Man cannot discover new oceans
unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.

• Courage quote: André Gide (1869-1951), French author and Nobelist. This quote is very fitting for anyone who’s thinking about venturing into the unknown: no matter how safe you might feel in the harbor, you can’t discover new oceans unless you’re ready to leave the safe and familiar behind you. Actually, you probably did this as a child because you can’t truly learn to walk unless you have the courage to let go of your parent’s hand.
• Photo: “Tall Ships” by Wim Lassche. The small version of this image simply doesn’t do justice to the rich textures, details, and overall mood of the original photo. Trust me, you just have to view the larger version of these ships! Also, check out the photographer’s Photo.net gallery for other, equally amazing shots. They’re also featuring beautiful landscapes and settings, with rich textures and details, yet the photos aren’t overdone. Expect to see more of Wim Lassche’s work featured in Weekly Inspiration…

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.

• Quote: Buddha. This is one of my favorite quotes by one of my favorite authors, the Buddha: so simple, so profound, and so very true. Unless you realize that peace comes from within, no external circumstances can make you feel at peace. Peaceful circumstances can of course help you, but in the end, peace comes from within.
• Photo: “Lily Pair” by George Dangerfield. Click the image for a larger version or view his photo gallery for more beautiful photos by him.

Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!

• Quote: William Arthur Ward, an American author and scholar.
• Photo: Timur Emeka. Two women toasting as fireworks explode during an outside party in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district to celebrate the New Year 2010. This image is from Boston.com’s wonderful The Big Picture blog. Go check out the whole entry, Welcoming 2010, and its 38 photos of New Years celebrations from around the world!

• Quote: Unknown. Nobody knows who originally came up with this holiday wish, but who cares – the message itself is the important thing. For me, Christmas isn’t about presents or cards or expensive decorations; it’s about calming down, spending time with my family and loved ones, and celebrating the Winter Solstice. (I don’t give presents or even send Christmas cards. It’s so liberating!) In the West, Christmas is often considered to be the time of peace and good will… but I wish you peace and good will for all year long!
• Photo: “Winter Night” by Ketil Monsen. View a larger version of this image or view the photographer’s Photo.net gallery for more photos by him.

• Quote: Japanese proverb.
• Photo: Unknown. Do you know where this photo comes from? If you do, please let me know!

• Quote: Brandi Snyder.
• Photo: “Cigni” by Guido Fulgenzi. Click the image to see a bigger version of the swan photo. If you want to see more photos by Guido Fulgenzi, visit his Photo.net portfolio or check out his website at Photo-fulgenzi.com.

• Quote: Matsuo Basho, a Japanese haiku poet (1644 – 1694)
• Photo: “Golden light” by jedzer. Visit Outdoor-photos.com for more photos by jedzer, or view a large version of this photo.

• Quote: Thomas à Kempis, a German mystic and religious author (1380 – 1471)
• Photo: “Twelve Years” by Marc Adamus, one of my long time favorite landscape photographers. Visit TimeCatcher.com for more photos by him and other fantastic photographers, or view a large version of this photo.

What Is This?

This post is the first one in a weekly series called Weekly Inspiration. Think of it as a virtual scrapbook, and you’ll get a good idea of what it’s like.

Every Monday, I’ll be posting a “new page” into my virtual scrapbook, with two “clippings”: a beautiful photo or piece of art, combined with a quote. Basically, this is precisely the same thing I used to do as a kid – I had a scrapbook where I collected beautiful images and paired them up with fitting quotes. The only difference is this one is a virtual scrapbook, while the one I had as a kid was physical.

Fair Game

It should go without saying that whenever possible, I’ll give full credit to the artists and photographers whose work I feature. The same goes for the authors I quote.

I will never, ever hotlink to any artist’s site! I’ll upload the images I use into my own server. Whenever I can, I will post a link to the original picture (which is often bigger in size) and the artist’s or photographer’s gallery, so you can check out other pictures by them. Perhaps, sometimes, I’ll also post a review of the featured artist or author.

I hope you’ll enjoy this virtual scrapbook!