Don't Brood

Don't brood.  Get on with living and loving.

You don't have forever.

~ Leo Buscaglia ~

Education

Education consists mainly

in what we have unlearned.

~ Mark Twain ~

Be Truly Free

To be truly free and to grow in self-esteem,

choose not to give up your growth, pursuit of fulfillment,

or happiness to anyone.  Choose to treat yourself with

dignity and proceed to move toward full love, wisdom,

freedom, and joy, knowing that you are the authority over you.

~ Lilburn Barksdale ~

Resolution To Succeed

Always bear in mind that your own resolution 

to succeed is more important than any other thing.

~ Abraham Lincoln ~

The One Coin

Courtesy is the one coin you can

never have too much of or

be stingy with.

~ John Wanamaker ~

Uncommon Courtesy

     The phrase, common courtesy, is used to describe those actions that exemplify excellence of manners, social conduct or polite behavior.  They are considered courteous, respectful, or considerate.  However, lately I have noticed that many of these common courtesies are no longer being followed.  And, unfortunately, many of these common courtesies are not being done with such increasing frequency that they are quickly becoming "uncommon courtesies". 

     We all see episodes of uncommon courtesy every day, particularly while driving.  Some of these include:
             -  Changing lanes or turning after a red light turns green without using a turn signal.  I wonder why drivers do not use turn signals.  To me, it makes sense to keep other drivers informed of your intentions.  This just adds an additional safety element to the driving experience.  When I first started driving, if you were going to make a turn, you had to roll down the window and stick out your arm; straight out meant you were turning left and the arm bent up meant you were turning right.  You had to do this rain or shine and even during the cold and snow of winter.  It certainly was inconvenient to have to roll down the window to inform other drivers that you were going to make a turn, but most people did.  It was part of what you learned to do as a driver.  When automatic turn signals were invented, I could not believe how convenient they were.  All you had to do was flick the turn signal arm up or down.  Easy!  Are drivers becoming so lazy or inconsiderate that they choose to refrain from using a simple turn signal?

           -  Driving slow in the fast lane.  This has become so common that some states have passed laws that drivers can be ticketed if they drive in the fast lane below the speed limit.  This practice often forces drivers coming up from behind to change lanes...and probably not using their turn signals when they do.

          -  Parking in a handicapped-parking space when the driver or no other person in the car is handicapped.  I frequently see cars parking in a handicap-parking spot that have the appropriate handicap placards over their rear-view mirror, but the driver who emerges is obviously not handicapped nor is anyone else in the car.  Obviously, handicapped-parking spaces are necessary and businesses are required to ensure that they are available.  So, if a handicapped driver or passenger is not in the car with a handicapped-placard, why take up a handicap parking space just for your convenience.  Common courtesy would dictate that they should leave the parking space for a legitimate handicapped person and they should park in a regular parking space like everyone else.

         -  Not returning shopping carts to the store or a cart collecting area.  I realize that people have busy lives and need to squeeze as many things in a day as possible.  But are we really too busy to not take a few minutes to return shopping carts to their appropriate place?  Not doing so allows carts to block parking spaces or, even worse, to get blown by the wind, roll in the parking lot and end up denting or scratching a parked car.  Unfortunately, this courtesy is becoming more uncommon.

         -  Leaving your seat at an inappropriate time during a sporting event.  When I was a boy and attended a sporting event, I was told that you do not leave your seat to get food or to use the bathroom (if not an emergency) except between innings during a baseball game or during timeouts at other sporting events.  This practice ensures that other people in the row will continue to see the action on the field.  In recent years, particularly when I attend a baseball game, people come and go at will during the game, often resulting in my missing a key play.  Sporting event etiquette and common courtesy should be foremost in the mind of the fans when attending a game.

     I could go on to list many other examples of the increasing lack of common courtesy (the use of cell phones has a long list of their own!).  Like most things, teaching common courtesy begins at home.  Let's hope that common courtesy remains common by having each one of us routinely practice acts of politeness and courtesy.  If we do, we will all be a part of making it a great day!

A Mental Game

If you are going to talk negative about a place,

you are almost throwing yourself out to begin with

because golf is a mental game.

~ Jordan Spieth ~

Quality of Life

If you strive for quality of life first,

standard of living invariably goes up;

if you seek standard of living first,

there is no guarantee that the quality

of life will improve.

~ Zig Ziglar ~

Character vs Reputation

Be more concerned with your character

than with your reputation.  Your character

is what you really are while your reputation

is merely what others think you are.

~ John Wooden ~

Change

Change is the law of life.

And those who look only to

 the past or present are

certain to miss the future.

~ John F. Kennedy ~

Goals

Give me a stock clerk with a goal,

and I will give you a man who

will make history. Give me a man

without a goal, and I will give you 

a stock clerk.

~ J. C. Penney ~

Ladder of Success

You cannot climb the ladder of success

with your hands in your pocket.

How To Remain Sane

How To Remain Sane In An Insane World

by Irv Furman

- Start every day off with a smile and a kind word.

- Think positively.

- Spend less than you make.

- Never lose your sense of humor.

- Do the things you enjoy doing.

- Tell someone you love them.

- Make friends, not enemies.

- Be kind to all creatures.

- Learn to relax. Find your inner peace.

- Avoid the need for doctors and lawyers.

- Don't count the money in someone else's pocket.

- Keep smiling when those around you are frowning.

- Avoid negative people.

- Don't go to bed angry.

- Take long walks.

- Make a difference in the lives of others.

- Be kinder to yourself.

- Don't try to teach your cat to sing.

- Practice the Golden Rule.

- Never say, "I should have."

- Visit an animal shelter and adopt a pet.

- Be thankful for that which you have.

- Make time for yourself.

- Remember, nothing is permanent.

- Allow yourself to forgive.

- Take responsibility for your own happiness.

- Don't use the words hate, forgot, or can't.

- Do what you say you will do.

- See the good in everyone.

- Smell the roses.

- Remain optimistic; never give up hope.

- Don't tip-toe through life...skip.

- Smile more. Love more.

- Treat every child with love...you never know:

     one of them may someday be your dentist.

- Follow your rainbow.

Things That Count

Many of the things you can count, don't count. 

Many of the things you can't count, really count. 

~ Albert Einstein ~ 

Be Grateful

If you don't have all the things you want,

be grateful for all the things you 

don't have that you didn't want. 

~ Gil Atkinson ~

Life's Tiny Delights

Savor life's tiny delights-

a crackling fire, a glorious sunset, 

a hug from a child, a walk with a

friend, a kiss behind the ear. 

~ John Anthony ~

Never Too Late

It is never too late to be

 what you might have been.

~ George Eliot ~

Warning

Warning

by Jenny Joseph

When I'm an old woman I shall wear purple

With a red hat which doesn't go and doesn't suit me.

And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves

And satin sandals and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired

And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells

And run my stick along the public railings

And make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain

And pick the flowers in other peoples' gardens

And learn to spit.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now

So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised when

Suddenly, I am old and start to wear purple.

Hatching the Egg

The key to everything is patience.

You get the chicken by hatching the egg,

not by smashing it.

~ Arnold H. Glasow ~

Patience

     In the book entitled, "Live Your Dreams" by Les Brown, the author cites another book entitled, "An Enemy Called Average", by John L. Mason.  In this book, John Mason writes about a tree called the Giant Bamboo that has a particularly hard seed.  It's so hard that to grow you must water and fertilize that seed every day for four (4) years before any portion of the seed breaks the surface.  And then, in the fifth (5) year, the tree shows itself.

     The remarkable thing about this plant, is that once it breaks the surface, this bamboo plant, like many of the species, is capable of growing at rates as fast as four (4) feet a day to a height of ninety (90) feet in less than a month!

     Les Brown asks the cosmic question, "Did the bamboo tree grow ninety feet in under a month?  Or did it grow over five years?  Over five years of course!  Most people do not realize that if the grower had stopped watering or fertilizing that seed at any point, the tree would have died.

     When they don't see instant results, many people become discouraged with their dreams and goals.  They become impatient.  And I believe many of them walk away from their dreams just as they are about to break through and flourish.  You must have patience.  Your time is going to come if you work diligently and meticulously.

     It doesn't matter if no one else recognizes that.  It matters only that You see it and you have the patience to wait for it."

     Thanks, Les Brown, for these words of encouragement!  When you become discouraged that you have not met your goals or dreams, remember the bamboo plant and have patience.

Mistakes

Mistakes are part of the dues

one pays for a full life.

~ Sophia Loren ~

It's All Up To Me

I can complain because rose bushes have thorns

or rejoice because the thorn bush has a rose...

It's all up to me.

Sense of Humor

I realize that a sense of humor isn't for everyone.

It's only for people who want to have fun,

enjoy life, and feel alive.

~ Anne Wilson Schaef ~