Ray's Daily

They will come if we give them what they want

This City is what it is because our citizens are what they are.

Plato

I shared with you the other day the importance I placed on getting our fellow citizens engaged in the effort to make our community a better place. The key word is “engaged,” which means to me someone who is actively and continually involved. Far too often we find folks who might help choosing not to do so while those trying to lead the charge complain that people don’t do what they should do.

In my experience what needs to be done is to look at what we are offering those who could help us. I run into frustrated leaders all the time that bemoan the fact that people signup for a good cause and then don’t show-up. Yet seldom do these same leaders stop and review what they do and how they do it. When people choose not to participate it is because we have not made it beneficial for them to do so. People have so many options these days that they can choose to do something else with their time.

Here are some thoughts on how we can make what we offer more attractive:

1. Make sure everyone is appreciated who offers to help. Never take volunteers for granted.
2. Make sure everyone is given something that they can do.
3. Include the rank and file in the decision making process.
4. Don’t bring people to meetings just to report to them how well the organization and its leaders are doing. Invite them to come and participate in developing strategies and tactics that they can help implement.
5. Report successes and challenges always making sure the role played by all is recognized.
6. Share enthusiasm for the cause and the joy of joint accomplishment.

There is more but for me when I cannot rally people I have to look at myself and not them. How many times have you heard people say things like “I want to do something to give back to the community” and then walk away because we did not give them any way to do so. So clearly communicate, sincerely appreciate and by all means give those who care something to do.

Here are some tips on how to engage the public from the Case Foundation that I think are worthy:

To develop and adopt citizen-centered approaches, the service and civic engagement field should:

• Shift the focus. Instead of asking how to encourage civic engagement, consider the best ways to give people opportunities to define and solve problems themselves.
• Involve all community institutions. Engage faith-based organizations, schools, businesses, and government agencies in providing public deliberation and problem-solving for all citizens.
• Use technology to create a new kind of “public commons.” Leverage technology’s power to encourage, facilitate, and increase citizen-centered dialogue, deliberation, organizing, and action around a wide variety of issues.
• Explore and create new mechanisms. Don’t assume that traditional venues like town hall meetings are sufficient to truly get different types of people to engage and share perspectives. Look at where people are already interacting (such as neighborhood organizations, schools, and workplaces) and consider other approaches, structures, and venues.
• Conduct rigorous research about what works and why. While considerable research has been conducted on the levels of volunteering, voting, community service, and political participation, there is a need for more evaluation about the motivating forces behind such behaviors — and what approaches are effectively solving community problems.
• Help communities move from deliberation to action. Deliberation should serve as a means to the end of communities being able to take action collectively in ways that reap results they can see and experience.

~~~

The health of a democratic society may be measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens.

Alexis de Tocqueville

~~~

Flying home after visiting her daughter in England, she arranged to have her husband meet her plane at the Vancouver, B.C. airport. This meant a stop at the border crossing between the United States and Canada, where her husband was asked: “What is your reason for entering the country?” and “How long are you planning to stay?”

He replied that he was picking his wife up at the airport after her trip to England. Without missing a beat, the guard asked two more questions in the same businesslike tone: “Is the house clean?” and “Are there fresh flowers on the table?”

~~~

I’ve learned that ultimately, ‘takers’ lose and ‘givers’ win.

~~~

A four-year-old boy and his father went to the beach. There was a dead seagull lying on the sand. The boy asked his father, ”Dad, what happened to the birdie?” His dad told him, ”Son, the bird died and went to heaven.”

Then the boy asked, ”Did God throw him back down?”

~~~

Remember the good old days when people killed time by working instead of by taking coffee breaks?

~~~

Ron just got a new sports car and was out for a drive when he cut off a truck driver. The trucker motioned for Ron to pull over. When he did, the driver got out of his truck and pulled a piece of chalk from his pocket. He drew a circle on the road and told Ron to stand in the circle and not move. He then went to Ron’s new car and cut up the leather seats. When the truck driver turned around Ron had a slight grin on his face.

“Oh, you think that’s funny?” the trucker asked, “Watch this.” He got a baseball bat out of his truck and broke every window in the car. When he turned and looked Ron had a smile on his face. This drove the driver into a rage. He got his knife back out and sliced all the tires. Now Ron was laughing. The truck driver really started to lose it. He went back to his truck and got a can of gas, poured it on the sports car and set it on fire. He turned around and Ron was laughing so hard he almost fell down.

“What’s so funny?” The truck driver asked him.

Ron replied, “When you weren’t looking, I stepped outside the circle 4 times.”

~~~

There are no new sins….the old ones just get more publicity.

~~~

After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing He said to them was, “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” Adam asked.

“Don’t eat the forbidden fruit,” God said.

“Forbidden fruit? We got forbidden fruit? Hey, Eve! We got Forbidden Fruit!”

“No way!”

“Yes WAY!”

“Don’t eat that fruit!” said God.

“Why?”

“Because I’m your Creator and I said so!” said God, wondering why he hadn’t stopped after making the elephants.

A few minutes later, God saw the kids having an apple break and was angry. “Didn’t I tell you not to eat that fruit?” God asked.

“Uh huh,” Adam replied.

“Then why did you?”

“I dunno,” Eve answered.

“She started it!” Adam said.

“Did Not!”

“DID so!”

“DID NOT!”

Having had it with the two of them, God’s punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own.

~~~

“Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.”

Japanese Proverb

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

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

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

The people around you can enrich your life

Today, give yourself permission to be outrageously kind, irrationally warm, improbably generous. I promise it will be a blast.

Sasha Dicter

I hope all is well with you. I am a little worn out from a really full day yesterday and not looking forward to eliminating my backlog today so I am again dipping into the archives to send you a Daily from the past. I’ll do better tomorrow.

Ray’s Daily first published on July 29, 2004

A few days ago I went to the hospital to start my weekly Iron IV’s. It has been probably a year ago or more since I was last in the oncology outpatient department getting the same treatments. There was a male nurse on duty that I knew from earlier treatments and it allowed us to quickly get at the business of the day as well as share some hospital gossip. As I was sitting in the chair with my IV hooked-up the gal who cleans the area each morning came by, she greeted me like an old friend and spent a minute or two asking how I was as we exchanged a little bit of family news. It got me thinking about how much people from all walks of life have made my life a little better. In fact I have often found that the high profile, big achievers I have met are not all that warm or even interesting. Some of the best moments of my life have been spent just learning more about an interesting stranger or new friend. I guess that is why I like the following story so much.

~~~

During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: “What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?” Surely, this was some kind of joke.

I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank.

Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. “Absolutely,” said the professor. “In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say ‘hello’.” “I’ve never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

Author Unknown

~~~

Treat everyone as if they are the most important person in the world, because to themselves they are.

Earl Nightingale

~~~

This still boggles my mind.

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdgnieg

THE PAOMNNEHAL PWEOR OF THE HMUAN MNID

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Amzanig huh?

~~~

I prefer to describe my profession as that of a “Contemporary Anthropological Interactive Observer” because it has just the right amount of flair. . . .

Besides, “stalker” is such an ugly word.

~~~

A man was in a terrible auto accident, and his “manhood” was mangled and torn from his body. His doctor assured him that modern medicine could give him back his manhood, but that his insurance wouldn’t cover the surgery, since it was considered cosmetic. The doctor said the cost would be $14,000.

The man was not sure what to do our the size to choose, the doctor urged him to talk it over with his wife before he made any decision. The man called his wife on the phone and explained their options. The doctor came back into the room, and found the man looking dejected.

“Well, what have the two of you decided?” asked the doctor.

The man answered, “She’d rather remodel the kitchen.”

~~~

The things that come to those that wait may be the things left by those who got there first.

~~~

A missionary heard about a native who had five wives.

“You are violating a law of God,” he said, “so you must go and tell four of those women you can no longer live here or consider you their husband.”

The native thought a few moments, then said, “Me wait here.  You tell ’em.”

~~~

The person who agrees with everything you say either isn’t paying attention or plans to sell you something.

~~~

A man entered a stationery store and asked the clerk for a birthday/anniversary card. The clerk replied, “We have birthday cards and we have anniversary cards. Why not take one of each?”

The man said, “You don’t understand. I need a card that covers *both* events! You see, we’re celebrating the fifth anniversary of my wife’s thirty-fourth birthday…”

~~~

To find a fault is easy; to do better may be difficult.

Plutarch

~~~

Old Abraham was a poor tailor whose shop was next door to a very upscale French restaurant. Every day at lunch time, Abraham would go out the back of his shop and eat his black bread and herring while smelling the wonderful odors coming from the restaurant’s kitchen. But one day, Abraham was surprised to receive an invoice from the restaurant for ‘enjoyment of food’. So he went to the restaurant to point out that he had not bought anything from them.

The manager said, “You’re enjoying our food, so you should pay us for it.”

Abraham refused to pay and the restaurant sued him. At the hearing, the judge asked the restaurant to present their side of the case. The manager said, “Every day, this man comes and sits outside our kitchen and smells our food while eating his. It is clear that we are providing added value to his poor food and we deserve to be compensated for it.”

The judge turns to Abraham and said, “What do you have to say to that?”

Abraham didn’t say anything but stuck his hand in his pocket and rattled the few coins he had inside.

The judge asked him, “What is the meaning of that?”

Abraham replied, “I’m paying for the smell of his food with the sound of my money.”

~~~

Morty and Sarah had just returned home from a party. Sarah said, “Do you realize what you did tonight, Morty?”

“No I don’t,” Morty replied, “But I’ll admit I was wrong. What did I do?”

~~~

“What’s the usual tip?” a man growled when a college boy delivered his pizza.

“Well,” the student replied, “this is my first delivery, but the other guys said that if I got a quarter out of you, I’d be doing great.”

“That so?” grunted the man. “In that case, here’s five dollars.”

“Thanks,” the student said, “I’ll put it in my college fund.”

“By the way, what are you studying?”

“Applied psychology.”

~~~

The worst thing about censorship is *******

~~~

“Starbucks announced this week that from now on new Starbucks employees will be required to go through 32 hours of training.

The first hour Starbucks employees learn how to make a cup of coffee, then the next 31 hours they learn how to charge $4 with a straight face.”

Conan O’Brien

~~~

In a department store, a difficult customer and a patient clerk were having a hard time getting together. Nothing the clerk provided was suitable. Finally, the finicky shopper said in annoyance, “Can’t you find a smarter clerk to serve me?”

“No,” said the saleswoman. “The smarter clerk saw you coming and disappeared.”

~~~

People who matter are most aware that everyone else does, too.

Malcolm Forbes

~~~

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.

Join us?

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

John Quincy Adams

At a meeting the other day I participated in a discussion on what we need to do to avoid problems in our city while focusing on developing priorities that would make us even better than we are now. A significant part of the discussion centered on the importance of engaging our fellow citizens in activities that would benefit us all.

We discussed the importance of making sure the public has easy access to understandable information on both our challenges and our opportunities. Equally important was letting them know how they could participate in implementing solutions through communications with their legislators, offering their skills as volunteers, banding together with friends and neighbors while not sitting on the sidelines complaining about how others are not doing anything.

Reflecting on the discussion I again realized that how often we think all we have to do is let individuals know that there is a good cause and they will take action. In my experience we spend so much time trying to enlist outsiders that we have little time to educate our own on the value of what we do. In service clubs we do outreach to individuals in a variety of ways while often failing to motivate our own members to share our story with others. We not only need hands and hearts we need disciples who spread the word.

I also am a strong believer in reaching others through partnering with sponsors and likeminded organizations that let their constituents know what is going on so they can join in the cause. We complain that the media won’t tell our story but we often fail to provide them material that demonstrates the importance of our work, anecdotes on how we are making a newsworthy difference in our community and then providing readers a call to arms, a way for them to get involved.

We need to mass market opportunity. The other day I suggested we were in the business of helping the people in our region see future possibilities. But possible only if enough of us care about public safety, understaffed schools, deteriorating streets and the other urban needs that affect us all and become part of the solution. We can make miracles if we set achievable goals, goals that we as citizens can reach if we partner together.

~~~

“Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it.”

Dwight Eisenhower

~~~

“Ever since we got married, my wife has tried to change me. She got me to stop drinking, smoking and running around until all hours of the night. She taught me how to dress well, enjoy the fine arts, gourmet cooking, classical music, even how to invest in the stock market.”

“Sounds like you may be bitter because she changed you so drastically,” remarked his friend.

“I’m not bitter. Now that I’m so improved, she just isn’t good enough for me.”

~~~

Teacher: I hope I didn’t see you looking at Don’s paper.

Little Johnny: I hope you didn’t either.

~~~

I knew as early as our wedding what marriage to my wife would be like. The priest asked my wife, “Do you take this man to be your husband.” And she said, “I do.”

Then the priest asked me, “Do you take this woman to be your wife,” and my wife said, “He does.”

~~~

Someday, we’ll look back on this, laugh nervously and change the subject.

~~~

Will Rogers said:

1. Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.

2. The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.

3. Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people to know “why” I look this way. I’ve traveled a long way and some of the roads weren’t paved.

4. When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think of Algebra.

5. You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks.

6. I don’t know how I got over the hill without getting to the top.

7. One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is such a nice change from being young.

8. One must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been.

9. Being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.

10. Long ago when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today it’s called golf.

And finally, If you don’t learn to laugh at trouble, you won’t have anything to laugh at when you are old.

~~~

There’s always at least one bolt on anything that’s adjustable. It fits whatever size wrench you don’t have.

~~~

A blonde and her brunette friend were talking, when the blonde said, “I hate all the blonde jokes people tell.” “Oh, they are only jokes. There are a lot of stupid people out there. Here, I’ll prove it to you.” They went outside and hailed a taxi driver. “Please take me to 29 Nickel Street to see if I’m home,” said the brunette. The taxi drove them to Nickel Street, and when they finally got out, the brunette looked at the blonde and said, “See! That guy was really stupid.”

“No kidding,” replied the blonde. “There was a pay phone just around the corner. You could have called instead.”

~~~

The most damaging phrase in the language is: It’s always been done that way.

Grace Hopper

~~~

A young man from a prominent family was being divorced by his glamorous wife. His lawyer called with news about the property settlement. “The good news is that she isn’t asking for any share of your future inheritance.”

“Great!” said the young man. “What’s the bad news?”

“Well,” said the lawyer, “after the divorce, she’s marrying your father!”

~~~

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”

Albert Schweitzer

~~~

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.

It is up to us

“To him who is determined it remains only to act.”

Italian Proverb

As you know I usually am at the YMCA every weekday morning at 5 AM when they open. Mondays and Wednesdays have been especially pleasant as Jonas, a part time employee who opened the center on those days and always with a pleasant greeting. He, like I am, is a frequent cruiser and we have sailed on many of the same ships so it has been fun sharing memories. He was in yesterday morning and we said farewell since he has left to take a new position working with high school kids. It is a worthy job that now will be done by one of the good guys. I will miss him and am glad I got to know him. He again reminded me how pleasing it is to have workers we meet who go out of their way to make others have a good day.

~~~

Yesterday I also attended a Leadership Council meeting for an organization that is helping our cities people participate in building a better future for all of us in Central Indiana. The meeting went well and outlined some of the things that we can do to bring people and organizations together for the betterment of all. At one point someone reported that there are many folks that just don’t care and someone else reminded us that there are others that are hungry, infirm or have other needs that are so overwhelming that they don’t have the capacity to do more than just survive. What they said was right but unfortunately we often spend so much time and energy trying to get people to change their behavior that little gets done. I believe that the secret is to make sure we reach all who do care and help them see what they can do as well as making sure those who have yet to care know there is a place for them. Too many of us waste our time and energy complaining about the status quo and letting everyone know that someone else should do something. We complain about congressional gridlock, failing educational systems, deteriorating infrastructure and much more and yet we don’t seem to realize that the only people who can solve the problems are us. If constituents don’t care enough to be heard and if people just sit back and don’t offer to help solve problems not much will be done. We are inundated with information and it makes it difficult to acquire the knowledge and to learn about opportunities that would help us make a difference. And you know what, if we only paid a little more attention and got a little more involved we can help make a big difference.

One Can Make A Difference

One seed can start a garden

One moment can change a life

One conversation,

Can start a friendship

One step can start a journey

One word can say so much

One smile can brighten a day

One small act of love,

can mean everything to someone

One person can make a difference,

And to me, that person is you.

Matt Windseth

~~~

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Edmund Burke

~~~

A woman whose fondness for the good life had taken its toll in added pounds – and girth – was being shown a Jeep by a salesman at an auto dealership. When the salesman’s pitch had run its course, he sought to close with the typical line, “Now what would it take to get you into one of these?” Looking at the Jeep’s high front seat, the woman replied, “Probably a crowbar.”

~~~

Just living is not enough… One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.

Hans Christian Anderson

~~~

Alan King was one of my all-time favorite comedians, he passed some time ago but his humor lives on.

• On Banks: “Banks have a new image. Now you have ‘a friend,’ your friendly banker. If the banks are so friendly, how come they chain down the pens?”
• On Jewish Mothers: “What’s the difference between a Rottweiler and a Jewish mother? Eventually the Rottweiler lets go.”
• On his parent’s Russian roots: King took his mother, Minnie, to see “Fiddler on the Roof,” thinking the fictitious village of Anatevka might bring back memories of her own childhood village. “And when the show was over and we were back on the street,” Mr. King wrote in his autobiography ‘Name-Dropping: The Life and Lies of Alan King’, “I said, ‘Ma, how did you enjoy it? Did it bring back memories?'” “‘It was wonderful,’ she said. ‘Only I don’t remember so much singing.’ “
• On meeting royalty: Following a performance for the British Royal Family, he was introduced to Queen Elizabeth. “How do you do, Mr. King?” she is reported to have said. “How do you do, Mrs. Queen?” he is said to have replied.
• On Love and Marriage: “If you want to read about love and marriage, you’ve got to buy two separate books”
• On Gifts for the Wife: King told of a Jewish man asking his wife if she would like diamond jewelry, a new car or a trip for their anniversary. She responded that she wanted a divorce. “Oy vey,” the man replied. “I wasn’t planning on spending that much.”

~~~

I’ll drive you crazy, but you’re paying for gas.

~~~

Hanging in the hallway at the High School are the basketball team pictures from the past 40 years. A player in the center of the front row in each picture holds a basketball identifying the year — “62-63,” “63-64,” “64-65,” etc. One day I spotted a freshman looking curiously at the photos. Turning to me, he said, “Isn’t it strange how the teams always lost by one point?”

~~~

“If you’re going to do something tonight that you’ll be be sorry for tomorrow morning, sleep late.”

 Henry Youngman

~~~

When her late husband’s will was read, a widow learned he had left the bulk of his fortune to another woman. Enraged, she rushed to change the inscription on her spouse’s tombstone. “Sorry, lady,” said the stonecutter. “I inscribed ‘Rest in Peace’ on your orders. I can’t change it now.” “Very well,” she said grimly. “Just add, ‘Until We Meet Again.’ ”

~~~

“Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.”

Margaret Mead

~~~

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.

Hannibal had it right

“We will either find a way, or make one.”

Hannibal

Yesterday I suggested that we should not let externally imposed barriers keep us from moving ahead with our lives. When we encounter them we just have to find a way around them, through them or over them. If we stop or pause too long we stand a chance of lingering so long in the doldrums that it becomes too easy to give up and that just assures an uninteresting and dull life ahead.

The tough part is that sometimes the barriers seem to be insurmountable and we lose confidence in our ability find an alternative path. One thing I know is giving up is not the answer; I have found that combining determination with perseverance almost always works. Sometimes it takes time and energy but the process is certainly better than sitting down with woeful regret.

I do however believe in an occasional rest stop to relax and recharge. In my case it may be dropping out for a few hours at a movie matinée, doing some uninterrupted recreational reading, taking a short trip or in some other pursuit with the only rules being that my problem is set aside for a bit. I have found over the years that these brief step-back periods put my problems into better perspective and upon my return the barriers almost always seem less imposing. When I do restart the journey I often find the detour better than the original journey would have been.

Our old friend Ralph Marston is a strong believer in the value of determination, here is what he had to say about it some time ago.

More determined than ever

Let your high expectations push you forward. But don’t let them create disappointments that hold you back. It’s great when you expect the best. But it’s important to keep in mind that you won’t get all the way there immediately, on the first attempt.

When you’re disappointed by the results, that’s no reason to give up your high expectations. On the contrary, it’s a good time to recommit yourself to those high expectations and perhaps to even raise them a bit. Instead of being discouraged by less than spectacular results, be encouraged by the fact that you’re aiming so high. Double down on your expectations by becoming more determined than ever. You won’t instantly achieve what you set out to achieve. The fact that it will take a while to reach makes your goal all the more valuable.

Expect the best and if you fail to get it, continue to expect the best. Eventually you’ll reach the goal, and it will be well worth all your positive persistence.

~~~

“The person who really wants to do something finds a way; the other finds an excuse.”

Sir John Marks Templeton

~~~

A man having lunch at a Chinese restaurant noticed that the table had been set with forks, not chopsticks. He asked why. The waiter said “Chopsticks are provided only on request.” “But,” the man countered, “if you gave your patrons chopsticks, you wouldn’t have to pay someone to wash all the forks.” “True,” the waiter shot back, “but we would have to hire three more people to clean up the mess.”

~~~

“Economy” today means a large container of detergent or a small car.

~~~

She said about having and raising kids that:

* If it was going to be easy, it never would have started with something called labor!

* Shouting to make your children obey is like using the horn to steer your car, and you get about the same results.

* To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today.

* The smartest advice on raising children is to enjoy them while they are still on your side.

* The best way to keep kids at home is to give it a loving atmosphere ~ and hide the keys to the car.

* The right temperature in a home is maintained by warm hearts, not by hot heads.

* The joy of motherhood: What a woman experiences when all the children are finally in bed.

* Life’s golden age is when the kids are too old to need baby-sitters and too young to borrow the family car.

* A child outgrows your lap, but never outgrows your heart.

* There are three ways to get something done: Do it yourself, hire someone to do it, or forbid your children to do it.

* Adolescence is the age when children try to bring up their parents.

* Oh, to be only half as wonderful as my child thought I was when he was small, and half as stupid as my teenager now thinks I am.

* An alarm clock is a device for awakening people who don’t have small children.

~~~

A bore is a person who talks so much about himself that you don’t get a chance to talk about yourself.

~~~

A millionaire informs his attorney, “I want a stipulation in my Will that my wife is to inherit everything, but only if she remarries within six months of my death.”

“Why such an odd stipulation?” asks the attorney.

“Because,” he says, “I want someone to be sorry I died.”

~~~

Who coined the phrase “to coin a phrase”?

Friends took their first-grader on a car trip to Canada.  To help pass the time, the boy practiced his reading skills by calling out road signs.

He fell asleep just before they entered Quebec.

When he awoke, he saw the French highway signs and said, in a worried tone, “I think I forgot how to read while I was asleep.”

~~~

Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.

Foster C. McClellan

~~~

Teacher: Little Johnny, go to the map and find North America. Little Johnny: Here it is!

Teacher: Correct. Now, class, who discovered America?

Class: Little Johnny!

~~~

“I’m not saying that the customer service in my bank is bad, but I went in the other day and asked the clerk to check my balance. She leaned over and pushed me!”

~~~

A man is recovering from surgery when a nurse asks him how he is feeling.

“I’m O.K. but I didn’t like the four-letter-word the doctor used in surgery,” he answered.

“What did he say,” asked the nurse.

“OOPS!”

~~~

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

Calvin Coolidge

~~~

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.

Make sure you change course if you have to

When you come to a roadblock, take a detour.

Barbara Bush

The other day I suggested that one of the secrets of a happy life was the ability to stay nimble and agile as our world changes. Once we realize that the most practical way to travel is not always in a straight line life becomes easier. It does not take long for most people to realize that things seldom turn out exactly as they thought they would or wished that they would and when they don’t the choice is to stop and deteriorate or change direction and move ahead.

Yesterday I was talking to a friend who was sympathetic to some of the challenges I have had to face over the years. I said that I never found much value in agonizing over things I could not change, my time was better spent adapting to reality and moving on. In truth I honestly believe that it is the obstacles that life throws in front of us that make us stronger. Happiness does not have to only come from resting always in the sun, it can come from our successfully dealing with the impediments that require us to change course. It is just like in real life, detours may delay us somewhat but we get to where we want to go while those who turn back never do.

Here is a story with a worthy message that I like, I hope you will too.

Water and Rocks

By Jeff Jennings

Recently, while hiking in the foothills of South Carolina, I happened upon a small, yet briskly flowing whitewater creek. While relaxing and enjoying the solitude, I sensed a battle for superiority between the highly spirited water and the large boulders resting on the creek bed along the edges of the stream.

At first, the rocks, stubborn, immovable and unyielding seemed to have their way with its adversary. However the water, determined yet forgiving, seemed merely inconvenienced by the presence of the rocks, as it effortlessly changed course re-charting a path towards its original destination.

Soon it became clear that the rocks, although remaining strong and steadfast, were losing this confrontation as the waters’ total indifference began to slowly reform these obstacles into smooth and beautiful polished stones.

You see, there seemed to be total lack of struggle associated with the water’s trek. Struggle is like bondage forcing conformity and the water would have none of that. To the contrary, the water seemed perfectly content to move around the rocks when necessary, following some preordained route God had originally intended.

I paused for thought. Maybe people need to be more determined and less steadfast and stubborn. Maybe human beings need to always be open to different points of view, not afraid to readjust their direction as life presents all of its new and unforeseen challenges.

~~~

“Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street.”

Zig Ziglar

~~~

The Ferrari Formula 1 Team fired their entire pit crew yesterday. The announcement followed Ferrari’s decision to take advantage of the British governments ‘Work for the Dole’ scheme and employ unemployable youth.

The decision to hire them was brought on by a recent documentary on how unemployed Liverpool youths were able to remove a set of wheels in less than 6 seconds without proper equipment, whereas Ferrari’s existing crew could only do it in 8 seconds with millions of pounds worth of high tech gear.

This was thought to be an excellent, yet bold move, by Ferrari Management. As most races are won and lost in the pits, Ferrari would have an advantage over every team.

However, Ferrari got more than they bargained for at the crew’s first practice session, not only were the new Pit Crew able to change the tires in under 6 seconds but within 12 seconds they had re-sprayed, retagged and sold the vehicle over to the MacLaren Team for four bottles of Stella and an old Nike shell-suit.

~~~

Rudeness is a weak imitation of strength.

Eric Hoffer

~~~

Two very reform Jews from the big city were traveling in Florida where on Shabbos they found an orthodox shul in a small town where they could attend services.

The shul Rebbe, seeing strangers at the entrance, greeted the two strangers and asked where they would like to sit.

Looking somewhat confused, one out-of-towner smiled and said, ” Nonsmoking please “.

~~~

If quitters never win, and winners never quit, what fool came up with “Quit while you’re ahead”.

~~~

NEW INVENTIONS BY BLONDES

— The water-proof towel

— Glow in the dark sunglasses

— Submarine screen doors

— A book on how to read.

— Inflatable dart boards

— A dictionary index.

— Powdered water

— Pedal-powered wheel chairs

— Waterproof tea bags

— Zero proof alcohol

— Reuseable ice cubes

— See-through toilet tissue

— Do-it-yourself road map

~~~

If it’s true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are OTHERS here for?

~~~

Heather and Marcy hadn’t seen each other in awhile, so they decided to meet for lunch. The talk naturally got around to their respective love lives. Marcy confided that there really wasn’t anyone special in her life. Heather, on the other hand, was beaming about the new man she had found. “He’s perfect. He’s handsome, and last night when we went out to dinner, he said the four little words I’ve been waiting to hear a man say to me!”

“He said ‘will you marry me’?” Marcy asked.

Heather replied, “No, he said ‘put your money away’.”

~~~

My dog saw a sign that said: “Wet Paint” so he did!

~~~

Joe’s wife likes to sing so she decided to join the church choir. From time to time she would practice while she was in the kitchen preparing dinner. Whenever she would start in on a song, Joe would head outside to the porch.

His wife, with hurt feelings, said, “What’s the matter, Joe? Don’t you like my singing?”

Joe replied, “Honey, I love your singing, but I just want to make sure the neighbors know I’m not beating you.”

~~~

Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.

Denis Waitley

~~~

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.

Life rewards the nimble

“I don’t regret the things I’ve done, I regret the things I didn’t do when I had the chance.” 

Unknown

I sure find my life interesting. Yesterday I had two blood draws and one med change. Last Friday I got a call from one of my specialty health teams reporting that a culture they took some time ago was positive so I needed to go on a highly targeted antibiotic. The week before I had surgery where they removed a kidney stone. Tomorrow I am off to the dentist. Next week more tests and life goes on. The good news is that they keep finding and fixing stuff and each time I do a little bit better.

My more limited life style lately coupled with so much time spent in medical waiting rooms has not been helped by my appreciation of daily naps. I am starting to get antsy by my staying out of the fray as much as I have lately. Fortunately I will get back in the water with two important meetings. There is a lot of good stuff going on here in Indy these days and opportunities for us all to get involved. I am glad to be able to again do my part even if it is somewhat limited.

The one thing I have learned is that I cannot reliably predict the future. Things keep changing sometimes for the good and sometimes for the not so good. The secret is not to put off the good stuff until later, do it now while you can while staying nimble. I am glad that I have so many things yet to do that when something does intervene and requires me to back off doing something I always have a reasonable substitute activity to keep me engaged. I never want to waste time pausing in remorse, I would much rather spend my time doing something even if it is primarily just mental exercise.

Here is something I like penned by Sarah Ban Breathnach whose work celebrates quiet joys, simple pleasures and everyday epiphanies. She is author of the New York Times bestsellers, Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy and Something More.

Life is Always Movement

Life doesn’t ever calm down long enough for us to wait until tomorrow to start living the lives we deserve.

Life is always movement, always change, always unforeseen circumstances. There will always be something to grab your attention.

Let’s just acknowledge that as far as real life is concerned, we are only one step away from dealing with dysfunction….Procrastination has robbed us of too many opportunities.

The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do.

Whatever we are waiting for – peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of simple abundance – it will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart.

~~~

All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better

Ralph Waldo Emerson

~~~

A Catholic Dictionary

AMEN: The only part of a prayer that everyone knows.

BULLETIN: Your receipt for attending Mass.

CHOIR: A group of people whose singing allows the rest of the congregation to lip-sync.

HYMN: A song of praise usually sung in a key two octaves higher than that of the congregation’s range.

RECESSIONAL HYMN: The last song at Mass often sung a little more quietly, since most of the people have already left.

INCENSE: Holy Smoke!

JUSTICE: When kids have kids of their own.

PEW: A medieval torture device still found in Catholic churches.

RECESSIONAL: The ceremonial procession at the conclusion of Mass led by parishioners trying to beat the crowd to the parking lot.

RELICS: People who have been going to Mass for so long, they actually know when to sit, kneel, and stand.

TEN COMMANDMENTS: The most important Top Ten list not given by David Letterman.

USHERS: The only people in the parish who don’t know the seating capacity of a pew.

~~~

Business conventions are important because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without.

~~~

A backslider suddenly began attending church faithfully on Sunday mornings instead of going fishing. The pastor was highly gratified and told him, “How wonderful it makes me feel to see you at services with your good wife!”

“Well, Preacher,” said the fisherman, “it’s a matter of choice. I’d rather hear your sermon than hers.”

~~~

“The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

~~~

Announcement: the mental-disease-of-the-month club is being disbanded immediately. The reasons being:

1. During dipsomania month, the club party spent 10 times its budget on refreshments.

2. During kleptomania month, all of the club furnishings were removed, and (as aforementioned) the budget was already spent and gone.

3. During megalomania month, the club organization broke down due to having sixteen claimants to being Club President, etc.

4. During multiple personality month, our club roster roughly tripled in size with no increase in dues.

5.During paranoia month, the inflated roster dropped to zero as each member changed his or her mailing address and left no forwarding address for the club.

You members were obviously out to ruin us; it’s all clear now. It took all our remaining personal savings to track you all down. Therefore, here is your last installment: clinical depression. Have a nice day.”

~~~

I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny forks and spoons, so I wondered what Chinese mothers use.   Toothpicks?

~~~

A young couple met with their Rabbi to set a date for their wedding. When he asked whether they preferred a contemporary or a traditional service, they opted for the contemporary. On the big day, a major storm forced the groom to take an alternate route to the synagogue. The streets were flooded, so he rolled up his pants legs to keep his trousers dry. When he finally reached the shul, his best man rushed him up the aisle and up to the altar, just as the ceremony was starting.

“Pull down your pants,” whispered the Rabbi.

“Uh, Rebbe, I’ve changed my mind,” the groom responded. “I think I would prefer the traditional service.”

~~~

The happiest people seem to be those who have no particular cause for being happy except that they are so.

William Ralph Inge

~~~

While I was paying for my items at a local store, the man behind me laid his purchases on the counter.  Among them was a large, flowery birthday card with “To my wonderful wife” printed on it.

The clerk said,  “You’ve chosen our biggest and prettiest card.”

The man nodded sadly and replied, “One day late.”

~~~

Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security

John Allen Paulos

~~~

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.

Be aware of side effects

Procrastination is like a credit card: it’s a lot of fun until you get the bill.

Christopher Parker

Last week I advocated clearing the decks so I would have more time to read, relax and do some constructive thinking. I was pretty successful in the workload reduction, due in part to some minor health issue as well as really relaxing. In truth I have been over relaxing. I have found that the relaxing part has taken up so much time that I have not done nearly as much reading as I would like. I also set such a high priority on napping that I did not get much productive thinking done. At least I did resume my daily exercise.

I think I forgot to think about the possible side effects of what I had prescribed for myself. I should have realized that I could be so lulled into inaction that I would find it easy to put off the little nuisance things like paying bills and answering mail. Now I realize I succumbed to the siren song of procrastination so I again reminded that there are something’s that are critical even though they appear to be minor on the surface. I am now restarting my day with a time slot set aside to do what needs to be done so that my tomorrows will not start with an ever increasing backlog of unavoidable tasks.

I also revisited the always wise Gretchen Rubin’s thoughts on procrastination and what she does to keep it at bay. Here is what she wrote.

Eight tips to stop procrastinating

1. Put yourself in jail. If I feel pressure to jump in and finish something in a rush, and therefore can’t bear to start, sometimes I put myself in jail. If you’re in jail, you have all the time in the world. You have no reason to hurry, no reason to cut corners or to try to do too many things at once. You can slow down, concentrate. You can take the time to get every single detail right.

2. Ask for help. This is one of my most useful Secrets of Adulthood. Why is this so hard? I have no idea. But whenever I have trouble getting started because I don’t know exactly what to do, and I ask for help, I’m amazed at how much it…helps.

3. Remember: most decisions don’t require extensive research. I often get paralyzed by my inability to make a decision, but by reminding myself that often, one choice just isn’t that much different from another choice, I can get started. Also, I try to identify a knowledgeable person, and just follow whatever that person does.

4. Take a baby step. If you feel yourself dismayed at the prospect of the chain of awful tasks that you have to accomplish, just take one step today. Tomorrow, take the next step. The forward motion is encouraging, and before long, you’ll probably find yourself speeding toward completion. In the same vein…

5. Suffer for 15 minutes. You can do anything for fifteen minutes, and fifteen minutes, day after day, adds up surprisingly fast. That’s how I finally dug myself out of my crushing (if virtual) load of digital photos. Fifteen minutes at a time.

6. Do it first thing in the morning. The night before, vow to yourself to do the dreaded task. Get everything ready — any phone numbers of information you need, files assembled, everything ready to go. And the next day, at the first possible moment – as soon as you walk into work, or when the office opens, or whenever – just do it. Don’t allow yourself to reflect or procrastinate. This is particularly true of exercise. If you think you’ll be tempted to skip, try to work out in the morning.

7. Protect yourself from interruption. How often have you finally steeled yourself to start some difficult project, only to be interrupted the minute you get going? This makes a hard task much harder. Carve out some time to work.

8. Remember, work can be one of the most pernicious forms of procrastination. Don’t kid yourself.

~~~

“Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.”

William James

~~~

Two husbands, Bill and Doug, were discussing their married lives. Although happily married, they admitted that there were arguments sometimes.

Then Bill said, “I’ve made one great discovery. I now know how to always have the last word.”

“Wow!” said Doug, “How do you manage that?”

“It’s easy,” replied Bill. “My last words are always ‘Yes, Dear.'”

~~~

If it’s not one thing, it’s twenty.

~~~

”

City Boy: Say, Dad, how many kinds of milk are there?

Father: Well, there’s evaporated milk, buttermilk, malted milk, and — but why do you wish to know?

City Boy: Oh, I’m drawing a picture of a cow, and I want to know how many *spigots* to put on her.

~~~

“No birth is an accident, no experience is without meaning, and no life is without value.”

Gary Zukav

~~~

A priest was given the job of hearing the confessions of an order of monks. The priest returned to his parish that night and complained to one of the nuns about how long each of the monks took to enumerate all of their sins.

“Oh Father,” said the nun. “It couldn’t have been that bad.”

The priest replied, “Oh it was worse than you can imagine. It was like being stoned to death with popcorn.”

~~~

Funny, I don’t remember being absent minded.

~~~

The kindergarten class had settled down to its coloring books. Willie came up to the teacher’s desk and said, “Miss Francis, I ain’t got no crayons.”

“Willie,” Miss Francis said, “you mean, “I don’t have any crayons.’ You don’t have any crayons. We don’t have any crayons. They don’t have any crayons. Do you see what I’m getting at?”

“Not really,” Willie said, “What happened to all them crayons?”

~~~

“I think Little League (baseball)  is wonderful. It keeps the kids out of the house.”

Yogi Berra

~~~

A minister decided to try something a little different one Sunday morning. He said, “Today, in church, I am going to say a single word and you are going to help me preach. Whatever single word I say, I want you to sing whatever hymn comes to your mind.” The pastor shouted out, “Cross!”

Immediately the congregation started singing in unison “The Old Rugged Cross.”

The pastor hollered out, “Grace!” The congregation began to sing “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound.”

The pastor said, “Power!” The congregation sang “There is Power in the Blood.”

The Pastor said, “Sex!”

The congregation fell in total silence. Everyone was in shock. They all nervously began to look around at each other, afraid to say anything. Then all of a sudden, from the back of the church, a little old 87-year-old grandmother stood up and began to sing “Precious Memories.”

~~~

“The really happy people are those who have broken the chains of procrastination, those who find satisfaction in doing the job at hand. They’re full of eagerness, zest, productivity. You can be, too.”

Norman Vincent Peale

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

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

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

How do you make choices?

Our lives are a sum total of the choices we have made.

Wayne Dyer

We have talked a lot lately about taking control of our lives. Things like making sure we give ourselves time for what is important to us and clearing our minds of the clutter that so often prevents us from investing in our own happiness. I know from personal experience it is often easier said than done. It helps if we reexamine the processes we use to deal with our challenges and opportunities. Many times it requires us to change our behavior in order to do a better job taking care of ourselves while freeing us up to pursue a more positive life style. The ever wise Marc Chernoff in a recent article suggests some things we can do for ourselves to help deal with how we handle our future. I think he is offering sound advice so I have taken the liberty of making some slight edits in order to add it to today’s Daily.

5 Things YOU Should Be an Expert At

1.  Being unapologetically YOU. − To imitate others is to never truly live.  It’s like YOU never existed.

From now on, forget about what everyone else is doing.  Forget about what kind of person you think they want you to be and just be the most authentic version of the person you are.  Let who you are and what you believe shine through in every word you speak and every move you make.

2.  Living through love. − Every human thought, word and deed is based on fear or love.  Fear is an inner energy that contracts, closes down, draws in, hides, hoards and harms.  When you live through fear, you pull back from life. Love is an inner energy that expands, opens up, sends out, reveals, shares and heals.  When you live through love, you open to all that life has to offer with passion and acceptance.

3.  Learning from mistakes. − Mistakes are part of life’s natural course.  Everyone makes mistakes; you are not immune.  The only question is:  Do you want them to help you or hurt you?  This decision is one of primary factors that defines your character.

If you lie about having made a mistake, then it can’t be corrected and it festers.  On the other hand, if you give up just because you made a mistake, even a big one, you will never get anywhere worth going in life.

Successful people learn from their mistakes.  By doing so, an error becomes the raw material out of which all future successes are invented.  Failure is not a crime.  The failure to learn from failure is.  Ultimately, mistakes are the price you pay for a full, rewarding life.

4.  Forgiving your past. − The practice of forgiveness is your most important contribution to the healing of YOUR world.

Forgiveness doesn’t mean you’re erasing the past, or forgetting what happened.  It means you’re letting go of the resentment and pain, and instead choosing to learn from the incident and move on with your life.

You have to forgive.  You don’t have to like what happened, you don’t have to cherish the memories, you don’t have to hold on to the people and circumstances involved, but you do have to forgive them, let go, make peace with your past and move on with your present

5.  Creating your own happiness. − As Abraham Lincoln so profoundly said, “We are just about as happy as we make up our minds to be.”

Happiness is the result of personal choice and effort.  You fight for happiness, strive for it, switch careers, build relationships, and sometimes even reinvent your lifestyle entirely as you uncover it.  Why?  Because you have to actively participate in the manifestations of your own joys and good fortunes – they are not ready-made for the taking; they are available for the making.

~~~

In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.

Eleanor Roosevelt

~~~

The veterinarian told the blonde that her dog needed some exercise. “You need to make sure this dog runs around,” the doctor said.

“Try playing a game of fetch with him.”

“I can’t play fetch with my dog,” the blonde said.

“Why not?” the doctor asked.

“Because,” she replied, “He can’t throw.”

~~~

Everyone hears what you say. Friends listen to what you have to say. Best friends listen to what you don’t say!

~~~

After a particularly poor game of golf, a popular club member skipped the clubhouse and started to go home. As he was walking to the parking lot to get his car, a policeman stopped him and asked, “Did you tee off on the sixteenth hole about twenty minutes ago?”

“Yes,” the golfer responded.

“Did you happen to hook your ball so that it went over the trees and off the course?”

“Yes, I did. How did you know?” he asked.

“Well,” said the policeman very seriously, “Your ball flew out onto the highway and crashed through a driver’s windshield. The car went out of control, crashing into five other cars and a fire truck. The fire truck couldn’t make it to the fire, and the building burned down. So, what are you going to do about it?”

The golfer thought it over carefully and responded…

“I think I’ll close my stance a little bit, tighten my grip and lower my right thumb.”

~~~

Money doesn’t bring you happiness, but it enables you to look for it in more places.

~~~

My friend’s mother is a proper Southern lady and a passionate gardener who spends hours outside with her plants. In her neighborhood, where she has lived most of her life, no one has fences and every yard is open to the next. Recently one of her longtime neighbors, an elderly man, moved away. “Are you going to miss him?” my friend asked.

“Actually I’m relieved,” her mother replied. “Now I can bend over.”

~~~

“Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.”

Alexander Pope

~~~

Bill had always been teased by his friends that his wife was more successful than he was.  Some even went so far as to insinuate that he was overshadowed by her and henpecked.  Bill had a sense of humor and always laughed it off.

One day, one of his fiends asked the tiresome question AGAIN, “Who wears the pants in your family?”

“I do,” replied Bill.  Then, after a pause, he added, “I also wash and iron them.”

~~~

Everyone seems normal….. Until you get to know them.

~~~

He said: As a senior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, I often engage women psychology majors in heated discussions about male-female relationships. Once, my friend Shelly and I got into a hot debate about whether men or women make the larger sacrifice of their respective gender characteristics when they get married.  To my surprise, Shelly agreed with me that men give up far more than women.

“You’re right, Steve,” she said.  “Men generally give up doing their cleaning, their cooking, their grocery shopping, their laundry.”

~~~

Every choice we make will either impact us positively or it can seriously have a negative affect on you. Choices are everything, you just have to be careful as to which one is going to help you or hurt you.

Bernajoy Vaal

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

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

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

Don’t forget to clear your mind

Write a lot, live a little, clear your mind. Make mistakes, be happy, live on edge, and enjoy the ride that life offers.

I have talked lately about how we might benefit if we gave ourselves more time to do things we like by setting priorities and eliminating some of the things we do that are of little value to our wellbeing. After talking to a friend of mine I realized that we also would do well to clean more than our desks, we also would benefit if we cleared our minds. When I went back in my archives I found this piece written by Kristie Blankenship that I saved. I think it is worth sharing with you. I have taken the liberty of editing it for the Daily.

Stop Doing These 7 Things Forever!

1. Over-thinking things. − How many times do you find yourself fixated on some thought or idea and you’ve thought about it so much that you have it totally out there like in fantasy world or something or get so worked up about something because you’ve imagined all sorts of imaginary happenings? Stop thinking so hard. Thinking about things is good, but only if you keep it balanced. Don’t over think things.

2. Stuff my feelings. − There are different ways we all deal with our feelings. One way is we don’t express them and just stuff them down inside. While it may be appropriate sometimes to not express our feelings and emotions, always stuffing them down inside without letting them out and expressing them is not healthy in more ways than one. Without going into a lot of detail, for the purpose of this article, let’s just say that we all need to express our emotions in a healthy way. If you need to cry, just do it. Don’t feel ashamed because you feel however you feel. Emotions are just emotions. What you do with those emotions is what counts. Choose to deal with them in a healthy way.

3. Filling up all your time slots-juggling too many things at once. − Okay. So, I imagine we’ve all been guilty of this — being WAY too busy. Do you fill up all your time slots on your calendar with stuff that keeps you so busy you have no time to relax? Stop. I know we all have responsibilities and things we have to do to keep things going, but there is a point when too much is just too much! Let some of it go. If you really want peace and happiness in your life, you have to find more time for yourself and spending time doing the things you love and being with those you love to be around.

4. Tolerating stuff from other people. − We all have a personal space around us that we don’t like anyone to cross. The closer we are to someone usually the closer we let them in. That being said, there are some things that we just shouldn’t tolerate at all and sometimes we have to set boundaries. I refuse to stand there and listen to someone criticize me and talk down to me or go on and on about how they disagree with my decisions or actions. There are some things we have to take a stand for. If someone is always making you feel bad every time you get around them, either set some boundaries with them and gently let them know you won’t put up with it or get some new friends.

5. Creating or tolerating drama. − I hate drama! I know a lot of people that can’t survive without always causing drama or being involved with someone else’s drama. Why would I want all the stress it brings? If you are involved in creating or tolerating drama, you aren’t going to find any peace. Most of the time, all drama does is accuse, point fingers, exaggerate, and make people feel bad.

6. Trying to change people. − Why do we try to change people anyway? Is it because we don’t appreciate them for who they are? We are all different. None of us are the same. You do realize don’t you that you aren’t perfect either? I’m sure there are things about you they aren’t that crazy about either. Let’s just give everyone the benefit of the doubt and accept them for who they are.

7. Own other people’s problems! − Raise your hand if you don’t have any problems of your own. No hands? Imagine that! What we have to realize is that we have our own problems, which are enough for us to handle. Don’t become so engrossed in other people’s problems that you get stressed out, ill, find yourself thinking about it nonstop, and basically have unknowingly placed yourself right in the midst of the problem when you don’t need to be there. If they ask for your help, don’t over obligate yourself. Help in any way you feel comfortable, but remember that the other person will only grow if they learn to handle their own problems.

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“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”

Corrie Ten Boom

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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.”

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When I get real bored, I like to drive down town and get a great parking spot, then sit in my car and count how many people ask me if I’m leaving.

Steven Wright

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An amateur photographer was invited to dinner with friends and took along a few pictures to show the hostess. She looked at the photos and commented “These are very good! You must have a good camera.”

He didn’t make any comment, but, as he was leaving to go home he said “That was a really delicious meal! You must have some very good pots.”

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Marriages are made in heaven. But then again, so are thunder and lightning.

~~~

For months Bill had been Lynn’s devoted admirer. Now, at long last, he had collected up sufficient courage to ask her the most momentous of all questions. “There are quite a lot of advantages to being a bachelor,” Bill began, “but there comes a time when one longs for the companionship of another being, a being who will regard one as perfect, as an idol; whom one can treat as one’s absolute own; who will be kind and faithful when times are hard; who will share one’s joys and sorrows.”

To his delight, Bill saw a sympathetic gleam in Lynn’s eyes. Then she nodded in agreement. Finally, Lynn responded, “I think it’s a great idea! Can I help you choose which puppy to buy?”

~~~

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

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A city man goes on vacation, in the autumn, for a color tour in the Midwest. Stopping one night at a small tavern for a meal and a beer, he regales the waitress with tales of his adventures, and his amazement, not only about the beautiful colors, but about how many flocks of geese he’d seen, flying south for the winter.

The gray-haired tavern owner comes over, and says, “Yup, those geese are amazing creatures.”

“How do you mean?” asks the man.

“Well,” the owner explains as he pulls out a chair.

“That ‘V’ formation they fly in is something they evolved over tens of thousands of years, to allow them to go further distances when they migrate.”

“Really?” asks the man.

“Yup,” says the owner.

“The strongest flyer would take the point, and the other geese fall in formation in his airstream, to allow them to relax a bit, and not have to work so hard.”

“That’s amazing,” says the man.

“Yup,” the owner goes on. “And when the point bird gets tired, it’d fall back, and another, well rested goose would take over the point.”

“Wow,” says the man. “I never knew that.”

“And, did you notice,” the owner asks, “that one leg of that ‘V’ was always longer than the other?”

“Well, now that I think about it, yes I did,” says the man.

“Why is that?”

“Well,” the owner grins, as he gets up. “It’s got more geese in it.”

~~~

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We can only help make our lives and our world more peaceful, when we ourselves feel peace. Peace already exists within each of us, if we only allow ourselves to feel its comfort. Peace of mind begins when we stop thinking about how far we have to go, or how hard the road has been, and just let ourselves feel peace. Peace of mind gives us the strength to keep trying and keep walking along the path that we KNOW is right for our lives.

Robert Alan

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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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