Some Really Good Advice1.Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
2.Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
3.When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.
4.Never laugh at anyone's dreams.
People who don't have dreams don't have much.
5.In disagreements, fight fairly.Avoid name calling.
6.Don't judge people by their relatives.
7.Talk slowly but think quickly.
8.When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer,
smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
9. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
10.When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
11. Remember the three R's: Respect for self, Respect for
others, and Responsibility for all your actions.
12.Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
When you realize you've made a mistake,
take immediate steps to correct it.
13. Always remember, a true friend is someone who
reaches for your hand and touches your heart.
source:www.positivethoughts.com
The Cookies A woman was waiting at an airport one night,
With several long hours before her flight.
She hunted for a book in the airport shops,
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.
She was engrossed in her book but happened to see,
That the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be,
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between,
Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.
So she munched the cookies and watched the clock,
As the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock.
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by,
Thinking, "If I wasn't so nice, I would blacken his eye."
With each cookie she took, he took one too,
When only one was left, she wondered what he would do.
With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh,
He took the last cookie and broke it in half.
He offered her half, as he ate the other,
She snatched it from him and thought... oooh, brother.
This guy has some nerve and he's also rude,
Why he didn't even show any gratitude!
She had never known when she had been so galled,
And sighed with relief when her flight was called.
She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate,
Refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.
She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat,
Then she sought her book, which was almost complete.
As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise,
There was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes.
If mine are here, she moaned in despair,
The others were his, and he tried to share.
Too late to apologize, she realized with grief,
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.
How many times in our lives,
have we absolutely known that something
was a certain way, only to be wrong?
Zig On Integrity Leadership It is true that integrity alone won't make you a leader, but without integrity you will never be one. A classic example involving integrity is one displayed by Steuben, the manufacturers of crystal. For generations they've had a policy of breaking every imperfect piece of crystal, no matter how small the flaw. Needless to say, this is a potent symbolic act, to both employees and customers. By the same token, genuine leaders must resolve to uphold their standards and values and act as role models for everyone in the organization. If leaders don't place values on a pedestal and defend them against attack, who will?
A person of integrity will make many of his or her decisions in advance. They are guided by principles and decisions that are made not for each individual situation, but according to principle. When values are well established within an organization, when those countless occasions arise where there has been no specific prior example, the integrity principle will lead to an integrity decision. This enables the organization to avoid serious pitfalls.
Leaders with integrity know they are not infallible, so when they make the inevitable mistakes they acknowledge their errors and immediately make amends. In other words, they are big enough to admit their shortcomings and wise enough to right their wrongs as quickly as possible.
In his books and speeches, former Notre Dame head football coach Lou Holtz regularly admonishes people to "do the right thing." When you do the right thing, even if the results are not good, your integrity remains intact; and your followers' confidence in you is not irreparably damaged, because they know you are a person of integrity.
. . . Adapted from Zig's popular book Staying Up, Up, Up In A Down, Down World.
When the Wind Blows
Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.
Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farmhand?" the farmer asked him.
"Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.
Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.
Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!"
The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.."
Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away.
The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.
MORAL: When you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear.
Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm.
We, secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves in the Word of God..
We don't need to understand, we just need to hold His hand to have peace in the midst of the storms.
I hope you sleep well!
10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace - By Dr. Wayne Dyer
The First Secret Have a Mind That Is Open to Everything and Attached to Nothing
The Second Secret Don't Die with Your Music Still in You
The Third Secret You Can't Give Away What You Don't Have
The Fourth Secret Embrace Silence
The Fifth Secret Give Up Your Personal History
The Sixth Secret You Can't Solve a Problem with the Same Mind That Created It
The Seventh Secret There Are No Justified Resentments
The Eighth Secret Treat Yourself As If You Already Are What You'd Like to Be
The Ninth Secret Treasure Your Divinity
The Tenth Secret Wisdom Is Avoiding All Thoughts That Weaken You
A Story of two wolves
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a
battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between 2
"wolves" inside us all.
One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy,sorrow, regret,
greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false
pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility,
kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather:
"Which wolf wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
THE DOOR OF HAPPINESSWhen the door of happiness closes,
another one opens;
but often times we look so long
at the closed door
that we don't see the one
which has been opened for us.
Don't dwell on the past when things go wrong.
Look for the opened doors all around you!
SOURCE:www.positivethoughts.com
Free to choose "Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility."
-- Sigmund Freud
In his book Nobody’s Victim, Christopher J. McCullough explains, "In order to live your freedom, you must first accept reality. ‘These are the choices, and given those choices, which do I choose?’ Whether the option you select is pleasant or painful does not alter the fact that, given reality, this is your preference.
"To live your freedom, it is helpful to stop and ask yourself, ‘Why am I doing this?’ and then notice whether, given the options, you are choosing what you really want, or whether you want to choose something else.... Sometimes the exercise of freedom involves naming your poison -- all choices may lead to outcomes that are in some way painful. But the real pain is that of feeling powerless -- denying your freedom."
"Freedom is man's capacity to take a hand in his own development. It is our capacity to mold ourselves."
-- Dr. Rollo May
Focus On TodayThere are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept from fear and apprehension. One of these days is yesterday, with 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 erase a single word we said. Yesterday is beyond recall.
The other day we should not worry about is tomorrow, with its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promises, and perhaps 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 unborn.
This leaves only one day - today. Anyone can fight the battles of just one day. It is only when you and I add the burden of those two awful eternity's, yesterday and tomorrow, that we break down. It is not the experience of today that drives us mad. It is the remorse or bitterness for something which happened yesterday or the dread of what tomorrow may bring. Let us, therefore, do our best to live one day at a time.
"
Tater People"
Some people never seem motivated to participate,
but are just content to watch while others do the work.
They are called "
Speck Taters".
Some people never do anything to help, but are gifted at
finding fault with The way others do the work.
They are called "
Comment Taters".
Some people are very bossy and like to tell others what to do,
but don't want to soil their own hands.
They are called "
Dick Taters".
Some people are always looking to cause problems
by asking others to agree with them.
It is too hot or too cold, too sour or too sweet.
They are called "
Agie Taters".
There are those who say they will help, but somehow
just never get around to actually doing the promised help.
They are called "
Hezzie Taters".
Some people can put up a front and pretend to be someone they are not.
They are called "
Emma Taters".
Then there are those who love others and do what they say they will.
They are always prepared to stop whatever they are doing and lend a helping hand.
They bring real sunshine into the lives of others.
They are called "
Sweet Taters".
Thank you for being a Sweet Tater!
source:www.positivethoughts.com
Once upon a time there was a child ready to be born. So one day he asked God,
"They tell me you are sending me to Earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"
"Among the many angels, I chose one for you. She will be waiting for you and will take care of you."
"But tell me," said the unborn child, "here in Heaven, I don't do anything else but sing and smile, that's enough for me to be happy."
God said, "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you every day. And you will feel your angel's love and be happy."
"And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me, if I don't know the language that men talk?"
"Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."
"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"
"Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."
"I've heard that on Earth there are bad men. Who will protect me?"
"Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life."
"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore. "
"Your angel will always talk to you about me and will teach you the way for you to come back to me, even though I will always be next to you. "
At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could already be heard, and the child in a hurry asked softly, "Oh God, if I am about to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."
"Your angel's name is of no importance; you will call your angel Mommy."
source:
www.positivethoughts.com
One
-By Allison K. Hymas
One minute makes a difference
When running for the train.
One car will change your day
If you're in a crowded lane.
One sentence works a wonder,
If it's needed to be heard.
One deed brings a person light,
As does one kindly word.
One meal is often missed,
One crime means doing time,
One shoe is always searched for,
As is, at times, one dime.
But the greatest One of all,
Be it parent, teacher, friend,
Is the one with you when you're down;
Beside you to the end.
"All major mystical traditions have recognized that there is a paradox at the heart of the journey of return to Origin. ...Put simply, this is that we are already what we seek, and that what we are looking for on the Path with such an intensity of striving and passion and discipline is already within and around us at all moments. The journey and all its different ordeals are all emanations of the One Spirit that is manifesting everything in all dimensions; every rung of the ladder we climb toward final awareness is made of the divine stuff of awareness itself; Divine Consciousness is at once creating and manifesting all things and acting in and as all things in various states of self-disguise throughout all the different levels and dimensions of the universe."
-- Andrew Harvey
LIBERATION IN THE EYES OF A GREAT SOUL"A human being is a part of the whole, called by us ‘Universe,’ a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security."
-- Albert Einstein
Bringing Life, Happiness & Joy To Our Lives By Jim Rohn
Any day we wish, we can discipline ourselves to change it all. Any day we wish, we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish, we can start a new activity. Any day we wish, we can start the process of life change. We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.
We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause. As Shakespeare uniquely observed, "The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves." We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today. Those who are in search of the good life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth. They need the whole truth. And they need nothing but the truth.
We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.
And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life--if you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree. You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life--and it all begins with your very own power of choice.
Daily forgiveness
"As long as you don't forgive, who and whatever it is will occupy rent-free space in your mind."
-- Isabelle Holland
We cannot avoid daily resentment and thoughts of guilt. They are a part of human nature. What we can do is release their grip on us. We can forgive others and ourselves daily.
Forgiveness requires nothing in return. There are no conditions. It gets rid of old baggage and clears up unfinished business. It leads us to a life of authenticity, lightness and directness. Forgiveness is the highest form of letting go of resentment and ego.
True forgiveness is more than an apology, understanding and acceptance. There is an element of recreating and re-imagining. There is a need to envision ourselves as more loving, interdependent, courageous and compassionate. Forgiveness requires honouring the sacred journey of learning about life - our life and others'.
"Whatever we have done, we can always make amends for it without ever looking back in guilt or sorrow."
-- Eknath Easwaran
source: higher awarness.com
You are at the top when . . .--ZIG ZIGLAR
You clearly understand that failure is an event, not a person, that yesterday ended last night, and today is your brand new day.
You have made friends with your past, are focused on the present, and optimistic about your future.
You know that success doesn't make you and failure doesn't break you.
You are filled with faith, hope and love; and live without anger, greed, guilt, envy or thoughts of revenge.
You are mature enough to delay gratification and shift your focus from your rights to your responsibilities.
You know that failure to stand for what is morally right is the prelude to being the victim of what is criminally wrong.
You are secure in who you are, so you are at peace with God and in fellowship with man.
You have made friends of your adversaries, and have gained the love and respect of those who know you best.
You understand that others can give you pleasure, but genuine happiness comes when you do things for others.
You are pleasant to the grouch, courteous to the rude and generous to the needy.
You love the unlovable, give hope to the hopeless, friendship to the friendless and encouragement to the discouraged.
You can look back in forgiveness, forward in hope, down in compassion and up with gratitude.
You know that "he who would be the greatest among you must become the servant of all."
You recognize, confess, develop and use your God-given physical, mental and spiritual abilities to the glory of God and for the benefit of mankind.
You stand in front of the Creator of the universe and He says to you, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
