Ray's Daily

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.

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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

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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!”

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

Margaret Fuller

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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.

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“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

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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.”

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Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes.

Jim Carrey

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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.”

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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

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Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

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