The New Year

The new year stands before us,

like a chapter in a book,

waiting to be written.  We can

help write that story by setting goals.

~ Melody Beattie ~

Anger

Anger is an acid that can do more harm

to the vessel in which it is stored

than to anything on which it is poured.

~ Mark Twain ~

Human Connections

Cherish your human connections:

your relationships with family and friends.

~ Joseph Brodsky ~

Spirit of Christmas

The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of love

and of generosity and of goodness. It 

illuminates the picture window of the soul,

and we look upon the world's busy life

and become more interested in people than in things.

~ Thomas S. Monson ~

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas

and a happy and healthy 2019.

Happiness

Happiness is a by-product of

an effort to make someone else happy.

~ Gretta Brooker Palmer ~

Joy

If you're not having a good time,

find something else that gives you some joy in life.

~ Penny Marshall ~

R.I.P.

A Reasonable Goal

You can't climb up to the second floor without a ladder.

When you set your aim too high and don't fulfill it,

then your enthusiasm turns to bitterness.

Try for a goal that's reasonable, and then gradually raise it.

That's the only way to get to the top.

~ Emil Zatopek ~

Czech Middle Distance Runner

Mountaintops

Mountaintops inspire leaders but valleys mature them.

~ J. Philip Everson ~

Stress

The truth is there is no actual stress or anxiety in the world;

it's your thoughts that create these false beliefs.

You can't package stress, touch it, or see it.

There are only people engaged in stressful thinking.

~ Wayne Dyer ~

Our Great Hope

Little progress can be made by merely attempting to repress what is evil;

our great hope lies in developing what is good.

~ Calvin Coolidge ~

Genius of Life

The genius of life is to carry the spirit of childhood into old age.

~ Aldous Huxley ~

Where You're Headed

Even though there are days I wish I could change some

things that happened in the past, there's a reason the

rear view mirror is so small and the windshield is so big;

where you're headed is much more important than

what you've left behind.

The Final Exam

     Anyone who has been a student remembers that to pass the course, you had to pass the infamous...Final Exam!  Just thinking back on all the final exams I had to study for, gives me shivers.  Many times as I was studying for the exam, I would day dream about how great it would be if I knew all the questions that were going to be on the exam ahead of time.  Just think how much less studying I would have to do!

     Knowing the questions before any final exam would certainly make life easier.  What we don't realize, is that there is a question that each one of us will be asked sometime during our lifetime.  It may be asked by someone else or it may be asked by ourselves.  The question is..."What have you done with your life?"  It's a question that will certainly make us stop and think and could be an extremely difficult question to answer.  The answer we provide, to others or to ourselves, will either bring feelings of peace and satisfaction or feelings of frustration and anxiety.  The former feelings will be felt if we have tried to do as much with our lives as we possibly could.  The latter feelings will be due to the realization that we have wasted our time and have not accomplished things that we knew we could, but were hesitant to try.

     The good news is...we already know the question, so we can prepare the answer we will give.  The bad news is...we are already taking the exam!  It's called life.  Fortunately, the exam lasts for years.  And each one of us will have a varying number of years to complete the exam.  Every day is an opportunity to contribute to our answer.  Eventually, however, we will be told, "The exam is over, put your pencils down."  Until then, how are you composing your answer to the question, "What have you done with your life?"

A Smile

We shall never know all the good a simple smile can do.

~ Mother Teresa ~

Our Possessions

We are not the sum of our possessions.

~ George H. W. Bush ~

Old Guys

Old guys can still do fun things.

~ George H. W. Bush ~

High Moral Principle

America is never wholly herself unless she is engaged in high moral principle.

We as a people have such a purpose today.  It is to make kinder the face of the nation

and gentler the face of the world.

~ George H. W. Bush ~

R.I.P.

Keep Away

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambition.

Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel

that you, too, can become great.

~ Mark Twain ~

Worse Than a Quitter

The one thing worse than a quitter

is a person who is afraid to begin.

People Who Complain

People who complain about the way the ball bounces

are usually the ones who dropped it.

Treasure the Love

Treasure the love you receive above all.

It will survive long after your good health has vanished.

~ Og Mandino ~

Change

Change is the end result

of all true learning.

~ Leo Buscaglia ~

Thanksgiving

I am grateful for what I am and have.

My thanksgiving is perpetual. 

~ Henry David Thoreau ~ 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gratitude

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it

is like wrapping a present and not giving it. 

~ William Arthur Ward ~

Count Your Blessings

When I started counting my blessings,

my whole life turned around.

~ Willie Nelson ~

Makes A Difference

Act as if what you do

makes a difference. It does. 

~ William James ~

Crayons

We could learn a lot from crayons:

some are sharp, some are pretty,

some are dull, some have weird names,

and all are different colors...but

they all exist very nicely in the same box.

Tolerance

Sooner or later, if man is ever to be worthy of his destiny,

we must fill our hearts with tolerance.

~ Stan Lee ~

R.I.P.

Persistence And Determination

Nothing in the world can takethe place of persistence.  

Talent will not; nothing is more common 

than unsuccessful men with talent.

Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.

Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

~ Calvin Coolidge ~

Getting Things Done

The way to get things done is not to mind

who gets the credit for doing them.

~ Benjamin Jowett ~

Veterans

The U.S. Military is us.  There is no truer representation

of a country than the people it sends into the field to fight for it.

The people who wear our uniform and carry our rifles 

into combat are our kids, and our job is to support them,

because they're protecting us.

~ Tom Clancy ~

This Sunday, pause and thank those 

who have served our country in the military.

 

Your Attitude is Everything

     In the book, "Attitude, Your Internal Compass", by Denis Waitley and Boyd Matheson, they write the following about attitude.  It's a good reminder of just how important our day to day attitude can be:

     "Attitude is the way you view your life - your experiences, your environment, your opportunities, your problems, your choices and your responses.  Attitude is the direction in which you lean on all ideas and issues.  It's either failure-reinforcing or success-reinforcing.

     Losers see thunderstorms.  Winners look for rainbows.  Losers see the perils of icy streets.  Winners put on their ice skates.  Losers put down.  Winners lift up.  Losers let life happen to them.  Winners make life happen for themselves and others. Winning and losing is all about attitude.

     Attitudes begin as harmless thoughts.  Then, with practice, they become layered by habit into unbreakable cables to shackle or strengthen our lives.  We're scarcely aware they exist.  Like comfortable beds, they are easy to fall into but difficult to get out of, once settled in.  First we make our attitudes, then our attitudes make us.  Attitude is the servant of all the great individuals who have ever lived and, of course, the servant of all the failures as well.

     There is little difference between common people and those who are uncommonly successful.  The little difference is in their attitude.  The big difference is whether the attitude is positive or negative.

     Your attitude is either the lock on or key to the door of fulfillment.  How important is your attitude?  In truth, "Attitude is Everything."

     We are not responsible for what happens out there, what others do or think.  We are responsible only for how we choose to think and behave.  That's our attitude.  It is a precious, personal possession."
 
 

Never Too Late

It’s never too late to be what you might have been. 

~ George Eliot ~

Rulers of our Democracy

Let us never forget that government is ourselves

and not an alien power over us.

The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President

and senators and congressman and government officials,

but the voters of this country.

~ Franklin D. Roosevelt ~

Vote

If someone says, "Democracy is a sham, those people don't speak for me...

the system's rigged", you say "Vote."  Someone says, "I was making

a statement by not voting" and then you say, "Well, I can't hear it."

~ Jesse Williams ~

Vote!

Value Yourself

Until you value yourself, you won't value your time.

Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.

~ M. Scott Peck ~

The Human Body

God wisely designed the human body so that we can

neither pat our own backs nor kick ourselves too easily.

~ Thomas Carlyle ~

Halloween

Halloween is not only about putting on a costume,

but it's about finding the imagination

and costume within ourselves.

~ Elvis Duran ~

Happy Halloween!

Mutual Trust & Respect

This world of ours...must avoid becoming

a community of dreadful fear and hate,

and be, instead, a proud confederation

of mutual trust and respect.

~ Dwight D. Eisenhower ~

Spend It Wisely

Yesterday is a canceled check; tomorrow is a promissory note; 

today is the only cash you have - so spend it wisely.

~ Kay Lyons ~

A Gift

There is no such thing as 

a problem that doesn't have a gift in it.

Block of Granite

The block of granite which was an obstacle in the pathway

of the weak becomes a stepping-stone in the pathway of the strong.

That block of granite is often nothing more than a decision.

~ Thomas Carlyle ~

Level of Happiness

Every life has its dark and cheerful hours.

Your level of happiness comes from

 choosing which to remember.

Language

Language is the apparel in which

your thoughts parade before the public.

Never clothe them in vulgar or shoddy attire.

~ Dr. George W. Crane ~

Catch a Smile

Smiling is infectious

You catch it like the flu!

When someone smiled at me today,

 I started smiling too!

I passed around the corner

And someone saw my grin,

And when he smiled I realized

I passed it on to him!

I thought about that smile

And I realized its worth -

A single smile just like mine

Could travel 'round the earth!

So, if you feel a smile begin,

Don't leave it undetected...

Let's start an epidemic quick,

And get the world infected!!!

😃

You Are Significant

You may think that you are

 completely insignificant in this world.

But someone drinks coffee every morning

from their favorite cup that you gave them. 

Someone heard a song on the radio

that reminded them of you. 

Someone read the book you recommended,

and plunged headfirst into it. 

Someone remembered your joke

and smiled, returning home from work

in the evening.

Someone loves himself a little more,

because you gave them a compliment. 

Never think that you have no influence

whatsoever. Your trace, which you leave

behind with even a few good deeds,

can not be erased. 

Making a Life

We make a living by what we get,

but we make a life by what we give.

~ Winston Churchill ~

Affirmations

It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief.

And once that belief becomes a deep conviction,

things begin to happen.

~ Claude M. Bristol ~ 

Get Better

You don’t have to be sick to get better. 

Facing the Enemies Within

Facing the Enemies Within

By Jim Rohn

     We are not born with courage, but neither are we born with fear.  Maybe some of your fears are brought on by your own experiences, by what someone has told you, by what you've read in the papers.  Some fears are valid, like walking alone in a bad part of town at two o'clock in the morning.  But once you learn to avoid that situation, you won't need to live in fear of it.

     Fears, even the most basic ones, can totally destroy our ambitions.  Fear can destroy fortunes.  Fear can destroy relationships.  Fear, if left unchecked, can destroy our lives.  Fear is one of the many enemies lurking inside us.

     Let me tell you about five of the other enemies we face from within.  The first enemy that you've got to destroy before it destroys you is indifference.  What a tragic disease this is.  "Ho-hum, let it slide.  I'll just drift along."  Here's one problem with drifting:  You can't drift your way to the top of the mountain.

     The second enemy we face is indecision.  Indecision is the thief of opportunity and enterprise.  It will steal your chances for a better future.  Take a sword to this enemy.

     The third enemy inside is doubt.  Sure, there's room for healthy skepticism.  You can't believe everything.  But you also can't let doubt take over.  Many people doubt the past, doubt the future, doubt each other, doubt the government, doubt the possibilities and doubt the opportunities.  Worst of all, they doubt themselves.  I'm telling you, doubt will destroy your life and your chances of success.  It will empty both your bank account and your heart. Doubt is an enemy.  Go after it.  Get rid of it.

     The fourth enemy within is worry.  We've all got to worry some.  Just don't let it conquer you.  Instead, let it alarm you.  Worry can be useful.  If you step off the curb in New York City and a taxi is coming, you've got to worry.  But you can't let worry loose like a mad dog that drives you into a small corner.  Here's what you've got to do with your worries: drive tham into a small corner.  Whatever is out to get you, you've got to get it.  Whatever is pushing on you, you've got to push back.  

     The fifth interior enemy is over caution.  It is the timid approach to life.  Timidity is not a virtue; it is an illness.  If you let it go, it'll conquer you.  Timid people don't get promoted.  They don't advance and grow and become powerful in the marketplace.  You've got to avoid over-caution.

     Do battle with the enemy.  Do battle with your fears.  Build your courage to fight what's holding you back, what's keeping you from your goals and dreams.  Be courageous in your life and in your pursuit of the things you want and the person you want to become.

 

    

Habits

Our self image and our habits tend to go together.

Change one and you automatically change the other.

~ Maxwell Maltz ~

What We Believe

We are what we believe we are.

~ C. S. Lewis ~

Columbus

If Columbus had an advisory committee

he would probably still be at the dock.

~ Arthur Goldberg ~

Opportunity

If opportunity doesn’t knock, 

build a door. 

~ Milton Berle ~

The Load

It's not the load that breaks you;

it's the way that you carry it.

Hard to Change

Think about how hard it is to change yourself.

Then you will understand how hard it is to change others.

The Two Frogs

The Two Frogs

Two frogs fell into a deep cream bowl...

One was an optimistic soul,

But the other took the gloomy view.

"We shall drown!" he cried, without more ado.

So with the last despairing cry,

He flung up his legs and said, "Goodbye!"

Quoth the other frog with a merry grin,

"I can't get out, but I won't give in!"

"I'll just swim around 'til my strength is spent,

And then when I die, I'll be more content."

Bravely he swam until it seemed

That the struggle had begun to stir the cream.

On top of the butter at last he stopped,

And out of the bowl he gaily hopped.

What is the moral? 'Tis easily found:

If you can't hop out, keep swimming around!

~ Author Unknown ~

Grief

Grief is never something you get over.

You don't wake up one morning and say,

"I've conquered that; now I'm moving on."

It's something that walks beside you every day.

And if you learn how to manage it and honor

the person that you miss, you can take something

that is incredibly sad and have some form of positivity.

~ Terri Irwin ~

Resentment

Resentment is like drinking poison and

waiting for the other person to die.

~ Carrie Fisher ~

Today

Today is a brand new day, and it is yours.

~ Zig Ziglar ~

The Edge Of All The Light

When you come to the edge of all the light you have,

and must take a step into the darkness of the unknown,

believe that one of two things will happen.

Either there will be something solid for you to stand on -

or you will be taught how to fly.

~ Patrick Overton ~

Moving Forward

It's hard to move forward when you can't stop looking back.

     I am sure you would agree that it is difficult to drive a car if you are trying to move forward and the ONLY place you are looking is in the rear-view mirrors.  The same is true in life.  Many people spend enormous amounts of time and energy reliving the events of their past and worrying about these experiences.  In so doing, they reduce the energy required to move their lives forward.  We all have bumpy roads in our past and dwelling on them will not make our future roads any smoother.  Looking at where we've been instead of where we are going often causes us to hit head-on, those obstacles that are in our way.  Indeed, the best way to ensure a smoother ride is to concentrate on the road ahead and avoid the obstacles as they appear.

     One of the best ways to keep looking forward is to have goals and objectives.  These are the best road maps we can have to help us reach our destination.  Living in the past isn't living...it's remembering!  It's not a bad thing to have memories (good or bad).  In fact, remembering our past POSITIVE experiences are helpful in giving us confidence to tackle even more challenging objectives.  Just remember, however, that memories are our rear-view mirrors and constantly "looking" at them makes it very difficult to move our lives forward.

Make this a great life!

Shortcuts

There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.

~ Beverly Sills ~

Finding a Way

If you really want to do something,

you'll find a way.  If you don't,

you'll find an excuse.

Over the Hill

Just remember, once you are over the hill

you begin to pick up speed.

~ Arthur Schopenhauer ~

Peace

You can find peace amidst

the storms that threaten you.

~ Joseph B. Wirthlin ~

Pleasures

We tire of those pleasures we take,

but never of those we give.

~ John Petit-Senn ~

Forgiveness

When you forgive, you in no way change the past -

but you sure do change the future.

~ Bernard Meltzer ~

Reading

To read without reflecting is like

eating without digesting.

~ Edmund Burke ~

Angry

When I am angry at myself,

I criticize others.

~ Ed Howe ~

Riding a Bicycle

Life is like riding a bicycle. 

 To keep your balance, you must keep moving.

~ Albert Einstein ~

Patriotic

The first time I realized I was patriotic

was after September 11th.

~ Claire Danes ~

We Remember

Joy

Find a place inside where there's joy,

and the joy will burn out the pain.

~ Joseph Campbell ~

Marriage

Marriage is about the most expensive way

for the average man to get laundry done.

~ Burt Reynolds ~

R.I.P.

Our Destiny

It is not in the stars to hold our destiny

but in ourselves.

~ William Shakespeare ~

The Future

The best thing about the future is that

it comes only one day at a time.

~ Abraham Lincoln ~

School

Education is not just about going to school and getting a degree.

It's about widening your knowledge and absorbing the truth about life.
~ Shakuntala Devi ~

Best wishes to all students for a successful school year.

Labor Day

Each year, Labor Day gives us the opportunity to recognize

the invaluable contributions that working men and women

make to our nation, our economy and our collective prosperity.

It gives us a chance to show gratitude for workers' grit, dedication,

ingenuity, and strength, which define our nation's character.

~ Thomas E. Perez ~

Happy Labor Day!

Your Own Artist

Be your own artist, and always be confident in what you are doing.

If you are not going to be confident, you might as well not be doing it.

~ Aretha Franklin ~

A Prisoner

I fell in love with my country

when I was a prisoner in someone else's.

~ John McCain ~

Risks

If no one ever took risks,

Michelangelo would have painted the Sistine floor.

~ Neil Simon ~

R.I. P.

Putting It Off

Putting off an easy thing makes it hard,

and putting off a hard one makes it impossible.

~ George H. Lorimer ~

Our Differences

But we should be mindful as we argue about our differences

that so much more unites than divides us.

We should also note that our differences,

when compared with those in many,

if not most, other countries,

are smaller than we sometimes imagine them to be.

~ John McCain ~

R.I.P.

Time

Time flies: but remember

 you are the navigator.

Fly Away

When wings are grown,

birds and children fly away.

~ Chinese Proverb ~

Good Laughs

We are all here for a spell;

get all the good laughs you can.

~ Will Rogers ~

Music

Music does a lot of things for a lot of people.

It's transporting, for sure.

It can take you right back, years back,

to the very moment certain things happened in your life.

It's uplifting, it's encouraging, it's strengthening.

~ Aretha Franklin ~

R.I.P.

See the Good Points

It is healthier to see the good points of others

than to analyze our own bad ones.

~ Francoise Sagan ~

No More Blame

You can no more blame your circumstance for your character

than you can the mirror for your looks.

Act

Act the way you'd like to be

 and soon you'll be the way you act.

~ Dr. George W. Crane ~

Compliments

Compliments cost nothing, yet there

are those around us who would do

anything to be praised for something.

Compassion

If you want others to be happy,

practice compassion.  If you want

to be happy, practice compassion.

~ Dalai Lama ~

It's Sad

It's sad when someone you know

becomes someone you knew.

~ Henry Rollins ~

Dear Old Friends

Remember that the most valuable antiques

are dear old friends.

~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr. ~

Getting Older

The good part about getting older is 

you stop trying to prove anything to anyone,

including yourself.  All you are in the pursuit of 

is collecting experiences - beautiful, fragile little soap bubbles

that you store in your heart, and every once in a while

you pull one out and gaze at the delicate pictures it shows you.

~ Twinkle Khanna ~

Two Great Days

There are two great days in a person's life -

the day we are born and the day we discover why.

~ William Barclay ~

Worrying

When you begin to worry, go find something to do.

Get busy being a blessing to someone; do something fruitful.

Talking about your problem or sitting alone,

thinking about it, does no good;

 it serves only to make you miserable.

Above all else, remember that worrying is totally useless.

Worrying will not solve your problem.

~ Joyce Meyer ~

Remember Your Dreams

Remember your dreams and fight for them.

You must know what you want from life.

There is just one thing that makes your dream become impossible:

the fear of failure.

~ Paulo Coelho ~

Negative People

Stay away from negative people.

They have a problem for every solution.

~ Albert Einstein ~

Your Smile

Your smile will give you a positive countenance

that will make people feel comfortable around you.

~ Les Brown ~

Love Your Life

However mean your life is, do not blame it;

 do not shun and call it hard names.  

It is not so bad as you are.  

It looks poorest when you are richest.

The fault-finder will find faults even in Paradise.

Love your life.

~ Henry David Thoreau ~

Respect

A child who is allowed to be disrespectful to his parents

will not have true respect for anyone.

~ Billy Graham ~

Dreams

Dreams are renewable.

No matter what our age or condition,

there are still untapped possibilities within us

and new beauty waiting to be born.

~Dr. Dale Turner ~

Office Plants

Never go to a doctor

whose office plants have died.

~ Erma Bombeck ~

Rain

If the rain spoils our picnic,

but saves a farmer's crop,

who are we to say it shouldn't rain?

~ Tom Barrett ~

Happiness

Let us never know what old age is.

Let us know the happiness time brings,

not count the years.

~ Ausonius ~

Be That Perfectly

Do not wish to be anything but what you are,

and try to be that perfectly.

~ St. Francis de Sales ~

Music

Music expresses that which cannot be said

and on which it is impossible to be silent.

~ Victor Hugo ~

Little Difference in People

There is little difference in people,

but that little difference makes a big difference.

The little difference is attitude.

The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.

~ W. Clement Stone ~

Politics

In our age there is no such thing as "keeping out of politics."

All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies,

evasions, folly, hatred, and schizophrenia.

~ George Orwell ~

A Higher Standard

Hold yourself responsible to a higher standard

than anybody expects of you.

Never excuse yourself.

~ Henry Ward Beecher ~

Be Not Afraid of Life

These, then, are my last words to you:

Be not afraid of life.  Believe that life

is worth living and your life is worth living

and your belief will help create the fact.

~ William James ~

Almost Out of Reach

You have to set the goals that are almost out of reach.

If you set a goal that is attainable without much work or thought,

you are stuck with something below your true talent and potential.

~ Steve Garvey ~

Love & Happiness

Love is when the other person's happiness

is more important than your own.

~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr. ~

Think & Feel

Think and feel yourself there!

To achieve any aim in life,

you need to project the end-result.

Think of the elation, the satisfaction, the joy!

Carrying the ecstatic feeling will bring 

the desired goal into view.

~ Grace Speare ~

Failure

Failure is only the opportunity

to begin again more intelligently.

~ Henry Ford ~

America

America will never be destroyed from the outside.

If we falter and lose our freedoms,

it will be because we destroyed ourselves. 

~ Abraham Lincoln ~

The Essence of America

The essence of America - that which really unites us -

is not ethnicity, or nationality, or religion.

It is an idea - and what an ideas it is:

that you can come from humble circumstances

and do great things.  That it doesn't matter

where you came from, but where you are going.

~ Condoleezza Rice ~

Happy Independence Day U.S.A.!

Overnight Success

Instead of thinking about where you are,

think about where you want to be.

It takes twenty years of hard work

to become an overnight success.

~ Diana Rankin ~

Cheer Yourself Up

The best way to cheer yourself up

is to try to cheer somebody else up.

~ Mark Twain ~

Revenge

Revenge only engenders violence,

not clarity and true peace.

I think liberation must come from within.

~ Sandra Cisneros ~

Stained-Glass Windows

People are like stained-glass windows.

They sparkle and shine when the sun is out,

but when the darkness sets in,

their beauty is revealed only if

there is a light from within.

~ Elizabeth Kubler-Ross ~

Formulate and Stamp

Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind

a mental picture of yourself as succeeding.

Hold this picture tenaciously.

Never permit it to fade.

Your mind will seek to develop the picture.

Do not build up obstacles in your imagination.

Do not be awestruck by other people and try to copy them.

Nobody can be you as efficiently as you can.

~ Norman Vincent Peale ~

Life & Consciousness

Life and consciousness are the two great mysteries.

Actually, their substrates are the inanimate.

And how do you get from neurons shooting around in the brain

to the thought that pops up in your head and mine?

There's something deeply mysterious about that.

And if you are not struck by the mystery,

I think you haven't thought about it.

~ Charles Krauthammer ~

R. I. P.

Positive Self-Image

A strong, positive self-image is the best

possible preparation for success.

~ Joyce Brothers ~

Enough

He who knows that enough is enough

will always have enough.

~ Lao Tzu ~

Good Relationships

Most good relationships are built

on mutual trust and respect.

~ Mona Sutphen ~

Fits the Lock

Smile, it is the key that fits

the lock of everybody's heart.

~ Anthony J. D'Angelo ~

Fathers

One father is more than

a hundred schoolmasters.

~ George Herbert ~

Happy Father's Day!

Flag Day

I believe that our flag is more than cloth and ink.

It is a universally recognized symbol that stands

for liberty and freedom.  It is the history of our

nation and it is marked by the blood of those

who died defending it.

~ John Thune ~

Happy Flag Day!

Food

Food is everything we are.

It's an extension of nationalistic feeling,

ethnic feeling,  your personal history, 

your province, your region, your tribe,

your grandma.  Its inseparable

from those from the get-go.

~ Anthony Bourdain ~

R.I.P.

The Artist

Why should I deem myself to be a chisel,

when I could be the artist?

~ Frederick von Schiller ~

Fidelity

Many persons have the wrong idea

of what constitutes true happiness.

It is not attained through self-gratification

but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.

~ Helen Keller ~

School

Grades don't measure tenacity, courage, leadership,

guts or whatever you want to call it.  Teachers 

or any other persons in a position of authority

should never tell anybody they will not succeed

because they did not get all A's in school.

~ Thomas J. Stanley ~

Congratulations to all school graduates!

Growing Good Corn

There once was a farmer who grew award-winning corn.  Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon.

One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it.  The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors.

"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.

"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know?  The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field.  If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn.  If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn."

He is very much aware of the connectedness of life.  His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves.

So it is with our lives.  Those who choose to live in peace must help their neighbors to live in peace.  Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches.  And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

The lesson for each of us is this:  if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbors grow good corn.

~ Anonymous ~

Failure

Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again,

this time more intelligently.

~ Henry Ford ~

Honesty

We must make the world honest

before we can honestly say to our children

that honesty is the best policy.

~ George Bernard Shaw ~

Reading

Reading is to the mind

what exercise is to the body.

~ Joseph Addison ~

The Dash

The Dash

by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on their tombstone from the beginning...to the end.

He noted that first came the date of birth and spoke of the following date with tears, but he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years. 

For that dash represents all the time they spent alive on earth. And now only those who loved them know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own, the cars...the house...the cash.  What matters most is how we live and love and how we lived our dash.

So, think about this long and hard.  Are there things you'd like to change?  For you never know how much time is left that can still be rearranged.

To be less quick to anger and show appreciation more and love the people in our lives like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile, remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read, with your life's actions to rehash...would you be proud of the things they say about how you lived your dash?

© 1996-2018, Inspire Kindness, LLC

www.TheDashPoem.com

Memorial Day

Memorial Day isn't just about honoring veterans,

its honoring those who lost their lives.

Veterans had the fortune of coming home.

For us, that's a reminder of when we come home

we still have a responsibility to serve.  It's

a continuation of service that honors our country

and those who fell defending it.

~ Pete Hegseth ~

Happy Memorial Day!

Positive Goals

Set goals in life; set them 

high and persist until they are achieved.

Once they are achieved, set bigger and better goals.

You will soon find that your life will become happier

and more purposeful by working toward positive goals.

~ Raymond Floyd ~

Opportunities

Opportunities are like sunrises.

If you wait too long, you miss them.

~ William Arthur Ward ~

A Healthy Attitude

A healthy attitude is contagious,

but don't wait to catch it from

others.  Be a carrier!

John Wesley's Rule

Do all the good you can, by all the means you can,

in all the ways you can, in all places you can,

at all times you can, to all people you can,

as long as ever you can.

~ John Wesley ~

Ignore Everything Else

You try to do the best with

what you've got and ignore

everything else.  That's why

horses get blinders in horse racing:

You look at the horse next to you,

and you lose a step.

~ Jimmy Lovine ~

Truly Live Life

When we are motivated by goals

that have deep meaning, by dreams

that need completion, by pure

love that needs expressing,

than we truly live life.

~ Greg Anderson ~

Ultimate Expression

Love is the ultimate expression

of the will to live.

~ Tom Wolfe ~

R.I.P.

Most Significant Change

The most significant change 

in a person's life is a change of

attitude - right attitudes produce

right actions.

~ William J. Johnston ~

Sharing

     I have often wondered what one purpose there may be for life and I have concluded that the purpose is to share.  Life is created because of sharing...the sharing of the male sperm with the female egg.  Without the sharing of the genetic material found in both the sperm and egg, we would not exist.
   
     And while we would like to think that human life is created because of love and caring, we know that in many instances, these feelings are not the reason for conception.  Many people are conceived out of lust, rape, or just plain sexual satisfaction.  However, there can be no denying, that no matter what feelings led to conception, the male and female created life by sharing something that each had that was vital to create a new life.

     So, since we were created because of a sharing experience, I feel that this should be the foremost purpose of our life here on earth.  Think of all the things we can and should share with others.  There is love, kindness, happiness, understanding, knowledge, time, talents, our financial incomes, and all the other qualities of life that will make this world a better place for all of us.  None of these things can be done between two individuals without the act of sharing.

     Although animal species are also on this earth because of the act of "creative sharing", the stronger feelings of competition to survive and the process of survival of the fittest overrides most opportunities to share outside of the parent/child relationship that assists in the continuation of the species.  Humans have the God-given capability to share with those outside our immediate family unit and by so doing improve the lives of others without the fear that in some way, we are jeopardizing the existence of the family unit or the human species.  This may be the single most important thing that makes humans distinct from the other animal species of the world.

     So for me, I want to have sharing as the central theme that influences all that I am and all that I do.  I hope you do not mind that I have "shared" this thought with you.

Mothers

Mother's love is peace.

It need not be acquired,

it need not be deserved.

~ Eric Fromm ~

Happy Mother's Day

Conquers You

He who angers you

conquers you.

~ Elizabeth Kenny ~

Think a Picture

When you think something,

you think in picture.  You don't

think a thought in words.  You

think a picture that expresses

 your thought.  Working with this

picture will produce it into your experience.

~ Grace Speare ~

A Possibilitarian

Become a possibilitarian.

No matter how dark things seem to be

or actually are, raise your sights 

and see the possibilities - always see them,

for they're always there.

~ Norman Vincent Peale ~

What Would Life Be?

What would life be if we had

no courage to attempt anything?

~ Vincent Van Gogh ~

It's Time

It's time to start living the life we've imagined.

~ Henry James ~

Find a Place

Find a place inside where there's joy,

and the joy will burn out the pain.

~ Joseph Campbell ~

Being Honest

I have found that being honest

is the best technique I can use.

Right up front, tell people what

you're trying to accomplish and

what you're willing to sacrifice

to accomplish it.

~ Lee Iacocca ~

Look Ahead

Nobody gets to live life backward.

Look ahead - that's where your future lies.

~ Ann Landers ~

Words

     Words trigger pictures which bring about emotions (feelings).

     I am sure that you would agree that words are powerful tools that can be used for constructive or destructive purposes.  What you may not have realized is that words, when heard or read, can trigger pictures in the minds of anyone hearing or reading those words.  In turn, these pictures can bring about positive or negative emotions that can significantly affect our attitudes, well-being or self-esteem. If you do not think that words can affect someone, stop and think about bullying.  What is the primary weapon used to bully someone...words. 

     Lately, I have been noticing the headlines used in reporting the news, in print, on TV, and on the internet.  Here are some headlines that I have seen in internet newspapers and on TV:

“White House staffers and journalists slam Correspondents’ dinner”

"Trump takes shots at Kushner, Sessions at Gridiron Club dinner"

"Trump attacks European trade partners who criticized tariff plans"

"Politicians fume over Trump's push to cut funds for Gateway project"

"Clinton blasts Trump for ignoring Russia meddling”

     Headlines that use words like “slams”, ”attacks” and “blasts” create pictures in the minds of the reader.  In turn, this may lead to negative attitudes and behavioral patterns.  The use of these words connotes acts of violence.  Is it any wonder that we see increasing acts of violence against those who may not agree with someone?  Also, the use of vile language and profanity on social media, in my opinion, contributes to the inability of our society to debate issues in a civilized manner. 

     So, be careful in your choice of words when communicating with someone in person or via social media.  You just may be contributing to the anger, discourse, and violence we see in our society.

    

Keep Going

It you are going through hell,

keep going.

~ Winston Churchill ~

Exhilaration of Life

Exhilaration of life can be found with an upward look.

This is an exciting world.  It is cram-packed with opportunity.

Great moments await around the corner.

~ Richard De Vos ~

An Adventure

Whatever course you have chosen for yourself,

it will not be a chore but an adventure

if you bring to it a sense of the glory of striving,

if your sights are set far above the merely secure and mediocre.

~ David Sarnoff ~

A Positive Attitude

A positive attitude removes the rust from the mind,

lubricates our inward machinery, and enables us

to do our work with fewer creaks and groans.

State of Mind

Success is a state of mind.

if you want success,

start thinking of yourself as a success.

Measure of Success

Never lose sight of the fact that the most important

yardstick of your success will be how you treat

other people - your family, friends, and coworkers,

and even strangers you meet along the way.

~ Barbara Bush ~

Circumstances

People are always blaming circumstances for what they are.

I don't believe in circumstances.  The people who get

on in this world are the people who get up and

look for the circumstances they want and if

they can't find them, make them.

~ George Bernard Shaw ~

Regrets

At the end of your life, you 

will never regret not having

passed one more test, not winning

one more verdict or not closing

one more deal.  You will regret

time not spent with a husband,

a friend, a child, or a parent.

~ Barbara Bush ~

Rest in Peace

Do What You Cannot Do

You can gain strength, courage, and confidence

by every experience in which you really stop to

look fear in the face...You must do the thing

which you think you cannot do.

~ Eleanor Roosevelt ~

Service

Service is the rent we pay for being.

It is the very purpose of life,

and not something you do in your spare time.

~ Marion Wright Edelman ~

Courage

Whatever you do, you need courage.

Whatever course you decide upon,

there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong.

There are always difficulties arising that tempt you

to believe that your critics are right.  

To map out a course of action and follow it to an end

requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs.

Peace has its victories, but it takes brave

men and women to win them.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

Something You Enjoy

To find something you can enjoy is

far better than finding something

you can possess.

~ Glen Holm ~

Get On With It

If we have not achieved our early dreams,

we must either find new ones or see what

we can salvage from the old.  If we have

accomplished what we set out to do in our youth,

then we need not weep like Alexander the Great

that we have no more worlds to conquer.

There is clearly much left to be done,

and whatever else we are going to do,

we had better get on with it.

~ Rosalynn Smith Carter ~

A Fine Cushion

Cherish all your happy moments;

they make a fine cushion for old age.

~ Booth Tarkington ~

Swim

Don't wait for your ship to come in,

swim out to it.

Golf

Success in golf depends less on strength of body

than upon strength of mind and character.

~ Arnold Palmer ~

Smile

Smile in the mirror.  Do that

every morning and you'll 

start to see a big difference

in your life.

~ Yoko Ono ~

Infinite Hope

We must accept finite disappointment,

but never lose infinite hope.

~ Martin Luther King, Jr. ~

Basketball

I have always maintained

that in basketball the

importance of the mental to

the physical is about four to one.

~ Bobby Knight ~

Congratulations to the Villanova Wildcats!