A Story to Live By...

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind.
She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, 'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.'

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages
came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.

He asked her, 'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?'

The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The
sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that.
The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse
to marry him.

Her boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her
saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before
they were yours, they were mine.'

This is how the human brain often works when our status changes.
Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who
was always by their side in the most painful situations.

Life Is a Gift

Today before you say an unkind word - Think of someone
who can't speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone
who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone
who's crying out to GOD for a companion.

Today before you complain about life - Think of someone
who died too early on this earth.

Before you complain about your children - Think of someone
who desires children but they're barren.

Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't clean or
sweep - Think of the people who are living in the streets.

Before whining about the distance you drive - Think of someone
who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the
unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.

But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another - Remember that not one of us is without sin.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile
on your face and think: you're alive and still around.

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
.. Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
.. But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
.. Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
.. And yet don't look too good, nor talk to wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
.. And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
.. Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
.. And stoop, and build 'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
.. And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
.. And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
.. To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
.. Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
.. Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
.. If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
.. With sixty seconds' worth of distance run
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
.. And - which is more - you'll be grown up my child!

Rudyard Kipling (1865 to 1936)

10 Causes and Cures of Unhappiness

One of the quickest ways to spread the sunny rays of happiness over your life is to directly confront the negative attitudes darkening your doorstep.

While neither universal nor all-encompassing, the joy-stealing attitudes and corresponding cures listed below are common enough to warrant a thumbtack on the wall of many lives, including my own.

1. Jealousy: Destroy the green monster by celebrating the successes of others. If your friend succeeds, celebrate his victory as your own; if your enemy succeeds, remind yourself that jealousy is self-defeating, pointless, and merely extends an enemy’s power over you.

2. Persecution Complex: Recognize that persecution is irrelevant, since you (and only you) control the outcome of your life. Every person has a stack of obstacles placed before him; success hinges upon your ability to overcome the obstacles in your path, persecution or no.

3. Lack of Accountability: We may not control every bad thing that happens to us, but we do control how we react to those bad things. Instead of passing the buck, take responsibility for every failure so you can learn and grow.

4. Perfectionism: Stop nit picking. Perfection is rarely attainable and seldom necessary. You’re a person, not a robot. Use the 80/20 Rule whenever appropriate.

5. Excessive Reasoning: Man is blessed with a marvelous and astounding ability to reason. At its best, this ability facilitates accomplishment; at its worst, it causes spirals of perfectionism, over-thinking, and paralysis by analysis. If it’s clear you’re in a situation that cannot be improved through logic and reason, learn to let go.

6. Negativism: Remind yourself that there are just as many positive forces in the world as negative ones; your fixation on the negative is a matter of perspective and choice.

7. Assuming the Worst of Others: There is a fine line between guarding against a realistic threat and being needlessly defensive. Make sure you haven’t crossed that line. Whenever possible, give people the benefit of the doubt.

8. Low Self-Esteem: Raise your self-esteem by recognizing your accomplishments and positive qualities; further boost it by correcting the problem areas that drag you down.

9. Low Self-Efficacy: Self-efficacy is defined as faith in your ability to achieve a desired outcome. To overcome low self-efficacy, master the skills required to reach your objective. Practice, practice, practice.

10. Feelings of Meaninglessness: Inject meaning into your life by learning to follow your passion: that internal compass, guiding you toward fulfillment. Read my synergy series of articles for more information; if you disagree with my approach for discovering purpose, pioneer your own.

Unhappiness is both self-defined and self-imposed (meaning a person who believes himself happy is), so if you’re capable of controlling your mental state without examining its constituent elements, I stand in awe of your mental abilities and politely leave you to your devices.

On the other hand, if you’re like most people I’ve known (myself included) and occasionally feel unhappy for reasons that cannot be swept under the rug, review this list of 10 self-destructive attitudes and corresponding cures.

By understanding the source of your unhappiness, you can take the steps required to climb out of the hole of despair and into the sunlight of happiness.

20 Thoughts to the Wise

01. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.

02. Dear God: I have a problem. Sometimes, it's me.

03. Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional.

04. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.

05. Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.

06. Do the math. Count your blessings.

07. Faith is the ability to not panic.

08. Laugh every day, it's like inner jogging.

09. If we worry, we probably didn't pray. If we pray, we probably don't worry.

10. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home every day.

11. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.

12. The most important things in our homes are the people.

13. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knots for us.

14. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.

15. He who dies with the most toys is still dead. And who knows where he has gone?

16. We do not remember days, but moments. Life moves too fast, so enjoy your precious moments.

17. Nothing is real to you until we experience it, otherwise it's just hearsay.

18. It's all right to sit on our pity pot every now and again. Just be sure to flush when you are done.

19. Surviving and living our life successfully requires courage. The goals and dreams we seek require courage and risk-taking. Learn from the turtle -- it only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.

20. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

Steps to Happiness

Everybody Knows,

You can't be all things to all people.
You can't do all things at once.
You can't do all things equally well.
You can't do all things better than everyone else.
Your humanity is showing just like everyone else's.


So,

You have to find out who you are, and be that.
You have to decide what comes first, and do that.
You have to discover your strengths, and use them.
You have to learn not to compete with others, because no one else is in the contest of "being you".


Then,

You will have learned to accept your own uniqueness.
You will have learned to set priorities and make decisions.
You will have learned to live with your limitations.
You will have learned to give yourself the respect that is due.
And you'll be a most vital mortal.


Believe,

That you are a wonderful, unique person.
That you are a once-in all history event.
That it's more than a right, it's your duty, to be who you are.
That life is not a problem to solve, but a gift to cherish.
And you'll be able to stay one up on what used to get you down.

Twelve Good Thoughts

1. Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the right one so that when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to be grateful for that gift.

2. Love is when you take away the feeling, the passion, and the romance in a relationship and find out that you still care for that person.

3. When the door of happiness closes, another opens but often times we look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one which has been opened for us.

4. The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.

5. It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.

6. There are things you'd love to hear that you would never hear from the person who you would like to hear from, but don't be so deaf as not to hear it from the one who says it from their heart.

7. Don't go for looks, they can deceive. Don't go for wealth, in the end it fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright.

8. Dream what you want to dream, go where you want to go, be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.

9. A careless word may kindle strife, a cruel word may wreck a life, a timely word may level stress, a loving word may heal and bless.

10. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

11. Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched and those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives.

12. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past, you can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches..

Top Ten Tiger Woods Lessons for Success:

1. Expect to win.
Know in your heart that you are a winner.

2. Let your expectations show.
Express no doubts, let your competitors and your friends know that you have none.

3. Work, practice, work, and practice some more.
At the top of his field, he can still be seen hitting buckets of balls until dark
- even if he's just won.

4. Dress and act like a winner.
This is a part of keeping yourself in a winning frame of mind.

5. Have a sense of drama - don't create it but know it when you see it.
You don't have to seek out publicity, but know how to accept and use it when it
comes to you.

6. Know that there is always room to grow.
Being the best does not mean you can't be even better.

7. Hang with the winners.
They understand the pressures and situations in which you will find yourself.

8. Put yourself in situations where you are not known as a success.
May be difficult, but this helps you to stay real.

9. Value and protect your free time and do what you enjoy.
The discipline of being a winner needs a safety valve from time to time.

10. Remember those who need help.
Somewhere, someone helped you - be willing to give back.

by Diana Robinson, Ph.D.

What does love mean?

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds,

The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:

* "When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." Rebecca - age 8

* When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth." Billy - age 4

* "Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other." Karl - age

* "Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs." Chrissy - age 6

* "Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." Terri - age 4

* Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK." Danny - age 7

* "Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. But they look gross when they kiss" Emily - age 8

* "Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen," Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

* "If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate." Nikka - age 6 "Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday." Noelle - age 7

* "Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." Tommy - age 6

* "During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore" Cindy - age 8

* "My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night." Clare - age 6

* "Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken." Elaine-age 5

* "Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford." Chris - age 7

* "Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day." Mary Ann - age 4

* "I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones." Lauren - age 4

* "When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." Karen - age 7

* "Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross." Mark - age 6

* "You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." Jessica - age 8

* And the final one-Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four-year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry."

Men Are Creature You Can't Live With

Men are like ...Laxatives.

They irritate the sh*t out of you.

Men are like ... Bananas.

The older they get, the less firm they are.

Men are like ... Bank Machines.

Once they withdraw, they lose interest.

Men are like ... Weather.

Nothing can be done to change them.

Men are like ... Blenders.

You need one, but you're not quite sure why.

Men are like ... Chocolate Bars.

Sweet, smooth and they usually head right for your hips.

Men are like ... Coffee.

The best ones are rich, warm and can keep you awake all night.

Men are like ... Commercials.

You can't believe a word they say.

Men are like ... Department Stores.

Their clothes are always half off.

Men are like ... Government Bonds.

They take so long to mature.

Men are like ... Horoscopes.

They always tell you what to do and are usually wrong.

Men are like ... Mascara.

They usually run at the first sign of emotion.

Men are like ... Popcorn.

They satisfy you, but only for a little while.

Men are like ... Lava Lamps.

Fun to look at, but not very bright.

Men are like ... Parking Spots.

All the good ones are taken and the rest are handicapped

So what do you girls think this is . . . is it true or not ? . . .

Friendship vs. Love

Friendship is a quiet walk in the park with the one you trust
Love is when you feel like you are the only two around

Friendship is when they gaze into your eyes and you know they care
Love is when they gaze into your eyes and it warms your heart

Friendship is being close even when you are far apart
Love is when you can still feel their hand on your heart when they are not near

Friendship is hoping that they experience the very best
Love is when you bring them the very best

Friendship occupies your mind
Love occupies your soul

Friendship is knowing that you will always try to be there when in need
Love is when you will give up everything to be at their side

Friendship is a warm smile in the winter
Love is a warming touch that sends a pulse through your heart

Love is a beautiful smile to which nothing compares
A tender laugh, which opens your heart
A single touch that melts away your fears
A smell that reminds you of the tenderness of heaven
A voice that reminds you of the innocence of youth

Friendship can survive without love
Love cannot live without friendship

25 Beautiful One-liners

1. Give God what’s right…not what’s left.

2. Man’s way leads to hopeless end…God’s way leads to an endless hope .

3. A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.

4. He who kneels before God can stand before anyone.

5. In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma, but never let him be the period.

6. Don’t put a question mark where God puts a period.

7. Are you wrinkled with burden? Come to the church for a face-lift.

8. When praying, don’t give God instructions…just report for duty.

9. Don’t wait for six strong men to take you to church.

10. We don’t change God’s message…His message changes us.

11. The church is prayer-conditioned.

12. When God ordains, He sustains.

13. WARNING: Exposure to the Son may prevent burning.

14. Plan ahead…It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.

15. Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory position.

16. Suffering from truth decay? Brush up on your Bible.

17. Exercise daily…walk with the Lord.

18. Never give the devil a ride…he will always want to drive.

19. Nothing else ruins the truth like stretching it.

20. Compassion is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back.

21. He who angers you controls you.

22. Worry is the darkroom in which negatives can develop.

23. Give Satan an inch & he’ll be a ruler.

24. Be ye fishers of men…You catch them & He’ll clean them.

25. God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

The Wisdom of Einstein

Knowledge: The Search for the truth and Knowledge is one of the finest attributes of a man, though often it is most loudly voiced by those who strive for it the least.

Authority: To punish me for my contempt of authority, fate has made me an authority myself.

Truth: It is difficult to say what truth is, but sometimes it is easy to recognize a falsehood.

Cooperation: A hundred times a day I remind myself that my inner and outer lives are based on the labors of other people, living and dead and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.

Wisdom: Wisdom is not a product of schooling, but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.

Greatness: There is only one road to human greatness: through the school of hard knocks.

Happiness: A happy man is too satisfied with the present to dwell too much on the future.

Fame: With fame I become more and more stupid, which of course is a very common phenomenon.

Life: Life is sacred, that is to say, it is the supreme value, to which all other values are subordinate.

Ageing: I have reached an age when, if someone tells me to wear socks, I don't have to.

Praise: The only way to escape the personal corruption of praise is to go on working.

Problems: Fear or stupidity has always been the basis of most human actions.
Relativity: An hour sitting with a pretty girl on a park bench passes like a minute, but a minute sitting on a hot stove seems like an hour.

Goals: One should not pursue goals that are easily achieved. One must develop an instinct for what one can barely achieve through one's greatest efforts.

Racism: The only remedies against race and prejudice are enlightenment and education. This is a slow and painstaking process.

Solitude: I lived in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity.

Value: Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.

Imagination: When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come close to the conclusion that the gift of imagination has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing absolute knowledge.

The Hospital Window

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it. In his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

A - Z of Quotes

A—"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it." Lou Holtz

B— "Believing in yourself is not for you; it's for every person who has touched your life in a significant way and for every person your life will touch the same way five minutes from now, or five centuries from now." Jaye Miller

C—”Change is as inexorable as time, yet nothing meets with more resistance." Benjamin Disraeli

D—"Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the action stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living." Anais Nin

E—"Enthusiasm releases the drive to carry you over obstacles and adds significance to all you do." Norman Vincent Peale

F—"Focused will is incredible. If you have a dream and you don't give up no matter what obstacles come up, then life's problems will fall away and you will get what you want. It happens. It works." Yanni

G—"Goals are like a map. They help us determine where we want to end up, and give us personal direction on which to focus our energy." Catherine Pulsifer

H—"Happiness depends upon ourselves." Aristotle

I—"Ideas won’t keep; something must be done about them." Alfred North Whitehead

J—”Joy is not in things; it is in us.”Richard Wagner

K—“Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information on it.” Samuel Johnson

L—"Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects." Arnold Glasow

M—"Motivation is like food for the brain. You cannot get enough in one sitting. It needs continual and regular top ups." Peter Davies

N—"Nature does nothing uselessly." Aristotle

O—"Opportunity dances with those who are ready on the dance floor." H. Jackson Brown Jr.

P—"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish." John Quincy Adams

Q—"Quality questions create a quality life. Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers." Anthony Robbins

R—"Results! Why, man I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won’t work." Thomas A. Edison

S—"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." Leonardo DaVinci

T—"Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend." Diogenes Laetius

U—"Use your unique abilities to shake the world." Wendy Hearn

V—"Victory belongs to the most persevering." Napoleon Bonaparte

W—"Wisdom is the daughter of experience." Leonardo da Vinci

X—"X-ray your life, are you where you want to be, if not set your goals, take action." Catherine Pulsifer

Y—"Youth teaches, age puts what we have learned into practice, teaching us wisdom." Catherine Pulsifer

Z—"Zone into your comfort zone, and, then zone into where you want to be. Be all that you can be." Catherine Pulsifer

Daily Survival Kit

Toothpick, Rubber band, Band aid, Pencil, Eraser, Chewing gum, Mint, Candy kiss, Tea bag

Why?

1. Toothpick - to remind you to pick out the good qualities in others

2. Rubber band - to remind you to be flexible: things might not always work out the

way you want, but it will work out.

3. Band aid - to remind you to heal hurt feelings,yours and someone else's

4. Pencil - to remind you to list your blessings everyday

5. Eraser - to remind you that everyone makes mistakes, and it's OK

6. Chewing gum - to remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish anything

7. Mint - to remind you that you are worth a mint!

8. Candy kiss - to remind you that everyone needs a kiss or a hug every day

9. Tea bag - to remind you to relax daily and go over your list of blessings