OpEdNews Article: A Holiday Gift of Peace, Joy, and Inspiration

Image by Meryl Ann Butler by Meryl Ann Butler

Here my gift of inspiration, peace, and joy to OEN readers. I hope it lifts your spirits during this holiday season and all year!

Swan Love. Fabric Mosaic Collage c. Meryl Ann Butler.

A smile is the beginning of peace.

--Mother Teresa

Calla Tao. Prismacolor c. Meryl Ann Butler.

He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with "¨the world.

--Marcus Aurelius

Jewel of India: Taj Mahal. Fabric Mosaic Collage c. Meryl Ann Butler.

Those who are at war with others are not at peace with"¨ themselves.

--William Hazlett

Jeweled Mandala. Acrylic. Meryl Ann Butler.

If half a century of living has taught me anything at all, it has"¨ taught me that nothing can bring you peace but yourself.

--Dale Carnegie

The Star. Silk painting. c. Meryl Ann Butler.

Women prevent the threads of life from being broken. The finest minds have always understood the peacemaking role of women.

--Mikhail Gorbachev

Suns, Moons and Stars. Prismacolor c. Meryl Ann Butler.

If there is to be any peace or reason, we have to create it in our own hearts and homes."¨

--Madeleine L'Engle (from A Swiftly Tilting Planet)

Soaring Free. Fabric collage c. Meryl Ann Butler.

I believe that peace is not merely an absence of war, but the nurture of human life, and that in time this nurture will do away with war as a natural process.

--Jane Addams

Monk Chant. Prismacolor c. Meryl Ann Butler.

I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we desire contentment. In my own limited experience I have found that the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of wellbeing.

Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the principal source of success in life.

Since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. The key is to develop inner peace.

--Dalai Lama

Prayer wheel. Prismacolor c. Meryl Ann Butler.

Whenever we experience happiness and peace in our natures, we are at the gate where the medicines of joy, laughter, play, fun, and humor flourish.

--Angeles Arrien

All Seeing Eye. Prismacolor c. Meryl Ann Butler.

Whatever peace I know rests in the natural world, in feeling myself a part of it, even in a small way.

--May Sarton

Flowering of Love. Fabric art c. Meryl Ann Butler.

Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy.

--Thomas Jefferson

Amethyst Mandala. Acrylic. Meryl Ann Butler.

I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstances, but by our disposition.

--Martha Washington

Vortices of Light. Fabric art c. Meryl Ann Butler.