Ray's Daily

I really like the way Erin thinks

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”

Mother Teresa

I have recently come to understand that you can be homeless even if you have a place to live. Home is more than just a physical structure, it is a place where people gather, families share, loved ones nurture, friends visit and memories are made. But these days more and more folks live in isolation, many no longer have the traditional relationships of the past. Too many people seem to be imprisoned in a cocoon that is a home in name only that results in almost solitary confinement.

We cannot afford to let this phenomena grow; society must provide the social environment that is so critical to the maintenance of the human spirit. Yesterday I shared some of the thoughts of the wise 24 year old Erin McNaughton. What I like is that she is not letting herself get sucked into isolation. When I read her thoughts I can almost hear her shout out “Look out world, here I come and I am going to make sure we are going to enjoy life together. As promised here are some more of her list of lessons she has learned in her young life.

 

Associate with like-minded people. Life is about the people, it’s about the quality of our relationships and interactions. Surround yourself with people who are on the same frequency as you. Connect with those who bring joy into your life, inspire you, and challenge you to better yourself and achieve your goals. You are the average of the five people who you spend the most time with–if you’re not happy with that proposition, consider changing your innermost circle. You can’t please everyone, so pay attention to who you’re trying to appease.

Believe deeply in something, whatever it might be. Whether it’s religion, science, art, or humanity, discover a niche that you can turn to for hope and inspiration. Find something to live for and something worth dying for. When you’ve found your calling, invest yourself  in it. Incorporate that anchor into your dreams. Any fears you may have can be overcome by believing in this something bigger than yourself.

Service to others is an important part of our humanity. Kindness is the most cost-efficient means of impacting your world. Donate money to charity, volunteer your time, mentor a child, or share your compassion and empathy with everyone you meet. Realize that you are more than simply an individual; you are an vital member of an interdependent species.

Everyone is deserving of love. If you love someone tell them, and tell them often. You always lose by holding back.  If you appreciate someone, let them know. If you appreciate nature and art, then take the time to enjoy these things and share them with others. Be empathetic. Listen to people and truly care about what they have to say. Reach out to those who are in need of a friend. Be a good friend. Though digital communication is convenient, nothing compares to a face-to-face conversation, unexpected phone call, or a letter in the mail.

Practice gratitude. Be grateful for what you have. Don’t take anything or anyone for granted. Live in the moment and take note of life’s little blessings. Forgive others and don’t hold grudges. Write thank you notes. Keep a gratitude journal. Spend a few minutes each day thinking about the things that bring you joy. Thankfulness puts everything into perspective.

~~~

“Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.”

Ruth Reichl

~~~

A lady came to the hospital to visit a friend. She had not been in a hospital for several years and felt uneasy, not knowing about all the new technology. A technician followed her onto the elevator, wheeling a large, intimidating looking machine with tubes and wires and dials.

“Boy, would I hate to be hooked up to that thing,” she said.

“So would I,” replied the technician. “It’s a floor-cleaning machine.”

~~~

I’m the person your mother warned you about.

~~~

Lisa was babysitting Cory and Cody. Finding Cody making faces at Cory, Lisa stopped to warn the child. Smiling Lisa said, “Cody, when I was a child, I was told if I made ugly faces I would stay like that.”

Cody looked up and replied, “Well you can’t say you weren’t warned.”

~~~

A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject.

~~~

A city slicker stopped his large, expensive car on a country road and looked about in confusion. He noticed a young farm hand leaning on a fence and called to him, “Hey, you know how far it is to Shrewsbury?”

The farm hand thought about it and said, “Don’t know.”

“Well then, do you know the best way to get there?”

Again, the farm hand thought a bit and said, “Don’t know.”

“Look, can you just tell me where the nearest gas station is so I can pick up a map?”

“‘Fraid I don’t know that either.”

Frustrated, the man in the car snapped, “You don’t know much do you?”

To which the farm hand replied, “I’m not lost.”

~~~

Life is cheap. It’s the accessories that kill you.

~~~

Harry had just reached his 175th birthday last week. Surrounded by reporters, he was asked, “Excuse me, sir, but how did you come to live to be 175?”

Harry answered, “It was easy.  I just never argue with anyone.”

The reporter shot back, “That’s crazy.  It had to be something else –diet, meditation, or *something*.  Just not arguing won’t keep you alive for 175 years!”

The old fella stared hard at the reporter for several seconds.

Then he shrugged.  “Hmmm.  Maybe you’re right.”

~~~

“This life is for loving, sharing, learning, smiling, caring, forgiving, laughing, hugging, helping, dancing, wondering, healing, and even more loving. I choose to live life this way. I want to live my life in such a way that when I get out of bed in the morning, the devil says, ‘aw shit, he’s up!”

Steve Maraboli

~~~

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.

 

What have you learned?

Most people have never learned that one of the main aims in life is to enjoy it.

Samuel Butler

 

One of the things I enjoy these days is the discovery of a new source of wisdom. Many of these discoveries are made by following a link provided by a reader of our Daily. I have also learned in the process that we who have had years of experience are not necessarily as smart as we think we are and that many of the young people of today are far more smarter than we think they are. In fact we really can learn a lot from each other. As an example a few months ago I was led to a blog entitled Analyfe written by Erin McNaughton, a young woman who regularly shares her thoughts on life and our world. Yesterday I got a copy of a piece on what she has learned in her 24 years of life. I appreciated her insight and would like to share it with you; here are some of her thoughts:

Stay curious about the world. Expose yourself to new ideas and experiences. Read anything and everything that interests you. Take on new skills. Meet new people. Live life with an open-mind. Say yes to new experiences. Travel. Explore.  Push the boundaries of your comfort zone.  Ask lots of questions–ask the right questions. Take breaks from learning to digest and synthesize what you’ve learned.

Aspire to live a life that horrifies some and inspires many. Listen to your inner voice and trust what you already know. You are not just here to fill space or to be a background character in someone else’s life story. Believe in your big dreams. Believe in yourself. You are not too small to do big things. Be bold and unconventional.  Build a legacy you can be proud of. Defy stereotypes and expectations– you don’t have to marry or have kids, you don’t have to wear a suit and tie to work, you don’t have to follow the rules.

There is no such thing as normal. It’s okay not to be perfect. We are all strange, we are all beautiful, and we are all perfectly imperfect humans. Don’t compare your life, appearance, or interests to those of others. You understand what will make you happy better than anyone else. Revel in your individuality and don’t worry about how your choices compare with those of your peers. Dance and sing and be ridiculous if it makes you happy. Be proud of who you are. You have more to offer than you realize.

You always have a choice. You don’t have to be a victim of circumstance. The most important choice you make each day is your attitude. When something goes wrong, figure out a solution instead of wallowing in self pity. Don’t take anything personally.  Only listen to the opinions of those who are actively living the type of life you strive for.

Authenticity is attractive. Stand for something. Be true to yourself.  Express yourself as honestly as you possibly can. When you fall in love with who you are and what you do in life, people will fall in love with you.

These are a few of the things she reported she has learned in her 24 years of life. There is more that I will share with on another day so that you can savor these examples from someone I think is special.

~~~

I have learned, that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.

Henry David Thoreau

~~~

There once was a religious young woman who went to confession. Upon entering the confessional she said, “Forgive me Father, for I have sinned.” The priest said, “Confess your sins and be forgiven.” The young woman said, “Last night my boyfriend made mad passionate love to me seven times.” The priest thought long and hard and then said, “Squeeze seven lemons into a glass and then drink the juice.” The young woman asked, “Will this cleanse me of my sins?” The Priest said “No, but it will wipe that smile off of your face!”

~~~

“If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it.”

Margaret Fuller

~~~

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

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

~~~

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

Isabel Waxman

~~~

She said: After bumping his head on our stereo cabinet, my 11-year-old-son, Felix, required stitches.  While the doctor was administering a local anesthetic to his head, I started to feel faint, so the nurse offered me a chair.

My son winced with every stitch, and the nurse told him it was okay to cry.  On the way home, my husband asked Felix if he had heard the nurse tell him it was okay to cry.  “Yeah, I heard her,” Felix replied, “but I thought she was talking to Mom.”

~~~

Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes.

Jim Carrey

~~~

Doug meets Bill at the bar after work and is once again looking down in the dumps.  “What’s wrong now Doug,” asked Bill.

Doug replies, “They called in a management team and gave everyone in the office an aptitude test to see what they were best suited for.”

“Yeah, so what’s the problem with that?” asks Bill.

Doug sighs, “Well it seems that I am best suited for unemployment.”

~~~

I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.

Martha Washington

~~~

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.

Let’s be friends?

“A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.”

 

Because of some of my activities I often get a chance to talk with folks one on one. Many times our relationship evolves to the point where they share their concerns and much too often I learn that they are lonesome. As the years go by many close friends have moved on, children move away, job change or retirement has broken the link they had with workplace friends and now their neighbors are mostly strangers. It is really hard when our existence is contained in isolated silos. We all need others with whom we can share confidences, who help us when needed and who share in our experiences.

It used to be that it was primarily the elders who felt the pain of separation but the disease now seems to be spreading to members of broken families, friendless children and others, many families never even eat together anymore. So my friends I think you and I should do all we can to offer our friendship to others whenever we can. But I must warn you that when you do you will often find that your new friendship is even a bigger benefit to yourself than it is to the other party.

Since most of the readers of the Daily are not close enough for us to bond I have copied some tips from eHow on how seniors can find new friends. Don’t tell anyone but you don’t have to wait until you are older, there is no better time to build friendships than now.

 

How to Make Friends as a Senior Citizen

1 Look for friends to shop with. Ask neighbors or former coworkers to attend concerts or plays with you or to join you for a meal.

2 Reach out to people in your community by offering to speak at community centers, volunteering at schools or giving your time to non-profit organizations. As a senior citizen, you have a wealth of knowledge to share, and these opportunities provide you the chance to develop friendships with those with whom you interact.

3 Make a list of the activities you enjoy and those new ones you would like to try. Research the availability of these activities in your town and set up a schedule to participate in as many of these activities as you can. Organized activities provide excellent opportunities to meet new friends.

4 Visit a gym or a community center that has workout facilities so you can get in shape and improve your health. Staying active alongside other seniors allows you to have fun while working out.

5 Join a book club. Inquire about them at your local library and then attend the meetings regularly. By sharing your views on books and authors, you will have the opportunity to meet new friends who love reading as much as you do.

6 Go to your neighborhood senior citizens center and research the activities and trips offered by the facility. Consider broadening your knowledge of the world by sitting in on college lectures. Other senior citizens are likely doing the same and you can establish friendships with them.

~~~

“While everybody else shakes my hand, you hold it.”

Nick Zeigler

~~~

More signs in our time:

Veterinarians Waiting Room:     Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!

The Electric Company:           We would be delighted if you send in your bill. However, if you don’t, you will be.

Beauty Shop:                    Dye now!

Garbage Truck:                  We’ve got what it takes to take what you’ve got.

Diner Window:                   Don’t stand there and be hungry, come in and get fed up.

Bowling Alley:                  Please be quiet. We need to hear a pin drop.

Cafeteria:                      Shoes are required to eat in the cafeteria. Socks can eat any place they want.

Funeral Home:                   Drive carefully, we’ll wait.

~~~

Our national flower is the concrete cloverleaf.

Lewis Mumford

~~~

A customer was continually bothering the waiter in a restaurant; first, he’d asked that the air conditioning be turned up because he was too hot, then he asked it be turned down cause he was too cold, and so on for about half an hour.

Surprisingly, the waiter was very patient, walking back and forth and never once getting angry. So finally, a second customer asked why didn’t they just throw out the pest.

“Oh I don’t care.” said the waiter with a smile. “We don’t even have an air conditioner.”

~~~

The trouble with alarm clocks is that they always go off when you’re asleep.

~~~

“An abstract noun,” the teacher said, “is something you can think of, but you can’t touch it. Can you give me an example of one?”

“Sure,” a teenage boy replied. “My father’s new car.”

~~~

When I’m good, I’m very, very good, but when I’m bad, I’m better!

Mae West

~~~

My six-year-old grandson called his mother from his friend Charlie’s house and confessed he had broken a lamp when he threw a football in their living room.

“But, Mom,” he said, brightening, “you don’t have to worry about buying another one. Charlie’s mother said it was irreplaceable.”

~~~

“The Swiss have an interesting army. Five hundred years without a war. Pretty impressive. Also pretty lucky for them. Ever see that little Swiss Army knife they have to fight with?

Not much of a weapon there. Corkscrews. Bottle openers. ‘Come on, buddy, let’s go. You get past me, the guy in back of me, he’s got a spoon. Back off. I’ve got the toe clippers right here.'”

Jerry Seinfeld

~~~

“Sometimes in life, you find a special friend. Someone who changes your life just by being a part of it. Someone who makes you laugh until you can’t stop. Someone who makes you believe that there really is good in the world. Someone who convinces you that there really is an unlocked door just waiting for you to open it. This is forever friendship. When you’re down and the world seems dark and empty, your forever friend lifts you up in spirit and makes that dark and empty world suddenly seem bright and full. Your forever friend gets you through the hard times, the sad times and the confused times. If you turn and walk away, your forever friend follows. If you lose your way, your forever friend guides you and cheers you on. Your forever friend holds your hand and tells you that everything is going to be okay. And if you find such a friend, you feel happy and complete because you need not worry. You have a forever friend, and forever has no end.”

Unknown

~~~

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.

 

Another great day!

“We can go through our whole lives worrying about our future happiness, and totally miss where true peace lives- right here, right now.”

Peter Russell

 

I know I have written a lot about being grateful lately but it is only because I am so grateful for all I have been given. It is only lately that I have understood that the events that have triggered my gratefulness these days have always been there but were mostly overlooked. I am pleased that I have finally found out how much better life is when we pay attention to what it has to offer. Taking time to examine the moment and where appropriate appreciate it can make a world of difference in our day-to-day lives. I think the thing I like most about paying attention is that it allows me to say thank you, thank you to friends, thank you to servers, thank you to contacts and best of all thank you to strangers. When I thank those who seldom get thanked their pleased response further brightens my day.

I recently found this article on the web that I like, I hope you will also. I don’t know who wrote it, if I did I would tell her thank you.

 

The first thing I do each morning is take a deep breath and thank God for the start of a brand new day. As a nurse, I’ve seen people with lung diseases and terminal diseases struggle for each breath and this taught me to fully appreciate the fact that the ability to simply breathe is a blessing which most take for granted.

Florence Nightingale said, “Live your life while you have it. Life is a splendid gift.” Nurses are more aware than most of the fragility and preciousness of this thing we call the life force. One moment we’re here, and in the next breath we could be gone. Various faiths explain what happens after death in different ways and those who have only their own personal beliefs may feel all existence ends at the time of death. Such things may be up for debate and no one knows for sure what happens when we die, but we all know that our time on earth is limited. The wise among us, celebrate life as a splendid gift to be savored, not wasted.

Robert Louis Stevenson said, “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.” I am grateful that I have the ability to plant seeds of joy wherever I go and make a conscious effort to do so whenever possible. Spreading smiles, love, kind words, kind thoughts and actions costs nothing and brings great joy into my own life and I’ve found that it’s a natural antidote to depression. When I focus on helping others I am less focused on my own problems or worries.

In this regard, we can learn from the bees whose work ensures the beauty in our world by pollenating flowers:

“The bee is more honored than other animals, not because she labors, but because she labors for others.”

Saint John Chrysotom.

~~~

Becky was on her deathbed, with her husband Jake at her side. He held her cold hand and tears silently streamed down his face. Her pale lips moved.

“Jake,” she said.

“Hush,” he quickly interrupted, “don’t talk.” But she insisted.

“Jake,” she said in her tired voice. “I have to talk. I must confess.”

“There is nothing to confess,” said the weeping Jake. “It’s all right. Everything’s all right.”

“No, no. I must die in peace. I must confess, Jake, that I have been unfaithful to you.”

Jake stroked her hand. “Now, Becky, don’t be concerned. I know all about it”, he sobbed. “Why else would I poison you?”

~~~

A wise schoolteacher sends this note to all parents on the first day of school: “If you promise not to believe everything your child says happens at school, I’ll promise not to believe everything he says happens at home.

~~~

Martha Stewart did not dine with us this Thanksgiving.  Since Ms. Stewart did not come, we made a few small changes:

Our sidewalk was not lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries.  After a trial run, it was decided that no matter how cleverly done, rows of flaming lunch sacks do not have the desired welcoming effect.

The dining table was not covered with expensive linens, fancy china or crystal goblets.  We used dishes that match and everyone got a fork.  Since it was Thanksgiving, we did not use the plastic Peter Rabbit plate and the Santa napkins from last Christmas.

Our centerpiece was not the tower of fresh fruit and flowers that I promised.  Instead we displayed a hedgehog-like decoration hand-crafted from the finest construction paper.  The artist assured me it was a turkey.

We dined fashionably late.  The children will entertained you while everyone waited.  They shared every choice comment I made regarding Thanksgiving, pilgrims and the turkey hotline.  Please remember that most of these comments were made at 5:00 AM upon discovering that the turkey was still hard enough to cut diamonds.  As accompaniment to the children’s recital, I played a recording of tribal drumming.  If the children mentioned that I don’t own a recording of tribal drumming, or that tribal drumming sounds suspiciously like a frozen turkey in a clothes dryer, ignore them.  They are lying.

We toyed with the idea of ringing a dainty silver bell to announce the start of our feast.  In the end, we chose to keep our traditional method.  We’ve also decided against a formal seating arrangement.  When the smoke alarm sounded, everyone gathered around the table and sat where they liked.  In the spirit of harmony, we did ask the children to sit at a separate table.  In a separate room.  Next door.

Now I know you have all seen pictures of one person carving a turkey in front of a crowd of appreciative onlookers.  This did not happen at our dinner.  For safety reasons, the turkey was carved in a private ceremony.  I stress “private” meaning: No one, under any circumstances was allowed to enter the kitchen and laugh at me.  I used an electric knife.  The turkey was unarmed.  It stands to reason that I would eventually win.  When I did, we ate.

Instead of offering a choice between 12 different scrumptious desserts, we served a traditional pumpkin pie, garnished with whipped cream and small fingerprints.

Martha Stewart did not dine with us this Thanksgiving.  She probably won’t come next year either.

I am thankful.

~~~

“What are the three words guaranteed to humiliate men everywhere? “‘Hold my purse.'”

Francois Morency

~~~

A young woman meets her old, retired, parish priest and when he asks her how she is, she bursts out crying. “What’s the matter child?” he asks.

“Oh, Father,” she says, “it’s my boyfriend. He won’t marry me because I’m Roman Catholic.”

“There, there child. Here’s what you do. Explain to him the faith of the Church, the traditions, the ceremonies and the rites. That’ll bring him around.”

Tearfully, the young woman says she’ll try it. About a year later, they meet again, and again she bursts into tears when he asks how she is doing.

“Is it your boyfriend, child?” he asks. “Yes, Father.”

“Did you explain about the Church as I suggested?”

“Yes, Father,” she says, “but that was the problem. He was so taken by it that he’s now studying to be a priest.”

~~~

“The foolish seek happiness in the distance; the wise grow it under their feet.”

James Oppenheim

~~~

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 all stumble

A diamond with a flaw is worth more than a pebble without imperfections

Chinese Proverb

I am glad I made peace long ago with the fact I am far from perfect. I have made more than my fair share of mistakes, blunders and errors in my lifetime. Few purposely and unfortunately early in life the regrets often lingered far too long. Most of my mistakes I would have done differently if I could but life does not permit do-overs so the most I could do was make apologies when appropriate, learn from the event and move on.

In truth far too many folks get so loaded down with memories of their missteps that they don’t have the energy to move forward. In truth it is often not really the memories of past mistakes that keep us from forging ahead, rather it is our fear of making another mistake. What we need to realize is that we all make mistakes and we will again but we don’t have to let them get to us.

Here is something I found on the Positively Present blog that offers us tips on how we can pick ourselves up and keep moving.

 

Like it or not, we’re all flawed. Not a single one of us is perfect. And that’s one of the great things about life. We all have so many wonderful things to offer — and, yet, we’re not always so wonderful. Not only do we have flaws, but each of us struggles with feeling flawed (which is, perhaps, a flaw in and of itself).

How to Fall in Love with Your Flaws

Decide if there’s something you can do about it. — First and foremost, you have to decide if the flaw that troubles you is something you can actually do something about. Some flaws — like a bad temper or wicked impatience — should not be accepted, but should instead be worked on. Loving your flaws is not the same thing as throwing up your hands and saying, “Oh well! That’s just the way I am!” about a characteristic that’s negatively impacting you and your life. Ask yourself: Does the flaw negatively impact others? Does it impact the amount of positive energy I’m giving off into the world? Is there anything I can do to change it?

Determine if you actually are going to do something about it. — If you’ve determined that a flaw is, in fact, something you can (and should) change, now it’s time to be brutally honest with yourself. You can change it, but will you? Just because you can change a flaw, doesn’t mean you necessarily should (take, for example, a less-than-perfect nose or a sarcastic wit). Only you know (and you will know, deep down) whether or not the flaw that bugs you is something you really need to change — and if it’s something you actually will change. If you know it needs to be changed and you’re going to put in the effort, awesome! Go for it! If it’s something you can’t or won’t change…

Imagine it from an objective point of view. — Often our flaws are magnified by our own perception. We’re so close to our flaws that they seem so much larger to us. In your mind, take a step back from the flaws you see and try to imagine what they would look like from an outsider’s perspective. The things you see as horrible or offensive might not look so bad when you try seeing them from an outsider’s point of view. When it comes to flaws, we imagine ours to be much bigger than others’. Consider your flaw and contemplate how you would react to it if you spotted it on someone else.

Accept it for exactly what it is. — Finally — and most importantly — you must accept your flaw for exactly what it is. Having imagined what it would look like from the outside, now it’s time to take that concept one step further and simply accept it for what it is. Strip that flaw of all societal standards and internal judgments. Don’t compare it to others or rate it on a scale of good/bad. Your flaw is what it is. Accept it for what it is and realize that it is a part of you. If it is something you cannot (or will not) change, acceptance is the only option for truly loving yourself (all of yourself). Your flaws make you who you are, so embrace them!

~~~

I rather go on in life being me and imperfect, than striving to be what someone else wants.

Author Unknown

~~~

A guy once wandered into a Jewish restaurant and ordered roast chicken. It arrived complete with potatoes and a few sundries, and the diner looked at it without much favor. He said to the waiter, “Don’t I get a green vegetable?”

And the waiter said, “And what color is the pickle? Purple?”

~~~

Good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgment.

Rita Mae Brown

~~~

A Mom and Dad went to a restaurant one evening. Dad was about halfway finishing his meal when took a hard look at the potato. He called the waitress and said, “This potato is bad.”

The waitress picked it up, smacked it, and put it back on the plate, then said, “If that potato causes any more trouble just let me know.”

~~~

“Conscience is the inner voice that warns us somebody is looking.”

Henry Louis Mencken

~~~

I have a spelling checker,

It came with my PC;

It plainly marks four my revue,

Mistakes I cannot sea.

I’ve run this poem threw it,

I’m sure your please to no,

Its letter perfect in it’s weigh,

My checker tolled me sew.

~~~

“I like life. It’s something to do.”

Ronnie Shakes

~~~

One day, a mechanical engineer, electrical engineer, chemical engineer, and computer engineer were driving down the street in the same car when it broke down.

The mechanical engineer said, “I think a rod broke.”

The chemical engineer said, “The way it sputtered at the end, I think it’s not getting enough gas.”

The electrical engineer said, “I think there was a spark and something’s wrong with the electrical system.”

All three turned to the computer engineer and said, “What do you think?”

The computer engineer said, “I think we should all get out and then get back in.”

~~~

“The world is full of willing people, some willing to work, the rest willing to let them.”

Robert Frost

~~~

Coming through the door after school one day, Little Johnny hollers out, “Okay, everyone in the house, please be advised that I, Little Johnny, have on this date made a complete fool of myself in sex education class by repeating stories concerning storks as told to me by certain parties residing in this house!”

~~~

A mother may hope that her daughter will get a better husband that she did, but she knows her son will never get as good a wife as his father did.

~~~

A Sunday school teacher was teaching her class about the difference between right and wrong. “All right children, let’s take another example,” she said. “If I were to get into a man’s pocket and take his billfold with all his money, what would I be?”

Little Johnny raises his hand, and with a confident smile, he blurts out, “you’d be his wife!”

~~~

I’ve seen better days, but I’ve also seen worse. I don’t have everything that I want, but I do have all I need. I woke up with some aches and pains, but I woke up. My life may not be perfect, but I am blessed.

Author Unknown

~~~

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 and I are fortunate

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.

Thornton Wilder

 

For the last couple of days the Daily talked about thankfulness and gratitude in anticipation of our Thanksgiving Day national holiday tomorrow. I hope you have as much to be thankful for as I do and not just because we are so much better off than millions of others but also because we appreciate those who contribute so much to our wellbeing. We are better fed, better clothed and better housed than most of the folks in this world and yet many of us don’t seem to appreciate that we are, in fact some want even more.

Fortunately we each have the opportunity to reflect on our lives and to see how much we truly have to be thankful for. Yesterday I got this timely piece mailed to me from Self Improvement on Line that can help us all too truly understand how fortunate we are. I have made minor edits for space.

 

5 Great Ways to Express Thankfulness Year-Round

By Loren Meier

What are the biggest parts of positive thinking and the law of attraction? Can you guess?

Appreciation and gratitude! The title may have given it away, huh?

Start appreciating what you have right now!  I am challenging you to start getting the “attitude of gratitude”! Start by appreciating what and whom you already have in your life. Be thankful! Celebrate Thanksgiving everyday (minus the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and crazy Aunt Sally!). Here are a few steps you can follow to get in the mood of appreciation.

Step one: Appreciate what you have right now!

You may not have the car, home, money or clothes that you want right now. Even so, be thankful for what you do have. Appreciating what you have right now will create a feeling of abundance. If you focus on wanting or on being discontent, those negative thoughts will attract even more negative feelings.

I am thankful for the clothes I have, the food I eat, and the home I have. I am thankful for the car I drive. Sure, I might want a house cleaner, fancier shoes and a car that doesn’t have so many miles and is better on gas and more environmentally friendly. But right now, I am thankful for my car because it gets me where I want to go. I am thankful for my clothes because they cover me up, protect me from the sun, keep me warm, and spare others from seeing me in my birthday suit.

What are you thankful for? Write in down, say it out loud, “I am so happy and thankful that….!”

Step two: Appreciate the people in your life.

Write a list of what you appreciate about the people close to you. Include your family, friends, and coworkers. You will probably be amazed at how much more you love and enjoy each person once you start recognizing their good points. Start your list for the people that mean the most for you.

Step three: Keep an appreciation journal.

Encourage everyone in your family to keep his or her own appreciation journal. Every night before you go to bed write down 5-10 things that you appreciated that day in your journal. This is a wonderful and rewarding task to do with your children. If your kids are too small, sit down with them and have them tell you what they appreciated and write it down for them. You will both benefit from the effort and they will go to sleep thankful and positive. Psychologists tell us that it takes 21 days of repetition to create a habit. Play it safe and keep your journal for at least a month and you will be thankful!

Step four: Create a family appreciation board.

So many times we don’t tell the people who mean the most to us how thankful and appreciative we are of them. A great activity to do is to create an appreciation cork board to let the people in your family know what you appreciate about them. Put little post-its near the board so anyone can add an appreciation anytime they want. This is a great tool for the whole family and makes both people happy. We all like to feel appreciated. This board will create a happier, healthier, and more positive bond for your family.

Step five: Write thank you notes!

Thank you notes are a great way to get the “attitude of gratitude”. Create a habit with your kids to send, or even make thank you notes. It not only teaches them to be thankful, but it also can be a fun art activity.

 

When you are thinking about all the things you are thankful for, here are a few topics you can think about: Health, Friendship, Your Free Time, Family, Where you live, Intelligence, Uniqueness, Great Ideas and a Sense of Humor. I hope these tips help you get motivated to start being grateful. We might not have exactly what we want, but when we appreciate what we do have more of what we really want will follow. Well, I appreciate you, for reading this article and for being who you are! Here’s a big thank you card to you all, Thank You!

~~~

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.

Cicero

~~~

“College Tidbits”

* Father: “Son, I’m very worried about you being at the bottom of your class.”  Son: “Don’t fret Dad. They teach the same stuff to both ends.”

* In a way, colleges & insane asylums are both mental institutions.  The major difference being you have to show some improvement to “graduate” from an asylum.

* A student comes back to the dorm & finds his roommate near tears. “What’s the matter, pal?” he asked.  “I wrote home for my parents to send money so that I could buy a laptop, and they sent me the laptop.” he moaned.

~~~

“If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine.

Morris West

~~~

A North Carolina man, having bought several expensive cigars, insured them against… get this… fire. After he had smoked them, he then decided that he had a claim against the insurance company and filed. The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason that the man had consumed the cigar normally. The man sued. The judge stated that since the company had insured the cigars against fire, they were obligated to pay. After the man accepted payment for his claim, the company then had him arrested ….. for arson.

~~~

A Sunday school teacher asked the children just before she dismissed them to go to church, “And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?”

Annie replied, “Because people are sleeping.”

~~~

The preacher just finished his sermon for the day and proceeded toward the back of the church for his usual greetings and handshaking as the congregation left the church. After shaking a few adult hands he came upon the seven year old son of one of the Deacons of the church.

“Good morning, Jonathan,” the preacher said as he reached out to shake Joanthan’s hand.

As he was doing do he felt something in the palm of Jonathan’s hand. “What’s this?” the preacher asked.

“Money,” said Jonathan with a big smile on his face, “It’s for you!”

“I don’t want to take your money, Jonathan,” the preacher answered.

“I want you to have it,” said Jonathan. After a short pause Jonathan continued, “My daddy says you’re the poorest preacher we ever had and I want to help you.”

~~~

Half the people you know are below average.

~~~

The kids said:

WHAT IS THE PROPER AGE TO GET MARRIED? “Eighty-four. Because at that age, you don’t have to work anymore, and you can spend all your time loving each other.” (Judy, 8)

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE? “On the first date, they just tell each other lies, and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.” (Mike, 10)

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE? “You should never kiss a girl unless you have enough bucks to buy her a big ring and her own VCR, ’cause she’ll want to have videos of the wedding.” (Jim, 10)

~~~

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.

Melody Beattie

~~~

Note: The Daily will be taking a few days off to celebrate all we have to be thankful for.

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 appreciate you!

I truly appreciate you. You really made this day special.

 

It is hard for me to realize that Ray’s Daily is now in its twelfth year of publication. People sometimes ask why I do it and my standard response is that doing it requires me to think about my life, our world and all the good things around us. While that is truly how I feel I also am rewarded by the new friends and contacts that I have made over the years through the Daily. Often I am contacted by folks who I don’t know asking to be put on the distribution list and many later let me know more about themselves, some even regularly commenting on the content. I am amazed with the apparent readership now that the Daily is in broader distribution via WordPress, Facebook and via other blogs. Today I heard from readers in Pakistan, the UK, and South Africa who said they liked yesterday’s piece on Thanksgiving. Recently WordPress reported that people from more than 60 countries had visited Ray’s Daily, I was amazed.

In a way the Daily link to others has turned out to be a godsend since it allows us to share thoughts, dreams, and life experiences that allow us to learn from each other. Life can be good but far too often we fail to realize just how good it can be.

Here is a piece written by Ralph Marston some time ago that is something I think we all should think about at the beginning of each new day.

 

Touch the purpose

In this moment, life is unfolding in a new and beautiful way. Can you see it?

In this moment, there is a special goodness. Can you feel it?

On this day, your dream is speaking to you. Can you hear it?

Right now, you have something more precious than anything you can imagine. Right now, you have life and you have the opportunity to live it in your own special way.

Let go of the needs you’ve surrounded yourself with. And let life’s richness fill your awareness.

Taste the beauty, feel the possibilities and touch the purpose that lives within. Find new ways to experience sweet fulfillment simply by being you.

~~~

“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.”

Marcus Aurelius

~~~

Some tips to live by:

• No matter how talented you think you are at imitating Charlie Chan, do not demonstrate your prowess at this while ordering food from a Chinese restaurant.
• Never use the second digit on either hand to indicate to someone that your favorite sports team is No. 1.
• If someone ever asks you your favorite author, remember that People magazine staff writers don’t actually count.
• Don’t ask for an obscure unpronounceable vegetarian dish at any eating establishment which also dispenses gas, diesel and propane fuel.

~~~

Compromise is the art of dividing the cake in such a way that each one thinks he is getting the biggest piece.

~~~

Two lawyers went into a diner and sat down at the counter. They ordered two sodas, took sandwiches out of their briefcases and started to eat them.

The owner saw what was going on and approached the men. “You can’t eat your own sandwiches in here,” he complained.

The two lawyers stopped, looked at each other, and then swapped their sandwiches.

~~~

A rock <– me –> A hard place

~~~

More of my plans for when I become overlord, notwithstanding what we have learned from the movies.

• I will not have a son. Although his laughably under-planned attempt to usurp power would easily fail, it would provide a fatal distraction at a crucial point in time.
• I will not have a daughter. She would be as beautiful as she was evil, but one look at the hero’s rugged countenance and she’d betray her own father.
• Despite its proven stress-relieving effect, I will not indulge in maniacal laughter. When so occupied, it’s too easy to miss unexpected developments that a more attentive individual could adjust to accordingly.
• I will hire a talented fashion designer to create original uniforms for my Legions of Terror, as opposed to some cheap knock-offs that make them look like Nazi storm troopers, Roman foots oldiers, or savage Mongol hordes. All were eventually defeated and I want my troops to have a more positive mind-set.
• No matter how tempted I am with the prospect of unlimited power, I will not consume any energy field bigger than my head.

~~~

We must respect the other fellow’s religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart.

H.L. Mencken

~~~

Three weeks after her wedding day, Joanna called her minister. “Reverend,” she wailed, “John and I had a DREADFUL fight!”

“Calm down, my child,” said the minister, “it’s not half as bad as you think. Every marriage has to have its first fight!”

“I know, I know!” said Joanna. “But what am I going to do with the BODY?”

~~~

Stress is when you wake up screaming & you realize you haven’t fallen asleep yet.

~~~

Once upon a time there was a woman married to an annoying man named Steve. He would complain about everything. That day he went to their creek with his mule. He complained so much that the mule got annoyed and kicked him to death. At the funeral, when all the men walked by the wife she shook her head yes and every time the women walked by she shook her head no. The minister asked ”Why are you shaking your head yes for men and no for women?” Her response was, ”The men would say how sorry they felt for me and I was saying, ‘Yes, I’ll be alright.’ When the women walked by, they were asking if the mule is for sale . . . ”

~~~

“How would your life be different if…you began each day by thanking someone who has helped you? Let today be the day…You make it a point to show your gratitude to others. Send a letter or card, make a call, send a text or email, tell them in person…do whatever you have to do to let them know you appreciate them.”

Steve Maraboli

~~~

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.

 

Thank you!

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”

Marcel Proust

 In my country we will be celebrating our Thanksgiving Holiday in a few days. It is our annual opportunity to inventory the good things in our lives and to take time to appreciate all we have, especially when we realize that far too many have little or nothing. I hope though that besides being thankful we will also be grateful, grateful for having those we love, grateful for a place to live, grateful for the food we have to eat and especially grateful to those who have contributed so much to our lives through their friendship. I know I appreciate all of you and the meaning you add to my life.

You know appreciation is a wonderful thing, if we take the time to appreciate we often find the real beauty that is almost always available to us. It is the little things so often unnoticed that provide the most comfort to our existence, just stop once in a while and think what your life would be like if some of the things we take for granted were gone. I also have found that sharing your appreciation with others is heartwarming.

Here is an article that I pulled from the Positively Present blog some time ago that provides us tips for letting gratitude enrich our lives.

 

Making good use of your gratitude

Use gratitude to center yourself. This is probably the greatest use I’ve found for gratitude. Whenever I’m feeling upset or angry or frustrated or down, I think about the things I am grateful for and I feel much, much better. It really is a great tool to use to tackle some of the hardest emotions and I find that it almost always snaps me out of whatever funk I’ve found myself in.

Use gratitude to live in the moment. When I’m struggling to live in the moment (as I often am!), I find that being thankful really helps to bring me into the present. It’s easy to get caught up thinking about the past or worrying about the future, but when I look around and start thinking of all the things I have to be grateful for right now, I find that I’m really, truly living in the moment.

Use gratitude to enhance relationships. Nothing makes a relationship better than when you are truly grateful for the other person. Sure, all relationships have ups and downs, but if you keep gratitude in mind no matter what you’re going through, you’re more likely to have a much better relationship. Be grateful for the people in your life and you’ll find that your appreciation comes through in your words and actions.

Use gratitude to motivate yourself. Sometimes I find that it’s hard to get motivated and I wonder what I can really contribute to the world. That’s when I start using gratitude again. Once I start thinking about all of the things I’m thankful for — including my own abilities — I feel a lot more inspired. Being grateful can motivate you to believe in yourself and it can also inspire you to look around you and see all that you have to offer the world.

Use gratitude to overcome hurdles. Life is pretty hard sometimes, but when you find yourself focusing on what you’re grateful for, all of the trials you have to face become more manageable. I can’t say that gratitude is a cure all for every problem, but it really does help to put things in perspective when you’re going through a tough time. Next time you’re feeling down, think of all the things you’re grateful for. I guarantee you’ll feel inspired!

Use gratitude to improve your health. I’m not a doctor or a scientist, but I’ve read on more than one occasion that being grateful can actually improve your physical health. I don’t have any statistics to back up this claim, but I can say that gratitude greatly reduces my stress level, which ultimately makes me a much healthier person. One thing I know for sure: gratitude certainly can’t hurt your health, so it’s worth a try to start thinking grateful thoughts.

Clearly, being grateful has some pretty sweet benefits. There are so many things we should all be grateful for and even though it can be really, really hard at times to think about being thankful, it really does make even the worst situations more bearable. I really believe that having a grateful attitude gives us the power to turn any day — even a really bad one! — into a day worth celebrating.

~~~

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”

Epictetus

~~~

Wanting to lose weight, a woman placed a picture of a shapely, pinup model INSIDE her refrigerator to remind her of her goal. It worked like a charm as the woman discovered that she had lost ten pounds in the first month of using this method. The downside to this was that her husband spent so much time going into the fridge to look at the picture that he ended up gaining fifteen pounds!

~~~

Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy.

~~~

The showers in my daughter’s dorm turned scalding hot whenever a toilet was flushed. To warn others, residents would yell out, “Flushing!” each time they flushed the toilets. During one of my daughter’s visits home, a friend stopped by to chat for a while.  I was explaining how my daughter was acting more distant now that she was in college, and that she didn’t tell me all about her life the way she used to. Suddenly we heard my daughter call out from the bathroom, “Flushing!”

“Wow!” said my friend, “How much more do you want to know?”

~~~

“Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Rosenbloom are pleased to announce the birth of their son, Dr. Jonathan Rosenbloom.”

~~~

A blonde was summoned to court to appear as a witness in a lawsuit. The prosecutor opened his questioning with, “Where were you the night of August 24th?”

“Objection!” said the defense attorney. “Irrelevant!”

“Oh, that’s okay,” said the blonde from the witness stand.”I don’t mind answering the question.”

“I object!” the defense said again.

“No, really,” said the blonde. “I’ll answer.”

The judge ruled: “If the witness insists on answering, there is no reason for the defence to object.”

So the prosecutor repeated the question: “Where were you the night of August 24th?”

The blonde replied brightly, “I don’t know.”

~~~

Don’t follow in my footsteps, because I run into a lot of walls.

~~~

A college student wrote a letter home, “Dear folks, I feel miserable because I have to keep writing for money. I feel ashamed and unhappy. I have to ask for another hundred, but every cell in my body rebels. I beg on bended knee that you forgive me.

Your son, Marvin.

 P.S.I felt so terrible I ran after the mailman who picked this up in the box at the corner. I wanted to take this letter and burn i.e. prayed to God that I could get it back. But it was too late.”

A few days later he received a letter from his father. It said, “Your prayers were answered. Your letter never came!”

~~~

“Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.”

Alphonse Karr

~~~

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 need each other

“It is through cooperation, rather than conflict, that your greatest successes will be derived”

 

I was on a field trip to Ohio yesterday and did not return until late last night and had an early meeting this morning. I did not even make it to the Gym for my daily exercise. I hope you’ll understand why another reprint.

Ray’s Daily first published on November 15, 2007

We just had a local election in my city and the incumbents lost in what appeared to be a tax protest. Many in our community like so many other communities wants the services they like continued and paid for but only those and not those that others favor. The result is a polarization between those who consider only their own needs and those that support investments that contribute to the quality of life of the total community.

Similarly as I observe the national polarization as expressed in the current political debates and in Washington I get concerned that we are slipping into an “us guys – those guys” mindset that drives us to the view that those guys are always wrong and always will be and there is no use ever considering their point of view since us guys are never wrong. I think we are getting in deep trouble when we think that everything is a war that requires that those who don’t agree with us unconditionally surrender.

I think we need to continuously ask ourselves if we really want the other guys to be wrong. Is it more important that they fail trying to do the right thing or that they succeed. What I am trying to say is that far too many of us find it easier to live in a black and white world and then to defend our choices beyond reason. Is it our ego that makes us need to always feel we are right versus revisiting what we thought to see if we really are. Is our need to always be right more important than supporting the right thing even when it is done by others?

I think I may have written about this recently but I needed to do it again. I truly hope I am wrong about the people I voted against in the election. I want them to keep my city safe, vibrant and thriving for while if they fail to do so I might have been right in voting against them but it would come at too high a price. I will keep an open mind, cheer their good works, help when I can, and let them know when I have a concern.

Yes my friends I really do hope I was wrong and I will be glad to be proven so. I hope you too will eye results instead of who got them. We need to quit beating each other up and start doing good together.

Ray

~~~

“The only thing that will redeem mankind is cooperation.”

Bertrand Russell

~~~

A little girl was observed by her pastor standing outside the pre-school Sunday School classroom between Sunday School and worship, waiting for her parents to come and pick her up for “big church.”

The pastor noticed that she clutched a big storybook under her arms with the obvious title, “Jonah and the Whale.” Feeling a little pernicious, he knelt down beside the little girl and began a conversation. “What’s that you have in your hand?” he asked.

“This is my storybook about Jonah and the Whale,” she answered.

“Tell me something, little girl,” he continued, “do you believe that story about Jonah and that whale to be the truth?”

The little girl implored, “Why of course I believe this story to be the truth!”

He inquired further, “You really believe that a man can be swallowed up by a big whale, stay inside him all that time, and come out of there still alive and OK? You really believe all that can be true?”

She declared, “Absolutely, this story is in the Bible and we studied about it in Sunday School today!”

Then the pastor asked, “Well, little girl, can you prove to me that this story is the truth?”

She thought for a moment and then said, “Well, when I get to Heaven, I’ll ask Jonah.”

The pastor then asked, “Well, what if Jonah’s not in Heaven?”

She then put her hands on her little hips and sternly declared, “Then YOU can ask him!”

~~~

A characteristic of the normal child is he doesn’t act that way very often.

~~~

MEN’S LANGUAGE TRANSLATED

“I’m hungry.” = I’m hungry.

“I’m sleepy.” = I’m sleepy.

“I’m tired.”= I’m tired.

“Nice dress!” = Nice cleavage!

“What’s wrong?” = I don’t see why you are making such a big deal out of this.

“What’s wrong?” = What meaningless self-inflicted psychological trauma are you going through now?

“What’s wrong?” = I guess sex tonight is out of the question.

“Yes, I like the way you cut your hair.” = I liked it better before.

“Yes, I like the way you cut your hair.” = $50 and it doesn’t look that much different!

~~~

A light heart lives long.

~~~

She said:

If I am trying to sleep, it’s because I am exhausted from my almost super-human level of daily achievement; if he is trying to sleep it’s because he is lazy.

No matter what the activity, he doesn’t do it as well as my past boyfriend.

If he pays attention to me, he is smothering me. If he gives me space, he is ignoring me.

I demand to be treated as an equal in everything – except when paying for meals, airplane tickets, concerts, beers, clothes, etc. – these are required gifts proving his love.

~~~

I’m so broke, I can’t even pay attention.

~~~

KNOW YOUR GETTING OLDER WHEN:

You know all the answers but nobody asks you any questions.

You get winded playing checkers.

You need a fire permit to light all of your birthday candles and you need oxygen after blowing them out.

You order Geritol on the rocks.

You sink your teeth into a thick steak and they stay there.

You stop to think and forget to start again.

You don’t need an alarm clock to get up with the chickens.

Your pacemaker opens the garage door whenever a cute gal goes by.

The only whistles you get are from the tea kettle.

A fortune-teller wants to read your face.

You finally get it all together, but can’t remember where you put it.

You pray for a good prune-juice harvest.

Everything hurts, and what doesn’t hurt, doesn’t work.

You feel like the morning after, and you haven’t been anywhere.

Your little black book contains only names ending with M.D.

You look forward to a dull evening.

You join a health club and never go.

You need your glasses to find your glasses.

You sit in a rocking chair and can’t get it going.

Your knees buckle, but your belt won’t

You have too much room in the house, and not enough in the medicine chest.

~~~

“Who among us is willing to pay the real cost of a right and beautiful world? The real cost is unselfishness; real caring; true cooperation and self-sacrifice-in short, less ego. If we fool ourselves that our ideals, our values, and our visions could work without effective ego-reduction, then ego has the last laugh, because it’s pulling the wool over our eyes.”

Unknown

~~~

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.