Good Thoughts
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.
One of my favorite quotes comes 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
through 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 someone special
enough to spend your time with... 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.
Thought for the day:
Work like you don't need money,
Love like you've never been hurt,
And dance like no one's watching.
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The Most Important Question
During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop
quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the
questions, until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the
woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was some kind of joke. I
had
seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and
in
her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving
the last question blank. Before class ended, one student asked if the
last question would count toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely," said
the
professor. "In your careers you will meet many people. All are
significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do
is
smile and say hello." I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned
her name was Dorothy.
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Say a Prayer
I was taking my usual morning walk when a garbage truck pulled up
beside me. I thought the driver was going to ask for directions. Instead, he showed me a picture of a cute little five-year-old boy. "This is my
grandson, Jeremiah," he said. "He's on a life-support system at a
Phoenix hospital." Thinking he would next ask for a contribution to
his hospital bills, I reached for my wallet. But he wanted something
more than money. He said, "I'm asking everybody I can to say a prayer
for him. Would you say one for him, please?" I did. And my problems
didn't seem like much that day.
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Pickup in the Rain
One night, at 11:30 pm, an older African-American woman was standing on
the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm.
Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet,
she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to
help her (generally this was unheard of in those conflict-filled
1960s). The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. She seemed to be in a big hurry! She wrote down his address, thanked him and drove away.
Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant combination console color TV and stereo record player were delivered to his home. A special note was attached. The note read:
"Dear Mr. James: Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the
other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but my spirits.
Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying
husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for
helping me and unselfishly serving others.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat 'King' Cole."
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Giving Blood
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liza who was suffering from a disease and needed a blood transfusion from her five-year-old brother. He had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save Liza."
As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?" Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give her all his blood.
Julie's note: I thought this one was the most special of them all. It really touched my heart :)
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Two Nickels and Five Pennies
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy
entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass
of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" "Fifty
cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of
his pocket and studied a number of coins in it. "How much is a dish of
plain ice cream?" he inquired. Some people were now waiting for a
table and the waitress was a bit impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she said
brusquely. The little boy again counted the coins. "I'll have the
plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the
bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream,
paid the cashier, and departed. When the waitress came back, she began
wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at what she saw. There,
placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies -- her tip.
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The Obstacle in Our Path
In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he
hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some
of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply
walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads
clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the
way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching
the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the
stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he
finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he
noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The
purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the
gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The
peasant learned what many others never understand. Every obstacle
presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.
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