Keep Aiming

Cheerful People

You find yourself refreshed by the presence of cheerful people.

Why not make an honest effort to confer that pleasure on others?

Half the battle is gained if you never allow yourself to say anything gloomy.

~ Julia Child ~

Positive Thinker

The positive thinker sees the invisible,

feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.

Great Secrets of Life

The longer you live the more you realize that forgiveness,

consideration, and kindness are three of the great secrets of life.

The Cracked Pot

  

      A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck.  One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.  For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his master's house.

     Of course the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made.  But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.  After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.

     "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."

     "Why?" asked the bearer.  "What are you ashamed of?"

     "I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house.  Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.  The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said. "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."

     Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some.  But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.  The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side?  That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it.  I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them.  For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table.  Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace this house."

Moral:

     Each of us has our own unique flaws.  We're all cracked pots.  But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.  You've just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them.  There is a lot of good out there.  There is a lot of good in us!  Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.

     Remember to appreciate all the different people in your life.  Or as I like to think of it - if it hadn't been for the crackpots in my life, it would have been pretty boring and not so interesting.

Life is Change

Pessimism

I don't believe in pessimism. 

If something doesn't come up the way you want, forge ahead.

If you think it's going to rain, it will.

~ Clint Eastwood ~

Biggest Mistake

The biggest mistake of all is to avoid situations

in which you might make a mistake.

What Might Happen...

What might happen if we approached our disagreements with a little more curiosity and a little less derision? What tides—and hearts—might turn then?

Be Not Afraid

Be not afraid of life.

Believe that life is worth living,

and your belief will create the fact.

~ William James ~

Dance

Manufacturers

We are all manufacturers --- some make good;

others make trouble; and still others make excuses.

Stress

Stress is like an ice cream cone...

you have to learn to lick it.

Set Goals

Set goals for yourself and work your hardest to achieve them.

Some goals you will achieve and others you won't,

but at least you will have the satisfaction of knowing where you were going.

~ Beth Daniel ~

Confidence

Doing Little Things

Doing little things well is a step

toward doing big things better.

The Will To Try

The only thing that stands between a man

and what he wants from life is often

merely the will to try it and the faith to

believe that it is possible.

~ Richard M. De Vos ~

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 Barclays ~

Misery

In life pain is inevitable, but misery is optional.

A Rest?

If you don't have anything to do,

you can't take a rest.

Cheerfulness

Cheerfulness is what greases the axles of the world.

Don't go through life creaking.

~ H. W. Byles ~

Sad

     This past weekend was a sad couple of days for America.  It is past time that we pause all the political, social network, and newspaper discourse and work together to solve the causes for the violence.  Our country needs everyone to work together to decide to identify the causes and correct the mass shooting epidemic.

    

      It is difficult after such a violent weekend to remain positive and in good spirits. We all must take time to grieve for the victims and their families.  However, after the grieving, we must collectively agree to put our political, ethnic, and social issues aside and work together to make our country safer for all of us.  Our country is not what occurred this past weekend.  We are better than the acts of violence exhibited this past weekend.  But in order for our country to rise above the tragedies of mass shootings, we must all agree to work together as Americans and bring civility, respect, and love back to the basis for all we say and do.  In short, we all must work together to Make This A Great Country for all.

Patience

Patience is the ability to idle your motor

when you feel like stripping your gears.

Happiness

Happiness is like a kiss - in order to get any good out of it,

you have to give it to somebody else.