Ray's Daily

Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that’s the stuff life is made of.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

I sure am glad that I don’t buy things that are guaranteed for life for if I did there would be a contract out on my life from industry. In the past few weeks our washing machine died and provided a reason to also replace an ailing dryer. Then I had a couple of computer add-ons that decided they lived long enough, one was my backup external drive. My I-pod that was loaded with the books I listen to as I drive and when I exercise quit without even a death rattle so now I am the owner of a new 6^th generation I-pod Nano. And today our central air conditioner failed its annual physical and the doctor replaced parts during his three hours of laborious activity. All this coupled with my recent dental investments have created a raft of unplanned investments, but at least I am alive and well. It is a good thing that I don’t think about the costs being equal to about three times my annual income when I first got married.

On another subject. I had a great meeting yesterday with a friend who works in the arts. When my friend arrived I was found engrossed in reading as I always am while I wait. I am at the time in life when I view every spare minute as a gift that I can use. As I reflected on that reality it reminded me that I had saved something a few years ago that reminded me that there was a lot I could do, even if all I had was 15 minutes. I bet you also have time on occasion that you could use. I won’t reprint the whole article but just give you a taste of what the author, Sue Brenner suggested.

Things You Can Do in 15 Minutes

• Declutter Your Car − Are you early for a meeting and want to get something done? Declutter your car!
• Take a Break − Are you tired? Do you long to take an actual break? When you discover a pocket of time in your day, do it! Calm down. Re-center yourself.
• Do Nothing − How many times a week do you long for free time to do absolutely nothing? The key is to notice when this time actually arrives, and to fill it with… nothing.
• Turn Your Mood Around − Suppose you need to get work done, but you’re in a funk. First, rate the level of your bad mood on a scale of 1-10 (1 being “minor,” 10 being “can hardly stand it”). Then ask yourself, “What’s a more rational way of thinking about this?” Now rate your mood again. The number will probably be lower. Then get moving–work your way further out of the funk.
• Make Plans − Do you like to do fun things at night after work, but don’t always get around to the required planning? When a 15-minute window opens, make a dinner reservation or look up the local movie schedule. Then call your friend, colleague or loved one to join you for your planned event.
• Sprint Clean Your Office − This is the opposite of doing nothing, but sometimes it has to be done! Scan your office. Pick the one area that needs the most attention first. The goal is to pick one area and clear it. Then experience a sense of calm and relief. Eliminating a mess you’ve been putting up with recharges your batteries.
• Fix Something That’s Broken − You know all those things you think to yourself: “I have to change the light bulb,” “I need to get the latch on that window fixed,” “I have to let IT know about my computer glitches”? Use those 15 minutes to actually do something about them
• Walk Around the Block − Your tennis shoes smile at you from behind your office door. Go ahead. Slip them on and take a walk around the block.

Whether you use these things you can do in 15 minutes to relax or to get something done, you’ll discover how beneficial these small blocks of time can be. Begin by noticing when you have a free 15 minutes. Then choose your action or non-action!

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Time is a created thing. To say “I don’t have time” is to say “I don’t want to.”

LAO TZU

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The farm had been mortgaged, and gladly, to give daughter a college education. Now, driving home from the station after meeting her at the train, farmer Johnson was greatly disturbed when his daughter whispered, “I have a confession to make, Paw – I ain’t a virgin no more.” The old man shook his head sadly. “After all the sacrifices your Maw and I made to give you a good education, you still say ain’t!”

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There is no greater joy nor greater reward than to make a fundamental difference in someone’s life.

Sister Mary Rose McGeady

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Our new office computer system was down as much as it was working. My co-worker Cathy decided to stay late one evening to catch up on the work that had accumulated. On her way home, a police officer stopped her for speeding. “What a perfect end to an awful day!” she exclaimed. “Our computer is up, then down — up, then down. I stay late to catch up, and now this!”

The officer was unaffected by Cathy’s griping and he went to his car to prepare a citation. After what seemed an eternity, he returned with her license and registration. As he handed them to her, he smiled and said, “Our computer is down.”

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I grew up in a large family. The only way my parents could afford to feed us all was to start a game of hide-and-seek right before dinner.

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A housewife with three small children was getting dinner ready, when the telephone rang. The six-year-old picked it up, and said, “Hi, Daddy!”, and began telling him about her day.

She then passed the phone to her brother and sister, as was the custom whenever Daddy called from work. When it was finally the wife’s turn to talk, she took the receiver, and said, “Hi, Hon.”

“Thank goodness, Lady,” the voice on the other end replied. “I just called to tell you that the wallpaper you ordered has arrived!”

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He who wants a rose must respect the thorn.

Persian proverb

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Jill went to a “Dude Ranch”. The cowboy preparing the horses asked if Jill wanted a Western or English saddle, and she asked what the difference was. When he told her one had a horn and one didn’t, Jill replied, “The one without the horn is fine.  I don’t expect we’ll run into too much traffic.”

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We need to learn to set our course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship.

Omar N. Bradley

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A Polish gentleman went to the ophthalmologist who showed him a card, with the letters C Z W X N Q S T A C Z printed on it.

“Can you read this?” he asked

“Read it?” The gentleman replied, “I know the guy!”

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Hold fast the time! Guard it, watch over it, every hour, every minute! Unregarded it slips away, like a lizard, smooth, slippery, faithless, a pixy wife.

THOMAS MANN

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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.

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