Ray's Daily

Another Opening, Another Show!

Never meddle with play actors, for they’re a favored race

Miguel De Cervantes

Yesterday I was fortunate to be able to kick off my week by healing my ills, rebuilding my spirit, and going into my week’s prelaunch mode with a smile on my face. And because it’s you I am going to share my secret remedy for the blahs.

What I did was take my wife and two friends to the Studio Theatre at the Center for Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana to see the Actors Theatre of Indiana’s production of Forbidden Broadway. It was not just that the show was so well staged; or the impressions so well done; or the great creative costuming; or the great choreography; or even the outstanding talent demonstrated by the performers; what it was was the opportunity to participate in a stupendous HOOT! There is nothing more therapeutic than sharing raucous laughter with a group of folks who have forgotten what ails them. And what makes this production so special is that the theatre provides an intimacy that allows the audience to feel like they are in the show with the performers. If you live in Central Indiana, do yourself a favor and go to http://www.actorstheatreofindiana.org/ and buy yourself a ticket, there are only a few weeks left in the run so do it today. When you go be ready to forget your troubles, have some fun and walk out into a brighter world. If you don’t live nearby I hope you will look for events in your area that will allow you to escape your troubles through the healing powers that can be provided by live theatre.

The Actors Theatre of Indiana (ATI) has been in Indy for a few years now but this is their first year in their new home. The principles are topnotch professional actors with a long list of national credits as you can see if you visit their website. We are so fortunate that they chose to settle in Central Indiana to raise their children, have fun and bring a unique entertainment experience to us. They do it all, they have a “Hey Kids Let’s Put on a Show” exuberance. They choreograph, write material, adapt musicals, paint scenery, raise money to keep the ticket prices reasonably priced, rehearse, in other words they do it all, our own Mickey Rooney − Elizabeth Taylor live flashback to a time when the country needed folks like these to pull us out of the doldrums.

I am so glad they chose us to offer the gift of their talent and if you take advantage of the opportunity I know you will be glad too. For those of you who can’t join us, do me a favor find something where you live and support live theatre for it is an experience that we all need, I find that periodic doses enrich my life and they will yours as well. And now on with the show.

~~~

Only one who attempts the ridiculous can achieve the impossible.

Miguel Unamuno

~~~

Three mischievous boys went to the zoo one day for an outing, since they had been at school all week.  They decided to visit the elephant cage, but soon enough, they were picked up by a cop for causing a commotion. The officer hauled them off to security for questioning.  The supervisor in charge asked them to give their names and tell what they were doing at the elephant cage.

The first boy innocently said, “My name is Gary, and I was just throwing peanuts into the elephant cage.”

The second added, “My name is Larry, and all I was doing was throwing peanuts into the elephant cage.”

The third boy was a little shaken up and said, “Well, my name is Peter, but my friends call me Peanuts.”

~~~

Seek and ye shall find; hide and ye shall be lost.

Kenneth G. Mills

~~~

WORDS WOMEN USE

FINE – This is the word women use to end an argument when they feel they are right and you need to shut up. Never use “fine” to describe how a woman looks – this will cause you to have one of those arguments.

FIVE MINUTES – This is half an hour. It is equivalent to the five minutes that your football game is going to last before you take out the trash, so it’s an even trade.

NOTHING – Be advised, this means “something,” and you should be on your toes. “Nothing” is usually used to describe the feeling a woman has of wanting to turn you inside out, upside down, and backwards. “Nothing” usually signifies an argument that will last “Five Minutes” and end with “Fine, go ahead (With Raised Eyebrows).” This is a dare. One that will result in a woman getting upset over “Nothing” and will end with the word “Fine.”

GO AHEAD (Normal Eyebrows) – This means “I give up” or “do what you want because I don’t care.” You will get a “Raised Eyebrow Go Ahead” in just a few minutes, followed by “Nothing” and “Fine” and she will talk to you in about “Five Minutes” when she cools off.

LOUD SIGH – This is not actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A “Loud Sigh” means she thinks you are an idiot at that moment and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you over “Nothing.”

SOFT SIGH – Again, not a word, but a non-verbal statement. “Soft Sighs” mean that she is content. Your best bet is to not move or breathe, and she will stay content.

THAT’S OK – This is one of the most dangerous statements that a woman can make to a man. “That’s OK” means that she wants to think long and hard before paying you back for whatever it is that you have done. “That’s OK” is often used with the word “Fine” and in conjunction with a Raised Eyebrow.

GO AHEAD – Warning: At some point in the near future, you are going to be in some mighty big trouble.

PLEASE DO – This is not a statement, it is an offer. A woman is giving you the chance to come up with whatever excuse or reason you have for doing whatever it is that you have done. You have a fair chance with the truth, so be careful and you shouldn’t get a “That’s OK.”

THANKS – A woman is thanking you. Do not faint. Just say, “You’re welcome.”

THANKS A LOT – This is much different from “Thanks.” A woman will say, “Thanks a lot” when she is really ticked off at you. It signifies that you have offended her in some callous way and will be followed by the “Loud Sigh.” Be careful not to ask what is wrong after the “Loud Sigh,” as she will only tell you “Nothing.”

~~~

“Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?”

Charlie McCarthy

~~~

A group of bats is hanging around, upside down, as usual, mostly sleeping. Suddenly one notices that Charlie is on the floor, standing upright and looking around.

“Hey, Charlie,” he calls out. “What are you doing down there?”

Charlie looks up and says, “Yoga!”

~~~

From a Jewish Friend: If it tastes good, it’s probably not kosher.

~~~

A woman was at home with her children when the telephone rang.  In going to answer it, she tripped on a rug, grabbed for something to hold on to and seized the telephone table. It fell over with a crash, jarring the receiver off the hook.

As it fell, it hit the family dog, which leaped up, howling and barking. The woman’s three-year-old son, startled by this noise, broke into loud screams. The woman mumbled some colorful words. She finally managed to pick up the receiver and lift it to her ear, just in time to hear her husband’s voice on the other end say, “Nobody’s said hello yet, but I’m positive I have the right number.”

~~~

Laughter, tears, curtain.

Sullivan

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

This daily is sent only to special people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at https://raykiwsp.wordpress.com/ currently there are about 2000 readers from around the world.

I am going to enjoy my weekend, are you?

I believe life is to be lived, not worked, enjoyed, not agonized, loved, not hated.

Leland Bartlett

Ah, another weekend and another opportunity for some enjoyment. I don’t know about you but I plan to make the best of it. You know while I don’t have a real job I am still allowed to do a lot for others and most of it is done in partnership with friends and favored organizations and they do their thing Monday through Friday and so I am kept busy during the week. So I still treat weekends pretty much as I always have when I have been home. I go to markets, run a few errands, possibly catch a movie watched with the required big bag of over buttered popcorn. By the way please don’t tell my doc’s about the popcorn, they want me to lose weight. I often get a chance to linger over a leisurely breakfast with a friend who is too busy to slow down during the week.

This weekend I will attend a musical with my wife and friends performed by one of my favorite professional theatre company. Yep, my weekdays are great but my weekends are even better. Life is to enjoy so I decided some time ago to do just that.

I found the following on the net a while ago and I liked it so I want to share it with you. I don’t know who wrote it but I would like to have whoever did as a friend.

Everyone says, “How the time flies.” The days go by and they are years, and the years finally become our whole life. Each daily portion can be wasted, or it can be a pleasure, before it is gone forever. If a bedtime review of the day concludes that we were too stressed, too busy, didn’t accomplish anything, didn’t have any fun, then it has been another lost piece of precious life.

Perhaps we are putting off our enjoyment until we have more time, or money, or some other improved condition. The trouble with that is that it might never happen, or it may be too long in coming.  It’s so important to accept this time, this very minute, as something of tremendous value that will very soon be gone forever. There are many ways to ensure that we make the best of our time here on earth.

In our daily routine let’s include time to enjoy others and thus ourselves. Look and wonder at the trees, fields and mountains, smell the flowers, hear the birds, and watch the clouds in the sky.

Face your problems bravely, confidently, and improve on your situation, no matter what state it be in. Be good to feel good. Be active and improve your mind. Laugh, relax, and sleep well.

Looking for something to enjoy, try one of these:

Enjoy your meal. Don’t just eat. Taste it and appreciate its richness.

Gather with old friends.

Take a walk in the park.

Read a novel.

Give yourself a lazy day.

Have a candle-light dinner with your spouse.

Watch funny videos.

Play with kids.

Go to a theater.

Watch sunrise.

Take pictures.

~~~

Begin doing what you want to do now.  We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand, and melting like a snowflake.

Marie Ray

~~~

There once was a religious young woman who went to confession. Upon entering the confessional she said, “Forgive me Father, for I have sinned.”

The priest said, “Confess your sins and be forgiven.”

The young woman said, “Last night my boyfriend made mad passionate love to me seven times.”

The priest thought long and hard and then said, “Squeeze seven lemons into a glass and then drink the juice.”

The young woman asked, “Will this cleanse me of my sins?”

The Priest said “No, but it will wipe that smile off of your face!”

~~~

“Imagination is the highest kite one can fly.”

Lauren Bacall

~~~

She said: I have changed my system for labeling homemade freezer meals.  I used to carefully note in large clear letters, “Meatloaf” or “Pot Roast” or “Steak and Vegetables or “Chicken and Dumplings” or “Beef Pot Pie.” However, I used to get frustrated when I asked my husband what he wanted for dinner because he never asked for any of those things.  So, I decided to stock the freezer with what he really likes.

If you look in my freezer now you’ll see a whole new set of labels. You’ll find dinners with neat little tags that say: “Whatever,” “Anything,” “I Don’t Know,” “I Don’t Care,” “Something Good,” or “Food.” My frustration is now reduced because no matter what my husband replies when I ask him what he wants for dinner, I know that it is there waiting.

~~~

“It is indeed ironic that we spend our school days yearning to graduate and our remaining days waxing nostalgic about our school days.”

Isabel Waxman

~~~

She said: After bumping his head on our stereo cabinet, my 11-year-old-son, Felix, required stitches.  While the doctor was administering a local anesthetic to his head, I started to feel faint, so the nurse offered me a chair. My son winced with every stitch, and the nurse told him it was okay to cry.  On the way home, my husband asked Felix if he had heard the nurse tell him it was okay to cry.  “Yeah, I heard her,” Felix replied, “but I thought she was talking to Mom.”

~~~

Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes.

Jim Carrey

~~~

Selma Telephones Home With Some Exciting News:

“Mama, I got married.”

“Mazel tov,” says Mama.

“I might as well tell you, Mama, he’s not of our faith.”

“So he’s a goy. But am I prejudiced?”

“Well, frankly, Mama, he’s also unemployed.”

“So, you’ll support him. A wife should help her husband.”

“But, Mama, we have no place to live.”

“Don’t worry, Selma, dear. You’ll move in with us.”

“But Mama, you have only one bedroom.”

“That’s okay. You and your husband can have the bedroom.”

“Yes, Mama, but where will you and Papa sleep?”

“Papa can sleep on the couch in the living room.”

“Yes, Mama, but where will *you* sleep?”

“Selma, dear, about me you don’t need to worry. The minute I get off the phone, … I’m going to drop dead.”

~~~

“This world, after all our science and sciences, is still a miracle; wonderful, magical and more, to whosoever will think of it.”

Thomas Carlyle

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

This daily is sent only to special people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at https://raykiwsp.wordpress.com/ currently there are about 2000 readers from around the world.

Don’t let them do it to you!

“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”

Buddha

My day of fun yesterday was a success; I enjoyed the day, stayed out of trouble and had a good time. I think the best part was that it was fret free in part because I avoided any place where I might run into angry people. It is pretty sad that so many who are frustrated and don’t know what to do turn to irrational anger and even aggressive behavior as they lash out against the unknown. I feel for them and wish I could help but I seldom can.

Over the years I have found that when I got angry the only person hurt was me. I know I told you before that one of the compliments I received many years ago that has stuck with me ever since was that I had learned to lose gracefully. The comment was made by a respected business leader and he made it while reflecting on how often we were able to get things done because we did not burn our bridges when things did not go right. You probably have seen how those that lose their self-control lose respect and often never get a chance to recover. I know it is sometimes not easy, but counting to ten and not falling into the trap of irate behavior provides the opportunity to reexamine what is happening while not allowing things to escalate to the point of no recovery.

In my case staying calm is not only more fun it is better for my health. And you know what most everything that might make me angry just is not worth it. That does not mean that I won’t do everything in my power to change what needs to be changed or to try to fix what is broken, but I will do what I can with as much wisdom that I can muster without destroying myself in the process.

I copied the following advice from the Positive Thoughts web site and wish more people followed its advice.

Make today a breeze not a battle.

”Never fight. Wisdom never fights, it waits patiently, speaks positively, releases easily, sees benefit in everything and envisions a future of abundance…knowing that all needs will be met at the right moment, in the right way. If you think life is a struggle you will always be struggling, If you think life is a breeze, your attitudes and actions will convey lightness and easiness. And that’s what attracts everything you need, and much more. Make today a breeze not a battle.”

Try not to worry. Try to look at what you’re going through as a challenge rather than an obstacle, a time to develop patience. To achieve more objectivity, detach yourself from the struggle. Have confidence in yourself, and realize that you can change your attitude even if you can’t change the circumstances.

Look closely at your troubles. Don’t let them cause you to give up.

Befriend them and learn from them. Feel them lose their power over you. Allow them to teach you what you want to know and move on. Try not to be afraid.

You’re a survivor. You’re going to handle this. You’re going to find strength you didn’t know you had and grace to deal with whatever comes along. Pretty soon , you’ll be on the other side , and it’s just  a matter of time until you will look back on this time in your life and draw strength from the knowledge that even though the road was rocky , you persevered and carried on.

Donna Fargo.

~~~

Consider how much more you often suffer from your anger and grief, than from those very things for which you are angry and grieved.

Marcus Antonius

~~~

There is this atheist swimming in the ocean. All of a sudden he sees a shark in the water, so he starts swimming furiously towards his boat. As he looks back, he sees the shark turn and head towards him. He’s scared to death, and as he sees the jaws of the great white beast open, revealing its horrific teeth, the atheist screams, “Oh God! Save me!”

In an instant, time is frozen and a bright light shines down from above. The man is motionless in the water when he hears the voice of God say, “You are an atheist. Why do you call upon me when you do not believe in me?”

Confused, and knowing he can’t lie, the man replies, “Well, that’s true I don’t believe in you, but how about the shark? Can you make the shark believe in you?”

The Lord replies, “As you wish,” and the light retracts back into the heavens. The man feels the water move once again. As the atheist looks back, he can see the jaws of the shark start to close down on him, when all of sudden the shark stops and pulls back.

Shocked, the man watches as the huge beast closes its eyes, bows its head and says, “Thank you Lord for this food for which I am about to receive…”

~~~

I am playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order.

~~~

One of these days we’ll get the church bulletin right.

– The Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

– Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.

– The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The Congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

– Thursday night Potluck Supper. Prayer and medication to follow.

– At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be “What Is Hell?” Come early and listen to our choir practice.

~~~

Standing in the middle of the road is dangerous; you get knocked down by traffic from both sides.

Margaret Thatcher

~~~

A minister waited in line to have his car filled with gas just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him in front of the service station. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump. “Reverend,” said the young man, sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip. The minister chuckled, “I know what you mean. It’s the same in my business.”

~~~

How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?

~~~

A travel agent looked up from his desk to see an older lady and an older gentleman peering in the shop window at the posters showing the glamorous destinations around the world.

The agent had had a good week and the dejected couple looking in the window gave him a rare feeling of generosity. He called them into his shop and said, “I know that on your pension you could never hope to have a holiday, so I am sending you off to a fabulous resort at my expense, and I won’t take no for an answer.”

He took them inside and asked his secretary to write two flight tickets and book a room in a five star hotel. Every time the couple tried to say something, the travel agent hushed them and said no thanks was necessary. He just wanted to do something nice for them.

About a month later the little lady came in to his shop. “And how did you like your holiday?” he asked eagerly.

“The flight was exciting and the room was lovely,” she said. “I’ve come to thank you. But, one thing puzzled me. Who was that old guy I had to share the room with?”

~~~

He who angers you conquers you.

Elizabeth Kenny

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

This daily is sent only to special people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at https://raykiwsp.wordpress.com/ currently there are about 2000 readers from around the world.

OK, take the rest of the day off!

There is no pleasure in having nothing to do;

the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it.

OK, today we are playing hooky, no serious stuff, work has to wait because I have decided I am going to have fun and I hope you will too.

What would happen

if we decided to have fun today?

You know

Sing while walking down the street

Maybe even throw some leaves

Oh my! Would the world end?

Laughing at ourselves and

dancing in the kitchen

Oh I know!

How about dancing

with our dog!

What do ya say?

Want to have some fun today?

by Cindy Tuttle

If you need some ideas for something to do you might try these:

• Act like a spy / secret agent for the day, when at work or out and about ?
• Become a paparazzi for your friends, follow them around with a camera whilst shouting their name ?
• Make up crazy facts about random things and tell them to strangers as though you are very smart.
• Out of nowhere, or when it is quiet, say loud “When I say heeee-aay, you say hoooo, Heeee-aay” and see how many people say “ho”
• Pick a random person and worship them for the day!
• Sit on the sidelines and cheer the people on

Or do what I will probably do, watch an old comedy, go out and people watch and possibly call an old friend or two just to tell them Hi!

Things not to do

• Lay down on the train tracks.
• Stick your head in a crocodiles mouth.
• Eat glass.
• Skateboard on the high way.
• Jump in front of a car.

So what about tomorrow? I’ll worry about that when I get there for today I am going to play!

~~~

The most thoroughly wasted of all days is that on which one has not laughed

Nicolas De Chamfort

~~~

The Boudreauxs are driving along a highway doing a steady forty miles per hour. Marie is behind the wheel. Boudreaux suddenly looks across at her and speaks in his clear Cajun voice. “Darlin’,” he says. “I know we ben’ married for twenty years, but I want a divorce.”

Marie says nothing, keeps looking at the road ahead but slowly increases her speed to 45 mph.

Boudreaux speaks again. “I doan want you to try to tok me out of it,” he says, “’cause ah ben havin’ anaffair wit you best friend, Tu-tutt, an’ she’s a far betta’ lover den you are.”

Again Marie stays quiet, but grips the steering wheel more tightly and slowly increases the speed to 55.

He pushes his luck. “I want duh house”, he says insistently.

Up to 60…

“I want duh car too,” he continues.

65 mph…

“An’,” he says. “I’ll have duh bank accounts, all duh credit cards an’ duh boat.” The car slowly starts veering towards a massive concrete bridge. This make him a wee bit nervous, so he asks  her, “Isn’t dere anyting’ you want?”

Marie at last replies — in a quiet and controlled voice. “No, I got everyting I need,” she says.

“Really?” he inquires with a smile, “so what you got?”

Just before they slam into the wall at 75 mph, Marie turns to him and smiles. ” Duh airbag!”

~~~

There are several good protections against temptation, but the surest is cowardice.

Mark Twain

~~~

Rabbi Morris has just resigned and Irving, the synagogue president, goes to visit him. “Rabbi,” Irving says, “I’ve just heard the news. I’m really sorry that you’ve decided to leave us.”

“Don’t worry,” says Rabbi Morris, “you’ll have nothing to worry about. I’m going to recommend a successor whom I believe will be better than me.”

“But that’s exactly what’s worrying me,” says Irving, “your predecessor told me exactly the same thing.”

~~~

Opportunity may only knock once, but temptation raps for years.

~~~

My friend’s husband always teases her about her lack of interest in household chores.  One day he came home with a gag gift, a refrigerator magnet that read: “Martha Stewart doesn’t live here.”

The next day he came home to find the magnet holding up a slip of paper.  The note read: “Neither does Bob Vila.”

~~~

You have to choose happiness; It doesn’t chose you.

~~~

She said: My husband is wonderful with our baby daughter, but often he turns to me for advice.  Recently, I was in the shower when he poked his head in to ask, “What should I feed Lily for lunch?”

“That’s up to you,” I replied.  “There’s all kinds of food. Why don’t you pretend I’m not at home?”

A few minutes later, my cell phone rang.  I answered it to hear my husband asking, “Yeah, hi, Honey.  Uh..what should I feed Lily for lunch?”

~~~

“A narcissist is someone better looking than you are.”

Gore Vidal

~~~

The old man had died.  A wonderful funeral was in progress and the country preacher talked at length of the good traits of the deceased, what an honest man he was, and what a loving husband and kind father he was.

Finally, the widow leaned over and whispered to one of her children, “Go up there and take a look in the coffin and see if that’s your pa.”

~~~

We don’t stop playing because we turn old, but turn old because we stop playing.

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

This daily is sent only to special people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at https://raykiwsp.wordpress.com/ currently there are about 2000 readers from around the world.

Do you know what you would like to be?

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

One of the great things in life is that we each have the ability to define our own success. Unfortunately far too many of us don’t understand this until late in life if at all. In fact I think too many of us spend more time trying to impose our accepted definition of success on others instead of redefining our own path to personal achievement. I especially get concerned when parents put pressure on college students to choice a course of study that they think will provide wealth while the young man or woman has yet to find out what career might provide them the greatest degree of satisfaction; something they don’t know when they first enter school.

I was fortunate that after years of letting others provide me apparent successes I realized that I had choices and so I elected to stop chasing title and wealth by refusing to move from Indianapolis. It got even better when I retired the first time when most thought I shouldn’t or couldn’t. It was early enough in life that I had lots of productive years left and while we had a large reduction in income we had enough. What was best of all was accepting a job that permitted me to work with folks whom were improving the health status of children all over the world.

These days it is a little different, I now get to do a wide variety of unpaid jobs on a part time basis with my reward my being able to participate in many successful endeavors. Probably I would not be viewed as a success by many folks, but you know what I don’t care for I get to define success on my terms just as you can. I hope you reward yourself by pursuing what it is that will allow you to be great at being you and not putting it off until it is too late.

Here is something I got from Ralph Marston some time ago that works for me, I hope it does for you as well.

Real Accomplishment

You can envision and speculate, plan, theorize and guess about how things will turn out. The way to know for sure, though, is to step forward and make the effort. There are plenty of things that could go wrong, and challenges you probably never thought about. But don’t let the mere possibility of those problems prevent you from getting started.

When events fail to unfold as you anticipated, you can learn, evaluate, make adjustments and then keep on going. Keep in mind that each difficult challenge brings with it the opportunity to create even greater value by working through it.

All the things that are easy and without risk have already been done. If it is real accomplishment you seek, you must be willing to take on real challenge. Look ahead to the goal at the end of the path, and see it clearly. Then step confidently forward, ready to do whatever you must to reach that goal.

Real accomplishment is well within your reach. With real effort, real commitment and real persistence you’ll absolutely get yourself there.

~~~

“Where I was born and where and how I have lived is unimportant. It is what I have done with where I have been that should be of interest.”

Georgia O’Keeffe

~~~

A lawyer was trying to console a weeping widow. Her husband had passed away without a will. “Did the deceased have any last words?” asked the lawyer.

“You mean *right* before he died?” sobbed the widow.

“Yes,” replied the lawyer. “They might be helpful if it’s not too painful for you to recall.

“”Well,” she began, “he said ‘Don’t try to scare me! You couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn with that gun.'”

~~~

“Trust your husband, adore your husband, and get as much as you can in your own name.”

Joan Rivers

~~~

A Jewish couple won twenty-million dollars in the lottery. They immediately set out to begin a life of luxury. They bought a magnificent mansion estate in Southampton and surrounded themselves with all the material wealth imaginable. They then decided to have a butler and, wanting the best, they traveled to London to hire one. They found the perfect butler through an agency and brought him back to their estate. The day after his arrival, they instructed him to set up the dining room table for 4 people, that they were inviting the Cohens to brunch. The couple then left the house to do some shopping.

When they returned, they found the table set for 8 people. They asked the butler why eight, when they had specifically instructed him to set the table for four.

The butler replied….. “The Cohens telephoned and said they were bringing the Bagels and the Knishes.”

~~~

“Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday and avoiding today.”

Wayne Dyer

~~~

He said: As a traffic safety consultant, I often gave talks on accident prevention.  One night after I spoke to a PTA group, the program chairperson thanked me profusely and gave me a check for fifty dollars.

“Giving these presentations is part of my job,” I said.  “Could I donate the money to one of your causes?”

“That would be wonderful!” she gushed.  “We have just the program that could use it.  We’re trying to raise money so we can afford better speakers.”

~~~

“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.”

Robert Frost

~~~

Two Irishmen in a bar and one said to the other.

“Hey! Can you tell me what the date is please?”

“No idea.” says the other.

“But you’ve got a newspaper in your pocket,” he  says.

“Sorry mate, it’s no use, it’s yesterday’s!”

~~~

“If All the World’s a Stage, I Want Better Lighting”

~~~

It was their fifth anniversary, and Nina and Lloyd had just returned from the movies. Nina was feeling romantic. “Will you love me when my hair has turned to silver?” she crooned.

“Why not?” Lloyd grunted. “Didn’t I love you through four other shades?”

~~~

Time is what keeps everything from happening at once.

~~~

A man entered a busy florist shop that displayed a large sign that read “Say It With Flowers.”

“Wrap up one rose,” he told the florist.

“Only one?”  the florist asked.

“Just one,” the customer replied.  “I’m a man of few words.”

~~~

“If you can’t do great things, Mother Teresa used to say, do little things with great love. If you can’t do them with great love, do them with a little love. If you can’t do them with a little love, do them anyway.

Love grows when people serve.”

John Ortberg Jr.

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

This daily is sent only to special people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at https://raykiwsp.wordpress.com/ currently there are about 2000 readers from around the world.

Ready? Let’s go!

Celebrate the wonderful and great days that you have and the occasional bad days will reduce.

Here we go again, a fresh week and an opportunity for a fresh start. I know I am looking forward to what it will be for me. Last week left a lot to be desired; I missed some things I wanted to attend and had some health issues that slowed me down. Rather than dwell on the disappointment I prefer to think that it laid the foundation for a better week starting right now.

Yep, today is a new day beginning a new week and it will be great, I don’t know how yet but you can bet I will recognize the elements as time goes by. Oh, yes and if it turns out not to be stupendous it will still be OK. There is something to be said for starting at the top of the mountain with the world in front of your eyes instead of in the depths of the valley where you are lucky to get even some sun.

Saturday I had a long conversation with a local small claims judge acquaintance who often sees folks who have lost their income and their self-confidence. He is one of the good guys and does what he can for these folks through referrals to those who can help. We had a chance to talk about folks that get so down that they no longer see some of the things that might brighten their lives. I shared with my friend that one of my passions was to work to see what was around that I so often missed in the past. As an example I don’t know many things that can compare to a bright fall day, with clean air to breathe and even a brisk wind to make a walk a little easier.

Here is a poem that provides insight in to our opportunities for this day:

A Simple Day

by Fion Lim

To wake up in the morning, knowing you’re still alive,

To know you have a choice each day, starting afresh,

To find joy in everyday, acknowledging simple pleasures,

To live in the present moment, engaging your awareness,

To count the blessings in life, believing abundance abounds,

To enjoy the work you do, following your passion,

To make a little difference, adding to the universe,

To be what you are, listening to your inner being,

To give away love, rejoicing in the chance to give,

To receive love with gratitude, feeling good about it,

To smile at strangers, seeing how infectious it can be,

To speak words of kindness, spreading a little warmth,

To understand with compassion, opening up your mind,

To play with children, nurturing your inner child,

To appreciate the nature, soaking up all the beauty,

To feel the warmth of the sun, glowing upon your skin,

To listen to the falling rain, pattering on the grounds

To taste the richness of food, sliding down your throat,

To smell the freshness of air, filling up your lungs,

To see the falling night, concluding a well-lived day,

That’s life, that’s living,

That’s the core of what really matters…

And if I’ve missed out anything,

Please let love make up for all of it.

~~~

As you grow older, you’ll find the only things you regret are the things you didn’t do.

Zachary Scott

~~~

I was sitting behind an enthusiastic mom at my son’s Little League game. Her boy was pitching for the opposing team, and she cheered as he threw wild pitch after wild pitch.  The poor kid walked every batter.  It was only the first inning, and the score was 14 – 0.  Then one batter finally smacked the ball.

“Oh, no!” the mom wailed.  “There goes his no-hitter!”

~~~

I dreamt I was asleep, I woke up and I was still sleeping.

~~~ ~~~

Another oldie: “..if THEY Had A Jewish Mother”

MONA LISA’S MOTHER: “After all that money your father and I spent on braces, that’s the biggest smile you can give us?”

COLUMBUS’ MOTHER: “I don’t care what you’ve discovered, you still could have written!”

MICHELANGELO’S MOTHER: “Can’t you paint on walls like other children?  Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that stuff off the ceiling?”

NAPOLEON’S MOTHER: “All right, if you aren’t hiding your report card inside your jacket, take your hand out of there and show me.”

ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S MOTHER: “Again with the stovepipe hat? Can’t you just wear a baseball cap like the other kids?”

MARY’S MOTHER: “I’m not upset that your lamb followed you to school, but I would like to know how he got a better grade than you.”

ALBERT EINSTEIN’S MOTHER: “But it’s your senior picture. Can’t you do something about your hair? Styling gel, mousse, something…?”

GEORGE WASHINGTON’S MOTHER: “The next time I catch you throwing money across the Potomac, you can kiss your allowance good-bye!”

JONAH’S MOTHER: “That’s a nice story. Now tell me where you’ve really been for the last forty years.”

THOMAS EDISON’S MOTHER: “Of course I’m proud that you invented the electric light bulb. Now turn it off and get to bed!”

PAUL REVERE’S MOTHER: “I don’t care where you think you have to go, young man, midnight is past your curfew.”

WALT DISNEY’S MOTHER: “With the mouse; with the duck; now with dwarfs…Why don’t you become a CPA like your cousin Morris?”

~~~

When I woke up this morning my wife asked me, “Did you sleep good?” I said, “No, I made a few mistakes.”

~~~

A famous art collector is walking through the city when he notices a mangy cat lapping milk from a saucer in the doorway of a store and he does a double take. He knows that the saucer is extremely old and very valuable, so he walks casually over to the store and offers to buy the cat for two dollars.

The storeowner replies, “I’m sorry, but the cat isn’t for sale.”

The collector says, “Please, I need a hungry cat around the house to catch mice. I’ll pay you twenty dollars for that cat.”

The owner says, “Sold,” and hands over the cat.

The collector continues, “Hey, for the twenty bucks I wonder if you could throw in that old saucer. The cat’s used to it and it’ll save me from having to get a dish.”

The owner says, “Sorry buddy, but that’s my lucky saucer. So far this week I’ve sold sixty-eight cats.”

~~~

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”

Marcus Aurelius

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

This daily is sent only to special people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at https://raykiwsp.wordpress.com/ currently there are about 2000 readers from around the world.

Sometimes things just don’t work out

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.”

Mary Englebreit

The other day I confidently told you I could predict events and said that I would do three things that day that would be part of my personal history the next day. Well I blew it.

I was scheduled to attend a report on the state of public education in the morning and was so far behind in other work that I did not attend, I was disappointed. Later I was to attend a Council on World Affairs lecture on the Global Economy right after my participation in a discussion with the new head of or cities premiere seminary. Unfortunately the walk after the discussion brought on an angina event and I ended up having to miss my lecture, I was disappointed. Yesterday I was to meet with a respected member of one of cities most significant foundations, a lunch that had taken us a month to schedule; unfortunately I ended up with a non-cancelable assignment and had to cancel. I was again disappointed.

I have found as the years roll by that disappointment is something you have to live with and not let get you down. My missing the report and lecture did not change the world in any way and it just means I will have to use different sources to keep me up to speed on the two vital issues. My missed lunch only meant I have to wait longer to learn more about the foundations good works. If you are like I am life is full of disappointments both big and small and our wellbeing depends to a large extent on how we handle them. I have found over the years that accepting disappointment gracefully allows you to play another day and to get on with your life.

Many folks I know seem to let disappointment knock them off stride; if you know someone like that you might offer them the following that I found on the Positively Present website.

5 Tips for Handling Disappointment

1. Let yourself feel let down. It’s okay to feel letdown. Even if it’s a small thing, allow yourself to experience whatever it is that you’re feeling. Big or small, disappointments are not fun. You’re allowed to be unhappy about them. But don’t dwell on that unhappiness. Experience it, sit with it for a bit, and then move forward to #2.

2. Get some perspective and see the big picture. No matter how hard it might seem, you have to take a step back and get some perspective. If you’re facing a small disappointment, this is fairly easy. For example, I might be bummed that the power’s likely to go out, but I can be grateful for all of the wonderful things I still have that don’t involve electricity (love, health, etc.). When faced with a big disappointment, perspective can be tough to come by so don’t be afraid to recruit loved ones to help you see the big picture. And, for added inspiration, make a list of everything going right in your life.

3. See if there’s something you can change. As the quote above says, if you’re unhappy with something, the first thing you should do is try to change it. Sometimes the initial sting of a disappointment makes us feel helpless, but on closer inspection we might find that there is, in fact, something we can do to prevent or lessen the disappointment. If you know there is nothing at all you can do, move on to #4.

4. Revise your thinking if change isn’t an option. Once you’ve determined that there is nothing you can do to change the situation, you’re best option is to change the way you see things. It’s quite tempting to wallow in self-pity and despair when things are going as you’d hoped, but no good can come from doing that. If you want to handle your disappointment in a positive way, you have to change your thinking. Consider the disappointing situation carefully and find a way to re-frame it in your mind. Make a list of why this disappointment is actually a positive thing and you’ll start to see the situation from a new perspective.

5. Believe in your ability to have hope. When facing disappointments, it’s so easy to be beaten down, to believe that situations are hopeless, and to give up the belief that things will eventually work out. No matter what you do, don’t let your let down bring you completely down. Believe in yourself. Believe in hope.

~~~

“The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.”

Robert Kiyosaki

~~~

A man goes to the doctor and tells him that he hasn’t been feeling well. The doctor examines him, leaves the room and comes back with three different bottles of pills. The doctor says, “Take the green pill with a big glass of water when you get up. Take the blue pill with a big glass of water after lunch. Then just before going to bed, take the red pill with another big glass of water.”

Startled to be put on so much medicine the man stammers, “Jeez doc, exactly what’s my problem?”

Doctor says, “You’re not drinking enough water.”

~~~

Wear sleeveless shirts!  Support your right to bare arms!

~~~

At a country-club party a young man was introduced to an attractive girl.  Immediately he began paying her court and flattering her outrageously. The girl liked the young man, but she was taken a bit aback by his fast and ardent pitch. She was amazed when after 30 minutes he seriously proposed marriage.

“Look,” she said. “We only met a half hour ago. How can you be so sure? We know nothing about each other.”

“You’re wrong,” the young man declared. “For the past 5 years I’ve been working in the bank where your father has his account.

~~~

Good leaders guide the willing and persuade the stubborn.

~~~

Q. What’s the most common cause of hearing loss amongst men?

A. Wife saying she wants to talk to him.

~~~

The good news is that we’re still present to hear the bad news.

~~~

Cheer Up!!!”

* The parachute company says you’ll get a full refund.

* They say the house didn’t float very far at all.

* Well, at least the operation was a partial success.

* The “National Inquirer” just loved those nude shots of you.

* With the lights dimmed, it looks almost normal.

* The District Attorney says he only has a few more questions.

* The reward for your capture has reached fifty thousand dollars.

* At least we never thought you were guilty like that Jury did.

* The insurance pays the full book value ($312) for your 1956 T Bird.

* Those Grand Juries always overreact. Don’t worry about it.

* The boss said while you’re sick, he’d do all your work personally.

~~~

“If I am to meet with a disappointment, the sooner I know it, the more of life I shall have to wear it off.”

Thomas Jefferson

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

This daily is sent only to special people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at https://raykiwsp.wordpress.com/ currently there are about 2000 readers from around the world.

You’re right, I was wrong

The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.

Elbert Hubbard

If you are like I am you have made more mistakes in your life than you can count. In my case there are many I have been glad I made since it was the result of testing a new idea or trying a new technique. As is often been said the best way never to make a mistake is to never do anything. The good news is that often reviewing the mistake has resulted in laying the foundation for something else that did work. I was always glad to admit my mistakes for there is absolutely no value in denying error, plus it is fun to disarm the critics when you agree with them.

Now if the truth be known I also have made hundreds that I regret. Errors in judgment, putting my interests ahead of someone else’s, and more often than not being insensitive to the needs of others are all behaviors that I regret. I like to believe that I did more good than bad but that is water under the bridge. Unfortunately it took longer than I would have liked to outgrow some of my bad habits but I did learn from them all. These days I don’t avoid risk, I still make mistakes, I deal with them when I do and I move on. I am glad that I have learned not to let them stop me in my tracks or slowdown.

So make mistakes, they are part of life, learn from them and move on. Here is an edited article I saved that might help if you let your mistakes get you down.

How To Learn From Your Mistakes

By Elizabeth Scott, M.S.

One of the best ways to relieve stress is to learn from your mistakes. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to find the balance between seeing too many things as someone else’s fault and seeing too many things as your fault. And in both cases, rumination can take root and cause too much stress. But how can you learn from your mistakes if you don’t realize when you’ve made one? When you’re trying to learn from your mistakes, consider the following:

Reframe Your Mistakes − First, use reframing to stop thinking of your mistakes as failures. They can be more accurately described as opportunities for learning—people generally learn more from mistakes than they learn from successes.

Be Forgiving Next, maintain perspective and don’t take mistakes too seriously. Blaming others for our mistakes can be a defense mechanism for those who are harsh with ourselves when we mess up—we stay in denial because we can’t take our own harsh self-condemnation. Be forgiving. Just changing your outlook on this can make it less threatening to recognize when you’re responsible or partially responsible for things going other than you’d planned.

See What You Can Change − Rather than thinking of who is more responsible for a situation—you or another person—look at the situation as a whole in terms of what you can change. If you view taking responsibility through the lens of personal control—what can you change next time, what do you have control over?—makes it an empowering experience to learn from your mistakes.

Look Beyond − Look at other sides of the same situation. How do different people in the situation feel. How might things have gone differently if you’d made different choices? Look at the situation in different ways. Play with it. And see what you can learn for next time.

Ask Questions − Ask for impartial opinions. Have a few trusted friends who will tell you the truth, and who can see things from both sides, and ask them what they see. Sometimes we’re too close to a situation to make sense of it at first, but an observer who isn’t so emotionally attached, and who can deliver their opinion with love and tact, is what we need to help us learn from our mistakes.

Pat Yourself On The Back − Congratulate yourself for whatever growth you’ve gained from dealing with each difficult situation you encounter and each mistake you make. Remember that these things add value to life as much as the more pleasant experiences we all value. And be glad that you always have the opportunity to learn from your mistakes in one way or another.

~~~

Assert your right to make a few mistakes. If people can’t accept your imperfections, that’s their fault.

Dr. David M. Burns

~~~

The following reminds me of when, as an adult I was initiated into the Boy Scouts of America’s Order of the Arrow. I was left in the woods alone, with a blanket and two matches; I never got past step 7.

Ray

Sixteen Steps to Build a Campfire

1. Split dead limb into fragments and shave one fragment into slivers.

2. Bandage left thumb.

3. Chop other fragments into smaller fragments

4. Bandage left foot.

5. Make structure of slivers (include those embedded in hand)

6. Light Match

7. Light Match

8. Repeat “a Scout is cheerful” and light match.

9. Apply match to slivers, add wood fragments, and blow gently into base of fire.

10. Apply burn ointment to nose.

11. When fire is burning, collect more wood.

12. Upon discovering that fire has gone out while out searching for more wood, soak wood from can labeled “kerosene.”

13. Treat face and arms for second-degree burns.

14. Relabel can to read “gasoline.”

15. When fire is burning well, add all remaining firewood.

16. When thunder storm has passed, repeat steps.

~~~

“Every day is a good day to be alive, whether the sun’s shining or not.”

Marty Robbins

~~~

The young lady walked over to the room where she knew her friend was. “May I see Irving, please?” she asked the woman blocking the door.

“We don’t allow anyone but relatives to see the patients,” replied the woman. “Are you a member of the family?”

“Why-er-why, yes. I’m his sister,” said the lady.

“Oh, I’m so glad to meet you,” said the woman. “I’m his mother!”

~~~

“You grow up the day you have your first real laugh at yourself.”

Ethel Barrymore

~~~

Two women that are dog owners are arguing about which dog is smarter.

First woman, “My dog is so smart, every morning he waits for the paper boy to come around and then he takes the newspaper and brings it to me.”

Second woman, “I know.” First woman,

“How?” Second woman, “My dog told me.”

~~~

A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.

George Bernard Shaw

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

This daily is sent only to special people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at https://raykiwsp.wordpress.com/ currently there are about 2000 readers from around the world.

I better get started soon!

The main thing is to make history, not to write it.

Otto von Bismarck

I cannot believe that today is October 19 and there are only 73 days remaining until the end of the year. Either the world is turning faster and the days are going by at a higher rate of speed or I am napping so much that I am missing more than usual.

Right now I can predict what tomorrows history will include it will be, “On October 19^th, 2011 Ray joined a forum on Public Education, participated in a discussion with the President of a leading theological seminary on the role his institution can play in today’s world and attended a lecture on global finance.” Unfortunately I don’t think those events are going to win me any notoriety so I will have to look for other opportunities or make up something believable to write down for the future.

So I better up and do something memorable if my kids are going to be able to say, “Remember back in 2011 when dad did……” Just to get some ideas I went back and checked some of the past events on this day and have listed them below.

October 19 Events

2006     Dow closes above 12,000 for the first time

2005     Saddam Hussein’s trial begins in Iraq

1988     Senate passes bill curbing ads during children’s TV shows

1987     “Black Monday”-Dow Jones down 508.32, 4 times previous record

1977     Supersonic Concorde jet’s 1st landing in New York City

1975     “Chorus Line” opens at Shubert Theater New York City for 6137 performances

1971     Last issue of “Look” magazine is published

1963     Beatles record “I Want to Hold Your Hand”

1960     Martin Luther King, Jr. arrested in Atlanta sit-in

1960     U.S. imposes embargo on exports to Cuba

1958     U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1957     Maurice “Rocket” Richard, Mont, became 1st NHLer to score 500 goals

1953     1st jet transcontinental nonstop scheduled service

1951     Babe Didrikson Zaharias wins LPGA Texas Women’s Golf Open

1951     President Harry S Truman formally ends state of war with Germany

1950     U.N. forces entered Pyongyang, capital of North Korea

1949     A’s trade 2nd baseman Nellie Fox to White Sox for Joe Tipton

1944     U.S. forces land in Philippines

1935     Mao Tse Tung’s army reaches Shanxi (Notice that they did not include that I was soon to be one year old).

I only included highlights that I remember, all except the last one. Now if I could only remember last week I would feel better. While most of what we do will not be noted or long remembered, we are writing our own history every day, we can only hope it includes something we can be proud of.

~~~

History is a novel for which the people is the author.

Alfred de Vigny

~~~

Ten Things a Mom Doesn’t Want to Hear*

1.  I swallowed a goldfish!

2.  Did you know your lipstick works better than my crayons?

3.  Does grape juice leave a stain??

4.  The principal called…..

5.  But DAD says that word all the time.

6.  What’s it cost to fix a window nowadays?

7.  Has anyone seen my earthworms?

8.  I painted your shoes pretty, huh, Mommy?

9.  Well, the dog sure doesn’t like dressing up in your clothes.

10.  I’m moving out.  (Well, maybe some days.)

~~~

Those who do not know how to weep with their whole heart don’t know how to laugh either.

Golda Meir

~~~

Poor Johnson had spent his life making wrong decisions. If he bet on a horse, it would lose; if he chose one elevator rather than another, it was the one he chose that stalled between floors; the line he picked before the bank teller’s cage never moved; the lane he chose in traffic crawled; the day he picked the picnic was the day of a cloudburst; and so it went, day after day, year after year.

Then, once, it became necessary for Johnson to travel to some city a thousand miles away and do it quickly. A plane was the only possible conveyance that would get him there in time, and it turned out that only one company supplied only one flight that would do. His heart bounded. There was no choice to make! And if he made no choice, surely he could come to no grief. He took the plane.

Imagine his horror when, midway in the flight, the plane’s engines caught fire and it became obvious the plane would crash in moments. Johnson broke into fervent prayer to his favorite saint , Saint Francis. He pleaded, “I have never in my life made the right choice. Why this should be, I don’t know, but I have borne my cross and have not complained. On this occasion, however, I did not make a choice; this was the only plane I could take and I had to take it. Why, then, am I being punished?”

He had no sooner finished when a giant hand swooped down out of the clouds and somehow snatched him from the plane. There he was, miraculously suspended two miles above the earth’s surface, while the plane spiraled downward far below. A heavenly voice came down from the clouds. “My son, I can save you, if you have in truth called upon me.”

“Yes, I called on you,” cried Johnson. “I called on you, Saint Francis!”

“Ah,” said the heavenly voice, “Saint Francis Xavier or Saint Francis of Assisi. Which?”

~~~

“The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.”

William James

~~~

A pastor, known for his lengthy sermons, noticed a man get up and leave during the middle of his message. The man returned just before the conclusion of the service.

Afterward the pastor asked the man where he had gone.

“I went to get a haircut,” was the reply.

“But,” said the pastor, “why didn’t you do that before the service started?”

“Because,” the gentleman said, “I didn’t need one then.”

~~~

“You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.”

Amy Carmichael

~~~

He said: My wife, Diane, was chatting with her brother, Charles, a business executive who had retired last year. While discussing the joys of his new leisure time, Charles remarked that he had been compelled to give up skiing, a sport he had enjoyed for many years.

“Afraid of injuries?” Diane asked.

“Well, now I am,” he responded. “Before I could drag a cast into work and still do my job, but now I’d be messing up my golf game.”

~~~

Life is very short and what we have to do must be done in the now.

Audre Lorde

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

This daily is sent only to special people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at https://raykiwsp.wordpress.com/ currently there are about 2000 readers from around the world.

Is your world real?

Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.

Robert Fulgham

I was reading an article the other day that reported on how accurate Alvin Toffler and his wife were in the predictions they made in Future Shock and The Third Wave, books that they authored in the 70’s and 80’s. I had the good fortune to spend a few days with Toffler and a small group not long after Future Shock was published and it was one of my life’s highlights. If you recall many at the time scoffed at his conclusions but now in retrospect he hit most nails on the head.

I think one of the outcomes of our high tech society is that many of us create our own virtual reality which we perceive as being reality. Selectivity often detracts from objectivity when what we do not see limits us to only what we want to see. In days gone by we shared a common field of vision and we often clarified information in face to face discussions with folks with a wide set of views. We read the same newspapers, heard the same news broadcasts and then drew our conclusions.

I am afraid today that it is too easy to build a personal view based upon only the outlets that tell us what we want to hear. Too many of us seem to be too busy to sit over coffee and discuss the issues of the day in any depth. The right is uncomfortable with the left who live in their own virtual reality and visa-versa. Unfortunately many of us become so sure that we know all the facts that we feel others who don’t agree with us are always wrong and totally misguided. When friends and families get together that include those with strongly held opinions based upon their own truths most often everyone either stands mute or limits the conversation to weather and frivolities.

Now I know that there is no way that I can influence what people choose to believe. But what I would like to suggest is that we dedicate some of our time to travel out of our virtual worlds and see what the other side is saying. Spend a little time making sure that humor and fantasy have a place. Our soul suffers when we spend too much time building battlements and engaging in conflict. Personally I am again realizing that beautiful art exists and that for the first time in my life I can see the greatest art of all time as I visit the museums of the world on the internet. I also have found that I can visit with folks remotely who are not intellectual warriors but rather who are caring people who rise above the fray as they reach out to others with understanding hearts.

Wow, I sure did not mean to go on like this, it just that I worry about people who have lost sight of what their world might be if they just took off their blinders. I know none of this applies to you, it is those other guys. I just wish it did not apply to me as it does every once in a while..

~~~

Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.

Philip K. Dick

~~~

The son of a financier bursts into his father’s office and says, “Dad, lend me $5,000.”

“What for?” his father asks.

“I’ve got a sure tip on the market.”

“How much could we make?” his father asks.

“I’d say at least $2,000 — that’s $1,000 for each of us.”

“OK, son. Here’s $1,000,” his father said. “Let’s consider that we have made the deal and it has succeeded. You make $1,000 and I save $4,000.”

~~~

“Work is the greatest thing in the world, so we should always save some of it for tomorrow.”

Don Herold

~~~

Two girls board a crowded bus and one of them whispers to the other, “Watch me embarrass a man into giving me his seat.”

Pushing her way through the crowd, she turned all of her charms upon a gentleman who looked like he might embarrass easily.  “My dear Mr. Wilson,” she gushed, “fancy meeting you here on the bus.  Am I glad to see you! Why you’re almost a stranger.  My, but I’m tired!”

The sedate gent looked up at the girl.  He had never seen her before but he rose and said pleasantly, “Sit down, Mary, my girl.  It isn’t often I see you on washday.  No wonder you’re tired.  Being pregnant isn’t easy.  By the way, don’t deliver the wash until Thursday.  My wife is going to the District Attorney’s office to see whether or not she can get your husband out of jail.”

~~~

“When there is a hill to climb, don’t think that waiting will make it smaller.”

Anonymous

~~~

A lovely young couple is doing some shopping in town. Having purchased everything they need, they return to the parking lot to drive home. Where’s the car? Good golly, someone has stolen it! They notify the police from a phone booth inside the mall and make a report at the Police station. A young detective drives them back to see if any evidence remains from the scene of the crime. But, what do you know, there is the stolen car, back in the exact spot! A note is on the windshield with two tickets to a concert attached. The note thanks the young couple for the use of their car, but the culprit’s wife was about to give birth and had to be rushed to the hospital. The young couple’s faith in humanity is restored and they go to the concert and have a wonderful time.

They arrive home late that night to find their entire house robbed, with a note on the door reading, “Well, I gotta put the kid through college, don’t I?”

~~~

“To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.”

Elbert Hubbard

~~~

To help a friend lose weight, I told her she should switch to lower fat foods, including skim milk.

When she said her family would drink only whole milk, I suggested that she keep their regular container and refill it with skim milk. This worked for quite awhile, until her daughter asked one morning whether the milk was okay.

“Sure, it’s fine,” my friend answered, fearing she had been found out. “Why do you ask?”

The daughter explained, “Well, according to the expiration date, this milk expired six months ago!”

~~~

I honor my personality flaws, for without them I would have no personality at all.

~~~

NASA planned a mission that involved three astronauts spending two years in space.  Because of the extended duration, each was allowed to take 200 pounds of baggage, with no restrictions. The first astronaut decided to take along his wife, the second decided to take along books to learn how to speak German, while the third astronaut decided to take along cigarettes.

Two years later, when the space shuttle landed, there was a big crowd waiting to welcome them home. First came the first astronaut and his wife and each of them had a baby in their arms.

Next, out came the second astronaut speaking fluent German. They both gave their speeches and got a rousing applause. Suddenly out came the third astronaut with a cigarette in his mouth.

He walked up to the podium and snarled to the crowd and asked, “Anyone got a light?”

~~~

There is an objective reality out there, but we view it through the spectacles of our beliefs, attitudes, and values.

David G. Myers

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

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