Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with 86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course! Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off as lost whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow." You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success! The clock is running. Make the most of today. To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade. To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a
premature baby. To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper. To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet. To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train. To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident. To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics. Treasure every moment that you have, and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time. Remember that time waits for no one. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift, that's why it's called the present!
INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIFEGive people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
Memorize your favorite poem.
Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
When you say, "I love you," mean it.
When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.
Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
Believe in love at first sight.
Never laugh at anyone's dreams.
Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
Don't judge people by their relatives.
Talk slowly but think quickly.
When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
Call your mom.
Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions.
Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
Spend some time alone.
Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
Read more books and watch less TV.
Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll get to enjoy it a second time.
Trust in God but lock your car.
A loving atmosphere in your home is so important. Do all you can to create a tranquil harmonious home.
In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
Read between the lines.
Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
Be gentle with
the earth.
Pray. There's immeasurable power in it.
Never interrupt when you are being flattered.
Mind your own business.
Don't trust a man/woman who doesn't close his/her eyes when you kiss.
Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
If you make a lot of money, put it to use helping others while you are living. That is wealth's greatest satisfaction.
Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of luck.
Learn the rules then break some.
Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.
Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
Remember that your character is your destiny.
Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.
Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant persons, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others you may become vain and bitter; for there will always be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for love in the face of aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass. Take kindly the council of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of the spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive that to be, and whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all it's sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.
What Have You Learned?...that I like my teacher because she cries when we sing "Silent Night". Age 6
...that you can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk. Age 7
...that when I wave to people in the country, they stop what they are doing and wave back. Age 9
...that just when I get my room the way I like it, Mom makes me clean it up. Age 13
...that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try cheering someone else up. Age 14
...that although it's hard to admit it, I'm secretly glad my parents are strict with me. Age 15
...that silent company is often more healing than words of advice. Age 24
...that brushing my child's hair is one of life's great pleasures. Age 26
...that wherever I go, the worlds worst drivers have followed me there. Age 29
...that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it. Age 39
...that there are people who love you dearly but just don't know
how to show it. Age 41
...that you can make someone's day by simply sending them a little card. Age 44
...that the greater a person's sense of guilt, the greater his need to cast blame on others. Age 46
...that children and grandparents are natural allies. Age 47
...that singing "Amazing Grace" can lift my spirits for hours. Age 49
...that motel mattresses are better on the side away from the phone. Age 50
...that you can tell a lot about a man by the way he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. Age 52
...that keeping a vegetable garden is worth a medicine cabinet full of pills. Age 52
...that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you miss them terribly after they die. Age 53
...that making a living is not the same thing as making a life. Age 58
...that if you want to do something positive for your children, try to improve your marriage. Age 61
...that life sometimes gives you a second chance. Age 62
...that you shouldn't go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back. Age 64
...that if you pursue happiness it will elude you, but if you focus on your family, the needs of others, your work, meeting new people, and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you. Age 65
...that whenever I decide something with kindness, I usually make the right decision. Age 66
...that everyone can use a prayer. Age 72
...that it pays to believe in miracles, and to tell the truth, I've seen several. Age 73
...that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. Age 82
...that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch-holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. Age 85
...that I still have a lot to learn. Age 92
Swami Beyondananda's Guidelines for Enlightenment1. Be a Fundamentalist--make sure the fun always comes before the mental. Realize that life is a situation comedy that will never be canceled. A laugh track has been provided, and the reason why we are put in the material world is to get more material. Have a good laughsitive twice a day, and that will ensure regularhilarity.
2. Remember that each of us has been given a special gift - just for entering. So you are already a winner!
3. The most powerful tool on the planet today is Tell-A-Vision. That is where I tell a vision to you, and you tell a vision to me. That way, if we don't like the programming we're getting, we can change the channel.
4. Life is like photography, you use the negative to develop. And no matter what adversity you face, be reassured; of course God loves you, he's just not ready to make a commitment.
5. It is true. As we go through life thinking heavy thoughts, thought particles tend to get caught between the ears, causing a condition called truth decay. So be sure to use mental floss twice a day, & when you're tempted to practice tantrum yoga, remember what we teach in Swami's Absurdiveness Training class: "don't get even, get odd".
6. If we want world peace, we must let go of our attachments and truly live like nomads. That's where I no mad at you, you no mad at me. That way, there'll surely be nomadness on the planet. And peace begins with each of us. A little peace here, a little peace there, pretty soon all the peaces will fit together to make one big peace everywhere.
7. I know great earth changes have been predicted for the future, so if you're looking to avoid earthquakes, my advice is simple. When you find a fault, just don't dwell on it.
8. There's no need to change the world. All we have to do is toilet train the world & we'll never have to change it again.
9. If you're looking to find the key to the Universe, I have some bad news
and some good news. The bad news is--there is no key to the Universe. The good news is it has been left unlocked.
10. Finally, everything I have told you is chanelled. That way, if you don't like it, it's not my fault. And remember, enlightenment is not bureaucracy. So you don't have to go through channels.
By Mary Schmich
Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '97: Wear sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now. Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine. Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday. Do one thing every day that scares you. Sing. Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours. Floss. Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself. Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how. Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements. Stretch. Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't. Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone. Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance--so are everybody else's. Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own. Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room. Read the directions, even if you don't follow them. Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly. Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young. Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel. Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders. Respect your elders. Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out. Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth. But trust me on the sunscreen.
Axioms
Take care that old age doesn’t wrinkle your spirit even more than your face.
Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps the singing bird will come.
If you add to the truth, you subtract from it.
Opportunity is missed by most people because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work.
Always put off until tomorrow what you shouldn’t do at all.
He who makes no mistakes makes nothing.
Deliver your words not by number, but by weight.
A person of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds.
We soon believe what we desire.
If everyone would sweep before their own door, the world would soon be clean.
There are spots even on the sun.
Nature does nothing in vain.
Nature, Time, and Patience are the three greatest physicians.
Where everyone goes the grass never grows.
Truth is stranger than fiction; fiction has to make sense.
Goodness is easier to recognize than to define.
Music is the
poetry of the air.
Loyalty to a petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul.
They have rights who dare maintain them.
Each day the world is born anew to those who take it rightly.
Must is a tough nut to crack.
Who keeps silent consents.
Don’t talk about yourself; it’ll be done when you leave.
Diligence is the mother of good luck.
It is in living wisely and fully that one’s soul grows.
The most creative ideas come from beginners, not experts.
When planning for posterity, remember that virtue isn’t hereditary.
Time and words can’t be recalled, even if it was only yesterday.
No matter how thin you slice it, there are still two sides.
Knowledge is madness if good sense doesn’t direct it.
There is no remedy for love but to love more.
Hatred is like acid--it destroys the vessel that holds it.
We overlook so much happiness because it costs nothing.
If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always gotten.
Even
if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.
Be generous with praise but cautious with promises.
The best tranquilizer is a clear conscience.
The two hardest things to handle are failure and success.
Life is like a blind date; sometimes you just have to have a little faith.
Ambition is the grand enemy of all peace.
What you can’t get out of, get into wholeheartedly.
Better a friendly refusal than an unwilling promise.
Be not the first by whom the new are tried, nor yet the last to lay the old aside.
What you dislike in another take care to correct in yourself.
Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn’t.
Some people are in such a hurry to get to the good life that they rush right past it.
Perfect stability means perfect stagnation.
Conscience is the eye of God in the heart of man.
When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.
You can’t push a river.
All things come to those who wait.
The true voyage of discovery lies not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.
Fear is the beginning of all wisdom.
One must first learn to fall if one would fly.
What might first appear to be an obstacle is often-times a gateway into some new and splendid realm.
Some things must first be believed to be seen.
Once one recognizes the truth, one is bound by its laws.
Truth is a matter of context.
The proper path is easy to choose--it’s the one that confirms within you the truths you’ve always known.
To deprive the body of one sense is merely to sharpen another.
Shun man made truth. Seek your own path.
Belief imparts reality.
Who submits, rules.
The lure of power is addictive.
Desire moves the past from slumber.
No one tests the depth of a river with both feet.
Be at peace, for only then can your mind grasp the task at hand.
It’s not the emotion that’s ever wrong, only how we express it.
Anger is justified only if it seeks to prevent
the repetition of an injustice.
A person is never a failure until they blame their mistakes upon another.
Failure exists only when success is measured by the words of a non-God.
Where there is no imagination there is no fear.
There is great power in silence.
The true test of knowledge is not what we know how to do, but rather how we act when we don’t know what to do.
When all choices are taken away a perfect path remains.
If you seek to understand the whole universe you’ll understand nothing at all, but seek to understand yourself and you’ll come to understand the whole universe.
We are taken amidst deep waters not to drown us, but to cleanse us.
If there’s one thing about stupidity, you can be sure it’s genuine.
One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius.
The finger of God never leaves identical fingerprints.
Love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking together in the same direction.
A person in the wrong may more easily be convinced than one half right.
With most people, unbelief in one thing is founded upon blind belief in another.
There is no disputing a proverb, a fool, and the truth.
It is comparison that makes people happy or miserable.
The hardest tumble a person can make is to fall over their own bluff.
Wise people talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.
Fools need advice most, but the wise only are better for it.
Many ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind than in the one where they sprung up.
Meeting interesting people depends less on where you go than who you are.
Regrets over yesterday and fear of tomorrow are twin thieves that rob us of the moment.
Most people resist change, yet it’s the only thing that brings progress.
The trouble with using experience as a guide is that the final exam often comes before the lesson.
It’s impossible to truly teach without learning something yourself.
You learn the most from people who are learning themselves.
On the mountains of truth you can never climb in vain.
Never ascribe to an opponent motives meaner than your own.
If you think you have influence, try ordering someone else’s dog around.
Make the little decisions with your head and the big decisions with your heart.
From error to error, one discovers the entire truth.
Fill your life with experiences, not excuses.
As a person grows wiser they talk less and say more.
Eloquence; Saying the proper thing and stopping.
Don't ever slam a door; you may want to go back.
Nothing is opened more by mistake than the mouth.
If you aim at nothing, you'll hit nothing.
Achieving starts with believing.
Better to do it than wish it done.
Youth is such a wonderful thing. What a crime to waste it on the young.
Doing just average is what keeps the average down.
Give without remembering. Take without forgetting.
Happiness isn't perfected until it's shared.
To a friend's house the road is never long.
An apology is a good way to have the last word.
After all's said and done, more's said than done.
The most important things in life aren't things.
People trying to get even never get ahead.
Wisdom is only common sense. Trouble is, it's not common enough.
The road to success is always under construction.
The discovery that "You" is entirely your own--although the entire world will happily participate in that discovery.
If something works for you, fine--use it; it's yours. If it doesn't work for you let it go and move on to something that does.
An atom (and thus all matter) is mostly empty space.
Experiment. Make your life an active science.
Try new things.
Without mistakes, how would we know what we have to work on?
You're worthy of all the good that comes your way. If you weren't, it wouldn't come your way.
When you think you've had all the joy you can tolerate, you've only reached your limit, not joy's.
I am open to receive with every breath I breathe.
Laugh. Out loud. Often.
It takes great strength to be happy.
You don't have to do anything.
Live now.
Increasing your self-esteem is easy--simply do good things and remember that you've done them.
You are a Master. You might as well get good at it.
Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Many people will walk in and out of your life but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.
To handle yourself, use your head. To handle others, use your heart.
Anger is only one letter short of danger.
If someone betrays you once, it is his fault. If he betrays you twice, it is your fault.
Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.
He who loses money, loses much. He who loses a friend, loses much more. He who loses faith, loses all.
Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.
Did You Know....If shop mannequins were real women, they'd be too thin to menstruate.
There are 3 billion women who don't look like supermodels and only 8 who do.
Marilyn Monroe wore a size 12.
If Barbie were a real woman, she'd have to walk on all fours due to her proportions.
The average American woman weighs 144 lbs and wears between a size 12 and 14.
One out of every 4 college aged women has an eating disorder.
The models in the magazines are airbrushed--they're not perfect! A psychological study in 1995 found that 3 minutes spent looking at models in a fashion magazine caused 70% of women to feel depressed, guilty and shameful.
Models who twenty years ago weighed 8% less than the average woman, today weigh 23% less.
Bill of No Rights
The following was allegedly written by State Representative Mitchell Kaye from Cobb County, GA.
We, the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid any more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior and secure the blessings of debt-free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt-ridden, delusional and other liberal bedwetters. We hold these truths to be self-evident: that a whole lot of people were confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim that they require a Bill of No Rights.ARTICLE I: You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.
ARTICLE
II: You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc., but the world is full of idiots and probably always will be.
ARTICLE III: You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful, do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.
ARTICLE IV: You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes.
ARTICLE V: You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we're just not interested in public health care.
ARTICLE VI: You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim or kill someone, don't be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.
ARTICLE VII: You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won't have the right to a big-screen color TV or a life of leisure.
ARTICLE VIII: You don't have the right to demand that our children risk their lives in foreign wars to soothe your aching conscience. We hate oppressive governments and won't lift a finger to stop you from going to fight if you'd like; however, we do not enjoy parenting the entire world, and do not want to spend so much of our time battling each and every little tyrant with a military uniform and a funny hat.
ARTICLE IX: You don't have the right to a job. All of us sure want all of you to have one, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful.
ARTICLE X: You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to pursue happiness--which by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.
He was just a little boy, on a week's first day,
He was wandering home from Sunday School, and dawdling on the way
He scuffed his shoes into the grass; he found a caterpillar,
He found a fluffy milkweed pod, and blew out all the "filler"
A bird's nest in a tree overhead, so wisely placed on high
Was just another wonder that caught his eager eye
A neighbor watched his zig zag course, and hailed him from the lawn
Asked him where he'd been that day and what was going on
"I've been to Bible School," he said and turned a piece of sod
He picked up a wiggly worm replying, "I've learned a lot of God."
"M'm very fine way," the neighbor said, "for a boy to spend his time.
If you'll tell me where God is, I'll give you a brand new dime."
Quick as a flash the answer came! Nor were his accents faint
"I'll give you a dollar, Mister, if you can tell me where God ain't."
The American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat was several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied, only a little while. The American then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs. The American then asked, but what do you do with the rest of your time? The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life." The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise." The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?" To which the American replied, "15-20 years." "But what then?" The American laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions." "Millions. Then what?" The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."
One day an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and to drive home a point used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high powered overachievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz." The he pulled out a one-gallon, wide mouth mason jar and set it on the table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?" Everyone said, "Yes." Then he said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the space between the big rocks. Then he asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?" By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!" he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is the jar full?" "No!" the class shouted. Once again he said "Good." Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?" One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things into it!" "No," the speaker replied, "That's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: if you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all." What are the 'big rocks' in your life? Time with your loved ones? Your faith, your education, your dreams? A worthy cause? Teaching or mentoring others? Ask yourself; what are the 'big rocks' in my life? Then, put those in the jar first.
One day, a father and his rich family took their son for a trip in the country with the firm purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a day and night at the farm of a very poor family. When they got back from their trip, the father asked the son, "How was the trip?" "Very good, dad!" "Did you see how poor people can live?" 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." As the little boy was finishing, the father was speechless. His son added, "Thanks, dad, for showing me how poor we are."
His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to eke out 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 take him and give him a good education. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll grow to a man you can be proud of." And that he did. In time, Farmer Fleming's son 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 nobleman's son was stricken with pneumonia. What saved him? Penicillin. The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His son's name? Sir Winston Churchill. Someone once said "What goes around comes around."
Do not undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special. Do not set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you. Do not take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless. Do not let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past nor for the future. By living your life one day at a time you live all the days of your life. Do not give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying. It is a fragile thread that binds us to each other. Do not be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave. Do not shut love out of your life by saying it is impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give love--the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly. Do not dismiss your dreams. To be without dreams is to be without hope--to be without hope is to be without purpose. Do not run through life so fast that you forget not only where you have been, but also where you are going. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.
Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room. Instead the angels were given a space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, "Things aren't always what they seem." The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest. When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field. The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel, "How could you have let this happen! The first man had everything, yet you helped him. The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let their cow die!" "Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied. "When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it. Then, last night as we slept in the farmer's bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I told him to take the cow instead." Things aren't always what they seem. Sometimes this is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way we think they should. If you have faith just trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You might not realize it until much later.
Some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. 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 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 it?" The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, "Oh, Daddy, it is 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 begged for her forgiveness. It is told that the man kept that gold box by his bed for years and whenever he was discouraged he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there. In a very real sense, each of us as humans have been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, friends, family or God. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.
There is a story many years ago of an elementary teacher named Mrs. Thompson. As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers. At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise. Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners...he is a joy to be around." His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well-liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle." His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken." Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class." By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other
presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing and a bottle that was one quarter full of perfume, but she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to." After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic and began to teach children. She paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets." A year later, she found a note under her door from Teddy, telling her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life. Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best teacher he ever hadm but now his name was a little longer. The letter was signed, "Theodore F. Stoddard, M.D." There was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing, and she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together. They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference." Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."
LOVE INSTALL
Customer: I'm not very technical, but I think I am ready to install now. What do I do first?
CS Rep: The first step is to open your HEART. Have you located your HEART, ma'am?
Customer: Yes I have, but I have PASTHURT.EXE, LOWESTEEM.EXE, GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM running right now. Is it okay to install while they are running?
CS Rep: No problem. LOVE will automatically erase PASTHURT.EXE from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory, but it will no longer disrupt other programs. LOVE will eventually overwrite LOWESTEEM.EXE with a module of its own called HIGHESTEEM.EXE. However, you have to completely turn off GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM. Those programs prevent LOVE from being properly installed. Go to your Start menu and invoke FORGIVENESS.EXE. Do this as many times as necessary until GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM have been completely erased.
Customer: Okay, I'm done. LOVE has started installing itself automatically. Is that normal?
CS Rep: Yes it is. You should receive a message that says it will reinstall for the life of your HEART. Do you see that message?
Customer: Yes I do. Is it completely installed?
CS Rep: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other HEART's in order to get the upgrades.
Customer: Oops...I have an error message already. It says "ERROR 412 - PROGRAM WILL NOT RUN ON INTERNAL COMPONENTS." What does that mean?
CS Rep: Don't worry ma'am, that's a common problem. It means that the LOVE program is set up to run on external HEARTS but has not yet been run on your HEART. It is one of those complicated programming things, but in non-technical terms it means you have to "LOVE" your own machine before it can "LOVE" others. Can you find the directory called "SELF-ACCEPTANCE"?
Customer: Yes, I have it.
CS Rep: Click on the following files and then copy them to the "MYHEART" directory: FORGIVESELF.DOC, SELFESTEEM.TXT, REALIZEWORTH.TXT and GOODNESS.DOC. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching any faulty programming. Also, you need to delete SELFCRITIC.EXE from all directories and then empty your recycle bin afterwards to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.
Customer: Got it. Hey! My HEART is filling up with really neat files. SMILE.MPG is playing on my monitor right now and it shows that WARMTH.COM, PEACE.EXE and CONTENTMENT.COM are copying themselves all over my HEART!
CS Rep: Then LOVE is installed and running. You should be able to handle it from here. One more thing before I go...LOVE is freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everybody you meet. They will in turn share it with other people and they will return some really neat modules back to you.
Customer: I will. Thank you for your help.
A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule 'braying.' After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery. Initially, the old mule was hysterical, but as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP! This he did, blow after blow. "Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up!" He repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows or distressing the situation seemed the old mule fought "panic" and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP. It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well. What seemed like it would bury him, actually blessed him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity. If we face our problems and respond to them positively and refuse to give into panic, bitterness or self-pity...the adversities that come along to bury us usually have within them the potential to benefit and bless us! Remember that forgiveness, faith, prayer, praise and hope all are excellent ways to "shake it off and step up."
From "Business @ The Speed of Thought" by Bill Gates
RULE 1 - Life is not fair; get used to it.
RULE 2 - The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
RULE 3 - You will NOT make 40 thousand dollars a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with a car phone, until you earn both.
RULE 4 - If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure.
RULE 5 - Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping; they called it opportunity.
RULE 6 - If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault; so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
RULE 7 - Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parents' generation, try "delousing" the closet in your own room.
RULE 8 - Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades; they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
RULE 9 - Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.
RULE 10 - Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
RULE 11 - Be nice to nerds. Chances are you could end up working for one.
When life was simpler...Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-mo."
Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, "do over!"
"Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest.
Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in "Monopoly."
Catching the fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening.
It wasn't odd to have two or three "best" friends.
Being old referred to anyone over 20.
The net on a tennis court was the perfect height to play volleyball and rules didn't matter.
The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was cooties.
It was magic when dad would "remove" his thumb.
It was unbelievable that dodgeball wasn't an Olympic event.
Having a weapon in school, meant being caught with a slingshot.
Nobody was prettier than Mom.
Scrapes and bruises were kissed and made better.
It was a big deal to finally be tall enough to ride the "big people" rides at the amusement park.
Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true.
Abilities were discovered because of a "double-dog-dare."
Saturday morning cartoons weren't 30-minute ads for action figures.
No shopping trip was complete, unless a new toy was brought home.
"Olly-olly-oxen-free" made perfect sense.
Spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for giggles.
The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.
War was a card game.
Water balloons were the ultimate weapon.
Baseball cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle.
Taking drugs meant orange-flavored chewable aspirin.
Ice cream was considered a basic food group.
Older siblings were the worst tormentors, but also the fiercest protectors.
WATER
75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half world pop.)
In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.
One glass of water shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a U-Washington study.
Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.
Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?
By Sam Levenson
For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.
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