Ray's Daily

I have decided to stay happy, join me?

Enjoy yourself. These are the “good old days” you’re going to miss in the years ahead.

Author Unknown

 

It seems that many of my friends have had a really trying week so far. I get concerned when the majority of one’s time is spent dealing with disappointment or tasks too difficult to handle. Fortunately the weekends always have the potential for us to recharge if we put our troubles aside for at least a couple of days. Being retired and my own boss allows me to pursue whatever takes my fancy, I know others don’t have that luxury but they do have the opportunity to make positive choices during their working and non-working hours. The secret is to pursue happiness rather than waiting for it to show up.

Peter Clemens published an article on how to live happily that I might have shared with you before, if I did it is worth reading again, here is what he wrote.

How to Enjoy Life

In The Magic of Starting Small, I made the point that it is your days that define your life. In this article, I want to challenge the common perception that it is only possible to enjoy your leisure time. In particular, this article is targeted at the professional stuck in the 9 to 5 grind who longs for the weekend and, in the process, has given up on trying to find pleasure in the ordinary experiences we have every day.

1. Appreciate Beauty. Each day we come across beauty in a number of shapes and forms. It’s a shame, then, that many people have become so accustomed to this beauty that it largely goes unappreciated. I suggest looking again at the people, plants, gadgets, and buildings (to name but a few examples) around you and taking a moment to appreciate what makes them so special.

2. Connect With Nature. Nature is an amazing healer for the stresses and strains of modern life. Eating lunch in the park, attending to a vegetable garden in your backyard, or watching the sunset are just a few simple ideas for how you can enjoy the outdoors on a daily basis.

3. Laugh. E. E. Cummings once said “the most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” How very true. Never be too busy to laugh, or too serious to smile. Instead, surround yourself with fun people and don’t get caught up in your own sense of importance.

4. Have Simple Pleasures. A good cup of coffee when I first wake. Time spent playing with my 8 month old son. Cooking a nice meal in the evening. These may not seem terribly exciting, but they are some of the simple pleasures I enjoy in life. If you slow down for just a moment and take the time to appreciate these ordinary events, life becomes instantly more enjoyable.

5. Connect With People. In so many ways, it is our relationships with people that give us the most happiness in life. Perhaps, then, the best way to enjoy your work more is not to get a raise or a promotion, but rather to build rewarding relationships with your co-workers.

6. Learn. There is a strong link between learning and happiness. Given this, there is no excuse not to be stimulating your brain and learning something new each day. My favorite way to find time for learning is to make the most of the commute to and from work. Audiobooks and podcasts are great for this purpose.

7. Rethink Your Mornings and Evenings. Are the mornings a mad rush for you to get out the door? Do you switch off the TV at night and go straight to bed? I have personally experienced the profound benefits of establishing a routine in the morning and evening. For example, in the morning you may choose to wake an hour earlier and spend the time working on yourself, whether it be reading, writing or exercising. In the evening, consider spending some time just before bed reviewing your day or in meditation.

8. Celebrate Your Successes. During a normal day we are sure to have some minor successes. Perhaps you have successfully dealt with a difficult customer, made a sale, or received a nice compliment for your work. These aren’t events worth throwing a party for, but why not take a moment to celebrate your success? Share the experience with someone else, reward yourself with a nice lunch, or just give yourself a mental pat on the back.

~~~

“The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it’s all that matters.”

Audrey Hepburn

~~~

A large, well established, Canadian lumber camp advertised that they were looking for a good lumberjack.

The very next day, a skinny little man showed up at the camp with his axe, and knocked on the head lumberjacks’ door. The head lumberjack took one look at the little man and told him to leave.

“Just give me a chance to show you what I can do,” said the skinny man.

“Okay, see that giant redwood over there?” said the lumberjack. “Take your axe and go cut it down.”

The skinny man headed for the tree, and in five minutes he was back knocking  on the lumberjack’s door. “I cut the tree down,” said the man.

The lumberjack couldn’t believe his eyes and said, “Where did you get the skill to chop down trees like that?”

“In the Sahara Forest,” replied the puny man.

“You mean the Sahara Desert,” said the lumberjack.

The little man laughed and answered back, “Oh sure, that’s what they call it now!”

~~~

“I’ve been on a constant diet for the last two decades. I’ve lost a total of 789 pounds. By all accounts, I should be hanging from a charm bracelet.”

Erma Bombeck

~~~

A wife invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said, “Would you like to say the blessing?”

“I wouldn’t know what to say,” the girl replied.

“Just say what you hear Mommy say,” the wife answered.

The daughter bowed her head and said,

“Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?”

~~~

Follow your dream!  Unless it’s the one where you’re naked at work during a fire drill.

~~~

A redneck was stopped by a game warden in South Louisiana recently with two ice chests full of fish. He was leavin’ a cove well-known for its fishing.

The game warden asked the man, ‘Do you have a license to catch those fish?’

‘Naw, sir’, replied the redneck. ‘I ain’t got none of them there licenses. You must understand, these here are my pet fish.’

‘Pet fish?’

‘Yeah. Every night, I take these here fish down to the lake and let ’em swim ’round for awhile. Then, when I whistle, they jump right back into these here ice chests and I take ’em home.’

‘That’s a bunch of hooey! Fish can’t do that.’

The redneck looked at the warden for a moment and then said, ‘It’s the truth Mr. Government Man. I’ll show ya. It really works.’

‘O. K.’, said the warden. ‘I’ve got to see this!’ The redneck poured the fish into the lake and stood and waited. After several minutes, the warden says, ‘Well?’

‘Well, what?’, says the redneck.

The warden says, ‘When are you going to call them back?’

‘Call who back?’

‘The FISH’, replied the warden!

‘What fish?’, replied the redneck.

~~~

“The best part of life is not just surviving, but thriving with passion and compassion and humor and style and generosity and kindness.”

Maya Angelou

~~~

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 get to you

“A good half of the art of living is resilience.”

Alain de Botton

I had breakfast yesterday with one of my favorite friends. She is both a successful artist and an effective personal counselor. While we did not violate her client confidentiality we did talk in some detail about her experiences with folks, primarily abused women, who had great difficulty handling the challenges that life threw their way. We exchanged stories of people we knew who were faced with what in their minds were insurmountable obstacles.

Most of us have seen times when life was somewhat unfair. The tough part for many is that they react to events that are not going to change by agonizing over the unfairness of it all or even worse by continuing to sustain a futile effort to change reality when there is no chance of success.

Recently I read somewhere that if we do face an insurmountable obstacle we can either stop and wail or we can change how we deal with it. It does little good to agonize over lost causes, it is so much better to pick ourselves up and move on. In my case I frequently remind myself that when faced with something I cannot change that the world did not stop and that there are more opportunities than there is time to pursue them all. We lose far too much when we let pain clutter up or lives. I find even on my worse days there are far more positive things in my life than the occasional setback and it is up to me to remember that.

My friend succeeds because she fosters resilient behavior. Here is a piece on resiliency I picked up from the American Psychological Association that lets us know how we also can become more resilient.

 

10 Ways to build resilience

Make connections. Good relationships with close family members, friends, or others are important. Accepting help and support from those who care about you and will listen to you strengthens resilience. Some people find that being active in civic groups, faith-based organizations, or other local groups provides social support and can help with reclaiming hope.

Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems. You can’t change the fact that highly stressful events happen, but you can change how you interpret and respond to these events. Try looking beyond the present to how future circumstances may be a little better. Note any subtle ways in which you might already feel somewhat better as you deal with difficult situations.

Accept that change is a part of living. Certain goals may no longer be attainable as a result of adverse situations. Accepting circumstances that cannot be changed can help you focus on circumstances that you can alter.

Move toward your goals. Develop some realistic goals. Do something regularly — even if it seems like a small accomplishment — that enables you to move toward your goals. Instead of focusing on tasks that seem unachievable, ask yourself, “What’s one thing I know I can accomplish today that helps me move in the direction I want to go?”

Take decisive actions. Act on adverse situations as much as you can. Take decisive actions, rather than detaching completely from problems and stresses and wishing they would just go away.

Look for opportunities for self-discovery. People often learn something about themselves and may find that they have grown in some respect as a result of their struggle with loss.

Nurture a positive view of yourself. Developing confidence in your ability to solve problems and trusting your instincts helps build resilience.

Keep things in perspective. Even when facing very painful events, try to consider the stressful situation in a broader context and keep a long-term perspective. Avoid blowing the event out of proportion.

Maintain a hopeful outlook. An optimistic outlook enables you to expect that good things will happen in your life. Try visualizing what you want, rather than worrying about what you fear.

Take care of yourself. Pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Engage in activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly. Taking care of yourself helps to keep your mind and body primed to deal with situations that require resilience.

~~~

“Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it’s less good than the one you had before. You can fight it, you can do nothing but scream about what you’ve lost, or you can accept that and try to put together something that’s good.”

Elizabeth Edwards

~~~

After a church service on Sunday morning, a young boy suddenly announced to his mother, “Mom, I’ve decided to become a minister when I grow up.”

“That’s okay with us, but what made you decide that?”

“Well, I’ll have to go to church on Sunday anyway, and I figure it will be more fun to stand up and yell than to sit down and listen.”

~~~

“Wherever you are is the entry point.”

Kabir

~~~

When visiting us in Los Angeles, my mother decided to explore a trendy shopping area. After window-shopping, she entered a store with unique table displays. Each table was laid out with distinctive linen, fine china, silver and crystal.  Mom was the only customer. The young woman behind the cash register initially asked if she could help, but Mom declined and said she was only browsing. Mom was a bit put off by the glances the young woman kept giving her, but nonetheless, she spent almost an hour examining the different makes of china and silver. It was only after thanking the shopkeeper and leaving that my mother discovered she had been inspecting the tableware at a chic restaurant.

~~~

A person with six children is better satisfied than a person with $6 million.

Reason: The one with $6 million wants more.

~~~

A husband and wife were at a party chatting with some friends when the subject of marriage counseling came up. “Oh, we’ll never need that. My husband and I have a great relationship,” the wife explained. “He was a communications major in college and I majored in theater arts.

He communicates real well and I just act like I’m listening.”

~~~

Middle age is that difficult period between adolescence and retirement when you have to take care of yourself.

~~~

A second grader came home from school and said to her mother, “Mom, guess what? We learned how to make babies today.”

The mother, more that a little surprised, asked fearfully, “That’s interesting. How do you make babies?”

“It’s simple,” replied the girl. “You just change ‘y’ to ‘i’ and add ‘es’.”

~~~

“I signed up for an exercise class and was told to wear loose fitting clothing. If I *had* any loose fitting clothing, I wouldn’t have signed up in the first place!”

~~~

A guy noticed that his buddy was troubled and asked what was wrong.

“Ohhh, it’s my girlfriend.”

“Oh yeah?  What’s the problem?”

“When I asked her if she could learn to love me,” he said, “she asked me how much I was willing to spend on her education.”

~~~

“One’s doing well if age improves even slightly one’s capacity to hold on to that vital truism: “This too shall pass.”

Alain de Botton

~~~

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 having the best time of my life

Don’t be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. One man gets only a week’s value out of a year while another man gets a full year’s value out of a week.

Charles Richards

 

I am sometimes amazed by how interesting and rewarding my life has become in these my later years. It seems like I am as occupied as I have ever been, most days include enough activities to keep me busy and active. I also like the balance, some learning, some helping, some health building, some time for thought and on some time for the always pleasant nap. I only wish that some of my peers would get up more, out more and discovering more so that they would enjoy life as much as I do.

I have been fortunate that my previous careers provided me a wide range of experiences and many opportunities to see and do things I had never done before. I also found that after each of my retirements my level of activity did not change much only my level of income and how I used my time. What I discovered was that each task I was no longer obligated to fulfill provided me time to do other things and as often as not they were things I never thought I would do.

Sure I live in a community that has a multitude of opportunities to learn, enjoy, and even do some good, but most everyone can find similar activities wherever they live. I guess though the primary reason that my life is so rewarding is that I prefer to use what I do as an antidote for the stagnation that so often accompanies the aging process. What I find most disheartening of all is that there are so many who have chosen the path to stagnation before they have even started the physical aging process. I know you’re not that way, there is just too much to do for us to sit on the sidelines and watch others do it.

Again the future is up to us, how good it is depends on the choices we make. Here is a short article by Ralph Marston that suggests that we own more of our days and use the time we give ourselves to do those things that add to our personal enrichment.

 

Make time

Yes, of course you’re busy. Even so, make time for more than just being busy. This day will only be here once. Make the time, while you can, to do something unique and memorable and valuable with it.

Certainly there are many, many things you have to do. Make time, each day, to remember why. Being busy is not the point of life. Make the time and use the time to be purposeful.

Show your love to someone special, not merely with your words, but with your time. Instead of rushing right past life’s beauty, make time to truly enjoy the wonders with which this day is filled.

Make some time that has real and lasting meaning. Make some time, today and every day, to live and appreciate the miracle that you are.

~~~

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

Benjamin Franklin

~~~

An old lady tottered into a lawyer’s office and asked for help in arranging a divorce. “A divorce?” asked the unbelieving lawyer. “Tell me, how old are you?”

“I’m eighty-four,” answered the old lady.

“Eighty-four!  And how old is your husband?”

“My husband is eighty-seven.”

“My, my,” said the lawyer, “and how long have you been married?”

“Next September will be sixty-two years.”

“Married sixty-two years?!  Why would you want a divorce now?”

“Because,” the woman answered calmly, “enough is enough.”

~~~

“I’m a PBS person living in an MTV world.”

~~~

Resumes can have misleading information. This guide should help clear any confusion…

* Bright: Wears a lot of yellow and red – usually together.

* Intelligent: Got 3 gold stars for spelling in first grade.

* Computer Literate: Knows the difference between a mouse and a keyboard.

* Excellent Communication Skills: Knows everybody’s personal business.

* Detailed Oriented: Will spend eight hours perfecting a two-minute job.

* Prompt: First one out the door at quitting time.

* Friendly: Watch out for attractive members of your staff.

* Honest: King of Gossip!

* Dependable: Can depend on them to be the last one there in the morning.

~~~

“No matter how happily a woman may be married, it always pleases her to discover that there is a nice man who wishes she were not.”

H.L. Mencken

~~~

Tom was so excited about his promotion to Vice President of the company and he kept bragging about it to his wife for weeks on end. Finally she couldn’t take it any longer, and told him, “Listen, it means nothing, they even have a vice president of peas at the grocery store!”.

“Really?” he said. Not sure if this was true or not, Tom decided to call the grocery store.

A clerk answers and Tom says “Can I please talk to the Vice President of peas?”

The clerk replies “Fresh, canned or frozen?”

~~~

I am returning this otherwise good typing paper to you because someone has printed gibberish all over it and put your name at the top.

English Professor, Ohio University

~~~

A flight attendant for a major airline, watched one day as a passenger overloaded with bags tried to stuff his belongings in the overhead bin of the plane. Finally, she informed him that he would have to check the oversized luggage.

“When I fly other airlines,” he said irritably, “I don’t have this problem.”

She smiled and replied, “When you fly other airlines, I don’t have this problem either.”

~~~

The cost of living hasn’t affected its popularity.

~~~

Every morning for years, at about 11:30, the telephone operator in a small Sierra-Nevada town received a call from a man asking the exact time. One day the operator summed up nerve enough to ask him why the regularity.

“I’m foreman of the local sawmill,” he explained. “Every day I have to blow the whistle at noon so I call you to get the exact time.”

The operator giggled, “That’s really funny,” she said. “All this time we’ve been setting our clock by your whistle.

~~~

When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.”

~~~

Husband’s note on refrigerator to his wife: “Someone from the Guyna Colleges called. They said the Pabst beer is normal.  I didn’t know you liked beer.”

~~~

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.

Carl Sandburg

~~~

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.

My mistakes were great!

“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”

Albert Einstein

 

I did it again! I learned long ago that it is not necessary to be right and in my case I have a track record that shows that I am more often wrong in my personal purchase decisions. Yep it was me who bought the Rambler American from a company no longer in business. I did choose to buy an entertainment console with an eight track tape player that soon became obsolete. I purchased a couple of RCA video disc players along with hundreds of movies on disc and when that went belly up I fell back on my beloved Beta VCR and again purchasing hundreds of movies only to see that fall to VHS. I loved sailing on the Rembrandt owned by a cruise lines that went bankrupt two days after I last sailed on her, which was better than my last sailing on the Regent Sun since its owners did not go out of business until three weeks after I had sailed on her. And now the industry is predicting the demise of RIM the manufacturer of my top of the line Blackberry smart phone.

I am sure you can see from these few examples of my track record that I am skilled at being an early adapter of products and offerings destined to fail. All a company would need to do instead of costly market research would be to provide me a test product and if I liked it they could abandon its production and do something else. But all is not lost my track record has taught me to roll with the punches and to appreciate all the enjoyment I got out of what I had before the end of its useful life. In fact my experiences have shown how unimportant things really are and that staying resilient always results in something just as pleasing filling the gaps.

I found these comments by the author of the Simply Blessed blog help to put mistakes in perspective, I hope you will too.

How Do You Live With Mistakes?

Short answer: you don’t. The question is not how do you live with mistakes. It’s: how do you live with courage? How do you live with stepping out on a limb? How do you live with taking risks? How do you live with moving out of your safety zone? How do you live with the backbone to say: I think I can try this new thing that I’m not quite comfortable with, but I’ll try it anyway. How do you live with that kind of adventuresome spirit?  How do you live with determination? How do you live with pluck and spirit? How do you live with tenacity? How do you live with just pure spunk?

Oooh, let me gather courage, risk taking, backbone, adventuresome spirit, determination and pluck and spirit, tenacity and spunk. Let me gather them at the helm of my sleigh and with a jolly glee say: on courage, on risk taking, on backbone, on adventuresome spirit, on determination and pluck, on spirit and tenacity… and spunk with your nose so bright, won’t you guide my sleigh tonight!

Zig Ziglar once said something that floored me at the time. I had been raised with the old adage, if you can’t do it right, don’t do it at all. A good many inventions we make use of today, not the first of which is the light bulb, might never have come about if it hadn’t been for the persistence of one man to hold a vision of what he wanted and let nothing deter him from that. That’s courage, that’s determination, that’s pluck and spirit…It’s all of that. Back to Zig Ziglar, he said: ‘anything worth doing, is worth doing poorly, until you can do it well’. Don’t you just love that?!

~~~

NOTE: I will be participating in an all-day revenue enhancement project tomorrow so there will be no daily published.

~~~

“Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.”

Rita Mae Brown

~~~

I thought you might enjoy these excerpts from patient’s charts.

Rectal examination revealed a normal size thyroid.

Occasional, constant, infrequent headaches.

Patient was seen in consultation by Dr. Smith, who felt we should sit on the abdomen and I agree.

By the time he was admitted, his rapid heart had stopped, and he was feeling better.

Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year.

On the second day the knee was better and on the third day it had completely disappeared.

The patient has been depressed ever since she began seeing me in 1983.

~~~

“Middle age: when you begin to exchange your emotions for symptoms.”

Irvin S. Cobb

~~~

A man once asked his Rabbi to Explain the meaning of “Talmudic Reasoning.” The Rabbi replied: “Well, it’s not too easy to explain, but I think I can demonstrate it to you and you will get the point. I will ask you a simple question and you give the answer.  Are you ready?”

The man was ready, so the Rabbi continued: “Imagine that two men come out of a chimney, one is dirty, the other clean. Which one takes a bath?”  The intrigued listener immediately replied: “That’s easy, Rabbi. The dirty one takes the bath.”

“Not so,” said the Rabbi. “The Talmud would explain that when the men came out, the dirty one looked at the clean one and saw a clean face.   Meanwhile the clean one looked at the dirty one and saw a dirty face.” A knowing look, complete with broad smile, flashed onto the man’s face. The Rabbi continued, “Now tell me which one takes the bath?”  The answer was quick and sure. “Now I get it Rabbi, the clean one takes the bath!”

The Rabbi looked just a bit unhappy, but he answered patiently, “No. You see, the Talmud would go on to ask: ‘How could two men come out of a chimney and one be clean and the other dirty?”

~~~

“A sobering thought: What if, right at this very moment, I am living up to my full potential?”

Jane Wagner

~~~

Morris had just had coronary artery bypass surgery a month ago and now is at the doctors office for his final follow up visit. Of course Morris wants to know when he can start having sex again. The doctor explains to Morris that he would be able to resume his sex life as soon as he could climb two flights of stairs without becoming winded.

Morris listens attentively and then says, “What if I look for women who live on the ground floor?”

~~~

The ultimate inspiration is the deadline.

Nolan Bushnell

~~~

One afternoon, a woman was in her back yard hanging the laundry when an old, tired-looking dog wandered into the yard. The woman could tell from the dog’s collar and well-fed belly that he had a home. But when she walked into the house, the dog followed her, sauntered down the hall and fell asleep in a corner. An hour later, he went to the door, and the woman let him out.

The next day the dog was back. He resumed his position in the hallway and slept for an hour. This continued for several weeks. Curious, the woman pinned a note to his collar: “Every afternoon, your dog comes to my house for a nap.”

The next day he arrived with a different note pinned to his collar: “We have ten children. He’s trying to catch up on his sleep.

~~~

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

Elbert Hubbard

~~~

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.

May I ask what is your destiny?

“Be an explorer. The universe is filled with wonder and magical things.”

Flavia

I was at a meeting yesterday where a friend shared how happy she is now that she has taken control of her life. It sounded like she had spent so many years trying to do what everyone else wanted that she had little time left just to be herself. She was fortunate to have left her last job and at the same time unchain herself from the past. Now her primary vocation is herself, she works helping people but the job does not demand all of her time nor does it require her to sacrifice her principles or beliefs. It is great to bask in the glow of someone who has found so much pleasure in being her own boss, her own judge and who is open to all there is to offer in our world.

I decided many years ago to choose my own destiny rather than allowing others or events to manage my existence. My friend spent many years following the path that was laid out for her and decided it was time to step off the path and build a destiny that is different than the one she saw when she was too busy to stray from the beaten path. My friend has found that big income and/or title is not required when your job starts to become focused on your own wellbeing. I learned years ago that personal satisfaction and the freedom to do things that have value are priceless and have substantially more value that money or prestige. But I also have learned that often it is those who have broken their chains who end up with the money and prestige but not because that was there primary focus.

Here is something published by Catherine Pulsifer on her Inspirational Thoughts website that is in the same vein that is worth your consideration.

Your Destiny?

Don’t leave your destiny up to someone else. What is your destiny in life? Some people are not aware it’s their choice to create their own destiny while others set personal goals and take responsibility for the direction of their lives. You can surrender your destiny to the desires of others, or you can control your own destiny by establishing your goals and working steadily to attain them. You have the choice.

The unfortunate attitude for many is that they do not have any idea of what their destiny is because they have allowed themselves to be conditioned by their parents, siblings, friends or teachers. They have not decided to take responsibility for their own life preferring to do what is expected rather than what they want. It is difficult to break away from previous conditioning especially if you have been continuously pushed just like a child is continually pushed to play the piano but has absolutely no passion for it.

You have to make a break away from what everyone else wants you to do and to be. The real decision to make a choice may be difficult but without making this choice to carve your own destiny, you will always be a person unfulfilled and confused.

What do you want? To control your own destiny, or let someone else control it? Don’t leave your destiny up to someone else.

What is your destiny in life? You can surrender your destiny to the desires of others, or you can control your own destiny by establishing your goals and working steadily to attain them. You have the choice.

~~~

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

Oscar Wilde

~~~

“Are you my caddie?” asked MacTavish.

“Aye, sir,” replied the boy.

“And are you any good at finding lost balls?”

“Aye, sir.”

“Right, then. Find one and let’s get the game started.”

~~~

How many car salesmen does it take to change a light bulb? “I’m just going to work this out on my calculator, and I think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised.”

~~~

“I have enough money to last me the rest of my life unless I buy something.”

Jackie Mason

~~~

A six-year-old ran up and down the supermarket aisles shouting frantically, “Marian, Marian!”

Finally reunited with his mother, he was chided by her, “You shouldn’t call me ‘Marian.’  I’m your mother, you know.”

“I know,” said the child, wise beyond his years, “but the store is full of mothers!”

~~~

“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of Hell, a hell of Heaven.”

John Milton

~~~

PROCRASTINATOR’S CREED

NOTICE: You may wish to delay reading this until you have more free time.

1. I believe that if anything is worth doing, it would have been done already.

2. I shall never move quickly, except to avoid more work or find excuses.

3. I will never rush into a job without a lifetime of consideration.

4. I shall meet all of my deadlines directly in proportion to the amount of bodily injury I could expect to receive from missing them.

5. I firmly believe that tomorrow holds the possibility for new technologies, astounding discoveries, and a reprieve from my obligations.

6. I truly believe that all deadlines are unreasonable regardless of the amount of time given.

7. If at first I don’t succeed, there is always next year.

8. I shall always decide not to decide, unless of course I decide to change my mind.

9. I shall always begin, start, initiate, take the first step, and/or write the first word, when I get around to it.

10. I will never put off tomorrow, what I can forget about forever.

~~~

“Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones come daily.”

Ivy Baker Priest

~~~

Once upon a time there lived three men: a doctor, a chemist, and an engineer. All three had offended the king and were sentenced to die on the same day.

The day of the execution arrived, and the doctor was led up to the guillotine. As he strapped the doctor to the guillotine, the executioner asked, “Head up or head down?”

“Head up,” said the doctor.

“Blindfold or no blindfold?”

“No blindfold.”

So the executioner raised the blade, and z-z-z-z-ing! Down came the blade — and stopped barely an inch above the doctor’s neck. Well, the law stated that if an execution didn’t succeed the first time the prisoner had to be released, so the doctor was set free.

Then the chemist was led up to the guillotine.

“Head up or head down?” said the executioner.

“Head up.”

“Blindfold or no blindfold?”

“No blindfold.”

So the executioner raised the blade, and z-z-z-z-ing! Down came the blade — and stopped an inch above the chemist’s neck. Well, the law stated that if the execution didn’t succeed the first time the prisoner had to be released, so the chemist was set free.

Finally the engineer was led up to the guillotine.

“Head up or head down?”

“Head up.”

“Blindfold or no blindfold?”

“No blindfold.”

So the executioner raised the blade, but before he could cut the rope, the engineer yelled out:

“WAIT! I see what the problem is!”

~~~

“Fun is a vital nutrient for a high-quality life, and for most of us this nutrient is in short supply.”

Cheryl Richardson

~~~

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.

Invest in yourself

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

Unknown Author

I was having breakfast with a friend the other day who reported that she was not enjoying her job very much. It was not the usual complaints, rather it was the lack of an opportunity to utilize all of her skills leaving her with little feeling of accomplishment. Like the hundreds of others I have talked to in similar situations over the last thirty years she knows she would like to do something else but she does not know what it is. Too often we focus on occupational alternatives based solely on our work history and academic credentials rather on all the things that are involved in the daily requirements that can either add or detract from job satisfaction. I suggested, as I always do, that my friend spend some time learning more about herself before she sets her sights on a new career path.

While I recommend a pretty in depth exercise the concept is similar to what I found on recent issue of the Self Development Newsletter written by life coach Estra Roell, here in part is what she wrote:

 

How to Live a Passionate Life of Purpose

Find a quiet place and time when you will not be disturbed. Imagine your life as if you were already living it joyfully and abundantly. Let your imagination flow freely, with no restrictions. Don’t judge your answers or limit yourself in any way. This is just you and your imagination. Allow yourself to drill down until you find the things that light the spark for you!

On a sheet of paper answer these questions:

1. What kinds of activities am I engaged in and what skills am I using? Think of anything you enjoy as hobbies or volunteer work such as traveling, gardening, painting, writing, cooking, organizing, being with children, singing, meditating, counseling, working with machines, numbers, exercising, surfing, reading, teaching, woodworking….and so on. Think of things that have always come easily or naturally for you and hold nothing back.

2. Where do you like to spend your time? Are you inside or outside? Do you work from home or in an office? Do you travel for work?

3. Who are you with? Do you prefer to work alone or with others in a team? If you are with others, what kind of temperament do they have?

4. Do you have your own business or work for someone else? If you have a boss, what is his or her management style?

5. How much time do you devote to money making activities and how much time do you have for family and self-renewal?

6. Are there classes you need to take or people already successful in your area of interest that would be willing to mentor you?

7. Ask yourself: Who do I want to be? What kind of person am I and what do I most value?

Now, using the answers from above, imagine your life ten years from today. Imagine you have followed your passions, no matter what obstacles or fears may have appeared to pull you off course. Write a story of your life including all the juicy details and feelings you have as you look back to see all you have accomplished and the person you have become. By always choosing in favor of your passions opportunities have opened up for you in ways you could not have imagined!

~~~

What is the recipe for successful achievement? To my mind there are just four essential ingredients: Choose a career you love, give it the best there is in you, seize your opportunities, and be a member of the team.

Benjamin F. Fairless

~~~

Jack and Jill were watching a TV show one night where the wife hired a private detective to follow her husband to see if he was “cheating” on her.

Jack asked, “Would you ever do that?”

Jill said, “Well not so much to find out who the other woman was, but to see if I could find out what she saw in you.”

~~~

Don’t ask me why, but women my age for some reason, just don’t look right to me when I see them in a thong.

~~~

Have you noticed that we talk about certain things only when they are absent? Have you ever seen a horseful carriage or a strapful gown? Met a sung hero or experienced requited love? Have you ever run into someone who was combobulated, gruntled, ruly or peccable? And where are all those people who ARE spring chickens or who would ACTUALLY hurt a fly?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which an alarm clock goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which, of course, isn’t a race at all). That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible. And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it, but when I wind up this essay, I end it.

~~~

My mama always said we were put on this earth to help others. My question is, what are the others here for?

~~~

I recently saw a distraught young lady weeping beside her car. “Do you need some help”? I asked.

She replied, “I knew I should have replaced the battery in this remote door unlocker. Now I can’t get into my car. Do you think they (pointing to a distant convenience store) would have a battery for this”?

“Hmmm, I dunno. Do you have an alarm, too”? I asked.

“No, just this remote thingy,” she answered, handing it and the car keys to me.

As I took the key and manually unlocked the door, I replied, “Why don’t you drive over there and check about the batteries. It’s a long walk.”

~~~

We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way through Congress.

 Will Rogers

~~~

What The Teacher Says and What He or She Really Means

Your son has a remarkable ability in gathering needed information from his classmates. (He was caught cheating on a test).

Karen is an endless fund of energy and viability. (The hyperactive monster can’t stay seated for five minutes).

Fantastic imagination! Unmatched in his capacity for blending fact with fiction. (He’s definitely one of the biggest liars I have ever met).

Margie exhibits a casual, relaxed attitude to school, indicating that high expectations don’t intimidate her. (The lazy thing hasn’t done one assignment all term).

Her athletic ability is marvelous. Superior hand-eye coordination. (The little creep stung me with a rubber band from 15 feet away).

Nick thrives on interaction with his peers. (Your son needs to stop socializing and start working).

Your daughter’s greatest asset is her demonstrative public discussions.(Classroom lawyer! Why is it that every time I explain an assignment she creates a class argument).

John enjoys the thrill of engaging challenges with his peers. (He’s a bully).

An adventurous nature lover who rarely misses opportunities to explore new territory. (Your daughter was caught skipping school at the fishing pond).

I am amazed at her tenacity in retaining her youthful personality. (She’s so immature that we’ve run out of diapers).

Unlike some students who hide their emotion, Charles is very expressive and open. (He must have written the Whiner’s Guide).

I firmly believe that her intellectual and emotional progress would be enhanced through a year’s repetition of her learning environment. (Regretfully, we believe that she is not ready for high school and must repeat the 8th grade).

Her exuberant verbosity is awesome! (A mouth that never stops yacking).

~~~

Are you bored with life? Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all you heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours.

Dale Carnegie

~~~

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.

Ray left

Let a good man do good deeds with the same zeal that the evil man does bad ones.

The Belzer Rabbi

 

Here we go again, Ray got home late last night after seeing a production of the musical Chicago. He was so tired this morning that we could barely get him out of bed to get to the gym. He hollered as he was leaving that he was going to be in meetings all morning and that I should get out the Daily. Of course he had not written any so you’re stuck with another reprint.

Ray’s Computer

Ray’s Daily first published on September 19, 2001

If you are like I am you are impressed and grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support shown by so many for the victims of the New York and Washington disasters. People have donated their time, talent and money to assist those on need.

I hope that we will do the same for all of the victims.

• The senior citizens who have seen the value of their IRA plummet, is a victim.
• The former welfare mother who lost her job because she was the last hired and now must feed her children from a food bank, is a victim.
• The American of Middle-Eastern extraction who has become the focus of irrational hatred, is a victim.
• The hardworking employee who has lost his job and cannot afford to keep health insurance for his family, is a victim.
• The husband, wives, boys, and girls who have lost their financial footing and now live in fear, are victims.

It has been easy to contribute our time, talent, and money to the high profile opportunities we have had to help those who have faced the tragic events of the past week. I pray that we will be equally supportive of those neighbors and fellow citizens in our own communities that are also victims.

~~~

Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness.

Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness.

George Sand

~~~

Did you know that:

Karaoke is a Japanese word meaning “tone deaf”.

“Normal” is a setting on a washing machine.

Sleep is that fleeting moment just before the alarm goes off.

A cynic is someone who smells the flowers and looks for the casket.

The answer is what everybody is still looking for.

~~~

I’m not aging, I just need re-potting.

~~~

After the christening of his baby brother in church, little Johnny sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car.  His father asked him three times what was wrong.  Finally, the boy replied, “That priest said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I want to stay with you guys!”

~~~

Lord, if I can’t be skinny, let all my friends be fat.

~~~

You admit having broken into the dress shop four times?” asked the judge.

“Yes,” answered the suspect.

“And what did you steal?”

“A dress, Your Honor,” replied the subject.

“One dress?” echoed the judge. “But you admit breaking in four times!”

“Yes, Your Honor,” sighed the suspect. “But three times my wife didn’t like the color.”

~~~

“A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.”

John Barrymore

~~~

A biology graduate student went to Borneo to take some samples for his thesis work. He flew there and found a guide with a canoe to take him up the river to the remote site he where he would make his collections. On the second day of travel up the river they began to hear drums.

Being a city boy by nature, the biologist was disturbed by this. He asked the guide, “What are those drums?” The guide turned to him and said, “Drums OK, but VERY BAD when they stop.” Well the biologist settled down a little at this, and things went reasonably well for about two weeks.

Then, just as they were packing up the camp to leave, the drums suddenly stopped! This hit the biologist like a ton of bricks, and he yelled at the guide, “The drums have stopped, what happens now?”

The guide crouched down, covered his head with his hands and said, “bass solo.”

~~~

“Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn’t have said.”

~~~

A guy walked into a pro-shop with a gorilla. “Is anyone interested in a little wager?” he said, flashing some large bills around. “I’ve got $500.00 here that says my gorilla can hit the ball longer and straighter than anybody here at this club. In fact, he hits it 500 yards …right down the middle…every time!”

Everyone in the pro-shop started laughing. After a moment the newest pro at the club and the longest hitter in the area spoke up, “I gotta see this!” he said. “You know, what? I’ll take you up on that wager! Meet you on the first tee.”

When they reached the 585-yard par-5 first tee the trainer led the gorilla to the tee box, put a driver in his hands, set a tee in the ground. The gorilla did the rest.

Sure enough, he smashed his drive right down the middle and clear out of sight. When the ball finally came to rest it was on the green -6 inches from the cup.

The pro was astonished. “That’s incredible!” he exclaimed. “How did you train him to hit the ball like that! There’s no need for me to tee off. I couldn’t beat him with a stick. Here’s your money.”

As the pro walked off the green, still shaking his head, he turned back to the trainer and said “Oh, by the way, how does he putt?”

The trainer responded, “Just like he drives: 500 yards. Right down the middle. Every time.”

~~~

I’m taking Lamaze classes. I’m not having a baby, I’m just having trouble breathing.

Steven Wright

~~~

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall–Think of it, ALWAYS.”

Mahatma Gandhi

~~~

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 have decided to join SIPT

Those who wish to sing, always find a song.

Swedish Proverb

 

I know I have mentioned a number of times the concerns I have for those who go through life with a “woe is me” attitude. These are the naysayers, fault finders and often the storm cloud on what otherwise would be a pleasant day. I thought about them again this weekend after I read a review in a newspaper of a theatrical performance I had seen and enjoyed. In fact I enjoyed it so much that I had previously published a glowing review of my own that had been rebroadcast on the net.

I know it is not unusual for us all to have a difference of opinion, after all our tastes often differ and because of culture and experience we also relate differently to the things we see and hear. It is only natural for us to enjoy those things that exist in the world as we know it. All that notwithstanding, I still wondered about how two of us who saw the same thing could see it so differently and that is when I started to suspect that I knew why it might be that way.

As I thought about it I decided that some of us have dominant positive tendencies while others have negative tendencies. I base this on observing folks who search for flaws and things to criticize. Often their ability to identify something that might have improved what they saw became more important than appreciating what they did see. These people seem to feel rewarded when they can communicate their displeasure because what they observed was not perfect by their standards.

As I mulled over this observation I looked into my own behavior I decided that I am probably overloaded with positive tendencies. My focus seems to naturally be centered on what is there and not on what is lacking. In my mind all the enjoyable pieces continue to build leaving only fleeting time for fault finding. One of the secrets of my generally happy existence is the realization that what I am seeing or doing might not be the greatest thing ever but it is certainly better than the alternative. Think about it, a play that is mildly entertaining is a heck of a lot better than sitting silently at home watching another old movie. While a Steak and Shake hamburger may not be anywhere close to the quality of a Ruth Chris steak it sure beats a bowl of cereal eaten at the kitchen table.

So my friends I think I’ll become a charter member of the Society to Instill Positive Tendencies (SIPT) and concentrate on life enjoyment. When I do see a flaw I’ll do something about it if I can, if I can’t I’ll move on. I plan on wasting little time on judgmental fault finding, life is too short to waste any time searching for what’s wrong with it.

~~~

Today You Can

by Catherine Pulsifer

Today you can choose to count your blessings or you can count your troubles.

Today you can live each moment or you can put in time.

Today you can take action towards your goals or you can procrastinate.

Today you can plan for the future or you can regret the past.

Today you can learn one new thing or you can stay the same.

Today you can seek possibilities or you can overwhelm yourself with the impossible.

Today you can continue to move forward or you can quit.

Today you can take steps towards resolving your challenges or you can procrastinate.

You see today the choices are up to you in deciding what you do today.

~~~

I was walking into the casino when I passed a very depressed man sitting dejectedly on the floor by the entrance. Normally, I would have kept walking and minded my business, but something about this individual made me pause.  So I stopped and asked him what was wrong. “Oh, I got problems you don’t want to hear about,” he told me. I persisted.  “What kind of problems?” I asked him. He looked up at me and said, “I just got bad news. My wife is very sick and needs immediate medical treatment.  I don’t have insurance and I have to find the cash to take care of her.”

“How much do you need?” I asked. “$200.00,” he responded.

I thought for a moment and then asked the guy, “Look, if I gave you the money to take your wife to the doctor, how do I know you just won’t turn around and go into this casino and gamble the money away.”

He looked up at me reassuringly and stated “Oh, I got gambling money!”

~~~

Senility Prayer: God grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones that I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.

~~~

      Louise was describing her new apartment to her mother.  “Mom, you’ve got to come and see it.  It’s gorgeous!  Great sitting room and the bedroom is exquisite.  The kitchen is a model of efficiency and the bathroom…well, all I can say is…the bathroom is out of this world!”

There was a pause, then her mother remarked, “Isn’t that a little inconvenient?”

~~~

Upon picking her up for dinner, she said, “I hope you don’t mind, but I’m feeling a little schizophrenic tonight.” “Good!” I said. “That makes four of us.”

~~~

Believe it, those were sad days!

In the winter of 1926, Thelma Goldstein from Chicago treated herself to her first real vacation in Florida. Being unfamiliar with the area, she wandered into a restricted hotel in North Miami. “Excuse me,” she said to the manager. “My name is Mrs. Goldstein, and I’d like a small room for two weeks.”

“I’m awfully sorry,” he replied, “but all of our rooms are occupied.” Just as he said that, a man came down and checked out.

“What luck,” said Mrs. Goldstein. “Now there’s a room.”

“Not so fast, Madam. I’m sorry, but this hotel is restricted. No Jews allowed.”

“Jewish? Who’s Jewish? I happen to be Catholic.”

“I find that hard to believe. Let me ask you, who was the Son of God?”

“Jesus, Son of Mary.”

“Where was he born?”

“In a stable.”

“And why was he born in a stable?”

“Because a schmuck like you wouldn’t let a Jew rent a room in his hotel!”

~~~

There is no failure except in no longer trying.

~~~

A woman was driving down the highway about 75 miles an hour, when she noticed a motorcycle policeman following her. Instead of slowing down, she picked up speed. When she looked back again, their were two motorcycles following her. She shot up to 90 miles. The next time she looked around, there were three cops following her.

Suddenly, she spotted a gas station looming ahead. She screeched to a stop and ran into the lady’s room. Ten minutes later, she innocently walked out. The three cops were standing their waiting for her. Without batting an eye, she said coyly, “I’ll bet none of you thought I would make it.”

~~~

There are always flowers for those who want to see them.

Henri Matisse

~~~

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 don’t need to tell me about me

“When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.”

Wayne Dyer

 

Is it just me or are you also hearing from people whose rhetoric is so polarized that they appear to believe they have no need to consider the thoughts of others. Some of these folks seem to appear to be listening but have closed their minds to the point that they seldom really hear. It is like a blind man who no longer has any interest in seeing as he is comfortable with his inability to perceive the world around him. I recently read that one of the primary causes of this intellectual myopia is the ego need to convince yourself that you are always right. These people seem to believe that if they forcefully profess their imagined superiority they will prove that their rightness is well founded.

I use to feel anger when I encountered these folks, especially those who were borderline verbal bullies but now I just feel sorry for them. I doubt that many of them would follow Dr. Lisabeth Saunders Medlock’s advice and spend time learning about themselves. Here is what she wrote:

 

5 Ways to Tell the Truth about Ourselves

Stop shaming and blaming.

Most people see self-evaluation as a negative process, but there is an alternative. We can learn to see shame or blame as excess baggage and just set them aside. We could acknowledge and even regret our mistakes and shortcomings while accepting ourselves completely. We can begin working with our list of weaknesses by celebrating them. The more successful people are, the more likely they are to be open to looking at their flaws. We can love and accept ourselves and still work really hard to change ourselves.

Forgive yourself.

One powerful way to move from shame to acceptance is to forgive ourselves. Before practicing new skills and new ways of being, it’s wise to clean house. We don’t need to beat ourselves up before we re-invent ourselves. We can be totally honest with ourselves and, at the same time, be gentle. While admitting our mistakes, we can treat ourselves with care. After all, everyone makes mistakes.

Let go of the past, but learn from it.

We can focus on what we have learned from our past, without getting caught up in repeating our mistakes. We can discover a way to move forward without feeling rotten about the past. We can change the way things are without having to be upset about the way things have been. The past is over. There is nothing you can do to change the past. It is also important for us to let go of who we were or what we did in the past if that is not what we strive to be in the future. This means we have to believe we can change–we can engage in new ways of being and doing.

Face your fears.

We all have them and they are responsible for holding us back. To identify our fears we need to pay attention and become an observer of ourselves. We should be paying attention to what we fixate on and what we ignore, how we make judgments about situations and how we interpret other’s behavior, and the internal dialogue that is going on when the fear strikes. We need to get to know our mindset- especially patterns like learned pessimism or helplessness and other limiting or negative self statements. Mindset is based on our core beliefs. When we say we are afraid, underneath is a belief we have about ourselves- I am not skilled enough, good enough. etc., or a belief about the world–there is too much competition, people won’t like what I have to offer, etc. When we can let go of fear we can release ourselves in powerful ways.

See the connection between strengths and limitations.

Most people place strengths and weaknesses in separate, unrelated categories. Another way to perceive them is as being closely related. Often the things about ourselves that we label as weaknesses are simply examples of taking our strengths too far. A person with a passion for organization can become obsessed with details and lose sight of overall goals. A person who listens well may forget to speak about his own thoughts and feelings. These are just a few examples. The point is to remember that our assets and liabilities may all be part of the same personal account.

Of course the first step is deciding that opening our minds to alternatives is worth the effort. If many disagree with you it is worth considering that they may have valid points. If everyone agrees with you most of the time it might be time to worry about living in an environment so protected that you are never challenged by what might be better choices.

~~~

It is difficult to find truth when it is seen through lenses clouded by hate.

Ray Mitchell

~~~

Heard at the senior center:

My supply of brain cells is finally down to a manageable size.

My secrets are safe with my friends because they can’t remember them either.

~~~

“If you listen when you hear and look when you see then you will never be deaf or blind to an opportunity.”

Unknown

~~~

She said: “I’ve got 3 TVs, cable, & a satellite dish; I have 3 phone lines in the house, a cell phone & one in the car, plus a pager. I use 2 computers, 3 ISPs and a fax. I subscribe to two daily papers & one weekly one. I watch both the local & network news every evening. And my kids have the nerve to tell me I’m out of touch!”

~~~

“If you were arrested for being kind……..would there be enough evidence to convict you?”

~~~

The banker had called the man in to talk about his account. “Your financial affairs are in a big mess! Your wife constantly overdraws your account. She is behind in her charge accounts at the department store, and her check stubs are all added wrong. So…why don’t you talk to her about it?”

“Because….” said the man, “I would rather argue with you than with her.”

~~~

“Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain — and most fools do.”

Dale Carnegie

~~~

She said: I pulled into a crowded parking lot and rolled down the car windows to make sure my golden retriever had fresh air. She was stretched out on the back seat, and I wanted to impress upon her that she must remain there.

I walked to the curb backward, pointing my finger at the car and saying emphatically, “Now you stay….. Do you hear me?… Stay!.. Stay!”

The driver of a nearby car, perhaps noting that I am a blonde, gave me a strange look and said. “Why don’t you just put it in park?”

~~~

You must arrange in advance for pleasant memories.

~~~

The customer in the Italian restaurant was so pleased that he asked to speak to the chef. The owner proudly led him into the kitchen and introduced him to the chef.

“Your veal parmigiana was superb,” the customer said. “I just spent a month in Italy, and yours is better than any I ever had over there.”

“Naturally,” the chef said. “Over there, they use domestic cheese. Ours is imported.”

~~~

“Judgments prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances.”

Wayne Dyer

~~~

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.

Things haven’t changed much

“An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises.”

Mae West

I did not get home from a Foreign Policy lecture until late last night and have to leave by 4:45 this morning to get my workout in before changing and going to a 7 AM meeting. Rather than trying to write something that would probably be undecipherable I am again dipping into the archives. What I found could have been written today.

 

Ray’s Daily first published on September 13, 2004

We are in the middle of a political campaign for president here in the U.S.A. Unfortunately we are bombarded with advertisements, e-mail, and broadcast features that are filled with misleading language, quotes out of context, and even sometimes going as far as to use words that have newly made up definitions. Sometimes there is real information behind these false images, but unless you know what the words mean you can easily be mislead. So in the interest of accuracy I have listed a few definitions of words I will be dealing with today.

Dilemma – situation with unsatisfactory choices

Quandary – a state of uncertainty or indecision as to what to do in a particular situation

Quagmire – an awkward, complicated, or dangerous situation from which it is difficult to escape

Recently I have been given three opportunities for service. You know the kind I mean, it is when someone asks you to take on some new responsibility that can do some good, in this case for others. Each of the things I was asked to commit to would do some good but would require me to lead, participate in the design of new programs, or to take on responsibility for a critical part of a new community initiative.

While normally it would not be much of a problem as traditionally if I felt I could make a contribution I would. Unfortunately in this case I face a dilemma that has resulted in my being in a quandary since I am having a hard time saying yes to any of these requests. On the surface I rationalize my reluctance to agree as being caused by my wanting to make sure I can keep my commitments and do the best job possible. I am concerned that my forthcoming travel coupled with my occasional health problems might prevent me from doing a good job. The only problem is I am unsure if that is what is going on or if I just need to drop out for a few months so I can take something like a short-term sabbatical. I find I am having too much trouble gathering up my traditional energy and enthusiasm.

So you can see I have been in a quagmire. But I think that is now behind me. It is not critically important that I look for a rationalization for saying no so that I can overcome any guilt feelings. What is important is that I know that I am just not up to the tasks right now and need time off to recharge. I would be doing a disservice to all if I said yes and then let them down. The only reason I wanted to share this with you is that I suspect you too are often faced with the same kind of difficult choices. And as I agonized over what I was going to do I came to the realization that in order to do well you have to be well. Like the military you need some occasional rest and recreation so you can come back and do battle another day. So take care of yourself, we need you at your best.

~~~

It’s so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to.

Sondra Anice Barnes

~~~

I am truly grateful to learn that Hurricane Ivan is now predicted to miss those Florida communities that already have been battered twice. Now they can rebuild so that we can get back to that unique Florida culture. As an example:

Here are some descriptors of Florida with some clarifying definitions

Old world charm … Room with no TV, radio or phone, and only 1 light.

Tropical …. Rainy.

Majestic setting … Out in the swamp, at end of dirt road.

Options galore … Nothing is included in the price.

Secluded hideaway …….Directions to locate unclear.

Some budget rooms …..Sorry, already occupied.

Explore on your own …..At your own expense.

Minutes From ???………..By helicopter

Romantic …………………. No Phone or alarm clock in room

Knowledgeable trip hosts … They’ve flown in an airplane before.

No extra fees ………….. No extras available.

Bird Watchers Paradise…… Your car’s paint will never be the same

Nominal fee …………….. Outrageous charge.

Standard ………………… Sub-standard.

Deluxe …………………… Barely Standard.

Superior accommodations… One complimentary chocolate, free shower cap.

All the amenities ……… Two chocolates, two shower caps and a extra roll of toilet tissue.

Just Like Home…………. No Maid service.

Plush …………….. Both top and bottom sheets, bed shakes.

Gentle breezes ……….. In hurricane alley.

Light and airy ………….. Window open…No air conditioning.

Picturesque ……………. Theme park nearby.

24-hour bar …..Ice cubes at additional cost (when machine works)

~~~

Silent gratitude isn’t much good to anyone.

Gladys Browyn Stern

~~~

Speaking of hurricanes, my friend Wendy lists some things she learned in recent week as she rode out two of them.

1. An oak tree on the ground looks four times bigger than it did standing up.

2. Even after all these years it is still nice to spend time with Col. Mustard in the ballroom with the lead pipe.

3. When house hunting look for closets with lots of leg room.

4. Water from the shower is much colder than water from the kitchen sink–and tastes just as bad.

5. AA, C and D are the only alphabet we need (batteries)

6. The four-way stop is still an ingenious reflection of civility.

7. Radio can be the best way to watch television.

8. Chain-saw wielding men are nothing to be afraid of.

9. SUV’s are the best makeshift tents on the market.

10. You can use your washing machine as a cooler.

11. It’s your God given right to sit on your back porch and eat Chinese takeout by candlelight in your underwear.

12. We shouldn’t complain about “useless” tools in the garage– we actually DO need a generator

13. You can’t spell “priceless” without I-C-E.

14. Downed power lines make excellent security systems.

15. Lakes can generate waves.

16. Gasoline is a value at any price

17. Cell phones: Breaking up isn’t hard to do.

18. The life blood of any disaster recovery is COFFEE

19. The need for your dog to go out and take care of business is inversely proportional to the severity of the storm.

20. Candlelight is better than Botox— it takes years off your appearance

21. Air Conditioning: BEST. INVENTION. EVER.

22. Water is a comfort food. But 3-day-old Cheetos are too.

23. Shadow animals on the wall—still fun.

24. No matter how hard the wind blows, roadside campaign signs will survive.

25. You should never admit to having power at your house in the presence of co-workers or neighbors who do not.

26. There’s a plus to having NOTHING in the refrigerator.

27. Getting through the day should be an Olympic event.

28. The movie theater can be a most pleasant place, even if the feature is Alien vs. Predator

29. Somebody’s got it worse.

30. Thank God for neighbors, and help them every chance you get. They will help you, too.

~~~

“The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself. It is not in your environment, it is not in luck or chance, or the help of others. It is in yourself alone.”

Orison Swett Marden

~~~

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.