.

Today's quote is "A smile is a light in the window of the soul indicating that the heart is at home". Author unknown.

Gotta love these quotes and references and yes, when you read them, you naturally smile too!

My two cents, a smile is a powerful weapon, use it all the time!

And now my Greek proverb - A lucky person is someone who plants pebbles and harvests potatoes.

Diantie's Daily Quote - "Twenty years from now..."

Over twenty years ago, I had an opportunity of a lifetime offered to me. I thought about it and decided to go for it.

Today's quote is "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones that you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Author Mark Twain.

I like this quote and happy that I was smart enough in my youth to recognize a good thing when I heard it. So, what is this good thing? An all expenses paid trip travelling across Canada. What a wonderful experience and definitely one of the major highlights of my life.

And now my Greek proverb. "You cannot reason with a hungry belly; it has no ears."

Diantie's Daily Quote - "Teach this simple truth..."

Thunder and lightning last night! Hottest day of summer so far? Too much to handle and a hindrance in getting things done.

Today's quote is "Teach this simple truth to all. A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity". Author Buddha.

Absolutely! Life is so short and there are so many things that we want to do and so many places that we want to see to our heart's contend. It is hard to let go of petty annoyances but once you practice letting go, you will feel better and stronger.

How many people have a plan to help others less fortunate than themselves? I do! Today I did my good deed and donated clothes and shoes to the salvation army.

Diantie's Daily Quote - "To give away money..."

Generosity, what does it mean? One thing to some and another thing to others. Wikipedia's definition of generosity "the habit of giving freely without expecting anything in return". Webster's II New Riverside version defines generous as "having or showing willingness to give or share freely".

Today's quote is "To give away money is an easy matter and in any man's power. But to decide whom to give it, and how large, and when, and for what purpose and how, is neither in any man's power, nor an easy matter". Author Aristotle.

Wise words indeed. So now my famous question, is this quote true? Yes, I believe it is! Right now I am struggling to decided how much of a charitable contribution I should make this year and to whom should get the money. As a volunteer of many organizations that all need money, this is definitely not an easy task!

And now my Greek proverb - "When the fox cannot reach the grapes he says they are not ripe".

Diantie's Daily Quote - "Every morning when I ..."

Today there are two quotes; one for deep thinking and the other because it was funny.

Today's quote is "Every morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I 'm going to be happy in it". Author Groucho Marx.

This is a great quote to save and post in a location where you will see it and read it everyday. Reading this quote is a boost to start your day and most importantly, practicing what it says will make your day even better. At times events happen during the day which may upset us; remember that we have little control over all situations. What we do have is control over our own happiness so don't let others decide this for you.

And my funny quote: "One witness one liar; more witnesses, all liars". Greek Proverb.

Diantie's Daily Quote - "See how nature..."

Stop and smell the roses! How many of us have done that? Lots!.

Today's quote is "See how nature - tree, flowers, grass - grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence...we need silence to be able to touch souls". Author Mother Teresa.

Well said by a respected person. Silence is good especially when you don't want an argument to escalate. As the saying goes - "Silence is golden". Yes, it is hard to remain silent at times, but with practice, you get better at it for the sake of your own soul!

Diantie's Daily Quote - "Kindness is more..."

To possess wisdom is great but what about kindness?

Today's quote is "Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom". Author - Theodore Isaac Rubin.

It is natural to associate wisdom with experience. What do you associate with kindness? Being helpful to some one in need; sharing what you have; giving to the needy; offering to run an errand for a friend; preparing a meal for sick relative or friend; and the list goes on.

How would you rank wisdom versus kindness? Kindness wins for me. You do not need wisdom to be kind to someone. And someone who is wise is not necessarily kind.

The majority of would us rather have have friends who are kind rather than those who are wise.

Kind people make us happy!

Diantie's Daily Quotes - "If we are to have..."

How many people woke up today and decided that their day will be one of battles? Maybe a few. The rest of us, we want a happy day.


Today's quote is "If we are to have real peace, we must begin with the children". Author Mahatma Gandhi.


As the Whitney Houston song begins "I believe that children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way".


We all know this but we have to work harder to reinforce it. As I mentioned in a previous blog, we all want peace in our lives.

Diantie's Daily Quote - "One very important..."

On this very hot day which is now considered part of a heat wave, it is very hard to motivate yourself to get things done.

Today's quote is "One very important aspect of motivation is the willingness to stop and look at things that no one else has bothered to look at. This simple process of focusing on things that are normally taken for granted is a powerful source of creativity". Author Edward de Bono.

What is said in this quote is very true. Today I actually took the time to stop and observe things that I would normally ignore and all this was because of motivation.

Creativity, I have none; but I have a source of friends I trust to discuss my ideas with.

Diantie's Daily Quotes - "The really happy person..."

The quote written today will be the 100th quote that I am writing for this blog. Wow! I only have another two hundred and sixty five to go!

Today's quote is "The really happy person is the one who can enjoy the scenery even when they have to take a detour". Author Sir James Jeans.

We have all gotten lost while driving, and for some of us, we repeatedly get lost, like me. I happen to discover local roads in my neighbor when I got lost a few times. Now I take these local roads all the time. One day I got lost on Long Island and I discovered this really nice house and it had a pasture with horses. I enjoyed my scenery! I got lost in New Jersey and discovered Ashbury Park.

Conclusion: I am a happy person and I enjoy my scenery!

Diantie's Daily Quote - "You simply will..."

Self-improvement is good and a word typically used to describes what happens to you is "Change".

Today's quote is "You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law; the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you". Author Susan Ban Breathnach.

Do we improve our lives by being thankful for what we already have? Yes, at times we do. Many people express their gratitude for what they already have especially in these tough economic times. Another element that surfaces is "waste". Now most of us think twice before we buy something; we think twice before throwing out things; we think twice about what to ask for.

So will I be a different person two months from now? Yes, I intend to be!

Tonight maybe a volunteer night and tomorrow is another trip to donate clothing.

Diantie's Daily Quote - "People take different..."

At some time in our lives, we have said to someone or have been told "you are heading down the wrong road". Why is that? Hopefully, this quote will give one reason.

Today's quote is "People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost". Author Dalai Lama.

Absolutely true! Well thought words just like the quote I wrote about a few days ago by Buddha.

My moral of today's quote is don't be too quick to be judgmental.

Diantie's Daily Quote - "Life is not measured..."

We finally got some much needed rain here in NYC. Yesterday I got drenched when I went out at lunch time. In life we need the Sun just as much as we need the Rain.

Today quote is "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away". Author unknown to me.

We have all had those "take my breath away" moments and some times it because of nature and other times because of a simple event. What was one of my moments? Seeing Niagara Falls for the first time from the Canadian side but my more touching moment was seeing the Bridal Falls from the American side. This is always a discussion we have about which view is better, the Canadian or the American. The American side is my choice!

Who has a "take my breath away" moment that you want to share?

Diantie's Daily Quote - "Do not believe..."

This is good advice for everyone.



Today's quote is - "Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it." Author Buddha.



So, how many us have been scolded by our religious leaders and followers? Most of us included me! My solution is that I will stick with Budhha based on my observation and analysis.

Diantie's Daily Quote - "Don't talk about..."

How many of us have meet someone who greeted us with the words "I've heard so much about you."?

Today's quote is "Don't talk about yourself; it will be done when you leave". Author Wilson Mizner.

It's almost human nature to talk about someone after they leave a room. We have all done it!

There is nothing like "Word of Mouth" for great advertising! So we should all keeping talking but keep it positive and "warnings" are allowed.

Diantie's Daily Quote - "Be kind..."

Most people try to be kind; but sometimes stress and anger gets in the way.

Today's quote is "Be kind. Everyone is struggling". Author unknown.

Everyone is definitely struggling and some more than others. How do you remain calm and try to be kind? One thing you can do is to stop and think for a minute before immediately responding to a criticism. If you are in middle of a heated argument, let the other person say what he/she has to say. Once you have listened, chances are you will not want to look bad so your response will be towards a peaceful resolution. We all have found ourselves in situations where it was not easy to be kind.

Be proactive and offer to help if you can do so when you see someone is struggling.

It is still a hot day in New York City but I managed to get my errands done!

Diantie's Daily Quote - "Of all the forces..."

Hope - we all do this; we all long for something.

Today's quote is "Of all the forces that make for a better world, none is so powerful as hope. With hope, one can think, one can work, one can dream. If you have hope, you have everything". Author unknown to me.

I found this quote on a little card from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. I don't recall how I got it but I am glad that I kept it.

What am I hoping for? Right now I hoping for rain so I don't have to water the lawn. Tomorrow I am hoping for nice weather as I have lots of errands to get done. I have lots of hope!

Diantie's Daily Quote - "Whoever is happy..."

Did you smile today? Did you laugh? Did you attempt to make someone happy?

Today's quote is "Whoever is happy will make others happy too". Author Mark Twain.

I agree with this quote. Whenever we see people who are happy, we should smile and be happy for them too. Some people like to make others happy and some people don't.

Life is too short and we should all have lots of happiness in it.

I am happy that the temperature was cooler today than yesterday!

Diantie's Daily Quote - "Anything simple always..."

We have all heard the saying "Less is More" especially when it comes to fashion.

Today's quote is "Anything simple always interests me". Author David Hockney.

Who knows of anyone that wants to deal with complicated things? Believe it or not, but some people do. We have to give credit to people that like challenges. Some people describe other people as "simple" but what does this mean? One possible answer could be lacking sophistication.

Most people want instructions in simple steps. One of the reasons people do not like to read instructions is that most of the time these instructions are not presented in a simple format.

We can all agree that if given a choice, most of us would choose simple over complicated.

Diantie's Daily Quote - "Happiness resides not..."

We have all heard people complain that they are not happy and want to be happy.

Today's quote is "Happiness resides not in possessions and not in gold; the feeling of happiness dwells in the soul". Author Democritus.

Most of us have our own recipe for happiness. Some of us have a list of things that we are convinced will make us happy.

My two cents is that you are responsible for your own happiness. Don't allow other to make you unhappy.

Diantie'e Daily Quote - "The most called-upon..."

During the past few months, I have been reading and hearing that listening is a very important skill.


Today's quote is - "The most called-upon prerequisite of a friend is an accessible ear". Author Maya Angelou.


When things are bothering us, some of us talk with friends and like wise, friends talk with us. If my friends are going through a hard time, I always tell them to call if they want to talk. And when they do call, I make the time to listen.

Most of us are selective about who we want to tell things to. But remember that "the accessible ear" is what we all need at times.

Diantie's Dailt Quote - "Help somone who..."

So now that the celebrations of July 4th are over; it's back to the real world.

Today's quote is "Help someone who can't return the favor". Author unknown.

Most of us have done that! Remember the tsunami in 2004. A lot of us gave money and other things to help people we did not know. Most of those people that we helped, probably will never be able to return the favor to us.

Sometimes we help people because we expect the same people to help us when we need it. This does not mean that all the people we help will also be able to help us.

Help when you can and don't expect anything in return.

Diantie's Daily Quote - "Love is blind;..."

Another friendship quotes that is cute and very true.

Toady's quote is "Love is blind; friendship closes its eyes.". Author unknown.

Yes, we all have friends that have stood by us when we were down.

In times of need is when you see the true colors of your friends. This is also the time when people you may not have considered friends may come forward to help you.

When your friends are happy, be happy for them. When your friends are sad, understand their sadness. Do not ever set out to hurt a friend that have been there for you in past even though "friendship closes its eyes". If you ever do this, this is the time when friendship will permanently close its eyes.

Diantie's Daily Quote - "In union there is strength"

Given that the July 4th celebrations are underway, this is an appropriate quote for the occasion.

Today's quote is "In union there is strength". Author Aesop.

The more the merry but in this case its unity that's required. Whenever a cause needs to be addressed, it is always helpful to have a few people supporting you if you want results.

If there is a battle to be fought, an army is requires and definitely unity, when winning the battle is the goal.

As easy as it may seems, unity is not always accomplish when certain issues are at stake.

Enjoy the July 4th celebrations and remember those that fought in unity for us to enjoy the freedom we do.

Diantie's Daily Quote - "The best cosmetic..."

We all could use a little touch-up here and there that's why we turn to cosmetics.

Today quote is "The best cosmetic in the world is an active mind that is always finding something new". Author Mary Meek Atkeson.

Wow! I wish I had the time to always find something new to keep my brain ticking, but I don't.

The nice thing about writing this blog is that I always have to find something new to write about. Since there are more than 365 quotes out there, my task is to look for and write about them.

True mind development comes from more than searching for quotes; it requires focus and motivation and a whole lot more.

Diantie's Daily Quote - "Wear a smile ..."

Most of us have told others not to wear a frown and some of us may add "you'll get wrinkles".

Today quote is - "Wear a smile and have friends; wear a scowl and have wrinkles". Author George Eliot.

It's human nature to be attracted to people who smile. When given a choice in seeking assistance, we all tend to look for the people who appear pleasant and we definitely will not choose to ask questions of someone who is frowning unless we have no choice.

It's also perceived that people who smile a lot are friendly. Remember my previous blogs that we all like friendly people.

So wear a smile and add years to your life and save the frown for your next life.