Quiet Waters

Only in quiet waters things mirror themselves undistorted.

Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world.

~ Hans Margolius ~

Only You Can Determine

Outside my window, a new day I see.

And only I can determine what kind of day it will be.

It can be sunny, busy, laughing, gay,

Or boring, cold, unhappy, and gray.

My own state of mind is the determining key.

For I'm the only person I let myself be.

I can be thoughtful and do all I can to help.

Or, I can be selfish, and think just of myself.

I can enjoy what I do and make it seem fun.

Or, gripe and complain, and make it hard on someone.

I can be patient with those who may not understand.

Or, I can belittle and hurt them as much as I can.

But, I have faith in myself and believe what I say.

I personally intend to make the best of this day.

~ Anonymous ~

Your Ship

It's futile to wait for your ship to come in

if you haven't sent one out.

~ Keynote - Edge Learning Institute ~

Leave a Trail

Don't go where the path might lead,

go where there is no path and leave a trail.

~ African Proverb ~

Happiest People

The happiest people are those who are too busy

to notice whether they are happy or not.

Make an Effort

Make an effort everyday to feel good

about who you are and what you can be...

12 Things To Remember

Good Habits

The unfortunate thing about this world

is that good habits are so much easier

to give up than bad ones.

~ Somerset Maugham ~

Men On The Moon

Today I am remembering the day, 50 years ago, that man first walked on the moon. I was in the Army stationed in Korea. We had gotten up at 4 am to watch this historic event on tv.  I remember being mesmerized by the images we saw and trying to decipher what we were seeing. It was hard to fathomed that we were actually watching live images from the moon!  What an amazing day that was.  It was a day when people all over the world stopped what they were doing to watch this incredible achievement. The world seemed united that day and we all felt closer to all the humans here on planet earth. Fond memories of a day that those of us who were alive then will never forget.

Measuring Success

Success is to be measured not so much by the position

one has reached in life, as by the obstacles he or she

has overcome while trying to succeed.

~ Booker T. Washington ~

Laughs

He who laughs...lasts.

Daily Combat

Every moment of worry weakens the soul for its daily combat.

~ Anna Robertson Brown ~

Stumble On Something

Keep on going and the chances are you will stumble on something,

perhaps when you are least expecting it.  I have never heard of anyone

stumbling on something sitting down.

~ Charles F. Kettering ~

What Direction?

The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand

as in what direction we are moving.

~ Oliver Wendell Holmes ~

To The Moon

We may go to the moon, but that is not very far.

The greatest distance we have to cover still lies within us.

~ Charles de Gaulle ~

Not A Failure

A person can fail many times,

but you aren't a failure until

you begin to blame someone else.

Giving UpToo Soon

There is such a thing as giving up too soon.

You can always get one more spoonful

of juice out of a grapefruit.

~ Milt Wise ~

On the Right Track

Even if you are on the right track,

you will get run over if you just sit there.

~ Will Rogers ~

Every Thought...

Every thought is a seed.  If you plant crab apples,

don't count on harvesting Golden Delicious.

The Red Marbles

I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprizing a basket of freshly picked green peas.

I paid for my potatoes, but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.  

"Hello Barry, how are you today?"  

"Hello, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Just admiring them peas. They sure look good." 

"They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?"

"Fine. Gittin' stronger all the time." 

"Good. Anything I can help you with?"

"No, Sir. Just admirin' them peas." ''Would you like to take some home?" asked Mr. Miller.

"No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for them with."

"Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?"

"All I got's my prize marble here."

"Is that right? Let me see it" said Miller.

"Here 'tis. She's a dandy."

"I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is, this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?" the store owner asked.

"Not exactly but almost."

"Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way, let me look at that red marble", Mr. Miller told the boy.

"Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller."

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile said, "There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store."

I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man.

A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.

Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there I learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them.

Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer what ever words of comfort we could.

Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts... all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket.

Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles.

With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.

"Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them."

"Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size... they came to pay their debt."

"We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world," she confided, "but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho".

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shiny red marbles.

The Moral of this story: We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds.

Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath. Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles:

An unexpected phone call from an old friend.

Green stoplights on your way to work.

The fastest line at the grocery store.

A good sing-along song on the radio.

Your keys found right where you left them.

Never be in too much of a hurry to even notice the ordinary miracles when they occur. It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!

by W. E. Petersen

Happy Independence Day

Freedom

Freedom means the opportunity to be

what we never thought we would be. 

~ Daniel J. Boorstin ~

Seek Out

Seek out new things, new people and places

to expand the horizons of your world.

I Hope...