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Parents: Letting Go of Guilt

2007-10-23T14:10:00.000+06:30

How are your children doing? If they are doing well, then I'm sure you feel good about your parenting. If they are not doing well, what are you telling yourself about your parenting?

"I should have been there for them more."

"I should have been harder/easier on them."

"I should have been a stay-at-home mother."

"I shouldn't have spent so much time at work."

"I should have set better limits."

...and so on.

Yet most parents did the best they could, and continue doing the best they can. Statements such as those above only server to create guilt. And the fact is that if you had known how to do it better, you probably would have, so beating yourself up for not knowing better is a useless waste of energy.

But even if you had been an "ideal" parent - if there is such a thing - your child might still have problems. The belief that perfect parenting creates perfect children is a false belief based on another false belief - that we have control over other people.

There are two problems with thinking that you can be a perfect parent and that this will create perfect children:

All of us are in the process of evolving ourselves - we are a work in progress. Unless you are a totally enlightened being, i.e. someone with no ego, no woundedness, no issues at all (I have never met this person!), you bring your own issues into your relationship with your children. You bring your own conditioning, false beliefs, fears and desires for control over getting love and avoiding pain. Given that we are the role models for our children, there is no way that the will not absorb some of our unhealed issues. Even if you manage to treat them with unconditional love, are you able to treat yourself with unconditional love? And if not, they are likely to learn to treat themselves the way you treat yourself - no matter how wonderfully you treat them.

Children do not come into this life as blank slates. They come in with their own unique souls. Anyone who has had more than one child knows that each child comes in totally different, with his or her own unique ways of being in the world. Therefore, what you do with one child that seems to work so well, may not work well at all with another child. Unless you are very sensitive and able to be acutely tuned into each child, it is likely that you may miss the cues of what an individual child needs. Therefore, while we need to take full responsibility for our choices and for being as loving as we can be, we cannot take responsibility for a child's choices regarding who he or she wants to be.
If your children are not doing well, it is certainly important to do all you can to help. This means:

Supporting them in receiving the help they need if they are available for help.

Embracing your own learning journey. The more responsibility you take for your happiness and wellbeing, the better role model you become for them, regardless of their age. Even adult children can still learn from you how to start to take responsibility for themselves.
Feeling guilty for your children's problems not only does nothing to help them, it can even harm them. Your guilt indicates that you feel responsible for them, and they may be more than willing to blame you for their problems. Feeling guilty is a form of enabling, which is never helpful to anyone. While they are living with you, you are certainly responsible for providing a caring and healthy environment for them. But you cannot take responsibility for the choices they make - you do not have this control. If you learn to take loving care of yourself in the face of their choices, you provide them with the opportunity to learn to take loving care of themselves.

©Margaret Paul, Ph.D..

Regret Today

2007-10-23T10:19:00.000+06:30

How many times do we say something that we immediately realized was not the right thing to say?
How many times do we look back on an event and think, if only I had....
How many times do we do something that we wish hadn't done?

You can't change what has been said.
You can't change a past event.
You can't change what has been done.

Do you call it regret, sorrow, repentance?
Do you think about what might have been?
Do you relive an event the way it should have been?

Forget about regret, and focus.
Focus on today, not on the past.
Focus on what you can do, not what you didn't do.

The only thing to regret is living in the past
The only thing to feel sorrow for is not living each day to the fullest.
The only thing to do to repent is to sincerely say, I'm sorry.

Don't live your life regretting yesterday.
Live your life so tomorrow you won't regret today.

--By Catherine Pulsifer, © 2007

Parable of the Pencil

2007-08-18T16:48:00.000+06:30

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box.

There are 5 things you need to know, he told the pencil, before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.

One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone's hand.

Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil.

Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.

Four: The most important part of you will always be what's inside.

And Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.

Now change places with the pencil.
Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.

--Author Unknown

If A Dog Was The Teacher

2007-08-18T16:45:00.000+06:30

If a dog was the teacher, you would learn stuff like:

- When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

- Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

- Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

- When it's in your best interest, practice obedience.

- Let others know when they've invaded your territory.

- Take naps. Stretch before rising.

- Run, romp, and play daily.

- Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

- Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

- On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

- On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

- When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

- No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout! Run right back and make friends.

- Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

- Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough.

- Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not.

- If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

- When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

--Author Unknown

Ladder of Achievement

2007-05-07T18:27:00.000+06:30

----------- 100% - I did.
---------- 90% - I will.
--------- 80% - I can.
-------- 70% - I think I can.
------- 60% - I might.
------ 50% - I think I might.
----- 40% - What is it?
---- 30% - I wish I could.
--- 20% - I don't know how.
-- 10% - I can't.
- 0% -I won't.

--Authour Unknown

Giving Back

2007-05-07T18:26:00.001+06:30

Some people have a belief that every tree, when it burns, gives back the colors that went into its making - they see in the flaming logs the red of many sunsets, the purple of early dawn, the silver of moonrise and the sparkle of stars.

So it is with us;
what we have accepted into our hearts and made a permanent part of ourselves is given back in times of trials.

If you compared your troubles, or challenges, with those of others, you would surely find that there are those whose troubles make yours look like minor inconveniences.

--By Fulton J. Sheen

Ten Commandments of Human Relations

2007-05-07T18:25:00.000+06:30

1. Speak to People.
There is nothing as nice as a cheerful word of greeting.

2. Smile at People.
It takes 72 muscles to frown, but only 14 to smile!

3. Call People by Name.
The sweetest music to anyone's ear is the sound of his or her own name.

4. Be Friendly and Helpful.
If you would have friends, be friendly.

5. Be Cordial.
Speak and act as if everything you do were a real pleasure.

6. Be Genuinely Interested in People.
You can like everyone if you try.

7. Be Generous with Praise, Cautious with Criticism.
Praise will win out when it comes to gaining friends.

8. Be Considerate of the Feelings of Others.
It will be appreciated.

9. Be Thoughtful of the Opinions of Others.
People love their opinions as they do their own children, calling them ugly won't get you anything but anger.

10. Be Alert to Give Service.
What counts most in life is what we do for others!

--By Author Unknown

Think or Worry?

2007-05-07T18:24:00.000+06:30

You can think about your problems or you can worry about them, and there is a vast difference between the two.

Worry is thinking that has turned toxic. It is jarring music that goes round and round and never comes to either climax or conclusion.

Thinking works its way through problems to conclusions and decisions; worry leaves you in a state of tensely suspended animation.

When you worry, you go over the same ground endlessly and come out the same place you started. Thinking makes progress from one place to another; worry remains static.

The problem of life is to change worry into thinking and anxiety into creative action.

--By Harold B. Walker

Do Not Be Discouraged

2007-05-07T18:23:00.000+06:30

When faced with failure, reflect on this Japanese proverb: "Fall seven times, stand up eight." As long as you keep getting up, you are not failing.

Those who learn how to overcome failure become stronger. Let's face it, we are all confronted with failure. The difference is how we deal with it.

Some people use failure as an excuse to give up, to become bitter, or cynical. Other people look at failure as an opportunity to revisit past decisions and to devise new strategies.

Thousands of successful people did not achieve success on their first try, but they were not discouraged. They picked themselves up and went back at it with an even stronger, single minded tenacity to achieve their goal.

Do not be discouraged if your plans do not succeed the first time. No one learns to walk by taking only one step!

--by Catherine Pulsifer

What It Means To Be Young

2007-05-07T18:21:00.000+06:30

Youth is not a time of life, it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips, and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.

Youth means the predominance of courage over timidity, of adventure over the love of ease. This often exists in a man of sixty more than in a boy of twenty. Nobody grows old merely by a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals.

Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, doubt, self-distrust, fear and despair - these bow the heart and turns the spirit back to dust.

Whether sixty or sixteen, there is in every human being's heart the love of wonder, the sweet amazement at the stars and the starlike things, the undaunted challenge of events, the unfailing child-like appetite for what-next, and the joy of the game of living.

You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt;
as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear;
as young as your hope, as old as your despair.

--By Samuel Ullman

There is ...

2007-05-07T18:20:00.000+06:30

There is
no difficulty that enough love will not conquer;
no disease that enough love will not heal;
no door that enough love will not open;
no gulf that enough love will not bridge;
no wall that enough love will not throw down;
no sin that enough love will not redeem...

It makes no difference how deeply seated may be the trouble;
how hopeless the outlook;
how muddled the tangle;
how great the mistake.
A sufficient realization of love will dissolve it all.
If only you could love enough you would be the happiest and most powerful being in the world.

--By Emmet Fox

Having Enthusiasm

2007-05-07T18:19:00.001+06:30

Having Enthusiasm

Having enthusiasm in performing any task gives you an abundance of energy. Showing enthusiasm also motivates others around you.

An acronym for enthusiasm:

E nergy

N imble

T enacious

H appy

U nbeatable

S elf-confidence

I nexhaustible

A chievable

S uccess

M otivated

Put lots of enthusiasm in all you do!

--By Catherine Pulsifer

Better Days Are Coming

2007-05-07T18:17:00.000+06:30

If you fear losing somebody you love
like rejection would be no surprise
even if they never said it out loud
you just knew by the look in their eyes
accept that anxiety is due to some action
we took while sleepwalking through life
we would be lying if we tried denying
we cause our own misery and strife.

There is a voice inside of our heads
that tells us of what is to come
deja vu turned upside down
is what it may seem like to some
whether it's foresight or just premonition
it leaves you feeling quite strange
whisper or shout, it allows for no doubt
that your fortunes are due for a change.

The cyclical nature of the human condition
prevents us from being at ease
it bars the door to the peace that we seek
it's a lock without any keys
hope and fear are two sides of a coin
a little like Abel and Cane
it's not every day that just one will hold sway
in the end it adds up to the same.

Listen to this then, if you should find
your emotions won't give you a breather
I'm telling you, dreams don't often come true
but the nightmares rarely do either.

--by Wish Belkin, copyright 2001

It's The Journey That's Important

2007-05-07T18:16:00.000+06:30

Life, sometimes so wearying
Is worth its weight in gold
The experience of traveling
Lends a wisdom that is old
Beyond our 'living memory'
A softly spoken prayer:

"It's the journey that's important,
Not the getting there!"

Ins and outs and ups and downs
Life's road meanders aimlessly?
Or so it seems, but somehow
Leads us where we need to be,
And being simply human
We oft question and compare....

"Is the journey so important
Or the getting there?"

And thus it's always been
That question pondered down the ages
By simple men with simple ways
To wise and ancient sages....
How sweet then, quietly knowing
Reaching destination fair:

"It's the journey that's important,
Not the getting there!"

--By John McLeod

Be The Best of Whatever You Are

2007-05-07T18:14:00.000+06:30

If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill,
Be a scrub in the valley-but be
The best little scrub by the side of the rill;
Be a bush if you can't be a tree.

If you can't be a bush be a bit of the grass,
And some highway happier make;
If you can't be a muskie then just be a bass-
But the liveliest bass in the lake!

We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew,
There's something for all of us here,
There's big work to do, and there's lesser to do,
And the task you must do is the near.

If you can't be a highway then just be a trail,
If you can't be the sun be a star;
It isn't by size that you win or you fail-
Be the best of whatever you are!

--By Douglas Malloch

It Couldn't Be Done

2007-04-10T16:08:00.001+06:30

Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you'll do it.

--By Edgar A. Guest

Life's Mirror

2007-04-10T16:07:00.001+06:30

There are loyal hearts, there are spirits brave,
There are souls that are pure and true,
Then give the world the best you have,
And the best will come back to you.

Give love, and love to your life will flow,
A strength in your utmost need,
Have faith, and a score of hearts will show
Their faith in your word and deed.

Give truth, and your gift will be paid in kind;
And honor will honor meet;
And a smile that is sweet will surely find
A smile that is just as sweet.

Give pity and sorrow to those who mourn,
You will gather in flowers again
The scattered seeds from your thoughts outborne,
Though the sowing seemed but vain.

For life is the mirror of king and slave,
'Tis just what we are and do;
Then give to the world the best you have,
And the best will come back to you.

--By Madeline Bridges

Influence

2007-04-10T16:06:00.000+06:30

Drop a pebble in the water,
And its ripples reach out far;
And the sunbeams dancing on them
May reflect them to a star.

Give a smile to someone passing,
Thereby making his morning glad;
It may greet you in the evening
When your own heart may be sad.

Do a deed of simple kindness;
Though its end you may not see,
It may reach, like widening ripples,
Down a long eternity.

--By Joseph Norris

Keep Them Close

2007-04-10T16:05:00.000+06:30

One day a mother died.
And on that clear, cold morning,
in the warmth of her bedroom,
the daughter was struck with
the pain of learning that sometimes
there isn't any more.

No more hugs,
no more lucky moments to celebrate together,
no more phone calls just to chat,
no more "just one minute."

Sometimes, what we care about the most goes away,
never to return before we can say good-bye,
say "I Love You."

So while we have it … it's best we love it .
And care for it and fix it when it's broken
and take good care of it when it's sick.

This is true for marriage … and friendships!
And children with bad report cards;
and dogs with bad hips;
and aging parents and grandparents.
We keep them because they are worth it,
because we cherish them!

Some things we keep -
like a best friend who moved away
or a classmate we grew up with.
There are just some things that
make us happy, no matter what.

Life is important,
and so are the people we know.
And so, keep them close!

--by Author Unkown

How Old Are You?

2007-04-10T16:03:00.000+06:30

If we did not know our age, some of us would appear to be very young, and some of us would seem very old.

Sometimes, people use age as a convenient excuse. "I'm too old to start something new", or, "I couldn't learn that at my age." Other people, though, go on to achieve their greatest accomplishments in life in later years.

Take, for example, Colonel Harland Sanders who started franchising his chicken outlets when he was 65 years old. Up to the age of 90 years old he traveled 250,000 miles a year visiting KFC franchises. He not only overcame personal and business adversities, but more importantly, he didn't let age stand in his way!

Feelings lead to attitudes, attitudes become beliefs, and beliefs become the basis for actions.

It is not important how old you are;
it is how you feel, how you think,
and what you do that is important.

To quote Satchel Paige, "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you was."

--By Catherine Pulsifer

Our Lives In Money

2007-04-10T16:02:00.001+06:30

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up.

He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the $20 dollar bill up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. "Well", he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air. "My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson", he said, "No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless.... and especially to those who love you.

The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or whom we know, but by WHO WE ARE.

--By Author Unknown

Success Comes To Those Who Persevere

2007-04-10T15:58:00.000+06:30

Although you may not be totally familiar with the geography of part of Maritime Canada, particularly with the absence of a permanent link between Prince Edward Island and the Province of New Brunswick, the thought of linking these two provinces permanently was only a dream. The transportation link between these two provinces was either by ship or, in more modern times, by ferry.

In order to link these two provinces permanently meant that many technological obstacles had to be overcome, but perseverance, the vision of a permanent link, paid off. The permanent linking was accomplished by designing and then building a unique bridge. The project began in 1993, and the 12.9-kilometer (approx. 14 miles) Confederation Bridge officially opened on May 31, 1997.

Forming an integral part of the Trans Canada network, the Confederation Bridge is the longest bridge over ice-covered waters in the world. Many obstacles had to be overcome including the tremendous pressure from ice along its pylons during the winter and the spring thaw.

The key to the success of building this unique bridge over a period of four years was perseverance. No matter the task, perseverance is the ability to keep going in spite of obstacles and challenges. Perseverance is the realization that challenges along the way are only minor detours on the march to success.

--by Byron Pulsifer © 2007

Home

2007-03-16T15:58:00.000+06:30

Hope

2007-03-16T15:27:00.000+06:30

Don't Ever

2007-03-15T14:00:00.000+06:30

Don't ever be reluctant to show your feelings when you're happy, give in to it.
When you're not, live with it.

Don't ever be afraid to try to make things better you might be surprised at the results.

Don't ever take the weight of the world on your shoulders.

Don't ever feel threatened by the future take life one day at a time.

Don't ever feel guilty about the past what's done is done. Learn from any mistakes you might have made.

Don't ever feel that you are alone there is always somebody there for you to reach out to.

Don't ever forget that you can achieve so many of the things you can imagine.
It's not as hard as it seems.

Don't ever stop loving don't ever stop believing, don't ever stop dreaming your dreams.

--by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown

Beginning Today

2007-03-15T13:59:00.000+06:30

Beginning today I will no longer worry about yesterday.
It is in the past and the past will never change.
Only I can change by choosing to do so.

Beginning today I will no longer worry about tomorrow.
Tomorrow will always be there, waiting for me to make the most of it. But I cannot make the most of tomorrow without first making the most of today.

Beginning today I will look in the mirror and I will see a person worthy of my respect and admiration.
This capable person looking back at me is someone I enjoy spending time with and someone I would like to get to know better.

Beginning today I will cherish each moment of my life.
I value this gift bestowed upon me in this world and I will unselfishly share this gift with others.
I will use this gift to enhance the lives of others.

Beginning today I will take a moment to step off the beaten path and to revel in the mysteries I encounter.
I will face challenges with courage and determination.
I will overcome what barriers there may be which hinder my quest for growth and self-improvement.

Beginning today I will take life one day at a time, one step at a time.
Discouragement will not be allowed to taint my positive self-image, my desire to succeed or my capacity to love.

Beginning today I walk with renewed faith in human kindness.
Regardless of what has gone before, I believe there is hope for a brighter and better future.

Beginning today I will open my mind and my heart.
I will welcome new experiences. I will meet new people.
I will not expect perfection from myself nor anyone else: perfection does not exist in an imperfect world.
But I will applaud the attempt to overcome human foibles.

Beginning today I am responsible for my own happiness and I will do things that make me happy . . .
admire the beautiful wonders of nature, listen to my favorite music, pet a kitten or a puppy, soak in a bubble bath . . .
pleasure can be found in the most simple of gestures.

Beginning today I will learn something new; I will try something
different; I will savor all the various flavors life has to offer.
I will change what I can and the rest I will let go.
I will strive to become the best me I can possibly be.

Beginning today. And every day.

-- by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown

Anyway

2007-03-15T13:48:00.000+06:30

People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

--by: Mother Theresa, Source Unknown

If You Plant,...

2007-03-15T13:45:00.000+06:30

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.
If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.
If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.
If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory.
If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony.
If you plant hard work, you will reap success.
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.
If you plant openness, you will reap intimacy.
If you plant patience, you will reap improvements.
If you plant faith, you will reap miracles.
But
If you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust.
If you plant selfishness, you will reap loneliness.
If you plant pride, you will reap destruction.
If you plant envy, you will reap trouble.
If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation.
If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation.
If you plant greed, you will reap loss.
If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies.
If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles.
If you plant sin, you will reap guilt.

So be careful what you plant now, It will determine what you will reap
tomorrow, The seeds you now scatter, Will make life worse or better, your
life or the ones who will come after. Yes, someday, you will enjoy the
fruits, or you will pay for the choices you plant today.

Touch a heart, leave a hope, stroke a faith
and lend a hand.

The Greatest Pain In Life

2007-03-08T16:09:00.000+06:30

The greatest pain in life is not to die, but to be ignored.

--- To lose the person you love so much to another who doesn't care at all.
--- To have someone you care so about so much throw a party... and not tell you about it.
--- When your favorite person on earth neglects to invite you to his graduation.
--- To have people think that you don't care.
--- The greatest pain in life, is not to die, but to be forgotten.
--- To be left in the dust after another's great achievement.
--- To never get a call from a friend, just saying "hi".
--- When you show someone your innermost thoughts and they laugh in your face.
--- For friends to always be too busy to console you when you need someone to lift your spirits.
--- When it seems like the only person who cares about you, is you.
--- Life is full of pain, but does it ever get better?
Will people ever care about each other, and make time for those who are in need?

~~By Author Unknown, Source Unknown

The More You …

2007-02-23T12:24:00.000+06:30

The more you give,
the more you get

The more you laugh,
the less you fret

The more you do unselfishly,
The more you live abundantly

The more of everything you share,
The more you'll always have to spare

The more you love, the more you'll find
That life is good and friends are kind

For only what we give away,
Enriches us from day to day.

--By Author Unknown

Recipe for Greatness

2007-02-23T12:23:00.000+06:30

To bear up under loss;
to fight the bitterness of defeat and the weakness of grief;
to be victor over anger;
to smile when tears are close;
to resist disease and evil men and base instincts;
to hate hate and to love love,
to go on when it would seem good to die;
to look up with unquenchable faith in something ever more about to be.

That is what any man can do, and so be great.

--By Zane Grey

True Greatness

2007-02-23T12:22:00.000+06:30

A man is as great as the dreams he dreams,
as great as the love he bears;

As great as the values he redeems,
and the happiness he shares.

A man is as great as the thoughts he thinks,
as the worth he has attained;

As the fountains at which his spirit drinks,
and the insight he has gained.

A man is as great as the truth he speaks,
as great as the help he gives,

As great as the destiny he seeks,
as great as the life he lives.

--by C.E. Flynn

Sad As Happy

2007-02-03T16:46:00.000+06:30

If you look at something as being scary,
It is scary,

If you look at someone as pretty,
They are pretty,

The trick is to look at sad,
as happy.

--By Joe Brown

As You Grew

2007-02-03T16:44:00.000+06:30

As you grew, no matter what happened we looked at the sunny side of life.
As you leave, take with you the wisdom to focus on the "good" in life!

As you grew, we helped you avoid unnecessary worry.
As you leave, remember that 90% of what you worry about never happens.

As you grew, we encouraged you to be open and direct.
As you leave, never lose your honesty with those whom you speak.

As you grew, we helped you find solutions.
As you leave, always remember there is a solution to every problem.

As you grew, we encouraged individual thought and action.
As you leave, continue to be independent and persevere when faced with life's challenges.

As you grew, we reinforced the value of family & friends.
As you leave, always make time for family and friends.

--By Catherine & Byron Pulsifer

A New Day

2006-12-29T13:39:00.000+06:30

This is the beginning of a new day.
I have been given this day to use as I will.

I can waste it, or use it.
I can make it a day long to be remembered for its joy, its beauty and its achievements, or it can be filled with pettiness.

What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.

When tomorrow comes this day will be gone forever, but I shall hold something which I have traded for it.

It may be no more than a memory, but if it is a worthy one I shall not regret the price.

I want it to be gain not loss, good not evil, success not failure.

~~Author Unknown

May You Have

2006-12-29T13:34:00.000+06:30

Enough happiness to keep you sweet,
Enough trials to keep you strong,
Enough sorrow to keep you human,
Enough hope to keep you happy;
Enough failure to keep you humble,
Enough success to keep you eager,
Enough friends to give you comfort,
Enough wealth to meet your needs;
Enough enthusiasm to look forward,
Enough faith to banish depression,
Enough determination to make each day better than yesterday.

~~~By Author Unknown

Quotes on Happiness

2006-12-03T00:51:00.000+06:30

“Remember that happiness is as contagious as gloom. It should be the first duty of those who are happy to let others know of their gladness.”
Maurice Materlinck

"Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and you learn at once how big and precious it is."
Maxim Gorky

To achieve happiness, we should make certain that we are never without an important goal."
Earl Nightingale

"Sharing time and talents can result in discoveries that bring happiness beyond measure."
Steve Brunkhorst, from 7 Gifts that Multiply Happiness

"Happiness can be defined, in part at least, as the fruit of the desire and ability to sacrifice what we want now for what we want eventually."
Stephen Covey

“Happiness is a perfume which you cannot pour on someone without getting some on yourself.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Happiness depends upon ourselves."
Aristotle

"We have the ability to determine our happiness hour by hour and day by day, through our thoughts and actions. We make that choice every morning when we get out of bed."
Catherine Pulsifer, from Happiness Is Not The Absence of Problems

“Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”
Helen Keller

"If you ever find happiness by hunting for it,
you will find it,
as the old woman did her lost spectacles,
safe on her own nose all the time.”
Josh Billings

"I HAVE ALWAYS believed that each man makes his own happiness and is responsible for his own problems."
Ray Kroc

"We have no more right to consume happiness without producing it than to consume wealth without producing it."
George Bernard Shaw

"Did you ever see an unhappy horse?
Did you ever see a bird that had the blues?
One reason why birds and horses are not unhappy is because they are not trying to impress other birds and horses."
Dale Carnegie

“The only true happiness comes from squandering ourselves for a purpose.”
William Cowper

"Don't worry, be happy."
Bobby McFerrin

"Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life."
Burton Hillis

"Real happiness comes from inside. Nobody can give it to you."
Sharon Stone

“Happiness grows at our own firesides,
and is not to be picked in strangers’ gardens.”
Douglas Jerrold

"There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way."
Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

"Let us never know what old age is.
Let us know the happiness time brings, not count the years."
Ausonius

"Happiness is the art of learning how to get joy from your substance."
Jim Rohn

"It doesn't get any better than this."
Author Unknown

"The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts."
Marcus A. Antoninus

"It is wrong to assume that men of immense wealth are always happy."
John D. Rockefeller

"Be happy while you're living, for you're a long time dead."
Scottish Proverb

"Happiness does not depend on outward things, but on the way we see them."
Leo Tolstoy

"Profit is a by-product of work; happiness is its chief product."
Henry Ford

"If you love what you do, then it is no longer work. The money you earn is secondary when you love your work. Money can never buy happiness, or peace of mind."
Catherine Pulsifer, from Love What You Do

"Outer changes always begin with an inner change of attitude."
Albert Einstein

"Whoever is happy will make others happy, too."
Anne Frank

"Happiness and self-confidence come naturally when you feel yourself moving and progressing toward becoming the very best person you can possibly be."
Brian Tracy

"A mind employed is always happy. This is the true secert, the grand recipe for felicity."
Thomas Jefferson

"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."
Buddha

"The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one does."
James Matthew Barrie

"Practice hope. As hopefulness becomes a habit, you can achieve a permanently happy spirit."
Norman Vincent Peale

"The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet."
J. Robert Oppenheimer

"The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for."
Allan K. Chalmers

"Kids are happier, more relaxed, more creative and less stressed when scheduled activities are limited."
Jacquie McTaggart

"Happiness comes from within, not from without."
David DeNotaris

"Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one."
Benjamin Franklin

"Happiness is not the absence of problems; but the ability to deal with them."
Jack Brown

"Remember that there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving."
Og Mandino

"Being happy with less is what makes a great human being, not a big house with marble floors, or everyone knowing who you are."
Yanni

"If your happiness depends on what somebody else does, I guess you do have a problem."
Richard Bach

"The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts."
Author Unknown, from The Road To Success is Always Under Construction

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."
The Dalai Lama

"We should be more like children; they truly live in the moment! They don't need expensive things to make them happy; they don't use the phrase, "if only", or, "when I get this", or, "when I have more money". "
Catherine Pulsifer, from Today Is The Best Day

"Strive to be happy."
Max Ehrmann Desiderata

"Happiness depends upon your outlook on life."
Catherine Pulsifer, from Happy New Year

"You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life."
Albert Camus

"All happiness is in the mind."
English Proverb

"Did you know that there are gifts that will multiply your happiness when you give them away?"
Steve Brunkhorst, from 7 Gifts that Multiply Happiness

"Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others, cannot keep it from themselves."
James M. Barrie

"If you have health, you probably will be happy, and if you have health and happiness, you have all the wealth you need, even if it is not all you want."
Elbert Hubbard

"Happiness is a state of mind, an attitude that money cannot buy. One must look for happiness within, rather than in material acquistions. Look in nature, look for the good in others."
M. K. Soni

"Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action."
Benjamin Disraeli

"Be in general virtuous, and you will be happy."
American Proverb

"As you grew, we shared many happy times. As you leave, always take time to laugh every day."
Byron & Catherine Pulsifer, from As You Grew

"Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort."
Franklin D. Roosevelt

"You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world's happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime."
Dale Carnegie

"Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time."
Author Unknown, from Each Day Is A Gift

"All seasons are beautiful for the person who carries happiness within."
Horace Friess

"Happiness is the journey not the destination."
Author Unknown, from Achieve Your Dreams

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful."
Albert Schweitzer

Changes in Life

2006-12-03T00:22:00.001+06:30

In every change that you experience in life,
there will be times when you'll wonder if you can endure.

But you'll learn that facing each difficulty one by one isn't so hard.
It's when you don't deal with a situation that if sometimes comes back to confront you again.

Changes are sometimes very painful,
but they teach us that we can endure
and that we can become stronger.

Everything that comes into your life has a purpose,
but the outcome is in your hands by the action you take.

Be wise with your life,
be willing to endure,
and always be willing to face life's challenges

--Author Unknown, Source Unknown

24 Things To Always Remember

2006-12-03T00:18:00.000+06:30

Your presence is a present to the world.
You are unique and one of a kind.
Your life can be what you want it to be.
Take the days just one at a time.

Count your blessings, not your troubles.
You will make it through whatever comes along.
Within you are so many answers.
Understand, have courage, be strong.

Do not put limits on yourself.
So many dreams are waiting to be realized.
Decisions are too important to leave to chance.
Reach for your peak, your goal and you prize.

Nothing wastes more energy than worrying.
The longer one carries a problem the heavier it gets.
Do not take things too seriously.
Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets.

Remember that a little love goes a long way.
Remember that a lot … goes forever.
Remember that friendship is a wise investment.
Life’s treasure are people together.

Realize that it is never too late.
Do ordinary things in an extraordinary way.
Have hearth and hope and happiness.
Take the time to wish upon a start.

AND DO NOT EVER FORGET ….
FOR EVEN A DAY
HOW VERY SPECIAL YOU ARE !

--Author Unknown, Source Unknown

Never Doubt Yourself

2006-12-03T00:16:00.000+06:30

If I would leave any thought with someone I would say never doubt yourself. No matter what people say, no matter what you may think sometimes, never doubt yourself. If you believe in yourself you will succeed far more than you will fail. He who possesses a quiet kind of faith in his ability to perform a task already has the task half completed.

Believe in yourself despite setbacks, despite the seemingly immovable obstacles, despite the cold and dark, despite the woe and pain, and eventually your faith will come to fruition, and you will find all those troubles behind you.

The simplest thing in the world is to deride ourselves because we made a mistake, to give up and say, "I'm no good", but the more difficult thing is to believe in ourselves and constructively continue our life. The greatest error in life is to downgrade ourselves. The most horrible tragedies in life have occurred from a lack of faith in one's own self, one's own ability, from a belief that one cannot succeed, but that failure is their sole lot in life.

There seems to be a self uncertainty that builds up in the mind every time one makes a mistake or fails to accomplish a task, and with every successive blunder the uncertainty grows stronger until one doubts one's ability to do anything right. Being human we are host to a number of frailties, each one of which disturbs and depresses us, and makes us doubt our worth. We are not a mechanically precise machine, we are a bundle of nerves which often tangle and get jangled, but are capable of amazing performance.

We have more strength than we believe, there is more fight within us than we know, and far more potential than we could ever call forth or even dream of being possible.

--Author Unknown, Source Unknown

LOVE, WEALTH, OR SUCCESS?

2006-11-16T15:23:00.000+06:30

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them.

She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat."

"Is the man of the house home?", they asked.

"No", she said. "He's out."

"Then we cannot come in", they replied.

In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened. "Go tell them I am home and invite them in!" The woman went out and invited the men in.

"We do not go into a House together," they replied. "Why is that?" she wanted to know. One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home."

The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. "How nice!!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!" His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?" Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!" "Let us agree to our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to his wife. "Go out and invite Love to be our guest."

The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love Please come in and be our guest." Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him.

Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?" The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success. The other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love. Wherever He goes, we go with him.

Wherever there is Love,
there is also Wealth and Success!!!!!!"

--By Unknown

The Power of Words

2006-11-16T15:22:00.000+06:30

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead.

The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all of their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died.

The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out.

When he got out, the other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

This story gives us thoughts to think about:
1. An encouraging word to someone who is down can encourage them to achieve their goal.
2. A destructive word to someone who is down can have negative effects. Be careful of what you say.

The quote below was sent to me by Master Mark Russell. His quote describes "words" very accurately:
"Words:
The Snow may look smooth and soft,
but the rocks underneath are sharp!"

One last point,
Are your words encouraging?

--by Author Unkown

Sometimes and Always

2006-11-16T15:20:00.000+06:30

Sometimes occasionally goes by the rules but mostly does his own thing. He is more worried about being everyone's friend than doing his school work. He gets into trouble a lot but managed to charm his way through it. His parents have gone to school a lot to have parent teacher conferences.

Always is a boy who always goes by the book, never breaks the rules and is never in trouble. He always pleased his family and friends and never let them down. He is usually stressed out and gets headaches and stomach aches from stress.

Always became very ill one day and had to be rushed to the hospital. The doctors were baffled at what could be wrong with him. Many tests were run and in the end they were inconclusive. He was released and went home only to be stressed some more about missing school and possibly letting everyone down if he received a grade less than an A.

Now sometimes was doing poorly in school and he knew it. He decided that he would just do what he could to get by, he thought " Why should I stress out look what happened to Always."

Well Always was having the same thoughts " Why should I stress and make myself sick, sometimes gets by ok" and at that time he started missing school and just barely got passing grades.

Their parents decided to sit the boys down and talk to them and tell them that they just need to do their best and that is all that can be asked of them. They do not need to stress and get ill but also do not slack off and get failing grades.

Their parents just wanted them to know that whatever they did they would be proud of them as long as they did their best.

Finally, Sometimes spoke up and said " You mean even if we don't do well all the time that you will still love us and be proud of us ?? " The parents answered the question, "yes we will love you , ALWAYS !!!!"

The moral is,
do your best at whatever you do that is all that can be expected of you and you will turn out just fine your parents will love you no matter what.

--By Jackie Sagner

What Goes Around, Comes Around

2006-11-16T15:16:00.000+06:30

His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer.

One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.

The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.

"I want to repay you," said the nobleman. "You saved my son's life."

"No, I can't accept payment for what I did," the Scottish farmer replied, waving off the offer.

At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel. "Is that your son?" the nobleman asked.

"Yes," the farmer replied proudly.

"I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of."

And that he did.

Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, he graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.

Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia. What saved his life this time?

Penicillin.

The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill.

His son's name? Sir Winston Churchill.

Someone once said:
"What goes around comes around."
Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

--by Author Unknown

Quotes on Faith

2006-11-16T15:11:00.000+06:30

"It’s faith in something and enthusiasm for something that makes a life worth living."
Oliver Wendell Holmes

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."
Martin Luther King Jr.

"My faith runs so very much faster than my reason that I can challenge the whole world and say, ’God is, was and ever shall be’."
Mahatma Gandhi

"Faith is a passionate intuition."
William Wordsworth

"Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times."
Martin Luther

"Faith is not belief. Belief is passive. Faith is active."
Edith Hamilton

"Treat the other man's faith gently; it is all he has to believe with. His mind was created for his own thoughts, not yours or mine."
Henry S. Haskins

"The moment we break faith with one another, the sea engulfs us and the light goes out."
James Baldwin

"Faith is a kind of knowing; it is different from hope. My faith is that life is purposeful; of that I'm sure. There is a God, there is intelligence, there is consciousness. And behind all of this, there is incredible compassion."
John Denver

"Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles."
Confucius

"Faith is different from proof; the latter is human, the former is a gift from God."
Blaise Pascal

"On a long journey of human life, faith is the best of companions; it is the best refreshment on the journey; and it is the greatest property."
Buddha

"Desire, ask, believe, receive."
Stella Terrill Mann

"Faith is to believe what you do not yet see; the reward for this faith is to see what you believe."
St. Augustine

"Faith is the daring of the soul to go farther than it can see."
William Newton Clarke

"Faith enables persons to be persons because it lets God be God."
Carter Lindberg

"Faith is more important to me than life itself because without it there would be no fullness of life."
Mother Teresa

"If you can't have faith in what is held up to you for faith, you must find things to believe in yourself, for a life without faith in something is too narrow a space to live."
George E. Woodberry

"The smallest seed of faith is better than the largest fruit of happiness."
Henry David Thoreau

"Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith."
Henry Beecher

"The essence of faith is being satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus."
John Piper

"Faith has to do with things that are not seen, and hope with things that are not in hand."
Saint Thomas Acquinas

"A better world shall emerge based on faith and understanding."
Douglas MacArthur

Quotes of William Arthur Ward

2006-11-16T15:03:00.000+06:30

The price of excellence is discipline. The cost of mediocrity is disappointment.
William Arthur Ward

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?
William Arthur Ward

Nothing limits achievement like small thinking; nothing expands possibilities like unleashed imagination.
William Arthur Ward

Blessed is he who has learned to admire but not envy, to follow but not imitate, to praise but not flatter, and to lead but not manipulate.
William Arthur Ward

Wise are those who learn that the bottom line doesn't always have to be their top priority.
William Arthur Ward

Friendship flourishes at the fountain of forgiveness.
William Arthur Ward

Opportunities are like sunrises - if you wait too long, you miss them.
William Arthur Ward

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.
William Arthur Ward

A true friend knows your weaknesses but shows you your strengths; feels your fears but fortifies your faith; sees your anxieties but frees your spirit; recognizes your disabilities but emphasizes your possibilities.
William Arthur Ward

When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.
William Arthur Ward

We can throw stones, complain about them, stumble on them, climb over them, or build with them.
William Arthur Ward

Adversity cause some men to break; others to break records.
William Arthur Ward

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.
William Arthur Ward

A cloudy day is no match for a sunny disposition.
William Arthur Ward

We can learn much from wise words, little from wisecracks, and less from wise guys.
William Arthur Ward

The greatest failure is the failure to try.
William Arthur Ward

Leadership is based on inspiration, not domination; on cooperation, not intimidation.
William Arthur Ward

We are more than what we do, much more than what we accomplish, far more than what we possess.
William Arthur Ward

A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your step as you walk the tightrope of life.
William Arthur Ward

Optimists enrich the present, enhance the future, challenge the improbable and attain the impossible.
William Arthur Ward

The mediocre teacher tells.
The good teacher explains.
The superior teacher demonstrates.
The great teacher inspires.
William Arthur Ward

Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and character.
William Arthur Ward

Wise are they who have learned these truths:
Trouble is temporary. Time is tonic. Tribulation is a test tube.
William Arthur Ward

It is wise to direct your anger towards problems - not people; to focus your energies on answers - not excuses.
William Arthur Ward

If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it.
William Arthur Ward

Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning.
William Arthur Ward

Flatter me, and I may not believe you.
Criticize me, and I may not like you.
Ignore me, and I may not forgive you.
Encourage me, and I will not forget you.
William Arthur Ward

Opportunities are like sunrises - if you wait too long, you miss them.
William Arthur Ward

To make mistakes is human; to stumble is commonplace; to be able to laugh at yourself is maturity.
William Arthur Ward

Four steps to achievement:
plan purposefully,
prepare prayerfully,
proceed positively,
pursue persistently.
William Arthur Ward

Teaching is more than imparting knowledge, it is inspiring change. Learning is more than absorbing facts, it is acquiring understanding.
William Arthur Ward

Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting.
William Arthur Ward

Quotes of Mother Teresa

2006-11-16T14:58:00.000+06:30

There are no great things, only small things with great love.
Mother Teresa

Just show up and things and things will happen.
Mother Teresa

I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much.
Mother Teresa

It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.
Mother Teresa

If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.
Mother Teresa

Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.
Mother Teresa

The miracle is not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it.
Mother Teresa

I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.
Mother Teresa

Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.
Mother Teresa

If you judge people, you have no time to love them.
Mother Teresa

Love begins by taking care of the closest ones-the ones at home.
Mother Teresa

Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired.
Mother Teresa

Unless a life is lived for others, it is not worthwhile.
Mother Teresa

I prefer you to make mistakes in kindness than work miracles in unkindness.
Mother Teresa

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

To keep a lamp burning we have to keep putting oil in it.
Mother Teresa

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.
Mother Teresa

Peace begins with a smile.
Mother Teresa

What I do you cannot do; but what you do, I cannot do. The needs are great, and none of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.
Mother Teresa

If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.
Mother Teresa

The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted.
Mother Teresa

We have not come into the world to be numbered; we have been created for a purpose; for great things: to love and be loved.
Mother Teresa

IT WILL COME

2006-11-10T14:23:00.000+06:30

When life's largest pressures leave you struck dumb,
Just search for an answer; the solution will come.

When a tragedy occurs leaving you feeling numb,
Just wait for your health; the strength will come.

When everyone relies on you and there is no way you can see,
Trust your mind to think with time; patience is the key.

When you have made it where others always flee,
Just wait to gather courage; soon you'll be where you want to be.

When it is nearing the end and you're in need,
Muster up your courage; endurance will lead.
IT WILL COME

~~by Nathan Watson

Truths For Living

2006-11-10T14:19:00.001+06:30

The more generous we are,
the more joyous we become.

The more cooperative we are,
the more valuable we become.

The more enthusiastic we are,
the more productive we become.

The more serving we are,
the more prosperous we become.

The more outgoing we are,
the more helpful we become.

The more curious we are,
the more creative we become.

The more patient we are,
the more understanding we become.

The more persistent we are,
the more successful we become.

--By William Arthur Ward

Failure

2006-11-07T14:59:00.001+06:30

Lord, are you trying to tell me something?
For...

Failure does not mean I'm a failure;
It does mean I have not yet succeeded.

Failure does not mean I have accomplished nothing;
It does mean I have learned something.

Failure does not mean I have been a fool;
It does mean I had enough faith to experiment.

Failure does not mean I have disgraced;
It does mean I have dared to try.

Failure does not mean I don't have it;
It does mean I have something to do in a different way.

Failure does not mean I am inferior;
It does mean I am not perfect.

Failure does not mean I have wasted my life;
It does mean that I have an excuse to start over.

Failure does not mean that I should give up;
It does mean that I should try harder.

Failure does not mean that I will never make it;
It does mean that I need more practice.

Failure does not mean that you have abandoned me;
It does mean that you must have a better idea

--By Unknown
Translator: Dessy Napitupulu

A Strong Woman vs Woman of Strength

2006-11-07T14:57:00.000+06:30

A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape...
but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape...

A strong woman isn't afraid of anything...
but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear...

A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her...
but a woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone...

A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future...
a woman of strength realizes life's mistakes can also be God's blessings and capitalizes on them...

A strong woman walks sure footedly...
but a woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls...

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face...
but a woman of strength wears grace...

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey...
but a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong...

--By Unknown

To Let Go

2006-11-07T14:54:00.000+06:30

To let go does not mean to stop caring,
it means I can't do it for someone else.

To let go is not to cut myself off,
it's the realization that I can't control another.

To let go is not to enable,
but to allow learning from natural consequences.

To let go is to admit powerlessness,
which means the outcome is not in my hands.

To let go is not to try to change or blame another,
it's to make the most of myself.

To let go is not to care for,
but to care about.

To let go is not to fix,
but to be supportive.

To let go is not to judge,
but to allow another to be a human being.

To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes,
but to allow others to affect their own destinies.

To let go is not to be protective,
it's to permit another to face reality.

To let go is not to criticize, or regulate anyone,
but to try to become what I dream I can do.

To let go is to fear less, and to love more.

--By Alison Peters

It Takes Courage

2006-11-07T14:52:00.001+06:30

It takes courage
To refrain from gossip
When others delight in it,
To stand up for the absent person
Who is being abused.

It takes courage
To live honestly
Within your means,
And not dishonestly
On the means of others.

It takes courage
To be a REAL man or a TRUE woman,
To hold fast to your ideals
When it causes you
To be looked upon
As strange and peculiar.

It takes courage
To be talked about,
And remain silent,
When a word would justify you
In the eyes of others,
But which you dare not speak
Because it would injure another.

It takes courage
To refuse to do something
That is wrong
Although everyone else
May be doing it
With attitudes as carefree
As a summer song.

It takes courage
To live according
To your own convictions,
To deny yourself
What you cannot afford.
To love your neighbor
As yourself!

--By Unknown

What is success?

2006-11-07T14:51:00.001+06:30

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by
a healthy child, a garden patch
or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed
easier because you have lived;

This is to have succeeded.

--By Ralph Waldo Emerson

Attitude

2006-11-07T14:50:00.001+06:30

The Longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one thing we have, and that is our attitude…

I am convinced that life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.

And so it is with you… we are in charge of our ATTITUDES.

--By Charles Swindoll

Winners Are People Like You

2006-11-07T14:42:00.001+06:30

Winners take chances Like everyone else, they fear failing, but they refuse to let fear control them.

Winners don't give up. When life gets rough, they hang in until the going gets better.

Winners are flexible. They realize there is more than one way and are willing to try others.

Winners know they are not perfect. They respect their weaknesses while making the most of their strengths.

Winners fall but they don't stay down. They stubbornly refuse to let a fall keep them from climbing.

Winners don't blame fate for their failures, nor luck for their successes.

Winners accept responsibility for their lives.

Winners are positive thinkers who see good in all things. From the ordinary, they make the extraordinary.

Winners believe in the path they have chosen even when it is hard, even when others can't see where they are going.

Winners are patient. They know a goal is only worthy as the effort that is required to achieve it.

Winners are people that believe in themselves. They make this world a better place to be.

--By Unknown

To Believe

2006-11-01T14:59:00.001+06:30

To believe is to know that every day is a new beginning. It is to trust that miracles happen, and dreams really do come true.

To believe is to see angels dancing among the clouds, To know the wonder of a stardust sky and the wisdom of the man in the moon.

To believe is to know the value of a nurturing heart, The innocence of a child's eyes and the beauty of an aging hand, for it is through their teachings we learn to love.

To believe is to find the strength and courage that lies within us. When it is time to pick up the pieces and begin again.

To believe is to know we are not alone, That life is a gift and this is our time to cherish it. To believe is to know that wonderful surprises are just waiting to happen, And all our hopes and dreams are within reach.

If only we believe.

~~By Unknown

Self-Confidence

2006-11-01T14:58:00.001+06:30

If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think that you dare not, you don't;
If you'd like to win and you think you can't
It's almost certain that you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you've lost;
For out in the world you'll find
Success begins with a fellows will -
It's all in the state of mind.

If you think that you are out-classed, you are;
You've got to think high to rise;
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man;
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.

~~By Unknown

Peace Begins with Me

2006-11-01T14:57:00.001+06:30

Peace begins with me
Starting over and breaking free.

Peace begins with me
Opening my eyes and beginning to see.

Peace begins with me
Curious about what I am going to be.

Peace begins with me
Knowing I no longer have to flee.

Peace begins with me
Having self dignity.

Peace begins with me
Taking on more responsibility.

Peace begins with me
Because peace is being happy.

And this is why peace begins with me!

~~By Richard D. Marco III

It Will Come

2006-11-01T14:56:00.001+06:30

Habit

2006-11-01T14:54:00.001+06:30

I am your constant companion,
I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden.
I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.
I am completely at your command.
Half the things you do might just as well turn over to me
and I will be able to do them quickly and correctly.

I am easily managed -
you must merely be firm with me.
Show me exactly how you want something done
and after a few lessons, I will do it automatically.
I am the servant of all great people;
and alas, of all failures as well.
Those who are great,
I have made great.
Those who are failures,
I have made failures.

I am not a machine,
though I work with all the precision of a machine
plus the intelligence of a human.
You may run me for a profit or run me for ruin -
it makes no difference to me.

Take me,
train me,
be firm with me,
And I will place the world at your feet.
Be easy with me,
and I will destroy you.

WHO AM I?

I AM HABIT.

--Unknown

Promise Yourself

2006-11-01T14:53:00.000+06:30

Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can
disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to
every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel like there is
something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your
optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best,
and expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on the
greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give
every living person you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, and too
strong for fear, and to happy to permit the
presence of trouble.

~~The Optimist Creed
~~From The Optimist International

Take Time

2006-11-01T14:52:00.000+06:30

Take time to think-
It is the source of all power.
Take time to read-
It is the fountain of wisdom.

Take time to play-
It is the source of perpetual youth.
Take time to be quiet-
It is the opportunity to seek God.

Take time to be aware-
It is the opportunity to help others.
Take time to love and be loved-
It is God’s greatest gift.

Take time to laugh-
It is the music of the soul.
Take time to be friendly-
It is the road to happiness.

Take time to dream-
It is what the future is made of.
Take time to pray-
It is the greatest power on earth.

Take time to give-
It is too short a day to be selfish.
Take time to work-
It is the price of success.

There is a time for everything. . .

--Unknown

Do Less

2006-11-01T14:51:00.001+06:30

DO LESS THINKING,
and pay more attention to your heart.

DO LESS ACQUIRING,
and pay more attention to what you already have.

DO LESS COMPLAINING,
and pay more attention to giving.

DO LESS CONTROLLING,
and pay more attention to letting go.

DO LESS CRITICIZING,
and pay more attention to complementing.

DO LESS ARGUING,
and pay more attention to forgiveness.

DO LESS RUNNING AROUND,
and pay more attention to stillness.

DO LESS TALKING,
and pay more attention to silence.

~~By Unknown

The Will To Win

2006-11-01T14:50:00.001+06:30

If you want a thing bad enough
To go out and fight for it,
Work day and night for it,
Give up your time and your peace and
your sleep for it

If only desire of it
Makes you quite mad enough
Never to tire of it,
Makes you hold all other things tawdry
and cheap for it

If life seems all empty and useless without it
And all that you scheme and you dream is about it,

If gladly you'll sweat for it,
Fret for it, Plan for it,
Lose all your terror of God or man for it,

If you'll simply go after that thing that you want.
With all your capacity,
Strength and sagacity,
Faith, hope and confidence, stern pertinacity,

If neither cold poverty, famished and gaunt,
Nor sickness nor pain
Of body or brain
Can turn you away from the thing that you want,

If dogged and grim you besiege and beset it,
You'll get it!

-- Berton Braley

Change Your World

2006-11-01T14:48:00.002+06:30

You cannot change the world, but you can present the world with one improved person, yourself.

You can go to work on yourself to make yourself into the kind of person you admire and respect.

You can become a role model and set a standard for others.

You can control and discipline yourself to resist acting or speaking in a negative way toward anyone for any reason.

You can insist upon always doing things the loving way, rather than the hurtful way.

By doing these things each day, you can continue on your journey toward becoming an exceptional human being.

~~By Brian Tracy

The Challenge

2006-11-01T14:48:00.001+06:30

Let others lead small lives,
but not you.
Let others argue over small things,
but not you.
Let others cry over small hurts,
but not you.
Let others leave their future
in someone else's hands,
but not you.

By Jim Rohn

Anyway

2006-11-01T14:47:00.001+06:30

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
Love them anyway!

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway!

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway!

The good you do today, will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway!

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway!

The biggest person with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest minds;
Think big anyway!

People favor underdogs, but follow only top dogs.
Fight for underdogs anyway!

What you spend years building up may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway!

People really need help, but will attack you if you help them.
Help them anyway!

Give the world the best you have and it may kick you in the teeth.
Give the world the best you've got anyway!

~~By Unknown

Be Thankful

2006-11-01T14:45:00.002+06:30

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.

By Unknown

Awakening

2006-11-01T14:45:00.001+06:30

Awakening, dawn's chorus
Welcoming,
The day new, untouched
Waiting to be filled....

And will we paint a rainbow
With all its promise
Or dull the canvas
Sadly seen?

Each day brings its own colours
To be chosen, mixed,
Pigments of joy,
Happy moments,
Smiles and laughter....

And which will you choose?
For 'Life' is choice,
We are all painters
In our own way,
All needing to create
Something of worth,
Of lasting beauty,
Marking our journey....

Footprints in the sand....

The sky today is azure,
The sun warm and golden
A filigree of light and shadow-play
Through the gently swaying trees.

I clean my brushes,
Choose my palette
Of vibrant, living colours,
And begin to fill
Today's blank canvas

By John McLeod

It Couldn't Be Done

2006-11-01T14:37:00.000+06:30

Steps to Happiness

2006-11-01T14:36:00.000+06:30

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.

by Author Unknown

Do Not Forget To Hope

2006-11-01T14:32:00.000+06:30

Do not forget to hope
Though Time spins fleeting on
There is a place for all
To view the promised dawn
When Life's full test have run
Like rivers to the sea
Do not forget to hope
And happy be.

Do not forget to hope
For even when one's life
Seems burdened down with care
And melancholy strife
Remember how the gulls
Soar beautiful and free…
Do not forget to hope
And happy be.

Do not forget to hope
Nor rise above the gloom
All colours, as they say,
Are needed on Life's Loom,
And 'dark before the dawn'
Is truth that all may see…
Do not forget to hope
And happy be.

Do not forget to hope
For hope is there for all
A strength to draw upon
As, healing from each fall,
We rise with clearer sight
And, wiser, can agree …
"Do not forget to hope…
And happy be!"

By John McLeod © 1982

By Changing Your Thinking

2006-10-19T16:18:00.000+06:30

By Changing Your Thinking,
You change your beliefs;

When you change your beliefs,
You change your expectations;

When you change your expectations,
You change your attitude;

When you change your attitude,
You change your behavior;

When you change your behavior,
You change your performance;

When you change your performance;
You Change Your Life!

--By Author Unknown

WHY NOT YOU?

2006-10-19T16:16:00.000+06:30

Today, many will awaken with a fresh sense of inspiration.
Why not you?

Today, many will open their eyes to the beauty that surrounds them.
Why not you?

Today, many will choose to leave the ghost of yesterday behind and seize the immeasurable power of today.
Why not you?

Today, many will break through the barriers of the past by looking at the blessings of the present.
Why not you?

Today, for many the burden of self-doubt and insecurity will be lifted by the security and confidence of empowerment.
Why not you?

Today, many will rise above their believed limitations and make contact with their powerful innate strength.
Why not you?

Today, many will choose to live in such a manner that they will be a positive role model for their children.
Why not you?

Today, many will choose to free themselves from the personal imprisonment of their bad habits.
Why not you?

Today, many will choose to live free of conditions and rules governing their own happiness.
Why not you?

Today, many will find abundance in simplicity.
Why not you?

Today, many will be confronted by difficult moral choices and they will choose to do what is right instead of what is beneficial.
Why not you?

Today, many will decide to no longer sit back with a victim mentality, but to take charge of their lives and make positive changes.
Why not you?

Today, many will take the action necessary to make a difference.
Why not you?

Today, many will make the commitment to be a better mother, father, son, daughter, student, teacher, worker, boss, brother, sister, & so much more.
Why not you?

Today is a new day! Many will seize this day. Many will live it to the fullest.
Why not you?

--- Copyright © 2004 Steve Maraboli

The Difference Between Winning and Losing

2006-09-28T10:42:00.000+06:30

Hanging on, persevering,
WINNING
Letting go, giving up easily,
LOSING

Accepting responsibility for your actions,
WINNING
Always having an excuse for your actions,
LOSING

Taking the initiative,
WINNING
Waiting to be told what to do,
LOSING

Knowing what you want and setting goals to achieve it,
WINNING
Wishing for things, but taking no action,
LOSING

Seeing the big picture, and setting your goals accordingly,
WINNING
Seeing only where you are today,
LOSING

Adopt a WINNING attitude!

--by Catherine Pulsifer

Risk

2006-09-28T10:39:00.000+06:30

Do not be afraid to shine.
This world needs what you have to give.
Open up the areas of your being;
Expose them to yourself - to others.
You are valuable.
You are unique.
You have much to give.
Do not be afraid to give it.

As we risk ourselves, we grow.
Each new experience is a risk.
We can try, and maybe fail,
And, as a result, grow-
Or hold back and stagnate.

You have the potential
To be anything you want.
You are free to choose.
You are limited only by your fears.
Let your dreams take over.
Fly with the eagles.
Soar into life.
The world is waiting for you

--By Fran Watson

What Counts

2006-09-28T10:37:00.000+06:30

It isn't the money you're making, it isn't the clothes you wear,
And it isn't the skill of your good right hand which makes folks really care.
It's the smile on your face and the light of your eye and the burdens that you bear.

Most any old man can tell you, most any old man at all,
Who has lived through all sorts of weather, winter and summer and fall,
That riches and fame are shadows that dance on the garden wall.

It's how do you live and neighbor, how do you work and play,
It's how do you say "good morning" to the people along the way,
And it's how do you face your troubles whenever your skies are gray.

It's you, from the dawn to nighttime; you when the day is fair,
You when the storm is raging - how do you face despair?
It is you that the world discovers, whatever the clothes you wear.

You to the end of the journey, kindly and brave and true,
The best and the worst of you gleaming in all that you say and do,
And the thing that counts isn't money, or glory, or power, but YOU!

By Edgar A Guest

Things Work Out

2006-09-28T10:32:00.000+06:30

Because it rains when we wish it wouldn't,
Because men do what they often shouldn't,
Because crops fail, and plans go wrong-
Some of us grumble all day long.
But somehow, in spite of the care and doubt,
It seems at last that things work out.

Because we lose where we hoped to gain,
Because we suffer a little pain,
Because we must work when we'd like to play-
Some of us whimper along life's way.
But somehow, as day always follows the night,
Most of our troubles work out all right.

Because we cannot forever smile,
Because we must trudge in the dust awhile,
Because we think that the way is long-
Some of us whimper that life's all wrong.
But somehow we live and our sky grows bright,
And everything seems to work out all right.

So bend to your trouble and meet your care,
For the clouds must break, and the sky grow fair.
Let the rain come down, as it must and will,
But keep on working and hoping still.
For in spite of the grumblers who stand about,
Somehow, it seems, all things work out.

--By Edgar A. Guest

Grammar

2006-09-28T10:26:00.000+06:30

Live in the active voice, rather than passive.
Think more about what you happen than what is happening to you.

Live in the indicative mood, rather than in the subjunctive.
Be concerned with things as they are, rather than as they might be

Live in the present tense, facing the duty at hand
without regret for the past or worry over the future.

Live in the singular number, caring more for the approval of your own conscience
than for the applause of the crowd.

--By William de Witt Hyde

Live laugh and Love

2006-09-28T10:15:00.000+06:30

Live well dear friends
In all you do,
Tho' paths be old
Or paths be new,
But to yourself
Be ever true,

Live well!

Laugh often friends
Tho' passing years
Bring, sometimes, smiles
And, sometimes, tears,
For mirth forever
Warms and cheers

Laugh often!

Love much dear friends
For love will bring
The healing joy
And hope of Spring,
Where pain and fear may never dwell
Nor anguish touch….

And so Live well,
Laugh often too,
And more, dear friends,

Love much!

--By John McLeod

Believe while others

2005-09-19T15:49:00.000+06:30

Believe while others are doubting.

Plan while others are playing.

Study while others are sleeping.

Decide while others are delaying.

Prepare while others are daydreaming.

Begin while others are procrastinating.

Work while others are wishing.

Save while others are wasting.

Listen while others are talking.

Smile while others are frowning.

Commend while others are criticizing.

Persist while others are quitting.

By William Arthur Ward

The Vase

2005-09-19T15:47:00.000+06:30

One day I was lying on the bed, reading, when my mother came into the room. She held out a vase - a rather ugly vase. She asked, "Would you like to have this vase?"

I replied quickly, "No, I don't want it."

As she turned to walk away, I picked up something that said to me, wait a minute, there is something here. So I asked, '"Where did you get it?'"

She said, "Oh, I got it when I filled an order."

Filled an order? I thought - no communication here. So I asked, "What do you mean, filled an order?'"

"Well," she said, "when I was a little girl, the Smith Company mailed catalogs to people. I would take the catalog around the neighborhood, and I'd get people to order from it. When I filled an order and sent it in, they gave me a prize. One time, I got a porch swing for my family."

Now you have to understand that my mother is 81 years old. She is one of six children in a family that her father deserted when she was quite young. Money was real hard to come by. My grandmother managed to keep the family together through the years, although I don't know how. For my mother to win a luxury like a porch swing was a significant accomplishment. Although she no longer had the swing, she had the vase -a vase full of meaning - which she offered to me.

Instantly I said, "Mom, I want the vase." Now it sits in a prominent place in my living room.

It symbolizes a precious meaning which my mother and I share. Unless you and I are sensitive to the other person and hear meaning, as well as words, we may miss wonderful opportunities in life.

by Author Unknown

Struggle a Little - Then Fly!

2005-09-19T15:44:00.000+06:30

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly, that he brought home.

One day a small opening appeared he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours. It struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily, but, it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. He continued to watch the butterfly, he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and the body would contract. Neither happened!

In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It was never able to fly.

The man acted with well-intentioned kindness but he didn't understand the consequences. The restricting cocoon and the struggle required to get through the tiny opening, were nature's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were to go through life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as we could have been and we could never fly

So the next time you are faced with an obstacle,
a challenge, or a problem, remember the butterfly.
Struggle a little - then fly!

By Author Unknown

How Poor Are We?

2005-09-19T15:42:00.000+06:30

One day a father and his rich family took his son to a trip to the country with the firm purpose to show him how poor people can be. They spent a day and a night in the farm of a very poor family. When they got back from their trip the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"

"Very good Dad!" replied his son.

"Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked.

"Yeah!"

"And what did you learn?"

The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden; they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the garden; they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard, they have a whole horizon." When the little boy was finishing, his father was speechless.

His son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are!"

Our outlook on life depends on the way you look at things. What others may think as riches, others may want. The most important things in life are your friends, family, health, good humor and a positive attitude towards life. If you have these then you have everything!

by Author Unkown

Love, Wealth Or Success?

2005-09-19T15:41:00.000+06:30

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them.

She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat."

"Is the man of the house home?", they asked.

"No", she said. "He's out."

"Then we cannot come in", they replied.

In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened. "Go tell them I am home and invite them in!" The woman went out and invited the men in.

"We do not go into a House together," they replied. "Why is that?" she wanted to know. One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home."

The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. "How nice!!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!" His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?" Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!" "Let us agree to our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to his wife. "Go out and invite Love to be our guest."

The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love Please come in and be our guest." Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him.

Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?" The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success. The other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love. Wherever He goes, we go with him.

Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!!!!!"

A Mother's Love

2005-09-19T15:39:00.000+06:30

A little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was fixing supper, and handed her a piece of paper that he had been writing on. After his Mom dried her hands on an apron, she read it, and this is what it said:

For cutting the grass: $5.00
For cleaning up my room this week: $1.00
For going to the store for you: $.50
Baby-sitting my kid brother while you went shopping: $.25
Taking out the garbage: $1.00
For getting a good report card: $5.00
For cleaning up and raking the yard: $2.00
Total owed: $14.75

Well, his mother looked at him standing there, and the boy could see the memories flashing through her mind. She picked up the pen, turned over the paper he'd written on, and this is what she wrote:

For the nine months I carried you while you were growing inside me: No Charge
For all the nights that I've sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you: No Charge
For all the trying times, and all the tears that you've caused through the years: No Charge
For all the nights that were filled with dread, and for the worries I knew were ahead: No Charge
For the toys, food, clothes, and even wiping your nose: No Charge
Son, when you add it up, the cost of my love is: No Charge.

When the boy finished reading what his mother had written, there were big tears in his eyes, and he looked straight at his mother and said, "Mom, I sure do love you." And then he took the pen and in great big letters he wrote: "PAID IN FULL".

by Author Unknown

Power Of Words

2005-09-19T15:38:00.000+06:30

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead.

The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all of their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died.

The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out.

When he got out, the other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

This story gives us thoughts to think about:
1. An encouraging word to someone who is down can encourage them to achieve their goal.
2. A destructive word to someone who is down can have negative effects. Be careful of what you say.

The quote below was sent to me by Master Mark Russell. His quote describes "words" very accurately:
"Words:
The Snow may look smooth and soft,
but the rocks underneath are sharp!"

One last point,
Are your words encouraging?

by Author Unkown

The Wise Woman

2005-09-19T15:37:00.000+06:30

A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation.

The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime.

But, a few days later, he came back to return the stone to the wise woman. "I've been thinking," he said. "I know how valuable this stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me this stone."

Sometimes it's not the wealth you have but what's inside you that others need.

by Author Unknown

What Goes Around, Comes Around

2005-09-19T15:35:00.000+06:30

His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer.

One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.

The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.

"I want to repay you," said the nobleman. "You saved my son's life."

"No, I can't accept payment for what I did," the Scottish farmer replied, waving off the offer.

At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel. "Is that your son?" the nobleman asked.

"Yes," the farmer replied proudly.

"I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of."

And that he did.

Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, he graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.

Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia. What saved his life this time?

Penicillin.

The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill.

His son's name? Sir Winston Churchill.

Someone once said:
"What goes around comes around."
Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

By Unknown

Each Day Is A Gift

2005-09-19T15:34:00.000+06:30

The 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.

Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.

After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready.

As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window. "I love it," she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

"Mrs. Jones, you haven't seen the room .... just wait."

"That doesn't have anything to do with it," she replied. "Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged, it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away, just for this time in my life."

She went on to explain, "Old age is like a bank account, you withdraw from what you've put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank. I am still depositing."

And with a smile, she said:
"Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less."

by Author Unknown

Sometimes and Always

2005-09-19T15:32:00.000+06:30

Sometimes occasionally goes by the rules but mostly does his own thing. He is more worried about being everyone's friend than doing his school work. He gets into trouble a lot but managed to charm his way through it. His parents have gone to school a lot to have parent teacher conferences.

Always is a boy who always goes by the book, never breaks the rules and is never in trouble. He always pleased his family and friends and never let them down. He is usually stressed out and gets headaches and stomach aches from stress.

Always became very ill one day and had to be rushed to the hospital. The doctors were baffled at what could be wrong with him. Many tests were run and in the end they were inconclusive. He was released and went home only to be stressed some more about missing school and possibly letting everyone down if he received a grade less than an A.

Now sometimes was doing poorly in school and he knew it. He decided that he would just do what he could to get by, he thought " Why should I stress out look what happened to Always."

Well Always was having the same thoughts " Why should I stress and make myself sick, sometimes gets by ok" and at that time he started missing school and just barely got passing grades.

Their parents decided to sit the boys down and talk to them and tell them that they just need to do their best and that is all that can be asked of them. They do not need to stress and get ill but also do not slack off and get failing grades.

Their parents just wanted them to know that whatever they did they would be proud of them as long as they did their best.

Finally, Sometimes spoke up and said " You mean even if we don't do well all the time that you will still love us and be proud of us ?? " The parents answered the question, "yes we will love you , ALWAYS !!!!"

The moral is,
do your best at whatever you do that is all that can be expected of you and you will turn out just fine your parents will love you no matter what.

By Jackie Sagner

Value

2005-09-19T15:30:00.000+06:30

A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?"

Hands started going up.

He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up.

He then asked, "Who still wants it?"

Still the hands were up in the air.

"Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.

He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.

"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.

We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. You are special - Don't ever forget it!

By Unknown

The Window

2005-09-19T15:28:00.000+06:30

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour a day to drain the fluids 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. And every afternoon when the man in the bed next to 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 would live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the outside world. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, 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 could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should hehave all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see anything? It didn't seem fair. As the thought fermented, the man felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window - and that thought now controlled his life.

Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence--deathly silence.

The following morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendant to take it away--no words, no fuss. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the 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. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.

Moral of the story:

The pursuit of happiness is a matter of choice...it is a positive attitude we consciously choose to express. It is not a gift that gets delivered to our doorstep each morning, nor does it come through the window. And I am certain that our circumstances are just a small part of what makes us joyful. If we wait for them to get just right, we will never find lasting joy.

The pursuit of happiness is an inward journey. Our minds are like programs, awaiting the code that will determine behaviors; like bank vaults awaiting our deposits. If we regularly deposit positive, encouraging, and uplifting thoughts, if we continue to bite our lips just before we begin to grumble and complain, if we shoot down that seemingly harmless negative thought as it germinates, we will find that there is much to rejoice about.

By Unknown

Two Days We Should Not Worry

2005-09-19T10:23:00.000+06:30

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry,
two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.

One of these days is Yesterday with all its mistakes and cares,
its faults and blunders, its aches and pains.

Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control.
All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday.

We cannot undo a single act we performed;
we cannot erase a single word we said.
Yesterday is gone forever.

The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow
with all its possible adversities, its burdens,
its large promise and its poor performance;
Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.

Tomorrow's sun will rise,
either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise.
Until it does, we have no stake in Tomorrow,
for it is yet to be born.

This leaves only one day, Today.
Any person can fight the battle of just one day.
It is when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities
Yesterday and Tomorrow that we break down.

It is not the experience of Today that drives a person mad,
it is the remorse or bitterness of something which happened Yesterday and the dread of what Tomorrow may bring.

Let us, therefore, Live but one day at a time.

by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown

The Starfish

2005-09-16T16:09:00.000+06:30

An old man was walking along the beach, when he came upon a part of the sand where thousands of starfish had washed ashore. A little further down the beach he saw a young woman, who was picking up the starfish one at a time and tossing them back into the ocean. "Oh you silly girl," he exclaimed. "You can't possibly save all of these starfish. There's too many." The woman smiled and said, "I know. But I can save this one, " and she tossed another into the ocean, "and this one", toss, "and this one..."

--Unknown

~One~

2005-09-16T16:08:00.000+06:30

One song can spark a moment,
One flower can wake the dream
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald spring.
One smile begins a friendship,
One handclasp lifts a soul.

One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal.
One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam lights a room.

One candle wipes out darkness,
One laugh will conquer gloom.
One step must start each journey,
One word must start each prayer.

One hope will raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.
One voice can speak with wisdom,
One heart can know what's true.

One life can make the difference,
You see it's up to "You"

~Author Unknown

Life is an Echo

2005-09-16T16:07:00.000+06:30

A son and his father were walking in the mountains. Suddenly,his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

To his surprise, hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

Curious, he yells: "Who are you?" He receives the answer: "Who are you?" Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!"

He receives the answer: "Coward!"

He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?" The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention." And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!" The voice answers: "I admire you!" Again the man screams: "You are a champion!"

The voice answers: "You are a champion!" The boy is surprised, but does not understand. Then the father explains: "People call this echo, but really this is life. It gives you back everything you say or do. Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.

If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart. If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence. This relationship applies to everything,in all aspects of life; life will give you back everything you have given to it."

--Unknown

Dare To

2005-09-16T14:58:00.000+06:30

When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully.
When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light.
When there is injustice, dare to be the first to condemn it.
When something seems difficult, dare to do it anyway.
When life seems to beat you down, dare to fight back.
When there seems to be no hope, dare to find some.
When you're feeling tired, dare to keep going.
When times are tough, dare to be tougher.
When love hurts you, dare to love again.
When someone is hurting, dare to help them heal.
When another is lost, dare to help them find the way.
When a friend falls, dare to be the first to extend a hand.
When you cross paths with another, dare to make them smile.
When you feel great, dare to help someone else feel great too.
When the day has ended, dare to feel as you've done your best.

Dare to be the best you can.
At all times, Dare to be!

--Author Unknown

Secret of Success

2005-09-16T14:57:00.000+06:30

"Sir, What is the secret of your success?" a reporter asked a bank president.

"Two words"

"And, Sir,what are they?"

"Right decisions."

"And how do you make right decisions?"

"One word."

"And,sir,What is that?"

"Experience."

"And how do you get Experience ?"

"Two words"

"And, Sir,what are they?"

"Wrong decisions"

-- by: Author Unknown