LIVE LIFE
We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married,
have a baby, then another.  Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't
old enough and we'll be more content when they are.  After that we're
frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with.  We will certainly be
happy when they are out of that stage.  We tell ourselves that our life
will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we
get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire.

The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now.  If not
now, when?  Your life will always be filled with challenges.  It's best to admit
this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.  A quote from Alfred D. Souza.
He said, "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin real
life.  But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten
throught first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid.
Then life would begin.  At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."
This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness.  Happiness is
the way.  So, treasure every moment that you have.  And treasure it more because you
shared  it with someonespecial, enough to spend you time...
and remember that time waits for no one...

So stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school,
until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have
kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you
retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday
night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your
car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until
winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until
your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up,
until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no
better time than right now to be happy.

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.....................

BALANCE IN YOUR LIFE

In a University commencement address Mr. Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca Cola
Enterprises, said:

"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air.
You name them work, family, health, friends, and spirit -
and you're keeping all of these in the air.
You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball.
If you drop it, it will bounce back.

But the other four balls - family, health, friends and spirit - are made of glass.
If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked,
damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same.

You must understand that, and strive for balance in your life. How?

--Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others.
It is because we are different that each of us is special.

--Don't set your goals by what other people deem important.
Only you know what is best for you.

--Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart.
Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.

--Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future.
By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.

--Don't give up when you still have something to give.
Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.

--Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect.
It is this fragile thread that binds us to each other.

--Don't be afraid to encounter risks.
It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

--Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find.
The quickest way to receive love is to give it;
the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly:
and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.

--Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've
been, but also where you are going.

--Don't forget, a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.

--Don't be afraid to learn.
Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.

--Don't use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved.

--Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

--Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a Mystery and Today is a gift:
that is why we call it "The Present"

Five Finger Prayer
1. Your thumb is nearest to you. So begin your prayers by praying for
those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember.  To pray for our
loved ones is, as C.S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty".

2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach,
instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They
need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep
them in your prayers.

3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders.
Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and
administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion.
They need God's guidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is fact that
this is our weakest finger; as any piano teacher will testify.
It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain.
They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger; the smallest finger of all.
Which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others.
 As the Bible says, "the least shall be the greatest among you." Your
pinky should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have
prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be
put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself
more effectively.

SHOULD YOU
Should you find it hard to get to sleep tonight;
Just remember the homeless family who has no bed to lie in.

Should you find yourself stuck in traffic; don't despair.
There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

Should you have a bad day at work;
Think of the man who has been out of work for the last three months.

Should you despair over a relationship gone bad;
Think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.

Should you grieve the passing of another weekend;
Think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week, for $15.00 to feed her family.

Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance,
Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror;
Think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.

Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering; what is life all about, what is my purpose?
Be thankful, there are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.

Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities;
Remember, things could be worse.  You  could be them!!!

FAITHFUL LESSONS LEARNED
I've learned-
that you cannot make someone love you.  All you can do is be someone who can be loved.  The rest is up to them.

I've learned-
that no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back.

I've learned-
that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.

I've learned-
that it's not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.

I've learned-
that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes.  After that, you'd better know something.

I've learned-
that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do.

I've learned-
that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I've learned-
that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I've learned-
that you should always leave loved ones with loving words.  It may be the last time you see them..

I've learned-
that you can keep going long after you can't.

I've learned-
that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I've learned-
that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I've learned-
that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

I've learned-
that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I've learned-
that money is a lousy way of keeping score..

I've learned-
that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I've learned-
that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I've learned-
that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I've learned-
that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.  Same goes for true love.

I've learned-
that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I've learned-
that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I've learned-
that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish.  Few things are more humiliating, and what
a tragedy it would be if they believed it.

I've learned-
that your family won't always be there for you.  It may seem funny, but people you aren't related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again.  Families aren't just biological.

I've learned-
that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I've learned-
that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.  Sometimes you are to learn to forgive yourself.

I've learned-
that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I've learned-
that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I've learned-
that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I've learned-
that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I've learned-
that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret.  It could change your life forever.

I've learned-
that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I've learned-
that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.

I've learned-
that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I've learned-
that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I've learned-
that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I've learned-
that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I've learned-
that it's hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people's feelings and standing up
for what you believe.

ENLIGHTING THOUGHTS
I once told a man that I no longer voted.
He responded by telling me this.
The choice of whether I voted or not was why he waded through rice paddies,
toted guns, and fought battles.  It wasn't long afterward that I began to vote again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I once told a man a lie.
He responded by telling me this.
All of the decisions that he made were based upon the words that I
spoke.  I have long since told the truth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I once became upset over a gift I received, because it wasn't what I wanted.
The giver saw the disappointment in my eyes and told me this.
He chose the most valuable gift he could find, because he felt I should have it.
I am since very joyful over each gift that I receive.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A man once told me a secret which I quietly whispered in another friend's ear.
The man told me this, after hearing his own secret repeated.
The reason he told me the secret was because he trusted me, not my friend.
I no longer take trust so lightly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I once gave a gift to a friend and she cried.
I told her it was just a small gift I had found.
Her response was that it was not the gift, it was that I had thought of her.
I now give gifts often.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The shiny coin was not to be mine, so I had been told.
But on my way out the door, it found it's way in my hand.
When it was discovered that I had stolen the coin, I was quietly taken aside.
The owner of the coin told me this:  Integrity is given with a choice.
I have since chosen to stand with integrity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once I told a man of all of my dreams.
He smiled warmly and even chuckled then asked if I ever planned on living any of them.
I now choose the spending of my days very differently.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I watched a man daily as he walked ... head down ... so focused.
I was curious and inquired as to why he never looked up.
The look on his face was one of surprise, but he responded.
His world was so structured that he didn't have to look where
he placed his foot and there was nothing else to look at.
I make it a point to never stare at my feet, for fear of creating tunnels.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I wanted so much to merely be myself, going unnoticed and not draw attention, and I was told this:
The fact that you do not conform makes you stand out all the more.
I'm still thinking about that one.

I AM THE CENTER OF MY UNIVERSE
but I do not live here alone.
each move I make creates a ripple in someone else's ocean,
each breath I take affects the air all around me,
each word I utter falls on someone else's ears,
that which I touch is felt by another,
that which I do will certainly affect another,
that which I do not, will also affect another.
We never know how far reaching something we say or do really is until
it returns to us, and it always does, whether we see the circle or not.

EIGHT GIFTS THAT DON'T COST A CENT

1) THE GIFT OF LISTENING...
But you must REALLY listen.  No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response.  Just listening.

2) THE GIFT OF AFFECTION...
Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds.  Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.

3) THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER...
Clip cartoons.  Share articles and funny stories.  Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."

4) THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE...
It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet.  A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.

5) THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT...
A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super job" or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.

6) THE GIFT OF A FAVOR...
Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.

7) THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE...
There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone.  Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.

8) THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION...
The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone, really it's not that hard to say,
Hello or Thank You.

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