Ray's Daily

Come fly with me

Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.

Carl Sagan

This week is the 100^th anniversary of poet Dylan Thomas’ birth. This reminded me of how his poem “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” warmed my Christmas season for many years, Often after the family was in bed I would play a recording of Thomas reading the poem and my imagination would take me to the Welsh country side where I could eavesdrop on a family at Christmas. Since I was a kid in boarding school my imagination has kept me company when I was lonesome or bored.  I have listened to James Joyce’s Molly Bloom as she lay awake with a myriad of thoughts running through her mind. I mourned the loss of Manolete with the people of Spain when I listened to Lorca’s poem about his death. Carl Sandburg took me to the Chicago of my youth and I was grateful. I am so fortunate that my imagination has stayed with me all these years.

These days whenever I am in my car or working out I listen to an audio book that takes me to another place and another time. I always have my Kindle with me so as I wait the book I am reading takes me to somewhere special. I have benefited personally and professionally because of my imagination and for that I am grateful.

Here are excerpts from an article by Donald Louis Hamilton that I found interesting, I hope you will too.

 

Develop a Powerful Creative Imagination! It can be your key to success.

Being human – we all have been given the potential to develop a powerful ‘creative imagination’ to use for our benefit and possibly the benefit of all mankind. Everything mankind has achieved throughout its existence is a result of its “human imagination”.

Human imagination is the “Special 7th Sense” that gives people the power to become aware of much more then our animal senses allows. We all know about our other senses such as; sight, hearing, smell, taste, balance that our brain depends on for its contact with the outside world.

Here are some tips that can help you develop a strong creative imagination.

Be curious about everything – the world is full of amazing wonders for you to learn about. They will become your storehouse of memories and ideas that you can use when needed. Look deep into the problem you face and imagine different alternatives for solving the problem. Try new paths – don’t accept the status-quo, if you fail at one task try another approach. Take everything with a grain of salt, keep an open mind.

Try to associate with other creative people, people who discuss ideas rather then people who just talk about other people.

Start thinking about writing a story, think of a plot, think up characters for the story, take notes and expand the story over a period of time. Refine and change the story if you want to. Take your time, new ideas will pop out of your subconscious as you think about it. It is your creation you can do anything you want with it, use you imagination. Whether you are writing music or leading an army into battle keep your mind open for opportunities – new angles – different strategies – if one thing doesn’t work try another.

Develop your interests and natural talents – follow these talents – be curious, learn as much as you can about subjects you are interested in and then improvise, develop, expand them. Follow different off beat paths. If they don’t work try another tack.

Build upon the ideas of other people – improve and refine their ideas. This is a fundamental reason for human progress. It created the “MIND” of mankind (the ability of people to continually spread ideas among other people across time and place). This is the secret of Mankind’s ability to progress. Isaac Newton once said – “If I have been able to see further then others – it is because I stood on the shoulders of giants”.

Human progress is a step by step process made possible by the “MIND of Mankind”.

~~~

I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.

Michelangelo

~~~

Three mischievous boys went to the zoo one day for an outing, since they had been at school all week.  They decided to visit the elephant cage, but soon enough, they were picked up by a cop for causing a commotion. The officer hauled them off to security for questioning.  The supervisor in charge asked them to give their names and tell what they were doing at the elephant cage.

The first boy innocently said, “My name is Gary, and I was just throwing peanuts into the elephant cage.”

The second added, “My name is Larry, and all I was doing was throwing peanuts into the elephant cage.”

The third boy was a little shaken up and said, “Well, my name is Peter, but my friends call me Peanuts.”

~~~

“Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?”

Charlie McCarthy

~~~

A group of bats is hanging around, upside down, as usual, mostly sleeping. Suddenly one notices that Charlie is on the floor, standing upright and looking around. “Hey, Charlie,” he calls out. “What are you doing down there?”

Charlie looks up and says, “Yoga!”

~~~

“The secret of a happy marriage remains a secret.”

Henny Youngman

~~~

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

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

~~~

The most serious threat to democracy is the notion that it has already been achieved.

(unknown)

~~~

From a Jewish Friend:

Israel is the land of milk and honey; Florida is the land of milk of magnesia.

Without Jewish mothers, who would need therapy?

Fleischmann: “How are you feeling today?” Perlmutter: “Oy vey! I tell you … I’ve got so many aches and pains, if I get a new one today, it will have to wait two weeks before I can even worry about it!”

If it tastes good, it’s probably not kosher.

~~~

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

~~~

A woman was at home with her children when the telephone rang.  In going to answer it, she tripped on a rug, grabbed for something to hold on to and seized the telephone table. It fell over with a crash, jarring the receiver off the hook.

As it fell, it hit the family dog, which leaped up, howling and barking. The woman’s three-year-old son, startled by this noise, broke into loud screams. The woman mumbled some colourful words. She finally managed to pick up the receiver and lift it to her ear, just in time to hear her husband’s voice on the other end say, “Nobody’s said hello yet, but I’m positive I have the right number.”

~~~

There are no rules of architecture for a castle in the clouds.

Gilbert K. Chesterton

~~~

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 more than 2000 readers from around the world.

I’ll just keep being me

Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.

Omar Khayyam

I am sometimes told that I have a lot of problems that I don’t realize. I am told that I don’t pay enough attention to what is wrong around me. I am told I am overly optimistic. I am told I don’t recognize barriers and end up risking too much. I am told I am open with strangers. I am told that I don’t realize what is wrong with people who are not like us. I am told I don’t get angry enough. I am told I do more than I need to. I am told I care too much for people I barely know if I even know them at all.

If these are all flaws than I agree I am guilty and I am glad that I am. I would much rather enjoy than to help to destroy. I would much rather do something than just sit back criticizing others for taking action. I hope you won’t mind if I just continue being me for I don’t much ever want to be what some others think I should be.

Here is something I found in my files that I like, I hope you do too. I don’t know who Father Pat is but I wish I did.

 

Steps to Happiness

 Everybody Knows:

You can’t be all things to all people.

You can’t do all things at once.

You can’t do all things equally well.

You can’t do all things better than everyone else.

Your humanity is showing just like everyone else’s.

So:

You have to find out who you are, and be that.

You have to decide what comes first, and do that.

You have to discover your strengths, and use them.

You have to learn not to compete with others,

Because no one else is in the contest of *being you*.

Then:

You will have learned to accept your own uniqueness.

You will have learned to set priorities and make decisions.

You will have learned to live with your limitations.

You will have learned to give yourself the respect that is due.

And you’ll be a most vital mortal.

Dare To Believe:

That you are a wonderful, unique person.

That you are a once-in-all-history event.

That it’s more than a right, it’s your duty, to be who you are.

That life is not a problem to solve, but a gift to cherish.

And we’ll be able to stay one up on what used to get us.

May God Bless you and keep you safe,

Father Pat

~~~

Be happy with what you have and are, be generous with both, and you won’t have to hunt for happiness.

William E. Gladstone

~~~

A driver pulled up beside a rundown farmhouse. He got out and knocked at the door. An elderly woman answered the door, and he asked her for directions to Des Moines.

“Don’t know,” the woman said.

He got back in his car and pulled away. Then he heard voices. He looked in his rear view mirror and saw the woman and an equally old man waving for him to come back. So he made a U-turn and drove up to them.

“This is my husband,” the old woman said. “He doesn’t know how to get to Des Moines either!”

~~~

Everybody wants to do something to help, but nobody wants to be the first.

Pearl Bailey

~~~

Two paramedics are sent to check on a 92-year-old man who has become disoriented. They decide to take him to the hospital for evaluation.

While the paramedics are rushing him to the hospital with sirens blaring, one of them talks to the man to determine how aware he is.

Leaning close, the paramedic asks, “Sir, do you know what we’re doing right now?”

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

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

~~~

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

George Burns

~~~

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

Told that it was true, the lawyer turned to his partner and started speaking rapidly in Italian. When they stopped, the American attorney asked if they wanted to go to America to practice law. “No, no,” one replied. “We want to go to America and fall down on sidewalks.”

~~~

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

Hal Eaton

~~~

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

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

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

~~~

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

~~~

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

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

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

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

~~~

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.

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 more than 2000 readers from around the world.

 

You are never too late

“Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.”

 

As you know I am a big believer in people’s ability to manage their lives if they are willing to work on what would really make them happy and then to do what is necessary to make the changes that will brighter their future. I know it is not always easy, sometimes even risky, but there is nothing you can do that is more worthwhile than making an investment in yourself.

The first step is finding out what you really want and not just pretending that you already know. But I’ll tell you what; if you can make an objective evaluation of where you are now and where you would like to be you will have what you need to start working on a happier future.

Here is an abridged piece from Mark Chernoff that can help.

 The 6 Most Important Questions You Can Ask Yourself Today

If I ask you, “Quickly, in one sentence, what do you want most out of life?” I bet your rushed response is going to be something like, “I want to be happy, and have a healthy family, and a career I like that pays well, etc.”  Your response is going to be so common and ubiquitous that it basically doesn’t even mean anything.  Which is precisely why senseless, happy-go-lucky questions like this aren’t very helpful.  And yet, this is precisely the kind of questions we often ask ourselves.

So what kind of questions might you ask instead?  Questions that force you into a corner.  Questions that help you embrace the sacrifices it takes to get where you want to go.  Questions that motivate you to focus on the next step forward.  In other words, questions like…

1. What is worth suffering for? – If you want the benefits of something in life, you have to also want the costs. If you want the six-pack abs, you have to want the sweat, the sore muscles, the early mornings at the gym, and the low carb meals.  If you want the successful business, you have to also want the late nights, the risky business deals and decisions, and the possibility of failing fifty times to learn what you need to know to succeed.  If you find yourself wanting something month after month, year after year, yet nothing happens and you never come any closer to it, then maybe what you actually want is just an idealization, a fantasy, and a false promise.  Maybe you don’t actually want it at all, because you’re not willing to suffer though the work it’s going to take to achieve it.
2. Based on my daily routines and actions, where can I expect to be in five years? – This question just backs up the first one. If you have an idea about what you want the next chapter of your life to look like, you have to DO things that support this idea every day.  An idea, after all, isn’t going to do anything for you until you do something productive with it.  In fact, as long as that great idea is just sitting around in your head it’s doing far more harm than good.
3. What do I need to spend more or less time doing? – As Stephen Covey once said, “Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.” In other words, productivity is not just about getting things done, it’s about getting the right things done.  At the end of each day, look at how you have spent your time, and adjust the allocation as necessary for tomorrow.  .
4. What old rejections (or failures) are still holding me back? – All too often we let the rejections of our past dictate every move we make. We literally do not know ourselves to be any better than what some opinionated person or narrow circumstance once told us was true.  Of course, an old rejection doesn’t mean we aren’t good enough; it just means some person or circumstance from our past failed to align with what we had to offer at the time.  Don’t let old rejections take up permanent residence in your head.  Kick them out on the street.
5. What is worth smiling about right now? – A recent scientific study at Duke University showed that doctors who are put in a positive mood before making a diagnosis consistently experience significant boosts to their intellectual abilities than doctors in a neutral state, which allows them to make accurate diagnoses almost 20% faster. Students primed to feel happy before taking math tests substantially outperform their neutral peers.  So it turns out that our minds are literally hardwired to perform at their best not when they are negative, or even neutral, but when they are positive.
6. Are the people around me helping me or hurting me? – A big part of who you become in life has to do with who you choose to surround yourself with. And as you know, it is better to be alone than in bad company.  You simply cannot expect to live a positive, fulfilling life if you surround yourself with negative people.  Distancing yourself from these people is never easy, but it’s a lot harder when they happen to be close friends or family members.  As hard as it may be, it’s something you need to address.

~~~

When you have to make a choice and don’t make it, that is in itself a choice.

William James

~~~

A new convert to Catholicism decided to go to confession to deal with his transgression. In the confessional, he told the priest that he had sinned. “What was your sin, my son?” asked the priest.

“I stole some lumber, Father,” replied the man.

“How much lumber did you steal?” asked the priest. “Father, I built my German Shepherd dog a nice new doghouse.”

The priest replied, “Well, that’s not so bad.”

The man continued, “Father, I also built myself a 4-car garage.”

“Well, now, that’s a little more serious.”

“Father, there’s more. In addition to the doghouse, the 4-car garage, I also built a 5 bedroom, 4 bath house!”

With a pause, the priest finally spoke. “That is a little more serious. I’m afraid you’ll have to make a novena.”

“Father, I’m not sure what a ‘novena’ is, but if you’ve got the blueprints, I’ve got the lumber!”

~~~

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

~~~

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

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

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

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

~~~

If you are good, you will be assigned all the work. If you are really good, you will get out of it.

~~~

Paul was not the brightest guy around.  Every day, when he walked home from work, he would get stopped by three nasty men and they would beat him up and steal his money. Finally, Paul decided that it would serve his best interest to walk a different route, but also take some self-defense classes so this wouldn’t happen again. He joined a karate class and soon was doing very well with it.

So, one day, on the way home from work, Paul confidently decided to take his old route home and, sure enough, there they were. He walked up to them and the battle ensued. The next afternoon, Paul went to his karate class with a black eye, a broken nose and a busted lip. His instructor was shocked and asked for an explanation.

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

His instructor said, “What happened?”

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

~~~

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

Grant M. Bright

~~~

The passengers were leaving the plane after landing, and one smiling, satisfied passenger paused to congratulate the flight attendant.

“Stewardess,” he said happily, “I want to compliment you and the crew and especially the captain for getting here right time. It’s not often that an airline gets to where it’s going exactly when they claim it will. I’m going to call your home office and let them know how pleased I am.”

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

~~~

The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn.

David Russell

~~~

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 more than 2000 readers from around the world.

 

Yes you are

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

The other day we talked about how so many of the people I meet don’t realize how good they are. In my world almost everyone I meet are special in some way. In fact some just take their unique talents for granted because they have confidence in themselves and what they do.

Some folks just seem to have natural talent while others develop their skills over time. The good news is that each of us can continue to develop ourselves as time goes by. The very best people I know started simply but then grew to personal greatness by always striving to do better. In fact when someone commits to doing their best every day walking the path to greatness becomes easy and natural.

I know you are already special but you may have more in you. Here is an article for those of us who want to continue our development.

 

How to feel special

By M.Farouk Radwan, MSc.

 

Self confidence and self esteem

One of the things that badly affects self confidence are the comparisons people always make between themselves and others. That’s why one of the best things you can do to feel more confident is to implement a belief that helps you stop these comparisons.

What belief could be better than convincing yourself that you are unique and special? If you managed to feel unique and special then these comparisons will stop and you will become more confident, that’s why i will tell you exactly what you need to do in order to feel special.

Step by step Guide to feeling Special

In order to feel that you are unique and special you need to do the following:

Never be a follower: If you are moving with the herd or if you are following a set of standards that are imposed on you by your society, friends or peers then you will never feel unique or special. In order to feel special you must not follow something unless you believe in it

Dare to be different: Do the things that you like with disregard to criticism, dare to have your own taste, style and make sure you let the world know that you are different. After all if you became like everyone else then how would you feel special?

Do what people fear to do: Dare to take risks, to do the things that others fear doing and to step out of your comfort zone. That would make you feel unique and special.

Keep reminding yourself that you are special: In the Solid Self confidence program i explained that Affirmations will never work if your statements contradicts with your beliefs but if you kept repeating true statements then your subconscious mind will believe in them. Keep reminding yourself that you are unique and you will feel special

Don’t get me wrong by doing something foolish just to be different. For example if everyone goes to school or college then don’t decide not to go just to be different or special.

Its all about being different in a good way that makes you feel special. For example if everybody is stuck in the rat race then it might be a good idea to be self-employed (just an example, i am not asking you to do that).

You will never be able to feel confident before you feel that you are unique and special.

~~~

Don’t ever doubt yourselves or waste a second of your life. It’s too short, and you’re too special.

Ariana Grande

~~~

FROM HERE TO MATERNITY — OH HOW WE CHANGE.

NAMED AFTER:

First baby: grandmother and paternal aunt for political reasons

Second baby: Daddy

Third baby: Daddy’s boss

GODPARENTS:

First baby: Bernard Ryan and Joy Smith

Second baby: Martha Dunn and either uncle Fred or Fred the Barber

Third baby: relatives

FORMULA:

First baby: fortified prepared infant formula w/ 1.25 water

Second baby: heated cow’s milk poured from a carton.

Third baby: cold milk, Cokes, and Kool-Aid

BOTTLES:

First baby: boiled 10 minutes, removed with tongs and rubber gloves.

Second baby: boiled five minutes, removed with beer can opener

Third baby: rinsed in cold water and dried on apron

SANITATION:

First baby: rubber gloves, face mask, scrub floors weekly, mosquito net

Second baby: use air freshener weekly, swat all flies

Third baby: keep the dog out of the playpen

BABY RECORDS:

First baby: detailed in gold embossed book

Second baby: written on back of old envelopes

Third baby: ask grandma

~~~

A woman tells her friend, “My husband is an angel.”

Her friend replies, “You’re lucky, mine is still alive.”

~~~

Six reasons why computers must be female…

1. As soon as you have one, a better one is just around the corner.
2. No one but their creator understands their internal logic.
3. Even your smallest mistakes are immediately committed to memory for future reference.
4. The native language used to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else.
5. The message, “Bad command or filename,” is about as informative as: “If you don’t know why I’m mad at you, then I’m certainly not going to tell you.”
6. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your pay on accessories for it.

~~~

The doctor came out of the operating room to talk with the man’s wife.  “I don’t like the looks of your husband,” he said.

“Neither do I,” said the wife, “but he’s not home much, and he’s great with the kids.”

~~~

When my granddaughter, Ann, was nine-years-old, she was given an assignment by her teacher to write a story on “Where my family came from.” The purpose was to understand her genealogy. I was not aware of her assignment when she asked me at the dining room table one night, “Grandma, where did I come from?”

I responded quite nervously, because my son and daughter-in-law were out of town and I was stalling until they returned home. “Well, honey, the stork brought you.”

“Where did mom come from then?”

“The stork brought her too.”

“Okay, then where did you come from?”

“The stork brought me too, dear.”

“Okay. Thanks, Grandma.”

I did not think anything more about it until two days later when I was cleaning Ann’s room and read the first sentence of her paper, “For three generations, there have been no natural births in our family.”

~~~

If a man is bald in front, he’s a thinker.  If he’s bald in the back, he is a lover. If he’s bald in front and back, he thinks he’s a lover.

 ~~~

“The difference between you and everyone else, is everyone else. And that’s a lot, so you should feel special.”

Jarod Kintz

~~~

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 more than 2000 readers from around the world.

 

I wish you could have been there.

“Be yourself. No one can say you’re doing it wrong.”

Charles M. Schulz

 

Last Friday I was given the opportunity to attend a banquet celebrating the OASIS of Central Indiana’s 25^th anniversary. My town’s OASIS chapter is a great organization made up of more than 25,000 over fifty year olds who take advantage of offerings that help them stay healthy and active, continue lifelong learning, develop new skills, join with others to travel to interesting locations and more. For me the best thing they do is train volunteers who go out and do great things for our community. There are OASIS volunteers tutoring and nurturing hundreds of kids every day, kids who benefit from adult love. They are also teaching young children to enjoy making healthy choices and are helping older folks learn how they can avoid diabetes. They do all this while providing the people power that makes OASIS as strong as it is.

I became active with OASIS a number of years ago and it was one of the best things I ever did. They have not only allowed me to benefit from their programs, they also have let me assist in their continued growth through helping to build new partnerships while implementing plans to stay current meeting the needs of those who have reached their prime.

Anyway back to the banquet, it was great. Good food, good fellowship and great entertainment by two professional Musical Comedy stars from the Actors Theatre of Indiana (ATI). I was a little taken back when Cindy Collins from ATI included me in her rendition of one of Sinatra’s favorite songs, once I recovered from the surprise I was the same old guy I was when she started.

On reflecting − not on the banquet but on the hundreds of OASIS volunteers, I was reminded of this piece written by George Schulz:

 

Charles   Schulz   Philosophy

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the “Peanuts” comic strip. You don’t have to actually answer the    questions. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you’ll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade’s worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here’s another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.

~~~

“Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It’s already tomorrow in Australia.”

Charles Schulz

~~~

Remember Life’s “Laws”

1. The most common elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity.
2. If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you.
3. Money can’t buy happiness but it sure makes misery easier to live with.
4. Deja moo: The feeling that you’ve heard this bull before.
5. Psychiatrists say that 1 of 4 people is mentally ill. Check three friends. If they’re okay, you’re it.
6. Nothing in the known universe travels faster than a bad check.
7. It has recently been discovered that research causes cancer in rats.
8. The trouble with doing something right the first time is that nobody appreciates how difficult it was.
9. It may be your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
10. The average woman would rather have beauty than brains because the average man can see better than he can think.

~~~

You’re never too old to learn something stupid.

~~~

There is this atheist swimming in the ocean. All of a sudden he sees a shark in the water, so he starts swimming furiously towards his boat. As he looks back, he sees the shark turn and head towards him. He’s scared to death, and as he sees the jaws of the great white beast open, revealing its horrific teeth, the atheist screams, “Oh God! Save me!”

In an instant, time is frozen and a bright light shines down from above. The man is motionless in the water when he hears the voice of God say, “You are an atheist. Why do you call upon me when you do not believe in me?”

Confused, and knowing he can’t lie, the man replies, “Well, that’s true I don’t believe in you, but how about the shark? Can you make the shark believe in you?”

The Lord replies, “As you wish,” and the light retracts back into the heavens.

The man feels the water move once again. As the atheist looks back, he can see the jaws of the shark start to close down on him, when all of sudden the shark stops and pulls back. Shocked, the man watches as the huge beast closes its eyes, bows its head and says, “Thank you Lord for this food for which I am about to receive…”

~~~

How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?

~~~

Nancy Reagan tells the story of how President Ronald Reagan was once challenged by a college student who said it was impossible for Reagan’s generation to understand his. “You grew up in a different world,” the student said.  Today we have television, jet planes, space travel, nuclear energy, computers…”

Taking advantage or a pause in the student’s litany, Reagan said, “You’re right.  We didn’t have those things when we were young.  We invented them.”

~~~

What hair color do they put on the driver’s licenses of bald men?

~~~

Sidney telephones Rabbi Levy. He says, “Rabbi, I know tonight is Yom Kippur, but tonight the Yankees are in the playoffs. Rabbi, I’m a life-long Yankees fan. I’ve got to watch the Yankees game on TV.”

Rabbi Levy replies, “Sidney, that’s what video recorders are for.”

Sidney is surprised. “You mean I can tape Yom Kippur?”

~~~

If I were given the opportunity to present a gift to the next generation, it would be the ability for each individual to learn to laugh at himself.

Charles M. Schulz

~~~

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 more than 2000 readers from around the world.

 

I hope you are as happy as he is.

The best feeling in the world is realizing that you’re perfectly happy without the thing you thought you needed.

 

As I sat with friends yesterday I complimented one of them on his lifestyle choices. You see my friend works nights for Federal Express on a labor intensive job that provides him a reasonable income and benefits. He was a senior corporate executive in the past; you know one of those jobs filled by people who covet the medals awarded to folks for doing what they don’t like to do. My friend decided, like Henry David Thoreau, that he preferred his own version of Walden Pond. He now spends his days doing humanitarian work, having fun with grandchildren and doing things meaningful to him. Others may not see how successful in life he really is but I do. His wealth is in his self-satisfaction and my community wins because of his choices.

I recently received a piece written by Angel Chernoff where she shared her thoughts on personal happiness; here in part are her thoughts:

Are you happy?

It is our CHOICES that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. You know this is true. So… I want to ask you a simple question: Are you happy? If you answered “no,” then I want to ask you another question: Do you feel you deserve happiness?

Heartache can get the better of us. Struggles—with our work, in our family, in pursuit of our dreams—can weigh us down and trick us into thinking that we aren’t worthy of true happiness.

Happiness is a course of action, a way of being, a mindset as well as a method. True happiness results from the ongoing commitment to making positive choices. These choices need not be complicated. Here are two simple changes you can begin today.

Treat Yourself with Kindness

We all make mistakes. It’s part of being human. In the wake of such mistakes, however, there’s a shocking difference between how we treat ourselves versus how we treat those we love.

The next time you make a mistake, I want you to listen to the way you talk to yourself. What words do you use? Does any of it sound like this? “You are so stupid! What were you thinking? You screw this up every time!” This is the clean version; I know many of us use harsher words—even profanity—with ourselves.

Now picture a person whom you love dearly—your spouse, your mother, perhaps your best friend. If she came to you and admitted to making a mistake, what language would you use? Would your words be ones of anger, or would they be words of kindness?

It’s easy to overlook the effects of our own negative self-talk, but over time these harsh words erode our confidence and eat away at our happiness. The next time you make a mistake, be mindful to treat yourself as you would treat your loved ones. Interrupt your automatic negative thoughts, replacing “You are so stupid,” with “You are going to be okay.”

Take Time for Gratitude

Research by positive psychologists has found a clear link between gratitude and happiness. People who take time each day to express gratitude live happier lives—but in the busyness of our day, it can be easy to forget to take the time. Here’s a great trick that will help you remember to make gratitude a daily practice: do it while you brush your teeth.It sounds silly, I know—but it works. As you pick up your toothbrush, say to yourself, “Today, I feel grateful for…” and as you brush, think of as many things as you can.

“Today, I feel grateful for my morning workout.”

“Today, I feel grateful for the chance to meet with this new client.”

“Today, I feel grateful that my kid passed his math test.”

“Today, I feel grateful that my mom and I talked without fighting.”

Nothing is too simple to make the list. The longer you practice expressing gratitude, the faster examples will pop into your mind. And as a bonus, you’ll spend more time brushing your teeth!

~~~

“To be kind to all, to like many and love a few, to be needed and wanted by those we love, is certainly the nearest we can come to happiness.”

Mary Stuart

~~~

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

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

~~~

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

Rene Yasenek

~~~

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

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

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

~~~

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

Maurice Setter

~~~

What does love mean?”

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8-year-olds, “What does love mean?” The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:

“Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.” Karl – age 5

“Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.” Chrissy – age 6

“Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.” Terri – age 4

“Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.” Danny – age 7

“Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.” Tommy – age 6

~~~

“John, I can see that all your buttons are sewed on perfectly. You must be married!”

“That’s right. Sewing on buttons was the first thing my wife taught me on our honeymoon.”

~~~

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

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

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

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

~~~

“Don’t rely on someone else for your happiness and self-worth. Only you can be responsible for that. If you can’t love and respect yourself – no one else will be able to make that happen. Accept who you are – completely; the good and the bad – and make changes as YOU see fit – not because you think someone else wants you to be different.”

Stacey Charter

~~~

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 more than 2000 readers from around the world.

 

Make today a great one

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon–instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.

Dale Carnegie

 

Sorry everyone but I am running late today and have a full schedule. So we again will visit yesteryear and see what my world looked like then. Here is my Daily published on this day six years ago.

Ray

 

Ray’s Daily

October 23, 2008

 If there was ever a time when I feel we should heed Carnegie’s advice it is now. It seems that each day we get another dose of bad news. For some of us it is the loss of a friend or family member, the loss of our home or major erosion of our life savings becomes the most devastating event we have ever had to face. Those of us who are experiencing the greatest challenges in our lifetime are faced with a choice. We can let our problems take us down or we can chose to alter our behavior.

It is easy to fall into depression when we no longer do what we use to do and far too many just stop, feel sorry for themselves and spend their days using all their energy complaining. It really doesn’t have to be that way. We can find a good life through more activities by enjoying the simpler things that are everywhere around us.

As you know I often travel, with my greatest joy coming from the new people I meet and the new friends I make along the way. In truth I don’t have to travel the world to find those same rewards; ethnic groups abound in my city and I can attend their festivals, visit their churches and eat in their restaurants. I may not be able to see as many major theatre productions as I once did but I can find enjoyment in local community theatre. I can see great art in Florence, Paris or New York or enjoy what is being shown in a nearby museum or works exhibited by emerging artists at a local art fair. Yes there is new adventure and experiences all around us just waiting to be discovered.

We own our own destiny. The challenges we face can get us down, but only if we let them. It may not be easy to build a life that does not require as much as we once had but not doing so is a terrible price to pay. So my friends won’t you join me as I take the time to appreciate the things close by while enjoying the additional time I now have to spend with folks I care about and neighbors I have yet to meet.

If you need reinforcement during these trying times watch some of the feel-good movies our parents and grandparents watched during the great depression, during a time much worse than it is now many films were filled with optimism and simple joy. And you know what? You can probably borrow them for free at your public library.

~~~

Realize that your present difficulty is only a small part of you, and the rest of you is doing quite well, thank you.

Lynn Grabhorn

~~~

Retirees: The Whole Truth, Nothing But…

Question: How many days in a week? Answer: 6 Saturdays, 1 Sunday

Question: When is a retiree’s bedtime? Answer: Three hours after he falls asleep on the couch.

Question: How many retirees to change a light bulb? Answer: Only one, but it might take all day.

Question: What’s the biggest gripe of retirees? Answer: There is not enough time to get everything done.

Question: Why don’t retirees mind being called Seniors? Answer: The term comes with a 10% percent discount.

Question: Among retirees what is considered formal attire? Answer: Tied shoes.

Question: Why do retirees count pennies? Answers: They are the only ones who have the time.

Question: What is the common term for someone who enjoys work and refuses to retire? Answer: NUTS!

Question: Why are retirees so slow to clean out the basement, attic or garage? Answer: They know that as soon as they do, one of their adult kids will want to store stuff there.

Question: What do retirees call a long lunch? Answer: Normal.

Question: What is the best way to describe retirement? Answers: The never ending Coffee Break.

Question: What’s the biggest advantage of going back to school as a retiree? Answer: If you cut classes, no one calls your parents.

Question: Why does a retiree often say he doesn’t miss work, but misses the people he used to work with? Answer: He is too polite to tell the whole truth.

Share this one with all the retirees that you know. I’m sure they can relate to some of them! AND, If you have not yet retired, look what you have to look forward too….

~~~

Lead me not into temptation. I know my way.

~~~

To impress his date, the young man took her to a very chic Italian restaurant. After sipping some fine wine, he picked up the menu and studied it with an appraising eye.

“We’ll have the Giuseppe Spomdalucci,” he said finally.

“Sorry, sir,” said the waiter. “That’s the owner.”

~~~

We are not Human Beings having a spiritual experience. We are Spiritual Beings having a human experience.

Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

~~~

Every morning for years, at about 11:30, the telephone operator in a small Sierra-Nevada town received a call from a man asking the exact time. One day the operator summed up nerve enough to ask him why the regularity. “I’m foreman of the local sawmill,” he explained. “Every day I have to blow the whistle at noon so I call you to get the exact time.” The operator giggled, “That’s really funny,” she said. “All this time we’ve been setting our clock by your whistle.

~~~

SEEN IT ALL, DONE IT ALL. CAN’T REMEMBER MOST OF IT.

~~~

An American lawyer asked, “Paddy, why is it that whenever you ask an Irishman a question, he answers with another question?”

“Who told you that?” asked Paddy.

~~~

Procrastinators Unite… Tomorrow!

~~~

Last month, after much deliberation, I bought a magnolia tree from our local nursery.  After only a few weeks I noticed that the leaves had started to shrivel and the tree appeared to be on its last legs in spite of my tender care. So I took some leaf samples and marched back to the nursery to demand an explanation or get my money back.

“I know exactly what’s wrong with your magnolia,” said the manager.

“Good!” I exclaimed. “What’s it suffering from?”

You can imagine how stupid I felt when he simply said, “autumn.”

~~~

“If we are to reach real peace in this world we shall have to begin with the children.”

Gandhi

~~~

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 more than 2000 readers from around the world.

 

They are everywhere

There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t yet met.

William Butler Yeats

 

Yesterday I shared with you my thoughts on the importance of companionship. Since then I have thought about the wide variety of people who have provided me pleasant and often valuable companionship. What surprised me was the wide diversity of people who have offered me their friendship over the years. They have come from a wide range of backgrounds, cultures and economic status. I again realized how fortunate I have been by thinking of almost everybody I meet as being worthy and as a possible new friend.

I have traveled all over the world, often in situations where language differences required a very basic level of communications, yet in spite of differences friendships were born. I think the key is respecting the people you meet while letting them have a chance to appreciate you in return.

I recently read an article by Carolynne Melnyk that reported experiences somewhat similar to a few of mine. Here are some of her thoughts:

 Things I Learned from Wandering the World

For over 25 years I wandered the world.  Along the way, I had many adventures and learned about myself, people and the world. These are some of the things I learned:

• I learned that people all over the world want the same basic things: enough to eat, clear water, decent shelter, good health, education and opportunities for their children, an honest way to earn some money and respect.
• I learned that some of the poorest people on this planet are also some of the most generous. They share what they have, even if it is only a glass of water. When someone offers you something from the heart it can be considered very rude to refuse the generosity.
• I learned I could be comfortable in the company of world leaders and dignitaries and, with people in the slums of Africa, South America and Asia. Take away our outer trappings and labels to find underneath we are all the same.
• I learned that each culture has a different interpretation of personal space. From experience, I have found that the more populated a country is the less personal space you are given.
• I learned to appreciate everything I had and yet to have no attachment to them. This was taught to me when Iraq invaded Kuwait. During this war I lost most of my possessions, including all my professional documents.  Things can be replaced.
• I learned to trust strangers. In Alexandra, Egypt, a friend and I were standing under a street sign trying to decipher the Arabic on our map with the Arabic on the sign when an elderly man stopped to help.  With gestures we indicated where we wanted to go.  He called someone, a young boy appeared, then he waved for us to follow the boy.  We did and we arrived at our destination.  Later, we discovered we were in a part of the city that most Egyptian wouldn’t enter unless they absolutely had to.  Sometimes you just have to trust and know everything will be just fine.
• I learned the joy of spontaneous laughter, singing and dancing with new friends in Greece, Russia and Latvia. Freedom is completely enjoying the moment.
• I learned to experience life fully and to embrace whatever was presented. I learned to love all people and to respect this beautiful planet that we live on.

You don’t need to travel to the world for experiences, they are present all around you every day.  You just have to be willing to look at the blessings each holds.

~~~

Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people – your family, friends, and coworkers, and even strangers you meet along the way.

Barbara Bush

~~~

Wayne, a friend of mine, owns an auto-repair business. One day a woman called to inquire when he could work on her car. “I’m not busy now,” he replied. “bring it right in.” A short time later, the woman pulled into the service bay, stopping her small car perfectly over the wide, deep grease pit.

“Wow!” Remarked Wayne. “That’s great driving. Your wheels only have a couple of inches to spare on each side of the pit.”

She looked blankly at him and asked, “What pit?”

~~~

You can’t be afraid of stepping on toes if you want to go dancing.

Lewis Freedman

~~~

“I play golf in the low 80’s,” the little old man was telling one of the young boys at the club.

“Wow,” said the young man, “that’s pretty impressive.”

“Not really,” said the little old man. “Any hotter and I’d probably have a stroke.”

~~~

“A good friend is a connection to life, a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world.”

Lois Wyse

~~~

An English teacher asked her 8th grade class to write an essay on what they would do if they had a million dollars. Morris handed in a blank sheet of paper. “Morris!” yelled the teacher, “you’ve done absolutely nothing.  Why?”

“Because if I had a million dollars, that’s exactly what I would do!”

~~~

Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

~~~

I lived in Minnesota during the late ‘60s, I not only survived there, I thrived there, but it was not always easy.

1. I came, I thawed, I transferred…
2. Survive Minnesota and the rest of the World is easy.
3. If you love Minnesota, raise your right ski.
4. Minnesota-where visitors turn blue with envy.
5. Save a Minnesotan – Eat a mosquito.
6. One day it’s warm, the rest of the year it’s cold.
7. Minnesota – home of the blonde hair and blue ears.
8. Minnesota – mosquito supplier to the free world.
9. Minnesota – come fall in love with a Loon.
10. Land of many cultures – mostly throat.
11. Where the elite meet sleet.
12. Minnesota: Closed for glacier repairs.
13. Land of 2 seasons: Winter is coming, Winter is here.
14. Minnesota – glove it or leave it.
15. Minnesota – have you jump started your kid today?
16. There are only 3 things you can grow in Minnesota: Colder, Older and Fatter.
17. Many are cold, but few are frozen.
18. Why Minnesota? To protect Ontario from Iowa!
19. Warning: You are entering Minnesota, Please use an alternate route!
20. Minnesota: Theater of sneezes.
21. Jack Frost must like Minnesota, he spends half his life here.
22. Land of 10,000 Petersons.
23. Land of ski and home of the crazed.
24. Minnesota, home of the Mispi – Mispp – Missipsp (Where the darn river starts!)
25. 10,000 lakes and no sharks!

~~~

“Meeting a stranger can be totally fleeting and meaningless, for example, unless you enter the individual’s world by finding out at least one thing that is meaningful to his or her life and exchange at least one genuine feeling. Tuning in to others is a circular flow: you send yourself out toward people; you receive them as they respond to you.”

Deepak Chopra

~~~

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 more than 2000 readers from around the world.

 

I wish you great companionship

“To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with.”

Mark Twain

One of the things I learned long ago was how much better things are that are shared rather than just experienced. There is a special joy that comes from being with a spouse watching your child’s first step. A win by your favorite sports team is much more fun when seen with a friend. And have you noticed how much more you can appreciate a beautiful sunset when it is watched with someone special at your side.

In truth it is companionship that not only adds to lifes joy but also makes the more difficult times easier to handle. I am not sure we appreciate the value our friends, family and loved ones as they accompany us during the stages of our lives, especially during our formative and middle years. But I do know the pain that comes to far too many from the loneliness they experience in old age. But I know many that truly love the golden years, these are folks who are always offering companionship to others and who in the process benefit from the relationships that they continue to make.

So my friends please let those who share in your life know they are appreciated and as you go through your life. Reach out to others as the years go by for they can keep you happy and healthy.

Here are tips offered by Mart Mohler for AARP on how we can find friends to share our lives. Please offer it to the potentially lonely not as a judgmental criticism of their lives but rather as a gift you willing to share with them.

Never Too Old to Find New Friends

When you were in school, you had no problem making friends. Ditto for those years when you were a parent of growing kids. But now that you’ve reached a new stage of life — and maybe have relocated or retired — making new acquaintances can be a little trickier. Still, it’s important to make the effort. Close relationships with others are vital to your health — physical, mental and emotional — your self-esteem and even your longevity, according to recent research. So if you find yourself enthusiastically chatting with telemarketers, you probably need to make some new connections. Here are 15 things that can help you.

1. Get over the idea that everybody else your age already has all the friends they need. “Nobody wears a sign that says ‘I’m looking for a friend,’ but there are a lot of people out there in the same boat,” Paul says.
2. Accept invitations, even if you suspect it won’t be the night of your life. Just getting out increases the chances of meeting new people — and friends are sometimes found in unlikely places.
3. Check out continuing-education classes at your local college or university. In addition, many colleges allow older adults to audit regular classes for free, and some have programs specifically for seniors.
4. Senior centers have moved way beyond Friday-night bingo. Most have a variety of classes, activities and even trips. Stop by and ask for a schedule.
5. If you’re retired, take a part-time job, even for just a few hours a week. It will expose you to new people and give you a little extra pocket money to boot.
6. Pursue your own interests — concerts, lectures, tai chi, cooking classes, whatever. “Look for things you’re passionate about and attend consistently so that you have time to build relationships naturally,” Paul says.
7. Set up a page on Facebook. You can connect with old friends and friends of friends — who just may happen to know someone in your area. Worst case: you’ll find a few online soul mates.
8. Invite a few of your neighbors for dinner if you like to cook, or organize a potluck meal if you don’t.
9. Get a dog if you’re an animal lover. Conversations with other dog walkers are guaranteed, and even people without pets will stop to say hello to Max, giving you the perfect opener. Can’t have a pet? Volunteer at your local shelter.
10. Work out at a nearby gym or the Y — but don’t just do the machine routine: Join a class so you see the same people every week.
11. “Don’t put too much pressure on a fragile new friendship because that can scare people away,” Paul says. If someone doesn’t call you back immediately, don’t assume they simply don’t like you. Try again.
12. Have faith — and exercise it. Many churches and synagogues make it a point to welcome newbies and introduce them around.
13. Volunteer in your community. Museums, hospitals, churches, animal shelters and schools are always looking for people to help out. Find opportunities in your area at AARP’s createthegood.org or VolunteersofAmerica.org.
14. Log on to Meetup.com and enter your ZIP code. You’ll find dozens, even hundreds, of groups in your area, focusing on everything from animals to Zen meditation. Also check out the AARP online community. If you can’t find the right group, you can start your own.
15. Be willing to take a risk. When you meet someone you like — a salesperson or someone seated next to you at a lunch counter — take the initiative and ask for an email address. What’s the worst that can happen?

~~~

“Joy multiplies when it is shared among friends, but grief diminishes with every division. That is life.”

R.A. Salvatore

~~~

In a perfect world………

A person should feel as good at 50 as he did at 17 and he would actually be as smart at 50 as he thought he was at 17.

Forget-me-nots would stimulate the memory.

Doing what was good for you would be what you enjoyed doing the most.

Pro baseball players would complain about teachers being paid contracts worth millions of dollars.

Potato chips might have calories, but if you ate them with a dip, the calories would be neutralized.

First impressions wouldn’t count for nearly as much as ultimate performance.

Highway patrolmen would never be around when you’re running late, but would always be at your side when a BMW blows past or a Mac truck won’t get off your bumper.

~~~

You know the honeymoon is pretty much over when you start to go out with the boys on Wednesday nights, and so does she.

~~~

A fellow got up one Saturday morning with the odd feeling that something about this day was to be different. Something unusual was about to happen. He glanced out the window at the thermometer: 33 degrees. He went downstairs – the clock had stopped at 3 o’clock. He picked up the newspaper and read the date: the 3rd of the month. Threes – that was it! He grabbed the paper and flipped it open to the racing section. Sure enough in the 3rd race, there was a horse named Trio! The fellow hurried to the bank, drew out his life savings and bet it all on the horse to win.

The horse ran third.

~~~

“I want to have children, but my friends scare me. One of my friends told me she was in labor for thirty-six hours. I don’t even want to do anything that feels good for thirty-six hours.”

Rita Rudner

~~~

Two friends, one an Optimist and the other a Pessimist could never quite agree on any topic of discussion.

One day the Optimist decided he had found a good way to pull his Pessimistic friend out of his way of continual Pessimistic way of thinking. The Optimist owned a huntin’ dog that could walk on water. His plan? Take the Pessimist and the dog out in a boat duck hunting.

This he did. They got out into the middle of the lake, and the Optimist shot down a duck…the dog immediately walked out across the water, retrieved the duck, and walked back to the boat.

The Optimist looked at his Pessimistic friend and said, “What do you think about that?”

The Pessimist replied, “That dog can’t swim, can he?”

~~~

“And as ridiculous as it may sound, sometimes all any of us needs in life is for someone to hold our hand and walk next to us.”

James Frey

~~~

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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