A LESSON IN OPTIMISM As I was driving home from a visit one day, though I'm not particularly interested watching sports, I stopped to watch a local Little League baseball game that was being played in a park near my home. As I sat down behind the bench on the first-baseline, I asked one of the boys what the score was. "We're behind 14 to nothing," he answered with a smile. "Really," I said. "I have to say you don't look very discouraged." "Discouraged?" the boy asked with a puzzled look on his face. "Why should we be discouraged? We haven't been up to bat yet."
A MISERABLE THOUGHT … POSSIBLY TRUE
A PARENT'S HOPE We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my grandchildren, I'd really like for you to know about hand-me-down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches. I really would. I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated. I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car. And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen. It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your dog put to sleep. I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in, I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him. When you want to see a movie and your little brother wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him. I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely. On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom. If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one. I hope you learn to dig in the dirt when planting seeds, and read books that make you grow. When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head. I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like. May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole. I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend. I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your grandpa and go fishing with your uncle. May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays. I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you when you give her a plaster mold of your hand. These things I wish for you ... tough times and disappointments, hard work and happiness. To me, its the only way to appreciate life.
ATTITUDES The longer we live, the more we realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, 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, talents, or skills. It will make or break a company … a church … a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day. We choose the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. We are gradually convinced that life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. The test is not just how we live the live the successes, but also how we deal with the failures. And if done right ... those "failures" are as important as the successes. And so we conclude … WE ARE IN CHARGE OF OUR ATTITUDES, and nothing else.
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF Set your standards high, you deserve the best.
BUTTERFLY KISSES We often learn the most from our children. Some time ago, this man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Seems he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box which was to hold a present, and in doing so, she used more paper than was necessary. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy. "He was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found that the box was empty. He yelled at her, "Don't you know that when you give someone a present, there's supposed to be something inside of it?" The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, "Oh, Daddy it's not empty. I blew kisses into the box. All for you, Daddy. "The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged her forgiveness. This man then kept that gold box by his bed for years. Whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.
CARPE DIEM Life is like a path of driven snow. Be careful how you tread it, for every mark will show. You never can tell what type of impact you may make on another's life by your actions or lack of action. Consider this fact in your venture through this life's journey. Celebrate what an unbelievable life you've had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships, because these hardships will serve to make you stronger. All the gold in the world, Could not buy one day of life. And you have that treasure, that precious day, right now, ready and waiting, to be harvested.
BE THANKFUL Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire. Be thankful for the difficult times. Be thankful for your mistakes. It's easy to be thankful for the good things. Notice, I've said "can grow" - 'can give" - "can build" - "can teach" - "can learn"
MEETING EACH MOMENT The first star in the evening sky shines with a special The first of anything is touched with special glamour; first love, When day turns to evening, that day will never come again. We're not the same as we were yesterday.
For all the bullying inspirational slogans hurled at us about never giving up on your dream, following your bliss, and today being the first day of the rest of your life, the fact remains that most people's lives run on fairly narrow tracks. And in the real world, as opposed to self-help fantasyland, once you find yourself on a track, it's awfully hard to get off, even if it's headed nowhere in particular.
Try for what you want, and never settle for less.
Believe in yourself; no matter what you choose.
Keep a winning attitude, and you can never lose.
Think about your destination, but don't worry if you stray.
Because the most important thing is what you've learned along the way.
Use all that you've become to be all that you can be.
Soar above the clouds, and let your dreams set you free.
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.
During those times you can grow.
Be thankful for your limitations.
They can give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge.
It can build your strength and character.
They can teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
Because it means you've made a effort.
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.
Meaning it's predominently up to YOU, and some encouragement at home.
brightness, because it is the first. We see it as a signal;
the first sign that afternoon has turned to evening.
a baby's first words or steps, first day of school, first job.
They're signals of change, profound and irreversible.
Tomorrow is a new day, unique and never-to-be-repeated.
If we could meet each new day, each new person,
each new experience, as though it were the first,
our lives could be touched by the excitement and discovery of adventure.
Each moment we change; each new event in
our lives can be a cusp between two different states.
Today, let's give ourselves that special gift.