Ray's Daily

I hope you like your job as much as I like mine

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”

Eleanor Roosevelt

 

I chatted for a few minutes yesterday with my favorite YMCA wellness coach who monitors my workout activity. She mentioned to me that she had been talking to a mutual friend of ours who is fitness trainer and they discussed how unusual it is for someone my age to consistently show up every weekday morning to invest in their health. I told her I am pleased that I have been able to enhance my wellbeing through the results of my cardio and strength workouts and think of it as a gift I am giving myself and I am only sorry that I waited until so late in life.

As I was driving home after my workout I thought about what she said and it dawned on me that I have been living my life as if it was my job. While I may not get paid I do fulfill a variety of self-imposed duties just as if they were part of a job description. So I have decided to write a position description that I may even use to measure my progress through periodic job appraisals.

Senior Life Specialist

Job Description

1. Incumbent will maintain a healthy lifestyle. This will include regular exercise, a healthy diet, and periodic medical checkups. Also he will strictly adhere to the instructions provided by his medical support team including consistent use of all medications, transmission of self-test blood and Pacemaker data as required as well as staying within limits outlined by the medical team.
2. Incumbent is required to regularly fully utilize his mental powers. He will publish a Newsletter five days a week that will report observations that he has made as he thinks about the world around us. He will attend periodic classes and lectures to keep him current on new technology, government affairs, international relations, community status and similar offerings. He will stay current by use of both printed and electronic media.
3. The incumbent is expected to embrace every opportunity to meet new people and to make new friends. He will focus on all that others have to offer and their worth and not their flaws. He will demonstrate empathy and respect in his daily interaction with others. He will always do what he can to assist others without imposing on them. He will accept criticism with grace.
4. The incumbent will stay active in the community. He will look for opportunities to bring individuals and organizations together for their mutual benefit. He will volunteer whenever he can truly make a contribution and not just fill space. He will respond positively to individuals and organization who ask for his involvement while avoiding commitments where he is critical or important to their success since his health interruptions have occasionally made him an unreliable resource.
5. The incumbent will remain happy while sustaining a sense of humor. He will look for the good in people and avoid finding fault. He will value kindness and abhor hate. He will treasure the things he has and the people he meets without the need for more.

 

While there is probably room for improvement in a number of areas it is no wonder my life is so enjoyable. I am fortunate that my vocation has become the sustaining of the good life.

~~~

“What you have to decide… is how you want your life to be. If your forever was ending tomorrow, would this be how you’d want to have spent it? Listen, the truth is, nothing is guaranteed. You know that more than anybody. So don’t be afraid. Be alive.”

Sarah Dessen

~~~

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.”

~~~

“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!”

~~~

Q: HOW MANY ZEN BUDDHISTS DOES IT TAKE TO CHANGE A LIGHTBULB?

A: Three. One to change the lightbulb, one NOT to change the lightbulb, and one to neither change nor not change the lightbulb.

~~~

Several days ago as I left a meeting at our church, I desperately gave myself a personal TSA pat down. I was looking for my keys. They were not in my pockets. A quick search in the meeting room revealed nothing. Suddenly I realized, I must have left them in the car.

Frantically I headed for the parking lot. My wife, Nancy, has scolded me many times for leaving the keys in the ignition. My theory is the ignition is the best place not to lose them. Her theory is that the car will be stolen. As I burst through the doors of the church, I came to a

terrifying conclusion. Her theory was right. The parking lot was empty. I immediately called the police. I gave them my location, confessed that I had left my keys in the car, and that it had been stolen.

Then I made the most difficult call of all, “Honey,” I stammered. I always call her “honey” in times like these. “I left my keys in the car, and it has been stolen.”

There was a period of silence. I thought the call had been dropped, but then I heard Nancy’s voice, “Ray,” she barked, “I dropped you off!”

Now it was my time to be silent. Embarrassed, I said, “Well, come and get me.”

Nancy retorted, “I will, as soon as I convince this policeman I have not stolen your car!”

~~~

How do you feel about women’s rights? I like either side of them.

~~~

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.”

~~~

“In all of living, have much fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured.”

Gordon B. Hinckley

~~~

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.

 

We can do well and be better for it

“What quarrel, what harshness, what unbelief in each other can subsist in the presence of a great calamity, when all the artificial vesture of our life is gone, and we are all one with each other in primitive mortal needs?”

George Eliot

 

I am afraid we face some tough times in the weeks ahead. The massive storm that has struck the Eastern United States has and will for the days immediately ahead test the coping skills of millions. I think it is events like these that have the ability to bring those affected together in way that harks back to days of old when we were dependent on each other. In fact how our fellow citizens respond will go a long way in defining who we are as a people.

Even those of us who live in areas where we will see little if any direct effect of the storm have the opportunity through our prayers, our hearts and our willingness to do what we can to be part of the outpouring of care that will be needed.

I have been snowbound for days two times in the past where there was no transportation, our food was limited to what we had stockpiled, there was no television when the electricity was out and no job to go to where so many of us depend on our fellow workers to provide us social interaction, all we had was access to family and neighbors. We experienced living as at was so many years ago, we talked to each other, we told stories, we shared food and in one event we even shared electrical power.

We will need to roll up our shirtsleeves, rebuild what is broken catch up with the mail, work the backlog and get things back to where we can function. But I also hope that we remember these events, the kindness of others, the sharing we did as we waited and how we now place more value on life as we have known it and especially how much others contribute to our happiness.

You and I have often talked about how it is up to us how we deal with adversity and life itself. We can curse the gods for not making our lives easy or we can pitch in a build a life that brings us fulfillment. Ralph Marston wrote this piece some time ago and for me it is an appropriate time to again hear his message

 

Lift up all that is

Anger hurts just as much whether it is going out from you or coming toward you. Love is just as beautiful when you are giving it as when you receive it. Much of what seems to happen to you is happening through you. Much of what feels like outer experience is really inner expression viewed from a wider perspective.

Your influence extends as far as your awareness will allow. Your intentions begin to fill your whole world the moment they arise. You are not separate from the rest of life. You are life.

You cannot gain advantage by seeking to take that advantage from anyone or anything else. Give your best, lift up all that is, and you are lifted. Your positive influence touches all you know. Keep it ever strong and continually refreshed.

~~~

“He who sees the calamity of other people finds his own calamity light”

Arabian Proverb

~~~

Since the situation is grave for many I was tempted to forego the humor today forgetting that humor is often the best medicine during troubled times, so here goes.

~~~

Two paramedics are sent to check on a 92-year-old man who has become disoriented. They decide to take him to the hospital for evaluation. While the paramedics are rushing him to the hospital with sirens blaring, one of them talks to the man to determine how aware he is. Leaning close, the paramedic asks, “Sir, do you know what we’re doing right now?”

The old fellow slowly looks up at him, then gazes out the ambulance window.

“Oh,” he replies, “I’d say about 50, maybe 55.”

~~~

“You know you’re getting old when you stoop to tie your shoelaces and wonder what else you could do while you’re down there.”

George Burns

~~~

An American attorney had just finished a guest lecture at a law school in Italy when an Italian lawyer approached him and asked, “Is it true that a person can fall down on a sidewalk in your country and then sue the landowners for lots of money?”

Told that it was true, the lawyer turned to his partner and started speaking rapidly in Italian. When they stopped, the American attorney asked if they wanted to go to America to practice law.

“No, no,” one replied. “We want to go to America and fall down on sidewalks.”

~~~

“The longest word in the English language is the one that follows the phrase, ‘And now a word from our sponsor’.”

Hal Eaton

~~~

A group of burglars were robbing a bank. One of them pointed a gun at a teller’s head and shouted: “Give me all your money, or you’ll be GEOGRAPHY!”

The cashier laughed and said, “You mean H I S T O R Y!”

The burglar shouted back, “Don’t change the subject.”

~~~

If you want the last word in an argument, say, “You’re right.”

~~~

He loved living in Staten Island, but he wasn’t crazy about the ferry. Miss a ferry late at night, and you have to spend the next hour or so wandering the deserted streets of lower Manhattan.

So when he spotted a ferry no more than fifteen feet from the dock, he decided he wouldn’t subject himself to an hour’s wait.  He made a running leap and landed on his hands and knees, a little bruised maybe, but safe on deck.

He got up, brushed himself off, and announced proudly to a bystander, “Well, I made that one, didn’t I?”

“Sure did,” the bystander said. “But you should have waited a minute or two.  The ferry is just about to dock.”

~~~

A recipe is a series of step by step instructions for preparing ingredients you forgot to buy, in utensils you do not own, to make a dish that even the dog won’t eat.

~~~

Chris: I’m turning over a new leaf. I just finished reading a book called “One Hundred And One Easy Ways to Make Money.”

Brian: Sounds good, then maybe people won’t think of you as being so lazy.

Chris: Right. You’re looking at a new man. I’m on my way to the top. Say, could you loan me ten dollars?

Brian: What? You just finished a book called “One Hundred And One Easy Ways to Make Money” and now you want to borrow ten dollars?

Chris: Yeah. That’s one of the easiest ways.

~~~

He who knows no hardships will know no hardihood. He who faces no calamity will need no courage. Mysterious though it is, the characteristics in human nature which we love best grow in a soil with a strong mixture of troubles.

Harry Fosdick

~~~

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.

 

How well do you know yourself?

“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

Abraham Lincoln

 

I continue to be surprised how little we know about ourselves. When asked we often frame our responses through what we do for a living, or the family statistics like I am married with three children or the like. When pressed we might report on an award or special event but almost always we leave out who we truly are. I often sit for hours with folks who just take for granted the things that make them special, things like their kindness, their caring for others, their intellectual prowess, their creativeness − you get the idea − the list can go on and on.

We are the people who show up every day doing what we do until it becomes so routine that we don’t think who we are and what we do is all that special, yet it really is. You succeed because of what you do. People care about you for what you do every day and not because you won a medal in the past or have a neat title and so on, they care for you because you are worth it. Sadly some of us hide our positive aspects from others as we shyly feel they really are not all that important, but they really are. I hope you will learn to know and like yourself for what you are as much as I like those of you I know.

The following was recently posted on the Positive Present blog, it was written by Brian Tracy and Christina Tracy Stein. I know that it will make today’s Daily longer than usual but it is worth your reading.

7 truths about you

No matter where you are today, or what you have done or not done in the past, you need to accept seven essential truths about you as a person:

1. You are a thoroughly good and excellent person; valuable and worthwhile beyond measure. No one is better than you or more gifted than you. Only when you doubt your essential goodness and value do you begin to question yourself. The inability to accept that you are a good person lies at the root of much of your discontent.

2. You are important, in many, many ways. To start with, you are important to yourself. Your personal universe revolves around you as an individual. You give meaning to everything that you see or hear. Nothing in your world has any significance except for the significance that you attribute to it. You are also important to your parents. Your birth was a significant moment in their lives, and as you grew up, almost everything you did was meaningful to them. You are important to your own family, to your partner or spouse, your children, and the other members of your social circle. Some of the things you do or say have an enormous impact on them. You are important to your company, your customers, your coworkers, and your community. The things you do or don’t do can have a tremendous effect on the lives and work of others. How important you feel largely determines the quality of your life. Happy, successful people feel important and valuable. Because they feel and act this way, it becomes true for them. Unhappy, frustrated people feel unimportant and of little value. They feel frustrated and unworthy. They feel “I’m not good enough,” and as a result they lash out at the world and engage in behaviors that hurt themselves and others. They don’t realize that they could be a prince or princess inside

3. You have unlimited potential and the ability to create your life and your world as you desire. You could not use your entire potential if you lived one hundred lifetimes. No matter what you have accomplished up to now, it is merely a hint of what is truly possible for you. And the more of your natural talents and abilities you develop in the present, the more of your potential you can develop in the future. Your belief in your almost unlimited potential is the key to becoming everything you are truly capable of becoming.

4. You create your world in every respect by the way you think and the depth of your convictions. Your beliefs actually create your realities, and every belief you have about yourself you learned, starting in infancy. The amazing thing is that most of the negative or self-limiting beliefs and doubts that interfere with your happiness and success are not based on fact or reality at all. When you begin to question your self-limiting beliefs and develop beliefs consistent with the incredible person you really are, your life will begin to change almost immediately.

5. You are always free to choose the content of your thoughts and the direction of your life. The one thing over which you have complete control is your inner life and your thinking. You can decide to think happy, fulfilling, uplifting thoughts that lead to positive actions and results. Or you can, by default, end up choosing negative, self limiting thoughts that trip you up and hold you back. Your mind is like a garden: if you do not deliberately cultivate flowers, weeds will grow automatically without any effort on your part. If you do not deliberately plant and cultivate positive thoughts, negative thoughts will grow in their place. This simple metaphor about the garden explains why so many people are unhappy and don’t know why.

6. You are put on this earth with a great destiny: you are meant to do something wonderful with your life. You have a unique combination of talents, abilities, ideas, insights, and experiences that make you different from anyone who has ever lived. You are designed for success and engineered for greatness. Your acceptance or nonacceptance of this point largely determines the size of the goals you set, your power of persistence in the face of adversity, the height of your achievements, and the whole direction of your life.

7. There are no limits to what you can do, be, or have except the limits you place on your own thinking and your own imagination. The biggest enemies you will ever face are your own doubts and fears. These are usually negative beliefs, not necessarily based on fact, that you have accepted over the years until you no longer question them.

As Shakespeare wrote in The Tempest, “What’s past is prologue.” Everything that has happened to you in the past has been a preparation for the wonderful life that lies ahead of you in the future. Remember the rule: It doesn’t matter where you’re coming from; all that really matters is where you’re going.

~~~

“All wonders you seek are within yourself.”

Sir Thomas Browne

~~~

A new flood is foretold and nothing can be done to prevent it; in six days the waters will wipe out the world. The leader of Buddhism appears on TV and pleads with everyone to become a Buddhist; that way, they will at least find salvation in heaven.

The Pope goes on TV with a similar message: “It is still not too late to accept Jesus,” he says.

The Chief Rabbi of Israel takes a slightly different approach: “We have six days to learn how to live under water.”

~~~

“Most people would like to be delivered from temptation, but would like it to keep in touch.”

~~~

A man was in front of me coming out of church one day, and the preacher was standing at the door as he always is to shake hands.  He grabbed the man by the hand and pulled him aside.  The Pastor said to him, “You need to join the Army of the Lord!”

The man replied, “I’m already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor.”

Pastor questioned, “How come I don’t see you except at Christmas and Easter?”

He whispered back, “I’m in the secret service.”

~~~

The best things in life are free…. or have no interest or payments for one full year.

~~~

Paul was not the brightest guy around.  Every day, when he walked home from work, he would get stopped by three nasty men and they would beat him up and steal his money. Finally, Paul decided that it would serve his best interest to walk a different route, but also take some self-defense classes so this wouldn’t happen again. He joined a karate class and soon was doing very well with it. So, one day, on the way home from work, Paul confidently decided to take his old route home and, sure enough, there they were. He walked up to them and the battle ensued. The next afternoon, Paul went to his karate class with a black eye, a broken nose and a busted lip.

His instructor was shocked and asked for an explanation.

“Well,” explained Paul, “I took my old way home last night so I could beat those guys up who used to steal my money.”

His instructor said, “What happened?”

Paul replied, “They jumped me before I could get my socks and shoes off!”

~~~

Some people drink deeply from the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.

Grant M. Bright

~~~

The passengers were leaving the plane after landing, and one smiling, satisfied passenger paused to congratulate the flight attendant. “Stewardess,” he said happily, “I want to compliment you and the crew and especially the captain for getting here on time. It’s not often that an airline gets to where it’s going exactly when they claim it will. I’m going to call your home office and let them know how pleased I am.”

“Why, thank you, sir,” the flight attendant answered, “but I think you should know this is yesterday’s flight.”

~~~

“Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.”

Buddha

~~~

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 looks back again

A teacher affects eternity: he can never tell where his influence stops.

Henry Adams

 

I had another one of those busy but productive days yesterday that was capped off by my Kiwanis club’s 35^th anniversary dinner that kept me out and about later than usual so I slept in this morning. I even missed my 5 AM workout so I will have to get on the treadmill at home later today. I now have another day which is full of opportunities for service that will keep me busy until midafternoon. In all honesty I am a little brain dead so I am once again going to visit yesteryear so we both can see what I saw on this day seven years ago

Ray’s Daily first published on October 26, 2005

We are told that our future lies with our ability to educate and train our best and brightest, yet we do not adequately invest in education. We talk about the need for society to save itself by well-educated statesman, yet we do not adequately invest in education. We talk about the need for better health care that requires top notch Doctors, yet we do not adequately invest in education. The children that enter the educational system today deserve the very best education we can provide, for they will manage our destiny tomorrow. It is not just money that is needed; it is also our hearts and our voices. We must stop looking at the school systems as being primarily custodial and start partnering with them to assure our future. And, yes, let us start paying our teachers so that they don’t leave the profession for a better job working as a waitress or bartender. At a very minimum let us show them the respect they deserve.

~~~

What nobler employment, or more valuable to the state, than that of the man who instructs the rising generation.

Marcus Tullius Cicero

~~~

“Mom’s List of Things She Does Not Want To Hear”

1.  I swallowed the goldfish.

2.  Did you know your lipstick works better than 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?

7.  Has anyone seen my earthworms?

8.  I painted your shoes pretty, huh Mommy?

9.  I found out the dog doesn’t like dressing up in your underwear.

10.  I’m running away from home. (Well, maybe some day)

~~~

Drive defensively – buy a tank.

~~~

An elderly man took his little grandson for a walk around the local cemetery.  Pausing before one gravestone he said, “There lies a very honest man.  He died owing me 50 dollars, but he struggled to the end to pay off his debts, and if anyone has gone to heaven, he certainly has.”

They walked on a bit further and then came to another grave.  The old man pointed to the gravestone and said, “Now there’s a different type of man altogether.  He owed me 60 dollars and he died without ever trying to pay me back.  If anyone has gone to hell, he certainly has.”

The little boy thought about all of this for a while and then said, “You know, Grandpa, you are very lucky.”

“Me? Lucky? Why?” asked the old man in surprise.

“Well, whichever place you go to, you’ll have some money to draw on.”

~~~

The secret of a successful marriage is incompatibility. He has the income, she has patability.

~~~

The following are different answers given by elementary school age children to each of the given questions:

How did your mom meet your dad?

1. Mom was working in a store and dad was shoplifting.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?

1. His last name.

2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer? Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?

1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot.

2. She got too old to do anything else with him.

3. My grandma says that mom didn’t have her thinking cap on.

What makes a real woman?

1. It means you have to be really bossy without looking bossy.

Who’s the boss at your house?

1. Mom doesn’t want to be boss, but she has to because dads such a goof ball.

2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.

3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What’s the difference between moms and dads?

1. Moms work at work and work at home, and dads just got to work at work.

2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.

3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power ’cause that’s who you gotta ask if you want to sleep over at your friend’s.

What does your mom do in her spare time?

1. Mothers don’t do spare time.

2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What’s the difference between moms and grandmas?

1. About 30 years.

2. You can always count on grandmothers for candy. Sometimes moms don’t even have bread on them!

Describe the world’s greatest mom?

1. She would make broccoli taste like ice cream!

2. The greatest mom in the world wouldn’t make me kiss my fat aunts!

3. She’d always be smiling and keep her opinions to herself.

Is anything about your mom perfect?

1. Her teeth are perfect, but she bought them from the dentist.

2. Her casserole recipes. But we hate them.

3. Just her children.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?

1. On the inside she’s already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.

2. Diet. You know, her hair. I’d dye-it, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?

1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I’d get rid of that.

~~~

Education is the guardian genius of democracy. It is the only dictator that free men recognize, and the only ruler that free men require.

Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar

~~~

Be careful to leave your sons well instructed rather than rich, for the hopes of the instructed are better than the wealth of the ignorant.

Epictetus

~~~

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.

 

Mistakes pay off

“Too late, I found you can’t wait to become perfect, you got to go out and fall down and get up with everybody else.”

Ray Bradbury

 

I think I have shared with you in the past my belief that excessive striving for perfection does more harm than good. I honestly believe that requiring perfection provides the procrastinator the rationale for inaction. In my case I have never had the skill or patience to be a practicing perfectionist. What I have found is when my offerings include minor flaws they are usually quickly corrected once they surface in the real world, especially when people smarter than I am provide me feedback.

I have often become so frustrated with boards and organizations what agonize as much over punctuation as they do over content that I have had to resign rather than create unwinnable conflict. Leaving where there is little positive action allows me to do something else that has a higher probability of success.

Inaction is often the result organizations that destroy organizations that strive to make everyone happy. for when they water down their actions in order to stifle any chance of criticism they end up doing little more than maintaining the status quo. I love the challengers, those impatient folks who drive us to take positive action rather than sitting on the sidelines with the risk adverse watching as things slowly get worse.

In truth I think my mistakes have created as much positive action as my successes and that is because we correct mistakes while we often just observe inaction.

A few years ago I got this piece from bestselling author Gretchen Rubin and I sure understand what she wrote.

 

Enjoy the Fun of Failure. At Least Try.

I’m a perfectionist. I hate to be criticized. I’m defensive. I’m thin-skinned. As a result, I really, really, hate to make a mistake or to be connected with things that aren’t perfect.

The problem is, failure and imperfection are quite common (maybe you’ve observed this yourself), and if you aren’t willing to make mistakes or to accept flaws or failure, you can’t achieve much.

Novelty and challenge bring happiness, but they also bring frustration, anxiety, flaws, and failure – in fact, the more challenging the undertaking, the more likely it is to fail or to be flawed.

I often feel myself shrinking away from opportunities or ideas, because I’m worried about doing a less-than-perfect job – even though I know that I’m happier when I create, when I push myself, when I try new things. That’s why these two resolutions are important for me.

Enjoy the fun of failure reminds me to lighten up – to accept failure or mistakes as an important part of a process. It’s okay if something fails. In fact, that’s part of the fun!

Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good reminds me that it’s more important to do something at all than to do something perfectly. Many things worth doing are worth doing badly. Doing something badly is often a necessary stage toward doing it well.

~~~

“Perfectionism means that you try not to leave so much mess to clean up. But clutter and mess show us that life is being lived.”

Anne Lamott

~~~

“Occupational Descriptions…”

An accountant is someone who knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

An auditor is someone who arrives after the battle and bayonets all the wounded.

A banker is a fellow who lends you his umbrella when the sun is shining and wants it back the minute it begins to rain. (Mark Twain)

An economist is an expert who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn’t happen today.

A statistician is someone who is good with numbers but lacks the personality to be an accountant.

An actuary is someone who brings a fake bomb on a plane, because that decreases the chances that there will be another bomb on the plane.

A programmer is someone who solves a problem you didn’t know you had in a way you don’t understand.

A lawyer is a person who writes a 10,000 word document and calls it a “brief.”

A psychologist is a man who watches everyone else when a beautiful girl enters the room.

A professor is one who talks in someone else’s sleep.

A consultant is someone who takes the watch off your wrist and tells you the time.

A diplomat is someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you will look forward to the trip.

~~~

“She had lost the art of conversation but not, unfortunately, the power of speech.”

George Barnard Shaw

~~~

The psychiatrist was interviewing a first-time patient. “You say you’re here,” he inquired, “because your family is worried about your taste in socks?”

“That’s correct,” muttered the patient. “I like wool socks.”

“But that’s perfectly normal,” replied the doctor. “Many people prefer wool socks to those made from cotton or acrylic. In fact, I myself like wool socks.”

“You DO?” exclaimed the man. “With oil and vinegar, or just a squeeze of lemon?”

~~~

“God has a plan for all of us, but He expects us to do our share of the work.”

Minnie Pearl

~~~

The preacher was having a heart-to-heart talk with a backslider of his flock, whose drinking of moonshine invariably led to quarreling with his neighbors, and occasional shotgun blasts at some of them.

“Can’t you see, Ben,” intoned the parson, “that not one good thing comes out of this drinking?”

“Well, I sort of disagree there,” replied the backslider.  “It makes me miss the folks I shoot at.”

~~~

Modesty is the art of drawing attention to whatever it is you are being humble about.

~~~

POINTS TO PONDER

How do you get off a non-stop flight?

How many weeks are there in a light year?

If a jogger runs at the speed of sound, can he still hear his Walkman?

If swimming is good for your shape, then why do the whales look the way they do?

If you jog backwards, will you gain weight?

Why do the signs that say “Slow Children” have a picture of a running child?

Why do we sing Take me out to the ball game, when we are already there?

Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

~~~

“My friends accused me of being a hypochondriac, which made me think: What if I *am* a hypochondriac, in addition to all these other ailments I have?”

Jenny Wong

~~~

An optometrist was instructing a new employee on how to charge a customer:

“As you are fitting his glasses, if he asks how much they cost, you say, ‘$75.’ … if his eyes don’t flutter, say, ‘For the frames. The lenses will be $50.’…”

“If his eyes still don’t flutter, you add, ‘Each.'”

~~~

“Remember that fear always lurks behind perfectionism. Confronting your fears and allowing yourself the right to be human can, paradoxically, make you a far happier and more productive person.”

David M. Burns

~~~

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 have another happy day today

“All seasons are beautiful for the person who carries happiness within.”

Horace Friess

 

Someone asked me recently why I seem so happy most of the time. My response was because I am. As I thought about it I wondered why I am different than far too many of the people I meet these days. All I really could come up with is that I don’t want to waste time focusing on unhappiness and that I really like almost everyone I meet. If I stopped to think about the downpour I was in today as something that was bad and interfering with my day I would have focused on what was wrong rather than being glad I had my big umbrella so I could go in and buy a bucket of great bagels which always makes me happy. Of course not everyone I meet are all that likeable; when do meet those kind of folks I prefer not to dislike them and usually do them the favor of not burdening them with my friendship. All in all I live in the same world with those who seem to avoid being happy, I just choose to live in it differently than they do.

So if you would rather be happier than you are, choose to do so. Here are some suggestions I edited from the Squidoo blog that may help you enjoy life more.

PLOW your own happiness

Perhaps it is because I am a gardener at heart, but for me the new year really begins in the Spring. So it seems natural to me to begin thinking in terms of gardening and farming. Also because I am happier it makes me want to spread the joy. I have come up with this four-step plan to help you achieve a happier life. The key to happiness is not difficult although it does seem to elude so many people. Here are my thoughts on happiness.

Recipe For Happiness

Step One – Plan For It

Too many people expect to win happiness in the lottery of life. Happiness is not a prize, it is a goal. Happiness does not just happen, it must be welcomed. If you do not expect and look for happiness then you most likely are missing opportunities to be happy every day.Make a life plan for your own happiness. What do you want? What will make you happy? Make a list, check it twice, and then move on to the next step.

Step Two – Let It Happen

Many people are afraid to be happy. They are unwilling to take risks or even make choices because all they can think about is the potential for loss. That is a perfect recipe for unhappiness.

If you are unable to put yourself in the way of happiness then you will miss it every time. Take a chance or make a choice. What is the worst that can happen? If you don’t risk then you lose by default. If you risk then at least you have a chance at success.

Many people discover happiness during their pursuit – don’t overlook that potential as well. Happiness can be found in unexpected places if you open yourself to opportunity, so move on to the next step.

Step Three – Open Yourself To It

The unhappy people that I know are usually unhappy for two reasons. One group believes they do not deserve happiness and the other group actually undermines their happiness by closing themselves off.

Everyone deserves to be happy and it makes me so sad when I see people settle for anything less. It also causes me worry because I believe that so much of what is wrong with our world today is caused by unhappy people. Happy people, as a rule, do not harm others. Happy people cause good things to happen which then creates more happy people. What a wonderful synergy!

I find the other group even sadder. It is bad enough to think you do not deserve happiness, but to actually refuse to allow yourself to be happy is definitely worse in my book. It is horribly destructive and obviously self-perpetuating, but some of these unhappy people, I believe, are to blame for the unhappiness of others – or at least contribute to it.

Step Four – Wave Good-bye To Your Troubles

One of the most frustrating things for me is when someone is unhappy about something specific – and yet they refuse to make a change to do away with the problem.  Your job makes you unhappy? Get a new one! Your husband makes you unhappy? Work on your relationship? Your child makes you unhappy? Correct their behavior.

I know it is not always that simple but even in the most desperate situations there is some element that is subject to change. Focus on that one area and you might find the whole picture changes. If you surrender to your unhappiness then it will take over, but fighting itgives you the potential to win your own happiness and change your life. I know which path I’ll choose every day.

In the end you and you alone have the power over your own happiness. You choose to be happy or to be unhappy. Which will you choose?

~~~

You’ve got to dance like nobody’s watching and love like it is never going to hurt.

Ann Wells

~~~

A young attorney who had taken over his father’s practice rushed home elated one night. “Dad, listen,” he shouted, “I’ve finally settled that old McKinney suit.”

“Settled it!?!” cried his astonished father. “Why, I gave that to you as an annuity for life.”

~~~

“Kissing is a means of getting two people so close together that they can’t see anything wrong with each other.”

Rene Yasenek

~~~

A manager has to take on some sport by his doctor so he decides to play tennis. After a couple of weeks his secretary asks him how he’s doing. “It’s going fine”, the manager says, “When I’m on the court and I see the ball speeding towards me my brain immediately says: To the corner! Back hand! To the net! Smash! Go back!”

“Really? What happens then?” the girl asks enthusiastic.

“Then my body says: Who? Me? Don’t talk nonsense!”

~~~

Too many people miss the silver lining because they’re expecting gold.

Maurice Setter

~~~

O’Sullivan, Cabot, Kelly and Mendlebaum was one of the most successful law firms in New York. Of all the partners, Mendlebaum brought in the most business.

Lunching with him one day, a curious friend asked, “Why is your name listed last? O’Sullivan spends most of his time in the south of France. Cabot is at his club’s bar every afternoon, and Kelly  is at the race track all the time. Since you bring in all the business, your name should be first.”

Mendlebaum beamed, “All my clients read from right to left.”

~~~

I told the doctor I broke my leg in two places. He told me to quit going to those places.

Henny Youngman

~~~

Congratulating a friend after her son and daughter got married within a month of each other, a woman asked, “What kind of boy did your daughter marry?”

“Oh, he’s wonderful,” gushed the mother. “He lets her sleep late, wants her to go to the beauty parlor regularly, and insists on taking her out to dinner every night.”

“That’s nice,” said the woman. “What about your son?”

“I’m not so happy about that,” the mother sighed. “His wife sleeps late, spends all her time in the beauty parlor, and makes them eat take-out meals!”

~~~

Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.

Buddha

~~~

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 glad I did

“A year from now you will wish you had started today.”

Karen Lamb

 

I have two new friends who have decided that they do not want to wait to pursue their dreams. I am really glad for them for far too many of us never take even that first step that would enrich our lives. In my case I waited a long time before making my changes but my life has been better than I ever thought it would be ever since. I know it takes courage to leave the things we have been doing but with the rewards that are often just waiting for us it is more often than not worth the risk. Here are excerpts from an article that was recently published on the Marc and Angel Hack Life blog that I think is worth reading.

Reasons it’s Time to Move On

It happens to you slowly as you grow.  You discover more about who you are and what you want, and then you realize that there are changes you need to make.  The lifestyle you’ve been living no longer fits.  The people you’ve known forever no longer see things the way you do.  So you cherish all the great memories, but find yourself moving on. Here are reasons it’s time…

You can learn from your history, but you can’t live in it. — Sometimes we avoid experiencing where we are because we have developed a belief, based on past experiences, that it is not where we should be or want to be.  But the truth is, where you are now is exactly where you need to be to get to where you want to go tomorrow

Some things aren’t meant to be. – To hold onto relationships and circumstances that have already moved on without you is to stay stuck in a place and time that no longer exists.  Moving on doesn’t mean you completely forget the wonderful things from your past, it just means that you find a positive way of surviving without them in your present.

Life is shorter than is often seems. – While you are complaining about all the little problems in your life, somebody is desperately fighting for their right to live.  You own every minute that you pass through, and that it is up to you to make the best use of each one of them.

Holding on to pain is self abuse. – Your past has given you the strength and wisdom you have today, so celebrate it.  Don’t let it haunt you.  Toxic thoughts create a toxic life.  Make peace with yourself and your past.  When you heal your thoughts, you heal the health of your happiness.  So stop focusing on old problems and things you don’t want in your future.  The more you think about them, the more you attract what you fear into your everyday experiences – you become your own worst enemy.

Some things are out of your control. – No matter what happens, no matter the outcome, you’re going to be just fine.  Let the things you can’t control, happen.  Allow the universe to bless you in surprising and joyful ways.  What if, instead of pushing so hard to make life happen, you decided to let go a little and allow life to happen to you?  What if, instead of trying to always be in control, you sometimes surrendered control to something bigger than yourself?  What if, instead of working so hard to figure out every last answer, you allowed yourself to be guided to the solution in perfect timing?

Moving on creates positive change. – You may blame everyone else and think, “Poor me!  Why do all these crappy things keep happening to me?”  But the only thing those scenarios all have in common is YOU.  And this is good news, because it means YOU alone have the power to change things, or change the way you think about things.  There is something very powerful and liberating about surrendering to change and embracing it.

New opportunities are out there waiting for you. – Nobody gets through life without losing someone they love, something they need, or something they thought was meant to be.  But it is these losses that make us stronger and eventually move us toward future opportunities.  Embrace these opportunities.  Enter new relationships and new situations, knowing that you are venturing into unfamiliar territory.  Be ready to learn, be ready for a challenge, and be ready to experience something or meet someone that just might change your life forever.

The world needs you to let your light shine. – The powers above added one more day in your life today, not necessarily because you need it, but because the world still needs you to let your light shine.  So starting today, fall in love.  Not necessarily with a person, but with an aim, an ambition, a passion.  What would be your reason to wake up every morning with a smile?  That’s what you need to start working on today.

~~~

“It doesn’t matter where you are, you are nowhere compared to where you can go.”

Bob Proctor

~~~

“I have good news and bad news,” the defense attorney told his client. “First the bad news. The blood test came back, and your DNA is an exact match with that found at the crime scene.”

“Oh, no!” cried the client. “What’s the good news?”

“Your cholesterol is only 180.”

~~~

When you blame others, you give up your power to change.

Robert Anthony

~~~

HOW DID WE LIVE THROUGH IT….

Looking back, it’s hard to believe that we have lived as long as we have.

As children we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors, or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes we had no helmets.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then riding down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times we learned to solve the problem.

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day.

We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank sugar soda, but we were never overweight; we were always outside playing.

Some students weren’t as smart as others or didn’t work hard so they failed a grade and were held back to repeat the same grade.

Author Unknown

~~~

Middle age is when a guy keeps turning off lights for economical rather than romantic reasons.

Eli Cass

~~~

A fourth grade teacher was giving her pupils a lesson in logic. “Here is the situation,” she said. “A man is standing up in a boat in the middle of a river, fishing. He loses his balance, falls in, and begins splashing and yelling for help. His wife hears the commotion, knows he can’t swim, and runs down to the bank. Why do you think she ran to the bank?”

Little Mary raised her hand and asked, “To draw out all his savings?”

~~~

We’re all in this alone.

Lily Tomlin

~~~

A terrific explosion occurs in a gunpowder factory, and once all the mess has been cleared up, and inquiry begins. One of the few survivors is pulled up to make a statement. “Okay Simpson,” says the investigator, “you were near the scene, what happened?”

“Well, it’s like this. Old Charley Higgins was in the mixing room, and I saw him take a cigarette out of his pocket and light up.”

“He was smoking in the mixing room?” the investigator said in stunned horror, “How long had he been with the company?”

“About 20 years, sir”

“20 years in the company, then he goes and strikes a match in the mixing room, I’d have thought it would have been the last thing he’d have done.”

“It was, sir.”

~~~

“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.

 

Never Ever…….

“Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey!”

Barbara Hoffman

 

I like the way I have chosen to age. I have lots of experience with disappointment, health challenges and the many mistakes I have made. Fortunately I have learned enough that a little bit of adversity and even an occasional catastrophe are just temporary events although it has been only lately that I realized they are only because that is the way I chose to deal with them.

A couple of things this last week made me realize how glad I am that I have outgrown letting the negatives bother or worry me. The first thing that got me into my “it’s OK mode” was the mechanical virus that has run rampant through my house, first the washer and drier failed after their long life, then our built in Convection/Microwave oven died at a relatively young age and not the furnace docs are telling us that our furnace is terminally ill and its death is near, all of this of course require us to dip into our somewhat shallow nest egg. I can’t fix what is broken but I can enjoy the replacements and as always life goes on. The second thing that motivated me to accept reality without remorse was the folks I met while on my special assignment last week, the majority predicted the worst, expected the worst and felt that everything was bad even if they had to work hard to find out why, they had given up on happiness, well I am not, I don’t have time to waste feeling sorry for myself, there just is too much left for me to do and enjoy.

Here is an excerpt from an article by Liz Noelcke that I agree with, I hope you do too.

Bounce Back from Life’s Hurdles

We’ve all hit that bump in the road, the setback, the problem. What sets people apart is how they react to that bump. Are you one to spin out of control, in despair? Or do you grab a hold of that wheel and steer yourself straight? Whether it’s a school assignment, a work project, or a volunteer mission, we all encounter things that slow us down. You just have to keep in mind that a setback is only temporary and greater things lay ahead.

So how can you react when something doesn’t turn out as you’ve expected? First, be objective. Step back and look at the situation. Take responsibility where it is due, but don’t place blame on others. Is your setback really that significant, or will it just require a little extra exertion on your part? Come to terms with it and then start planning your next move. Ask for help. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to do this. Oftentimes, people are more than willing to give you support and advice, maybe even after being in a similar situation. You don’t have to be perfect; after all, nobody else is.

Bounce back. Reevaluate the goals you should have set for yourself at the beginning and retool them as necessary. Goals should be realistic and specific, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be flexible and are allowed for minor impediments. Instead of looking at your project as a disaster or failure, view it with success. Concentrate on how great it will feel after it is finally done, after you have put your all into it. Instead of focusing on a possible unsatisfactory performance one single time, take a moment to sit back and reward yourself for all that you have accomplished.

Above all, don’t live with regrets. Approach life with perseverance and dedication to the things that matter most to you. Success is never easy. It remains up to you whether you will give up, or fight through the tough battles to earn whatever it is you want.

A fragment of a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson is telling:

“Finish each day

And be done with it.

You have done what you could.

Some blunders and

Absurdities have crept in.

Forget them as soon as you can.”

Move on with your life. Keep reaching for your goals and you will achieve them. One minor setback is nothing if you really want something and are willing to work for it.

~~~

“There are two big forces at work, external and internal. We have very little control over external forces such as tornados, earthquakes, floods, disasters, illness and pain. What really matters is internal force. How do I respond to those disasters? Over that I have complete control.”

Leo Buscaglia

~~~

Jim had an awful day fishing on the lake, sitting in the blazing sun all day without catching a single one. On his way home, he stopped at the supermarket and ordered four catfish. He told the fish salesman, “Pick four large ones out and throw them at me, will you?”

“Why do you want me to throw them at you?”

“Because I want to tell my wife that I caught them.”

“Okay, but I suggest that you take the orange roughy.”

“But why?”

“Because your wife came in earlier today and said that if you came by, I should tell you to take orange roughy. She prefers that for supper tonight.”

~~~

I no longer need to punish, deceive or compromise myself. … Unless, of course, I want to stay employed.

~~~

In a small town, farmers of the community get together to discuss some important issues. About midway through the meeting, the wife of one of the farmers stands up and speaks her piece. After she’s done, one of the old farmers stands up and says, “What does she know about anything? I would like to ask her if she knows how many toes a pig has!”

Quick as a flash, the woman replies, “Take off your boots sir, and count them yourself!”

~~~

“In a word, I am always busy, which is perhaps the chief reason why I am always well.”

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

~~~

An old blacksmith realized he was soon going to quit working so hard.  He picked out a strong young man to become his apprentice. The old fellow was crabby and exacting. “Don’t ask me a lot of questions,” he told the boy. “Just do whatever I tell you to do.”

One day the old blacksmith took an iron out of the forge and laid it on the anvil. “Get the hammer over there,” he said. “When I nod my head, hit it real good and hard.” Now the town is looking for a new blacksmith….

~~~

One of the best ways to persuade others is with your ears–by listening to them.

Dean Rusk

~~~

He said:

Last week my wife and I purchased a new computer. We ran into some difficulties while setting it up so we called the customer support phone number we found in the manual. I picked up the phone and called the number. A man answered the phone and I explained the problem to him. He began rattling off computer jargon. This confused us even more. “Sir,” I said politely, “Can you explain what I should do as if I were a small child?”

“Okay,” the computer support guy said, “Son, could you please put your mommy on the phone?”

~~~

“The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.”

Robert Green Ingersoll

~~~

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.

 

The future is in the hands of the teachers, they need our support

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.

Henry Brooks Adams

 

Do you worry about what the future has in store for your children, grandchildren and even their children? I do sometimes, but not so much about the fact that they will probably have to live with less then we have or that they will live in a highly competitive society. I have come to accept the fact that will happen. What I am concerned about is their ability to not only cope but to enjoy their lives. I am hopeful that having a little less material things will allow them to appreciate what we so often overlook, the good things around us.

I also hope that they will find satisfaction not only in the work they do but also in what they do for themselves and others. My belief though is that we need to help, we need teachers who open minds, we need curricula that stimulates an interest in more than just technical and vocational pursuits but also teaches students to nurture a discerning eye, to appreciate language, to enjoy nature and how to participate in society. The best way to avoid a robotic life is to again make learning a time of joyful discovery and to open young minds to all there is for them if they just free themselves from the binds that are so often placed on people as they age.

I love the teachers I know that still love to teach, especially those who stir the minds of the young. Here is a story that I really like. I especially appreciate how the teacher measures her contributions by other than just money.

What a Teacher Makes

A group of dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One of the men, a wealthy CEO, decided to voice his negative opinion about education. He remarked, “What’s a kid going to learn from someone who decided the best option in life was to become a teacher? Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.” Then he turned to one of the guests and said, “You’re a teacher, Susan. Be honest. What do you make?”

Susan, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness, replied, “You want to know what I make? I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I can make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor and an A- feel like an interrogation if the student did not do his or her very best.

You want to know what I make? I make kids wonder. I make them question. I make them think with a critical mind and search for difficult answers.

I make them apologize and mean it. I make them write. I make them read, and read, and read. I make kids listen… to hear my words as well as the love and caring behind my words.

I make them grow in integrity, humility, and faith by sharing values that will bring them authentic happiness throughout their lives. I elevate them to experience music and art and the joy in performance, so their lives are rich, full of kindness and culture, and they take pride in themselves and their accomplishments.

I make them understand that God gave them brains so that they can follow their hearts. And I make sure they know that if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make, you pay them no attention.

You want to know what I make? I make a difference!”

Written by Taylor Mali  High School Teacher and Poet

~~~

The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called “truth.”

Dan Rather

~~~

*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.”

~~~

One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings.  The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.

Carl Jung

~~~

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.

 

If you would like to see more clearly open your mind

“Any fool can know. The point is to understand.”

Albert Einstein

 

I did not get back from my special assignment until late last night and my day today starts at 5 AM and won’t end until late afternoon, so let’s see what I wrote on this day eight years ago , I am sure it will be better than anything I put together today.

Ray’s Daily first published on October 18, 2004

 “You listen,” said the Master, “not to discover, but to find something that confirms your own thoughts. You argue, not to find the truth, but to validate your thinking.”

And he told of a king who, passing through a small town, saw indications of amazing marksmanship everywhere.  Trees and barns and fences had circles painted on them with a bullet hole in the exact center.  He asked to see this unusual marksman.  It turned out to be a ten-year-old child.

“This is incredible,” said the king in wonder.  “How in the world do you do it?”

“Easy as pie,” was the answer.  “I shoot first and draw the circles later.”

“So you get your conclusions first and build your premises around them later,” said the Master. “Isn’t that the way you manage to hold on to your religion and to your ideology?”

Anthony de Mello, from Awakening: Conversations with the Master

~~~

I fear that too many of us find the answers before we understand even the question. How many of us really have an open mind? How many of us defend our professed views without even hearing someone else’s belief. Life is not a battle between rigid dogma and someone’s prejudices, rather it is the opportunity that is given to each of us to learn all we can, to do the best we can, and work together for the common good. We will not be remembered for our fights. We will only be remembered for our contributions.

One of the reasons I am glad I know so many of you is that we can disagree while we try to understand each other. Last week I attended a meeting where a Quaker minister explained the beliefs of the Society of Friends (Quakers). He said that he believed that there is God in each of us and it is not important for us to profess faith through ritual, rather it is important that we live what we believe. In effect he said that each of us needs to understand that God is in even those we disagree with, and it is up to us to work to find the good in others. We may not always be successful, but I prefer to love my neighbor rather than hate my neighbor, and I absolutely believe that searching for the good in others is much superior to searching for the bad in them.

~~~

As man draws nearer to the stars, why should he not also draw nearer to his neighbor?

Lyndon B. Johnson ~

~~~

She said:

I used to work for a large company; they often tried to do special things for us to make work a little more enjoyable. Below is a series of memos I found on my desk one week. Thought I would pass then on…..

Casual Day Memo No. 1: Effective immediately, the company is adopting Fridays as Casual Day so that employees may express their diversity.

Memo No. 2: Spandex and leather micro-miniskirts are not appropriate attire for Casual Day.  Neither are string ties, rodeo belt buckles or moccasins.

Memo No. 3: Casual Day refers to dress only, not attitude.  When planning Friday’s wardrobe, remember image is a key to our success.

Memo No. 4: A seminar on how to dress for Casual Day will be held at 4 p.m., Friday in the cafeteria.  Fashion show to follow.  Attendance is mandatory.

Memo No. 5: As an outgrowth of Friday’s seminar, a 14-member Casual Day Task Force has been appointed to prepare guidelines for proper dress.

Memo No. 6: The Casual Day Task Force has completed a 30-page manual. A copy of “Relaxing Dress Without Relaxing Company Standards” has been mailed to each employee.  Please review the chapter “You Are What You Wear” and consult the “home casual” versus “business casual” checklist before leaving for work each Friday.  If you have doubts about the appropriateness of an item of clothing, contact your CDTF representative before 7 a.m. on Friday.

Memo No. 7: Because of lack of participation, Casual Day has been discontinued, effective immediately!

~~~

Our only security is our ability to change.

John Lilly

~~~

My brother, a strict vegetarian, travels abroad for long periods on business. When he got back from Europe one time, he called our parents’ home and told Dad he was about to pay them an unexpected visit. Dad hung up. “The prodigal son is returning!” he called to my mother. “Kill the fatted zucchini!”

~~~

“Be careful of your thoughts; they may become words at any moment.”

Ira Gassen

~~~

She said: At the company water cooler, I bragged about my children’s world travels: one son was teaching in Bolivia, another was working in southern Italy, and my daughter was completing a yearlong research project in India. One co-worker’s quip, however, stopped me short.  “What is it about you,” he asked, “that makes your kids want to get so far away?”

~~~

Nothing is impossible if you don’t have to do it yourself.

~~~

Tired of having to balance his wife Cindy’s checkbook, Mike made a deal with her; he would only look at it after she had spent a few hours trying to wrestle it into shape.  Only then would he lend his expertise.

The following night, after spending hours poring over stubs and figures, Cindy said proudly,

“There!  I’ve done it!  I made it balance!”

Impressed, Mike came over to take a look.

“Let’s see…mortgage 550.00, electricity 70.50, phone 35.00.”

His brow wrinkled as he read the last entry.

“It says here ESP, 615.00.  What is that?”

“Oh,” said. “That means…..       ‘Error Someplace’ ”

~~~

We must believe in free will. We have no choice.

~~~

Little Morris, 4 years old, walked down the beach, and as he did, he spied a matronly woman sitting under a beach umbrella on the sand. He walked up to her and asked, “Are you Jewish?”

“Yes.” she replied.

“Do you know the Ten Commandments?”

She nodded her head, “Yes.”

“Do you pray often?” the boy asked next, and again she  answered, “Yes.”

Do you keep Kosher ?, Morris asked.

“I do.” said the elderly lady.

With that he asked his final question, “Will you hold my dollar while I go swimming?”

~~~

“Friendship improves happiness, and abates misery, by doubling our joys, and dividing our grief.”

Joseph Addison

~~~

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.