Ray's Daily

Each morning we are born again.  What we do today is what matters most.

Buddha

One of the things that really gives me pleasure is hearing from a reader of the Daily, especially if it is a message from an old friend. A couple of days ago I got the following from someone I met on a New England cruise more than fifteen years ago. We were table mates with our spouses, my wife’s sister and her husband and three really fun ladies, one who was about 90. My friend Lewis, his wife Patsy and one of the gals, Claire have stayed in touch all these years. I haven’t seen them since our cruise since all live far from my city but every time I hear from one of them it takes me back to our great time together. They haven’t aged even a week in my memory and those memories are heartwarming as well as entertaining.

Please read the note I received carefully for it has a number of messages that need to be savored. Next Monday is a national holiday in the US so many of you will have a long weekend, it would be a great time to follow the advice that my friend Lewis has allowed me to share with you.

Good Morning. I just wanted to say: Have a Wonderful Day. !!!!!

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven’t thought about it, don’t have it on their schedule, didn’t know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine. Because we cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches..  We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older.  The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer.  One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of ‘I’m going to,’ ‘I plan on,’ and ‘Someday, when things are settled down a bit.’

When anyone calls my ‘seize the moment’ friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips.  She keeps an open mind on new ideas.  Her enthusiasm for life is contagious.  You talk with her for five minutes, and you’re ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

Now…go on and have a nice day.  Do something you WANT to do…not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say?   ;And why are you waiting?

Make sure you read this to the end; you will understand why I sent this to you.

• Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground?  Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night?  Do you run through each day on the fly?  When you ask ‘How are you?’  Do you hear the reply?
• When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head?  Ever told your child, ‘We’ll do it tomorrow.’ And in your haste, not see his sorrow? 
• Ever lost touch?  Let a good friendship die?  Just call to say ‘Hi’?
• When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift….Thrown away…. Life is not a race. Take it slower.  Hear the music before the song is over.

Show your friends how much you care.  Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND including me if you consider me a friend.                  If it comes back to you, then you’ll know you have a circle of friends.

To those I have sent this to … I cherish our friendship and appreciate you.

‘Life may not be the party we hoped for… but while we are here we might as well dance!’

~~~

Waking up this morning, I smile,

Twenty four brand new hours are before me.

I vow to live fully in each moment

and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.

Thich Nhat Hanh

~~~

More tips:

If you humiliate yourself, be consoled with the thought that you probably made someone else’s day…maybe even their week.  Think of your humiliation as an act of charity.

Avoid marrying anyone who deliberately flushes the toilet when you’re taking a shower.

The value of a cat is its utter indifference to its owner’s importance.

Never purchase a tool to clean behind radiators, because you won’t have an excuse not to clean there.

Don’t waste time trying to be your own best friend; you can’t pat yourself on the back, and it’s unsatisfying to cry on your own shoulder.  Find a real friend instead.

~~~

“Why shouldn’t truth be stranger than fiction? Fiction after all, has to make sense.”

Mark Twain

~~~

“What Doctors Say, And What They’re Really Thinking”

“This should be taken care of right away.” I’d planned a trip to Hawaii next month but this is so easy and profitable that I want to fix it before it cures itself.

“Welllllll, what have we here…?” He has no idea and is hoping you’ll give him a clue.

“Let me check your medical history.” I want to see if you’ve paid your last bill before spending any more time with you.

“I’d like to prescribe a new drug.” I’m writing a paper and would like to use you for a guinea pig.

“If it doesn’t clear up in a week, give me a call.” I don’t know what it is. Maybe it will go away by itself.

~~~

Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, “Where have I gone wrong?” Then a voice says to me, “This is going to take more than one night.”

Charlie Brown

~~~

WAYS TO STAY STRESSED (Not funny but important)

Are you worried now about how to stay stressed? You’ll have no trouble if you practice the following clinically proven methods:

NEVER EXERCISE. Exercise wastes a lot of time that could be spent worrying.

EAT ANYTHING YOU WANT. Hey, if cigarette smoke can’t cleanse your system, a balanced diet isn’t likely to.

GAIN WEIGHT. Work hard at staying at least 25 pounds over your recommended weight.

TAKE PLENTY OF STIMULANTS. The old standards of caffeine, nicotine, sugar, and cola will continue to do the job just fine.

AVOID “WOO-WOO” PRACTICES. Ignore the evidence suggesting that meditation, yoga, deep breathing, and/or mental imaging help to reduce stress.

GET RID OF YOUR SOCIAL SUPPORT SYSTEM. Let the few friends who are willing to tolerate you know that concern yourself with friendships only if you have time, and you never have time. If a few people persist in trying to be your friend, avoid them.

PERSONALIZE ALL CRITICISM. Anyone who criticizes any aspect of your work, family, dog, house, or car is mounting a personal attack. Don’t take time to listen, be offended, then return the attack!

MALES AND FEMALES ALIKE – BE MACHO. Never ever ask for help, and if you want it done right, do it yourself!

BECOME A WORKAHOLIC. Put work before everything else, and be sure to take work home evenings and weekends. Keep reminding yourself that vacations are for sissies.

DISCARD GOOD TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS. Schedule in more activities every day than you can possibly get done and then worry about it all whenever you get a chance.

PROCRASTINATE. Putting things off to the last second always produces a marvelous amount of stress.

WORRY ABOUT THINGS YOU CAN’T CONTROL. Worry about the stock market, earthquakes, the approaching Ice Age, you know, all the big issues.

BECOME NOT ONLY A PERFECTIONIST BUT SET IMPOSSIBLY HIGH STANDARDS… …and either beat yourself up, or feel guilty, depressed, discouraged, and/or inadequate when you don’t meet them.”

THROW OUT YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR. Staying stressed is no laughing matter, and it shouldn’t be treated as one.

~~~

“Life is always walking up to us and saying, “Come on in, the living’s fine,” and what do we do?  Back off and take its picture.”

Russell Baker

~~~

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.