Ray's Daily

We begin again tomorrow

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves.

The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”

Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Here we are New Year’s Eve and the end of another year. I am going to be like many others my age and go out this evening to celebrate with friends at a favorite Japanese restaurant and end the celebration when it is midnight in London so that I can be in bed and asleep well before midnight here in the US. My primary wish for next year is that it will be as good for me and my family as this year has been. I don’t have much memory of the bad times, I know there were some medical problems and some other setbacks but they were of no real consequence and are overshadowed by all the good things that happened. I do however mourn the loss of a few friends and the turmoil and lack of political statesmanship that has befallen our country but we will survive.

I could not help but wonder about this years ending and how it might really be different than some from the past so I looked back at a few Daily’s and here is how I saw the world then

 

10 Years ago

Since this is the last day of 2002 I could not help reflecting back on the year that will soon be behind us. Certainly it has been year filled with anxiety for most of us. The threat of terrorism and war has been with us constantly as we were inundated with the threat in our daily newspapers and the electronic media. For some of us the stock market decline, lower return on our CD’s and money market investments, coupled with runaway prescription costs has created a new set of concerns.

I suggest though that if you are like I am we have much to be thankful for as the year comes to an end. We made it through the year without another terrorist attack. We may have had to tighten our belts but we all know we are still better off than most. In my case I have been blessed with a family that is thriving. My grandchildren continue to mature and to give pleasure to us all. I have been extremely fortunate to be in the care of a variety of medical good guys and gals whose tenacity and skill prevented my having to undergo major heart surgery. Most recently my medical caregivers prescribed iron treatments that have brought back my energy and sense of wellbeing. It has been a year filled with new friends and the rediscovery of old friends. It is a year where I continued to have the good fortune of knowing and working with so many of you in the interest of children in need. All in all, when the scale is balanced it has been a pretty good year, thank you all for helping it be that way.

~~~

Eight Years ago

Well gang this is it, the last day of 2004. It has been some year for all of us. War continues, we are in the midst of one of the worst disasters the world has ever known, but thankfully most of us have done well. In my case my family thrived, I maintained reasonably good health, and made a raft of new friends. I look forward to all of us having a great 2005. There is much to be done and much that we can do.

My best wishes to you and yours.

~~~

Seven Years ago

2005 has been a heck of a year for me personally; one of the best ever. I can’t list everything; the list would be too long, but here are a few:

I am pleased that so many friends have gone on to new careers and happier lives.

I am fortunate that I made the acquaintance of so many smart people this year; I like to think of them as friends.

I am happy that I had so many opportunities to work with others, volunteer my time, and invest in the future through my many learning experiences.

While I miss those who I will probably never see again, friends that have moved, people I worked with from international organizations and government, and those who drift away because of time and distance. I am pleased that they are generally doing well and I consider myself fortunate that so many left me a better person than I would have been if it were not for their friendship.

And there is a special warm spot in my heart for all my caregivers, they all really care and some have become dear friends.

I know I had a better year than most and to a large extent it was due to the benefits that have come from so many of you.

~~~

“Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.”

Brad Paisley

~~~

Are you sick of making the same resolutions year after year that you never keep? Why not promise to do something you can actually accomplish? Here are some resolutions that you can use as a starting point:

Gain weight. At least 30 pounds.

Stop exercising. Waste of time.

Read less. Makes you think.

Watch more TV. I’ve been missing some good stuff.

Procrastinate more. Starting tomorrow.

Start being superstitious.

~~~

A Jewish Prayer for the New Year

May we get a clean bill of health from our dentist, our psychiatrist, our ophthalmologist, our cardiologist, our gastroenterologist, our urologist, our proctologist, our gynecologist, our podiatrist, our plumber and the IRS.

May our hair, our teeth, our facelift, our abs, our honey cakes, and our stocks not fall and may our blood pressure, our triglycerides, our cholesterol, our white blood count, our weight and our mortgage interest rates not rise.

May we find a way to travel from anywhere to anywhere in the rush hour in less than an hour and when we get there, may we find a parking space.

May we all relax about the third millennium of the common era, and realize that we still have 239 years until the down of the sixth millennium of the Hebrew calendar by which time the computer will be long since obsolete and so will we.

It is my belief that God’s joyous humor is the reason he really does not want us to touch our toes while exercising or he would have put them further up our bodies; and, the reason so many of us take up jogging is to hear heavy breathing again.

May what we see in the mirror delight us and what others see in us, delight them. May someone, as well as God, love us enough to forgive our faults, be blind to our blemishes and tell the world about our virtues.

May the telemarketers wait until after we finish dinner to call us. May our checkbooks and budgets balance and may they include generous amounts for charity.

May we remember to say “I love you” at least once a day to our spouse, our child, our parent, all of our significant others but not our boss, our intern, our nurse, our masseur, our hairdresser or our tennis instructor.

And may the Messiah come this year, and if he does not, may we live as if he has, in a world at peace, with awareness of God’s love in every sunset, flower, baby’s smile, lover’s kiss, and every wonderful astonishing beat of our heart. May we smile and laugh throughout the year.

~~~

NEW YEAR WISHES

May peace fill all the empty spaces around you, and in you, may contentment answer all your wishes. May comfort be yours, warm and soft like a sigh, and may the coming year show you that every day is really a first day, a new year. Let abundance be your constant companion, so that you have much to share. May mirth be near you always, like a lamp shining brightly on the many paths you travel.

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.

I have been freed

Love me when I least deserve it, because that’s when I really need it.

Swedish Proverb

 

I am worn out from too much hibernation. Snow kept me in for the last two days and so this morning I am busting out on my newly plowed driveway and trekking over to the gym to restart my normal life. I have a full day plan that includes lunch with one of my favorite grandsons. Since I find that solitary confinement seems to result in a loss of brainpower I am sending you a copy of the Daily I wrote on this day 12 years ago, it still works for me.

 

Ray’s Daily first published on December 28, 2005

Soon we will see another year go by. Now is a good time to review this year before we build our wish list for next year. Most of us we have had some good days and some bad days, and fortunately most of us had many more good ones than bad ones. We have won often and have lost occasionally, and as always each loss made the next win sweeter. When you add it all it up we have much to be grateful for, we are here, we are not hungry, violent death is not all around us, and our basic needs are satisfied most every day. I am happy that I have been able to travel, learn, and enjoy each day.

Most significantly, I have again benefited from a wife and family that tolerate my weaknesses and provide support whenever I need it.

I appreciate everyone who offered me their friendship, knowledge, and companionship. And I am thankful that I have been able to spend so much time with people who are making positive changes in their lives. As always, I was saddened by the loss of those who are no longer with us, fortunately they live on in my memory. I will always appreciate the time we had together.

Of course there are wishes that did not come true, but that is why there is always a next year and the chance to again make a dream or two come true. I hope your year was as good, if not better than mine. Just think in a few days we get to start over again, I can hardly wait.

~~~

“When asked if my cup is half-full or half-empty my only response is that I am thankful I have a cup.”

Sam Lefkowitz

~~~

Reasons why I never visit my rich friend:

Once while visiting a very rich friend, the maid approached me and…..

Question : “What would you like to have ..Fruit juice, Soda, Tea, Chocolate, Capuccino, Frapuccino,or Coffee?”

Answer: ” Tea please”

Question : ” Ceylon tea, Indian tea, Herbal tea,Bush tea, Honey bush tea,Iced tea or green tea ?” Answer : “Ceylon tea ” Question : “How would you like it ? black or white ?

Answer: “white”

Question: “Milk, or fresh cream?

Answer: “With milk ”

Question: “Goat’s milk, or cow’s milk”

Answer: “With cow’s milk please.

Question: ” Freezeland cow or Afrikaner cow?”

Answer: ” Um, I’ll just take it black. ”

Question: ” Would you like it with sweetener, sugar or honey?”

Answer: “With sugar”

Question: ” Beet sugar or cane sugar?”

Answer: “Cane sugar ”

Question:” White, brown or yellow sugar?”

Answer: “Forget about the tea, just give me a glass of water instead.”

Question: “Mineral water, tap water or distilled water? ”

Answer: “Mineral water”

Question: “Flavored or non-flavored ?”

Answer: “I think I’ll just die of thirst!!!!

~~~

I was a vegetarian until I started leaning toward the sunlight.

Rita Rudner

~~~

“I noticed you always carry my photo in your handbag. Why?” a husband asked his wife.

“When there is a problem, no matter how impossible, I look at your picture and the problem always disappears,” she said.

The man smiled. “You see how good I am for you?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said. “I see your picture and say to myself, ‘What other problem can there be that is worse than this one?'”

~~~

“One nice thing about egotists: they don’t talk about other people.”

George Carlin

~~~

A blonde is complaining to her friend what a horrible day at work she had; her boss had a heart attack and died!

Her friend says, “Why, that’s terrible! What did you do?”

The blonde shakes her head and says, “There was nothing I could do. He kept yelling at me to call 911, but he wouldn’t tell me the rest of the numbers!”

~~~

In taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior.

Sir Francis Bacon

~~~

An old man strode in to his doctors office and said, “Doc, my druggist said to tell you to change my prescription and to check the prescription you’ve been giving to Mrs. Smith.”

“Oh, he did, did he?” the doctor shot back. “And since when does a druggist second guess a doctor’s orders?”

The old man says, “Since he found out I’ve been on birth control pills since February.”

~~~

“I like to play blackjack. I’m not addicted to gambling, I’m addicted to sitting in a semi-circle.”

Mitch Hedberg

~~~

Judy reports that a not necessarily well-prepared student sat in his life science classroom, staring at a question on the final exam paper. The question directed: “Give four advantages of breast milk.”

What to write? He sighed, and began to scribble whatever came into his head, hoping for the best:

1. No need to boil.

2. Never goes sour.

3. Available whenever necessary.

So far so good – maybe. But the exam demanded a fourth answer. Again, what to write? Once more, he sighed. He frowned. He scowled, then sighed again. Suddenly, he brightened. He grabbed his pen, and triumphantly, he scribbled his definitive answer:

4. Available in attractive containers of varying sizes.

He received an A

~~~

To get a man’s attention, just stand in front of the TV and don’t move. He’ll talk to you. Guaranteed!!

~~~

Bambi, in her fourth year as a UCLA freshman, sat in her US government class. The professor asked Bambi if she knew what Roe vs. Wade was about. Bambi pondered the question then finally said,

“That was the decision George Washington had to make before he crossed the Delaware.”

~~~

“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty;

Not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”

Charles Dickens

~~~

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.

Have you decided what you are going to do?

“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

 

Christmas is now behind us and I hope yours was as good as ours was. Now we are in the final days of another year, a good time to reflect on the last twelve months, put them behind us and get ready for a great 2013. We have a choice, we can go with the flow in 2013 and continue as we have or we can decide now is a great time to reward ourselves by doing what we have put off doing for too long. I have found that it is much better to be remembered for what we have done, even with the missteps, than it is to either be remembered for what we did not do or even worse not be remembered at all.

Unfortunately too many of us find it easy to excuse ourselves from doing much of significance. We feel that we just can’t take on any more, we just don’t have time. In reality most of us have forgotten how to set priorities and spend so much time on things that are not really important that we have little time left for what is important.

Marc and Angel Hack recently offered a realistic analysis of why so many of us just never reach our potential. Here is what they wrote:

 

Here are eight reasons so many of us miss out on life as it’s happening.

The fear of missing out. – If you feel anxious because you constantly feel like you’re missing out on something happening somewhere else, you’re not alone.  We all feel this way sometimes.  But let me assure you, you could run around trying to do everything, and travel around the world, and always stay connected, and work and party all night long without sleep, but you could never do it all.  You will always be missing something.  So let it go, and realize you have everything right now.  The best in life isn’t somewhere else; it’s right where you are, at this moment.  Celebrate the perhaps not altogether insignificant fact that you are alive right now.  This moment, and who you are, is absolutely perfect.

Avoiding pain and defeat. – Not to spoil the ending for you, but everything is going to be OK – you just need to learn a lesson or two first.  Don’t run from the realities of the present moment.  The pain and defeat contained within is necessary to your long-term growth.  Remember, there is a difference between encountering defeats and being defeated.  Nothing ever goes away until it teaches you what you need to know, so you can move on to the next step.

Holding on to what’s no longer there. – Some of us spend the vast majority of our lives recounting past memories, and letting them steer the course of the present.  Don’t waste your time trying to live in another time and place.  Let the past, go.  You must accept the end of something in order to begin to build something new.  So close some old doors today.  Not because of pride, inability or egotism, but simply because you’ve entered each one of them in the past and realize that they lead to nowhere.

Retelling a self-defeating story. – If we continue to repeat a story in our head, we eventually believe that story and embrace it – whether it empowers us or not.  So the question is: Does your story empower you?  Don’t place your mistakes on your mind, their weight may crush your current potential.  Instead, place them under your feet and use them as a platform to view the horizon.  Remember, all things are difficult before they are easy.  What matters the most is what you start doing now.

Attempting to fit in by becoming someone else. – The hardest battle you’re ever going to fight is the battle to be you, just the way you are in this moment.  We cannot find ourselves if we are always searching for, or morphing into, someone else.  In this crazy world that’s trying to make you like everyone else, find the courage to keep being your awesome self.  Be your own kind of beautiful right now, in the way only you know how.

The picture in your head of how it’s supposed to be. – What often screws us up the most in life is the picture in our head of how it’s supposed to be.  Although every good thing has an end, in life every ending is just a new beginning.  Life goes on – not always the way we had envisioned it would be, but always the way it’s supposed to be.  Remember, we usually can’t choose the music life plays for us, but we can choose how we dance to it.

Berating yourself for not being perfect. – Don’t be too hard on yourself.  There are plenty of people willing to do that for you.  Do your best and surrender the rest.  Tell yourself, “I am doing the best I can with what I have in this moment.  And that is all I can expect of anyone, including me.” 

Waiting, and then waiting some more. – Stop waiting for tomorrow; you will never get today back.  It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past.  It doesn’t matter how low or unworthy you feel right now.  The simple fact that you’re alive makes you worthy.  Life is too short for excuses.  Stop settling.  Stop procrastinating.  Start today by taking one courageous step forward.  If you are not sure exactly which way to go, it is always wise to follow your heart.

~~~

“The life you have left is a gift. Cherish it. Enjoy it now, to the fullest. Do what matters, now.”

Leo Babauta

~~~

The church was celebrating Communion.  During the “children’s sermon,” the minister was talking about Communion and what it is all about.  “The Bible talks of Holy Communion being a ‘joyful feast’.  What does that mean? Well, ‘joyful’ means happy, right?  And a feast is a meal.  So a ‘joyful feast’ is a happy meal.  And what are the three things we need for a happy meal?”

Little Johnny put up his hand and said, “Hamburger, fries, and a regular soft drink?”

~~~

It is impossible for an optimist to be pleasantly surprised.

~~~

Four members of the clergy had a theological argument, with the three male ministers siding against the female minister.

The woman prayed, “Lord, I know I’m right.  Please send us a divine sign to prove it.” A big storm cloud materialized, and there was a clap of thunder, “See,” said the woman. “It’s a sign from above.”

The three clergymen disagreed, saying thunder is a common phenomenon.

“Dear Lord,” the woman prayed, “I need a bigger sign.” This time a bolt of lightning slammed into a tree. “See! I told you I was right,” the woman said.

But the men insisted nothing had happened that couldn’t be explained by natural causes.

“Help me, Lord,” the woman implored.  And a deep voice came from the heavens: “SSSHHHEEE’S RRRIIIGGGHHHTTT!!!” The woman turned to the three clergymen and asked, “Well?”

“So, okay,” they said. “Now it’s three against two.”

~~~

You can’t turn back the clock, but you can wind it up again.

~~~

The Smith’s were proud of their family tradition.  Their ancestors had come to America on the Mayflower.  Their line had included Senators and Wall Street wizards. Now they decided to compile a family history, a legacy for the children.  They hired a fine author.  Only one problem arose — how to handle that great-uncle who was executed in the electric chair.

The author said he could handle that chapter of history tactfully.

The book appeared.  It said that “Great-uncle George occupied a chair of applied electronics at an important government institution, was attached to his position by the strongest of ties and his death came as a real shock.”

~~~

“A simple life is not seeing how little we can get by with—that’s poverty—but how efficiently we can put first things first. . . . When you’re clear about your purpose and your priorities, you can painlessly discard whatever does not support these, whether it’s clutter in your cabinets or commitments on your calendar.”

Victoria Moran

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

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

This daily is sent only to special people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at https://raykiwsp.wordpress.com/ currently there are about 2000 readers from around the world.

May peace be with you

It is the personal thoughtfulness, the warm human awareness, the reaching out of the self to ones fellow man that makes giving worthy of the Christmas spirit.

Isabel Currier

Here we are Christmas Eve. My day will be full once I return from my early morning exercise and it will be capped by our extended families annual Christmas Eve dinner at a downtown club. We have been doing it with another family for about 40 years and as in-laws and children have been added it has grown to be a large group. Unfortunately however we had to reduce the reservation by five people as a son-in-law had an emergency appendectomy on Saturday and is currently recovering in the hospital. He was scheduled for a western ski trip with two of my grandkids in a few days so I am glad it happened here and not on a ski slope in the mountains with only his children nearby.

Rather than do more than hope that the Christmas spirit catches on so we will all work to solve problems rather than continue to generate new ones I am going to see what I wrote on the day before Christmas in previous years.

2002

Peace on Earth

Good will towards men

Nothing more needs to be said.

If we all do our part, think what we might……

~~~

2003

No matter where you are in the world today, no matter your religion or your beliefs, I hope you too will embrace “Peace on Earth, good-will to men.” I know of no time when goodwill was needed more. The events of the last few years have shown that hatred, animosity, and terror affects us all, and that no one is guaranteed safety and tranquility. It will take us all, and millions of others working for peace and understanding if we are to stop and reverse the insanity. At the very least we can be kind to each other and invest in the brightest possible future for all children in the years ahead. During this season of celebration let us not forget the fact that our religions and our philosophy is based on the promise of a better life for all.

~~~

2004

“Imagine all the people living life in peace.

You may say I’m a dreamer,

but I’m not the only one.

I hope someday you’ll join us,

and the world will be as one.”

John Lennon

“All we are saying is give peace a chance…”

John Lennon

“Peace is our gift to each other.”

Elie Wiesel

~~~

Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus

New York Sun, 1897

We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:

 

Dear Editor,

 

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

 

Virginia O’Hanlon

 

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

~~~

I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.

Charles Dickens

~~~

 

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.

Soon we’ll get another chance

Whether we want them or not, the New Year will bring new challenges; whether we seize them or not, the New Year will bring new opportunities.

Michael Josephson

 

We may have different religious beliefs, we may live in different cultures and we may even have different lifestyles, but we all do share the human existence and we are more alike than we are different. We breathe, we eat, we crave warmth and safety and we need support and even love from others. It is sad that so many of us focus on our differences and not on how much alike we really are. Some of us even get trapped in cultures and tribes that demand we hate each other rather than reach out to each other, and that may be our world’s greatest tragedy. Just think what it would be like if we could garner all the resources currently spent on hatred, conflict and oppression and used them to nurture the worlds people.

Maybe as we approach the end of the year it would be wise for us to inventory how much ill will and hate we harbor in our own hearts, often for people we don’t even know and then take the energy used to hate and turn it into energy spent on greater understanding.

I found this article today on an Appleton Wisconsin newspaper’s web site. It is what got me thinking about making a meaningful New Year’s resolution.

 

The holiday season is alive with goodwill and good cheer that spills over into our workplaces. Wouldn’t it be great if that could last for more than a few weeks? As you wish one another “happy holidays” keep in mind that how we treat one another matters all year long. Keep the “holiday spirit” alive throughout the year by choosing to share a gift that will keep on giving long after the parties are over and the decorations have been put away.

• Give a smile. Smile at everyone you encounter and you can give thousands of these gifts in the next year. You can even give this gift to yourself — studies show that it’s hard to feel negative while smiling.
• Give gratitude. It costs so little to say “thank you” and it can mean so much. If you make a conscious effort every day to express your gratitude to at least one person you will have given at least 365 more gifts in 2013.
• Give appreciation. You don’t have to expend a lot of effort to let someone know they’re appreciated. A simple “I like working with you” or “you do your job well” will make anyone’s day brighter. Do this once a week and add 52 more meaningful gifts.
• Give assistance. There is nothing like a helping hand when someone is feeling stressed, overwhelmed or overworked. Don’t wait to be asked, make the offer. Even if there isn’t anything you can do, often just the offer to help will lighten the load. An offer a month provides 12 more giving opportunities.
• Give understanding. When you put yourself in someone else’s shoes or give them the benefit of the doubt, you are less likely to judge, criticize or gossip. No doubt there’ll be many occasions to give this gift and it’s one that will benefit the entire workplace.
• Give kindness. There are many ways to express kindness — a caring smile, a compassionate ear, a thoughtful gesture, a gentle reminder, a considerate response, an expression of sympathy, an offer to help — most of which cost so little in contrast to how much they enrich the lives of those around us. Make kindness the focal point of your interactions and each day will provide countless opportunities to make the world a better place, for you and everyone you encounter.

Give the gifts that keep on giving — at work, at home, at school, at church, in your neighborhood — and you, too, will reap the benefits.

Happy Holidays with wishes for peace, contentment, prosperity and success.

~~~

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”

Annie Evett

~~~

The boyfriend said, “We’re going to have a GREAT time Saturday.  I’ve gotten three tickets for the big game.”

“Why do we need three?” asked the girl.

“They’re for your Father, Mother, and kid sister.” he replied.

~~~

I got my IQ test results back, they were negative.

~~~

The officer pulled me over for speeding.  I explained that I was rushing home to be with my wife on our first anniversary.

But rather than letting me off, he wrote out the ticket, handed it to me, and said, “Congratulations.  The first year is paper, right?”

~~~

Snowmen fall from Heaven unassembled.

~~~

Those of us who worked at the front desk of a convention hotel in Houston, Texas prided ourselves on making the guests feel special. When someone arrived at reception, credit card in hand, we would sneak a quick peek at it and address him by name.

Once, during a check-in, one of our guests presented a corporate credit card. “Welcome to Houston, Mr. Bell,” the desk clerk said.

“Oh, please,” the man replied, “call me Taco.”

~~~

On my first day of school my parents dropped me off at the wrong nursery. There I was…surrounded by trees and bushes.

~~~

“Baby Talk”

What your baby would tell you if he could talk:

1. I have my blankie, you have your caffeine. Enough said.

2. Don’t be jealous, but I think I’m in love with the ceiling fan.

3. I know where the remote control is, but it’ll cost you.

4. To you, it’s just an empty egg carton; to me it’s PlayStation 2.

5. Actually, I don’t mind sitting in a bathtub that I’ve peed in.

6. Bang a screwdriver slowly and steadily into your gums. That’s what teething feels like.

7. Two words I’d rather not hear from you: rectal thermometer.

8. There’s no point in teaching me to say “mama” or “dada.” My first word is going to be “hat.”

9. I’ve told you five times what cow says. If you can’t remember, I’m not telling you again.

10. There is no question that I can cry longer than you can listen.

11. I’m not just wildly throwing my food. I’m exploring the laws of gravity, estimating mass, and testing wind velocity.

12. If you wanted a good sleeper, you should have gotten a cat.

13. Who that baby in the mirror you keep asking me about?

14. If my bottom is so darn cute, why is someone always trying to cover it up?

15. Who are you two to tell me how important it is to sleep alone?

16. What you secretly believe is true: I am much smarter than other babies.

~~~

A happy New Year! Grant that I

May bring no tear to any eye

When this New Year in time shall end

Let it be said I’ve played the friend,

Have lived and loved and labored here,

And made of it a happy year.

Edgar Guest

~~~

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.

And tomorrow is going to be great too

“The beginning is always today.”

Mary Shelley

 

I have written often recently about how much enjoyment I get out of life because primarily because I have come to realize how much I have to be thankful for. I do because of my greater appreciation of the small everyday things that that abound and which more than offset the occasional negatives. I have also shared a number of articles about living in the moment since yesterday is now history and cannot be changed and tomorrow is yet to come and holds its own mysteries.

Today I realized that my life would be pretty boring if each day was the same and held only the same basics as it always has. In truth my life is enriched by placing on tomorrow’s agenda great things which enrich each new day. There are people I have yet to meet, places I have yet to see and knowledge I have yet to acquire. In fact to some extent it is the planning and anticipation of what is yet to come that helps make each day special. So while we can live each day to the fullest without worrying about yesterday or tomorrow we can invest a little time in making sure that the days ahead keep getting better.

Here is something I saved that I really like about why we should look forward to the opportunities ahead while building on the happiness we experienced today.

 

Be Thankful

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire … if you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something … for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times … during those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations … they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge… which will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes … they will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary … because it means you’ve given your all.

It’s easy to be thankful for the ‘good’ things … yet, a life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive … find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.

Author Unknown

~~~

“The timeless in you is aware of life’s timelessness. And knows that yesterday is but today’s memory and tomorrow is today’s dream.”

Kahlil Gibran

~~~

THINGS YOU DON’T WANT TO HEAR DURING SURGERY

* FIRE! FIRE! Everyone get out now!

* Don’t worry. I think it is sharp enough.

* Uh-oh.

* I don’t know where that came from! Just put it over there.

* Better crank up that anesthesia.

* I don’t think that was supposed to come off.

* Gonna have to stop here, his insurance won’t pay for the rest.

* Well, it’s five o’clock! We’ll just put this off till tomorrow.

~~~

It’s zero degrees outside today and it’s supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow. How cold will it be?

~~~

Charlie was playing with his little brother Mickey when the little boy asked whether he could fly like Superman.

“Sure you can, Mickey,” Charlie said, “Just flap your arms really *really* hard.”

So Mickey climbed up on the windowsill, started flapping like mad, jumped, then smashed into the ground just a few inches below.

Horrified, their mother came screaming into the room and asked, “What  happened?!?”

Charlie said, “I was just teaching Mickey not to believe everything someone tells him.”

~~~

Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?

~~~

A small boy was lost, so he went up to a policeman and said, “I’ve lost my dad!”

The copper said, “What’s he like?”

The little boy replied, “Beer and women!”

~~~

It has recently been discovered that research causes cancer in rats.

~~~

Coming out of church, Mrs. Smith asked her husband, “Do you think that Johnson girl is tinting her hair?”

“I didn’t even see her,” admitted Mr. Smith.

“And that dress Mrs. Davis was wearing,” continued Mrs. Smith, “Really, don’t tell me you think that’s the proper outfit for a mother of two.”

“I’m afraid I didn’t notice that either,” said Mr. Smith.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” snapped Mrs. Smith. “A lot of good it does you to go to church.”

~~~

“First you forget names, then you forget faces. Next you forget to pull your zipper up and finally, you forget to pull it down.”

George Burns

~~~

“Christmas Carols for the Psychiatrically Challenged”

SCHIZOPHRENIA – Do You Hear What I Hear?

MULTIPLE PERSONALITY – We Three Queens Disoriented Are.

DEMENTIA – I Think I’ll Be Home for Christmas.

NARCISSISTIC – Hark The Herald Angels Sing (About Me)

MANIA – Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores and Office and Town …or Deck the Halls and Spare No Expense!

PARANOIA – Santa Claus is Coming To Get Me.

PERSONALITY DISORDER – You Better Watch Out, I’m Gonna Cry, I’m Gonna Pout, then MAYBE I’ll tell you why.

DEPRESSION – Silent anhedonia, Holy anhedonia. All is calm, All is pretty lonely.

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE – Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell…

BORDERLINE PERSONALITY – Thoughts of Roasting in an Open Fire.

PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE – On the First Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me (and then took it all away).

~~~

“If I were to live for tomorrow, I would have lived fullest for today.”

Santosh Kalwar

~~~

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.

This time let’s do something

“Compassion is the ultimate and most meaningful embodiment of emotional maturity. It is through compassion that a person achieves the highest peak and deepest reach in his or her search for self-fulfillment.”

Arthur Jersild

 

My country is still reeling from the horrific murder of twenty young children and six adults during the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. In fact yesterday I was with a friend early in the morning that could not hold back her tears as she thought about the children who were just starting their lives and now are gone. My friend is not alone, I continue to hear from people who are devastated by this tragedy.

I have been moved by the compassion shown by so many and at the same time have struggled with the fact that these events caused by mad men take place so frequently these days. The combination of the anger and frustration I feel is made worse by my feeling that we as a people are not taking these threats seriously enough. Defenders of the rights to bear arms support background checks but there are so many alternate channels to purchase arms that the partial background checks do little good. We have a mental health system that does little to identify and then deal with thousands of mentally unstable people that exist in every community.

I don’t have any answers and while I feel good about the national demonstration of compassion I am frustrated by the lack of effort to invest in solutions. How can it be that it is so easy to put rapid fire weapons with large magazines in the hands of mad men? How can it be that we spend so little on providing adequate security of facilities that house our children? Hopefully this time we hurt enough to do something other than convince ourselves that nothing can be done. Possibly the most compassionate thing we could do is demand solutions in the name of the young children who will never enjoy what life would have offered them. I sometimes wonder if we really care enough; are we willing to pay for what needs to be done? I sure hope so.

My last thought − this is not a gun owner’s rights issue it is an issue of protecting the lives of the innocent.

~~~

“Compassionate action involves working with ourselves as much as working with others.”

Pema Chodron

~~~

Again I thought about eliminating the humor today but I decided that we cannot let the actions of the criminally insane stop us.

~~~

One of the great gifts my Jewish friends provide to me and others is their humor. Here is another example. On Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), there is a service called Taslisch (throwing) where sins are symbolically cast away by throwing bread into the water. Some people have asked what kind of bread they are supposed to throw into the water. Here are suggestions:

For ordinary sins, use — White Bread

For exotic sins — French or Italian bread

For dark sins — Pumpernickle

For complex sins — Multi-grain

For sins commited in haste — Matzah

For being ill-tempered — Sourdough

For silliness — Nut bread

For not giving full value — Short bread

For excessive use of irony — Rye Bread

For continual bad jokes — Corn Bread

~~~

I hope those of you who have seen me the last few years have noticed that I have the body of a God… Buddha

~~~

Since we are on the subject, here are a few from the irreverent Catholic dictionary:

Act of Contrition—A penitential prayer you warm up with so you don’t cramp up in the confessional.

Act of God— 1. The kind of disaster insurance doesn’t cover 2. The only way to get some Catholics to church on Sunday.

Advent —A season filled with the sounds of pipers piping, drummers drumming and cash registers ringing.

Advent Wreath— A brightly colored, seasonally decorated fire hazard.

Agnostic—1. An atheist who is hedging his bets. 2. Someone who isn’t sure there is a God, but who is sure he doesn’t want to go to Mass every Sunday.

~~~

In an underdeveloped country don’t drink the water, in a developed country, don’t breathe the air.

Jonathan Raban

~~~

My exercise secrets:

I have to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I’m doing.

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.

I have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.

I don’t jog. It makes the ice jump right out of my glass.

~~~

“Right now I’m having amnesia and deja vu at the same time. I think I’ve forgotten this before.”

Steven Wright

~~~

When the new patient was settled comfortably on the couch, the psychiatrist began his therapy session.  “I’m not aware of your problem,” the doctor said.  “So perhaps, you should start at the very beginning.”

“Of course,” replied the patient.  “In the beginning, I created the Heavens and the Earth…”

~~~

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.

Mark twain

~~~

She said: My daughter called me at work to say I was to phone “Josh” at the bank regarding my account. So, I called my bank and the operator asked me what Josh’s last name was and I explained that he hadn’t left his last name. When she asked for his department, I said that I didn’t know.

“There are 1500 employees in this building, ma’am,” she advised me rather sharply.

After a few more brusque comments, I was becoming angry so I asked her for her name.

“Danielle,” she said.

“And your last name?” I asked.

“Sorry,” she replied, “we’re not allowed to give out last names.”

~~~

“We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness.”

Charlie Chaplin

~~~

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.

Why?

“Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.”

Voltaire

I have been concerned lately by some of the questions I either get or hear asked of someone else. One that really disturbed me some time ago was when I was asked why I put so much time in volunteering for a number of different organizations when I am not getting paid. Another often heard in different forms is why should we care about people we don’t know? You get the idea. In my mind the questions themselves speak volumes about the people who ask them. I think while these folks appear on the surface to be self-centered, materialistic and somewhat selfish in reality they are depriving themselves of the rewards that come from doing what you can for others.

As I may have told you before I took a major cut in income some years ago so I could do some humanitarian things that I never would have been able to do otherwise. In effect I paid myself out of savings in order to reap the personal reward that comes from being able at the end of the day to know I did something worthwhile. I just hope that some of the current trends don’t end up isolating folks so much that they lose their humanitarian spirit.

While not totally on point I do like what Angel Hack wrote recently on how we all can get more enjoyment out of life. Here is what she wrote:

 

Living a positive life is all about creating positive habits to help you focus on what truly matters.  This is the secret of super positive people.  Here are nine simple ideas to help you follow in their footsteps.

Wake up every morning with the idea that something wonderful is possible today. – Smiling is a healing energy.  Always find a reason to smile.  It may not add years to your life but will surely add life to your years.  A consistent positive attitude is the cheapest ‘fountain of youth.’  You’ve got to dance like there’s nobody watching, love like you’ll never be hurt, sing like there’s nobody listening, and live like it’s heaven on Earth.

Celebrate your existence. – Your mind is the window through which you see the world.  The way to make this the happiest day ever is to think, feel, walk, talk, give, and serve like you are the most fortunate person in the whole world.  Open minded, open hearted, and open handed.  Nothing more is needed.  All is well… and so it is.

Appreciate life’s perfect moments. – Your life isn’t perfect, but it does have perfect moments.  Don’t let the little things get you down.  You’ve got plenty of reasons to look up at the sky and say, “Thank you, I will do my best to make this a great day.”  So slow down and pause for a moment to stand in awe of the fact that you are alive, and that you have the ability to rediscover life as the miracle it has always been.

Embrace life’s challenges. – Uncharted territory in your life is not good or bad, it just is.  Yes, it may rattle your foundation, and you may be tempted to pullback, say you can’t do it, or bail completely.  But these are exactly the conditions that set you up for massive amounts of personal growth.  Each experience through which you pass operates ultimately for your own good.  This is the correct attitude to adopt, and you must be able to see it in this light.

Become addicted to constant and never-ending self improvement. – It doesn’t have to be January 1st to give yourself a chance to make the most out of your life.  Every day is a new day to learn, grow, develop your strengths, heal yourself from past regrets, and move forward.  Every day gives you a chance to reinvent yourself, to fine-tune who you are, and build on the lessons you have learned.  It is never too late to change things that are not working in your life and switch gears.  Using today wisely will always help you create a more positive tomorrow.

Live and breathe the truth. – It’s the most positive, stress-free way to live, because the truth always reveals itself eventually anyway.  So don’t aim to be impressive, aim to be true.  Those who are true are truly impressive.  Being true means having integrity; and integrity is doing the right thing even when you know nobody is watching.

Fill your own bucket. – Choose to be happy for no reason at all.  If you are happy for a reason, you could be in trouble, because that reason can get taken away from you.  So smile right now because you can right now, and make it a point to fill your own bucket of happiness so high that the rest of the world can’t poke enough holes to drain it dry.

Help the people around you smile. – Today, give someone one of your smiles.  It might be the only sunshine they see all day.  Sometimes just a single genuine smile or compliment can lift a person’s spirits to new heights.  At the right time, a kind word from a stranger, or unexpected encouragement from a friend, can make all the difference in the world.  Kindness is free, but it’s priceless.  And as you know, what goes around comes around.

Spend time with positive people. – Life’s way too awesome to waste time with people who don’t treat you right.  So surround yourself with people who make you happy and make you smile.  People who help you up when you’re down.  People who would never take advantage of you.  People who genuinely care.  They are the ones worth keeping in your life.  Everyone else is just passing through.

~~~

Why do some people have to starve, while there are surpluses rotting in other parts of the world? Oh,why are people so crazy?”

Anne Frank

~~~

The kids tell us:

PERSONAL QUALITIES NECESSARY TO BE A GOOD LOVER: “One of you should know how to write a check. Because, even if you have tons of love, there is still going to be a lot of bills.” (Ava, 8)

A SUREFIRE WAYS TO MAKE A PERSON FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU: “One way is to take the girl out to eat. Make sure it’s something she likes to eat. French fries usually works for me.” (Bart, 9)

HOW CAN YOU TELL IF TWO ADULTS EATING DINNER AT A RESTAURANT ARE IN LOVE ? “Lovers will just be staring at each other and their food will get cold. Other people care more about the food.” (Brad, 8)

~~~

The Doctor says “You’ll live to be 60!”

“I AM 60!”

“See, what did I tell you?”

Henny Youngman

~~~

A psychiatrist was trying to comfort a new patient who was terribly upset. “You see, Doc,” the patient explained, “my problem is that I like shoes much better than I like boots.”

“Why, that’s no problem,” answered the doctor. “Most people like shoes better than boots.”

The patient was elated, “That’s neat, Doc. How do you like them, fried or scrambled?”

~~~

The Face Is Familiar But I Can’t Quite Remember My Name

~~~

The British Military writes officer fitness reports. The form used for Royal Navy and Marines fitness reports is the S206. The following are ACTUAL EXCERPTS taken from people’s “206’s”….

– His men would follow him anywhere, but only out of curiosity.

– I would not breed from this Officer.

– This Officer is really not so much of a has-been, but more of a definitely won’t-be.

– When she opens her mouth, it seems that this is only to change whichever foot was previously in there.

– He has carried out each and every one of his duties to his entire satisfaction.

– He would be out of his depth in a car park puddle.

– Technically sound, but socially impossible.

– This Officer reminds me very much of a gyroscope – always spinning around at a frantic pace, but not really going anywhere.

– This young lady has delusions of adequacy.

– When he joined my ship, this Officer was something of a granny; since then he has aged considerably.

– Since my last report he has reached rock bottom, and has started to dig.

– She sets low personal standards and then consistently fails to achieve them.

– He has the wisdom of youth, and the energy of old age.

– This Officer should go far – and the sooner he starts, the better.

– In my opinion this pilot should not be authorized to fly below 250 feet.

– This man is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot.

– The only ship I would recommend this man for is citizenship.

~~~

“Have you found someone to share your heart with?

Are you giving to your community?

Are you at peace with yourself?

Are you trying to be as human as you can be?”

Mitch Albom

~~~

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 are being watched

The miracle is this – the more we share, the more we have

Leonard Nimoy

 

I have come to appreciate acts of kindness and goodwill more and more each day. I am finding that there are those who seem to thrive on their just being nice to all they meet. At a time when there is so much anger and polarization in our society the light that is generated by caring people without anything to gain but their own wellbeing is a joy to behold.

I spent this past weekend with a number of people I never met giving up their time and offering their talent to provide some semblance of happiness to folks sorely in need of human kindness. For many years I was one of those who seldom got down in the trenches where real people do so much for others. I just was too busy doing my own thing and sometimes what I did was primarily for my own gain. Gratefully I learned to invest in myself by doing things with others who demonstrate kindness with little material return, their payment is their ability to end each day knowing they did the best they could for those around them. You know it is not the rewards or accolades that mean the most it is how the positive behavior often inspires others.

Here is a story that reminds us just how important what we do can be on those around us.

 

When you thought I wasn’t looking

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don’t.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn’t feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it’s alright to cry.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I learned most of life’s lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, ‘Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn’t looking.’

Each of us (parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher or friend) influence the life of a child. How will you touch the life of someone today?

Written by a former child

Author Unknown

~~~

Always do right. This will surprise some people and astonish the rest

Mark Twain

~~~

Pete and Gladys were looking at a new living room suite in the furniture store.  Pete says to the salesman, “We really like it, but I don’t think we can afford it.”

The salesman says, “You just make a small down payment.  Then you don’t make another payment for six months.”

Gladys wheeled around with her hands on her hips and says, “Who told you about us?”

~~~

A lot of trouble in this world is caused by combining a narrow mind with a wide mouth.

~~~

At the airport for a business trip, I settled down to wait for the boarding announcement at Gate 35. Then I heard the voice on the public address system saying, “We apologize for the inconvenience, but Delta Flight 570 will board from Gate 41.”

So my family picked up our luggage and carried it over to Gate 41. Not ten minutes later the public address voice told us that Flight 570 would in fact be boarding from Gate 35.

So again we gathered our carry-on luggage and returned to the original gate. Just as we were settling down, the public address voice spoke again: “Thank you for participating in Delta’s physical fitness program.”

~~~

A reporter was interviewing a 104-year-young woman. “And what do you think is the best thing about 104?” the journalist asked.

“No peer pressure,” she replied.

~~~

A man goes to the track and sees a Priest blessing a horse before a race and quickly goes to the ticket window and bets. The horse wins. He watches the Priest carefully for the next four races, and continues to win, until he has quite a small fortune. He decides to bet it all on one last race.

Before the horse crosses the finish line however, it drops dead. The man rushes up to the Priest, confronts him with what he’s seen and demands an explanation.

The Priest just shakes his head sadly and says, “That’s one of the problems with you Protestants. You don’t know the difference between a blessing and the last rites.”

~~~

In times of prosperity men ask too little of God. In times of adversity, they ask too much.

~~~

Top brass from the Army, Navy and Marine Corps were arguing about who had the bravest troops. They decided to settle the dispute using an enlisted man from each branch.

The Army General called a private over and ordered him to climb to the top of the base flagpole while singing “The Caissons Go Rolling Along,” then let go with both hands, and salute. The private quickly complied.

Next, the Admiral ordered a sailor to climb the pole, polish the brass knob at the top, sing “Anchors Aweigh,” salute smartly and jump off. The sailor did as he was told and landed on the concrete below.

Finally, the marine was told to do exactly as the army and navy men had done, but in full battle gear, pack filled with bricks, loaded weapon carried high. He took one look at the Marine General and said, “You’re out of your mind, sir!”

The marine commander turned to the others. “Now THAT’S guts!”

~~~

Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored

Earl Nightingale

~~~

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.