Quotes from Bus 9 to Paradise
By Leo Buscaglia....Felice Leonardo Buscaglia
Only love has the power to unite
without taking away another's dignity, another's self.
....qualities of love such as tenderness, commitment,
concern, generosity and trust are relegated
to the realm of platitudes and are ignored.
....consider the tremendous power of love,
not simply as an abstraction, but
as a dynamic, tangible force.
It is an energy source that is
never diminished by its use;
it gives us the strength and security
to challenge ourselves and others
to change and grow.
Friendship involves two people committed
to each other over a long period of time --
through conflict, joy, unhappiness and change.
Most of us take our friendships for granted.
We become passive in maintaining them
and lose sight of the fact that they
need constant effort, care and attention.
My friend helped me to see myself
in all my human imperfections
while he revealed his own.
One of the most beautiful descriptions
I've ever read is from Corinthians I,
and even as well known as it is,
is still well worth repeating:
Love is patient and kind;
love is not jealous or conceited or proud;
love is not ill mannered, or selfish, or irritable;
love does not keep a record of wrongs:
Love is not happy with evil
but is happy with the truth.
Love never gives up:
its faith, hope, and patience never fail.
Love is eternal...
There are faith, hope and love, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
....when we are loved,
the people who love us want us to be
what we are, not what they are.
They rejoice in the fact that we are growing
with our ideas, our dreams, our uniqueness, our future.
They want us to be independent and free,
not submissive and afraid.
The people who love us want to simplify our existence,
not by protecting us from pain,
but by being there when we need them.
They encourage risk because they understand
that by risking we continue to grow.
They help us to find alternatives for behavior,
rejoicing in our success and comforting us in our failure.
They are not only lovers, but friends,
loyal and willing to make allowances for our imperfections.
They can be counted upon for support and companionship.
If we expect nothing, we are always delighted.
....life is paradise for those who love many things
with a passion: people, food, flowers, music, dance,
books, art, memories, poetry, family, learning -- an endless list.
There is no need to seek paradise in some far-off future.
The more passionately we love many things,
the closer we come to living our paradise NOW.
Happiness is a by-product of function, purpose and conflict;
that those who seek happiness for itself seek victory without war.
Solitude is an excellent way of improving our hearing.
I have been wondering lately whatever happened to pride.
Not pride in the sense of arrogance or an exaggerated sense of
self-importance, but rather a feeling of self-respect....
....all life, not only human, is affected positively by love.
To place proper value on learning,
we need to recognize a basic law of nature:
That which does not grow: dies.
Learning is not confined to a classroom
and is not imparted solely by people
whom we designate as teachers.
We are all teachers and we are all students.
I know that computer dating has indeed
helped bring people together, but
being the hopeless romantic that I am,
I'm more inclined to believe that the real magic
still lies in two people personally discovering each other
and not in the maturing of two data processing cards.
I don't believe that modern technology is somehow
foreclosing on our humanity. It's comforting to know
that there are human constants like truth, beauty,
love, laughter -- so many complex and also
amazing simple aspects of our makeup
that will always be irreplaceable because
they will always be uniquely human.
The only certitude I've found in life
are death and change. One is an end,
the other a beginning. Change is life.
Without change there would be no growth,
no understanding, no relating and no surprises.
Any change is better than none and
most change is for the better. It has the power to uplift,
to heal, to stimulate, surprise, open new doors,
bring fresh experience and create excitement in life.
It elevates us from mediocrity and saves us from false security.
When we find that life is a bore,
that existence is a chore,
that the wonder and magic of being alive is vanishing,
it is possible that it is because we are resisting change.
One who grows in love,
whether is is a dazzling present or a thoughtful compliment,
is always repaid when it is received in the same spirit.
Just as listening is at least half of the art of communicating,
the art of receiving with joy, appreciation and sensitivity
is every bit as important as the giving.
We need to be reminded just how important
it is that we participate in the welfare and growth of others.
....to give of oneself without expecting anything in return
is one of the finest things one human being can do for another.
What we do, after all, is a tangible statement
we value and how we feel about ourselves and our world.
It should be enough to remember that each of us has
the power to please, to make the world a better place.
Why not?
The great thing about a positive approach to life,
a desire to show our best self, is that it produces
wonderful side effects. It not only creates a happy space
for those in our presence, it encourages others
to be more positive themselves.
Each day offers new opportunities,
new experiences -- no day has ever been like any other,
and neither should our approach to it.
One of our mightiest human possessions is the word.
Words have the power to build, to store and create,
as well as tear down and destroy.
We think with words, we organize our world with words,
we communicate with words, we inform with words,
we build relationships with words. Our worlds are very much
limited by the words we use.
One of our most basic goals in life
should be to become better friends and lovers,
to draw ever closer to each other in all ways.
Touch is the most intimate of our senses
and in reaching out to others, the message is clear:
I'm here, I'm close, and I care.
Really listening to others is an art --
one that we must be continually cultivating.
It is so much more than just hearing words
and reacting to them. I believe the very best in us
is brought out when we truly listen others,
because to do so requires some of the
noblest of human traits.
"I listen to you because I respect you.
I want to know you.
I want to understand you better."
"I listen to you because I feel with you,
knowing that I will need your compassion one day, too."
"I listen to you because I love you."