Greetings all Spoon fans,

Would you like to share your photos, drawings and pictures with the hundreds of people worldwide who follow this blog? If so, I would love to use them on here with some encouraging, inspirational Buddhist quotes. As you can see, my favourite personal development authors use pictures very powerfully. To take part, just email [email protected] 

I am looking for images that would help me illustrate thoughts like these:

• “We are all magnificent works in progress.”
• “I am not my past. I am not my psychometric profile. I am not the role I have played to survive so far. I am not the product of my childhood. I am a Buddha. I am who I choose to become.”
• “Wisdom without action produces only regrets. And action without wisdom does pretty much the same.”

• “We do not suffer because life is difficult, we suffer because we expect it to be easy.”

• “The most powerful teachings shatter our illusions, bulldoze our comfort zones and remove our excuses for being unhappy. Buddhism is powerful and chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is the powerhouse of your Buddhahood.”
• “Paralysed by fear I am nothing. But when I am brave I am everything.”
• “Trying to change your whole life without transforming your heart is as pointless as painting over rust.”
• “A mighty heart is forged only in the heat of battle with your own Fundamental Darkness. How, after all, can you fight for another’s happiness if you are not battling with your own demons?”
• “Choose a mentor who is both strict and compassionate. Compassion without strictness is comforting, but ineffective. Strictness without compassion is disrespectful.”
• “When the ego succeeds, humanity fails. Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is a ‘we prayer’, not just a ‘me prayer’.”

I have written around 150 thoughts like these, inspired by the writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Daisaku Ikeda and by SGI leaders such as Kazuo Fujii and John Delnevo. Themes include: determination, wisdom, growth, joy, respect, gratitude, personal accountability, world peace, human revolution and so on.

Pictures of animals and landscapes are especially welcome. As are images of lights in the darkness like the window at the top of this page. Plus anything else that you feel readers would find uplifting.

All 150 thoughts – hopefully with your lovely pictures – will appear over the next few months on facebook.com/thankingthespoon and on Twitter (@DavidHareCoach). The words will also be in the book I am writing. Many of them come from my own ‘lightbulb moments’ when battling with my FD (‘Fundamental Darkness’) while I am chanting.

I will of course credit your name on any images I use. But please also see the ‘small print’ below regarding permissions.

If you want to take part, please email jpeg or png files (ideally no bigger than 1Mb each) to [email protected]

Please include your name and where you live and feel free to share other interesting stuff about you.

Many thanks for helping to #spread the light and #share the love, 🙂

Big Love,

David x

PS. OK, here’s the ‘small print’ (yawn…): By sending me your images you are not giving up your copyright of the images. You are giving me non-exclusive permission to use them free of charge in any media worldwide to promote the Nichiren Buddhist and personal development teachings contained in this blog. Please include your name so that I can acknowledge your copyright.

PPS. Many thanks to Tiffany Wright, Lola Hatmil, Annick McKenzie and Savvy Gulia who have already sent me photos for  this blog.

PPPS. I will only be posting here every couple of weeks for the next few months as I am making time to finish writing a Buddhist book about happiness.