Ray's Daily

The good friend I never met

“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.”

Thomas Campbell

There was no Daily yesterday as I joined my fellow citizens participating in our countries Memorial Day activities. It is a time when we get to honor those no longer with us. While it is focused primarily on those who died in military service it is a time when I get to bring back the memories of some people that have made a difference in my life who have passed on.

Yesterday I got a notice that someone else was added to my list memorable people. This was a lady I never met but thought of as a good friend. Some years ago Wendy signed up for Ray’s Daily and started to occasionally send me her thoughts as well as humorous stories that she thought I would enjoy. A year or so ago she shared with me that she was a cancer victim. As the months have gone by she would let me know about her treatments and progress. She maintained a positive attitude throughout the ordeal only asking for prayers of hope. Sadly her husband e-mailed me yesterday that my friend had lost her battle and died a few days ago. I am glad she is at peace but I will miss her.

Yesterday I also received the following e-mail from a friend who lives in the Caribbean which helped to boost my spirits.

Hello Ray,

Just so you know, I still read your Daily every day (or if I must skip some days, I go back and make sure I read them all) because I am guaranteed to get an uplift!  I truly appreciate your spirit and dedication to continuing to serve the community in this way and all the other things you do.  Please keep on chiding me and your other readers to be positive in our mindset and to believe that important things are possible to achieve.

I do appreciate all of you that have allowed me to be your friend and I want to say to Wendy and the others no longer with us, thanks for the memories.

~~~

“…we should be remembered for the things we do. The things we do are the most important things of all. They are more important than what we say or what we look like. The things we do outlast our mortality. The things we do are like monuments that people build to honour heroes after they’ve died. They’re like the pyramids that the Egyptians built to honour the Pharaohs. Only instead of being made out of stone, they’re made out of the memories people have of you. That’s why your deeds are like your monuments. Built with memories instead of with stone.”

R.J. Palacio

~~~

A film crew was on location deep in the desert. One day an old Indian went up to the director and said, “Tomorrow rain.” The next day it rained. A week later, the Indian went up to the director and said, “Tomorrow storm.”

The next day there was a hailstorm. “This Indian is incredible,” said the director. He told his secretary to hire the Indian to predict the weather for the remaining of the shoot. However, after several successful predictions, the old Indian didn’t show up for two weeks.

Finally the director sent for him. “I have to shoot a big scene tomorrow,” said the director, “and I’m depending on you. What will the weather be like?”

The Indian shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know,” he said, “My radio is broken.”

~~~

“I bought some used paint. It was in the shape of a house.”

Steven Wright

~~~

I pulled into a crowded parking lot and rolled down the car windows to make sure my Labrador Retriever had fresh air. She was stretched out on the back seat, and I wanted to impress upon her that she must remain there. I walked to the curb backward, pointing my finger at the car and saying emphatically, “Now you stay. Do you hear me?  Stay!”

The driver of a nearby car gave me a strange look and said.  “Why don’t you just put it in park?”

~~~

I doubt, therefore I might be.

~~~

He said: The other day I had the opportunity to drop by my department head’s office. He’s a friendly guy and on the rare opportunities that I have to pay him a visit, we have had enjoyable conversations. While I was in his office yesterday I asked him “Sir, What is the secret of your success?”

He said “Two words.”

“What are they?”

“Right decisions.”

“But how do you make right decisions?”

“One word.” he responded.

“What is that?”

“Experience.”

“And how do you get Experience?”

“Two words”

“What are they?”

“Wrong decisions”

~~~

Be curious always! For knowledge will not acquire you: you must acquire it.

Sudie Back

~~~

She said: I was scheduled to fly from Michigan to Germany, where my husband was stationed in the military. As I checked in at the airport, the ticket agent asked me some standard security questions. “Has anyone given you any packages that you didn’t pack yourself?” he asked.

I told him that my mother-in-law had given me a parcel to take to her son. He looked at me very carefully and asked:

“Does she like you?”

~~~

“The trouble with being punctual is that nobody’s there to appreciate it.”

Franklin P. Jones

~~~

When Brandon’s mother found out she was pregnant, she told the good news to anyone who would listen. But Little Brandon overheard some of his parents’ private conversations. One day, when Brandon and his mother were shopping, a woman asked the little boy if he was excited about the new baby.

“Yes!” Brandon answered, “and I know what we’re gonna name it, too. If it’s a girl, we’re going to call her Christina, and if it’s another boy we’re going to call it quits!”

~~~

“People will walk in and walk out of your life, but the one whose footstep made a long lasting impression is the one you should never allow to walk out.”

Michael Bassey Johnson

~~~

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.

Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than fifteen years to 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.

Better now than never

“Many fine things can be done in a day if you don’t always make that day tomorrow”

The people I really appreciate are the doers. While so many of us sit around discussing all the reasons we should not do what might be done these folks just get up and do it. Just think of all the things that might have been built and problems that might have been solved if someone hadn’t waited until the time was just right and never got started. I don’t think there really is a status quo as nothing stays stagnant for long so those that stand still are soon left behind.

One of my faults, well maybe not really a fault, has been my impatience with inaction when organizations fail to address their challenges. I think it was hockey player Wayne Gretzky who said “You will never make a shot you don’t take,” I am glad that for most of my life I accepted the challenges without waiting to be sure I would succeed.

Here is a poem by Edgar Guest that is a favorite of mine

            It Couldn’t Be Done

Somebody said that it couldn’t be done,

But he with a chuckle replied

That maybe it couldn’t, but he would be one

Who wouldn’t say so “till he tried.”

So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin on his face.

If he worried, he hid it.

He started to sing as he tackled the thing

That couldn’t be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed:

“Oh, you’ll never do that;

At least no one ever has done it.”

But he took off his coat and took off his hat

And the first thing he knew he’d begun it.

With the lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,

Without any doubting or quiddit,

He started to sing as he tackled the thing

That couldn’t be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,

There are thousands to prophesy failure;

There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,

The dangers that wait to assail you.

But just buckle right in with a bit of a grin,

Then take off your coat and go to it;

Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing

That cannot be done, and you’ll do it.

~~~

It always seems impossible until its done.

Nelson Mandela

~~~

Top 10 Reasons God Created Eve

10. God worried that Adam would always be lost in the garden because men hate to ask for directions.
11. God knew that Adam would one day need someone to hand him the TV remote.
12. God knew that Adam would never buy a new fig leaf when his seat wore out and would therefore need Eve to get one for him.
13. God knew that Adam would never make a doctor’s appointment for himself.
14. God knew that Adam would never remember which night was garbage night.
15. God knew that if the world was to be populated, men would never be able to handle childbearing.
16. As “Keeper of the Garden,” Adam would never remember where he put his tools.
17. The scripture account of creation indicates Adam needed someone to blame his troubles on when God caught him hiding in the garden.
18. As the Bible says, “It is not good for man to be alone!”
19. When God finished the creation of Adam, He stepped back, scratched His head and said, “I can do better than that.”

~~~

Twenty Something  — The cost of a sitter for Saturday night.

~~~

Standing on the tee of a relatively long par three, a confident golfer said to his caddy, “Looks like a four-wood and a putt to me.”

The caddy argued with him a bit and suggested that he instead play it safe and hit a 4-iron then a wedge.

The golfer was insulted and proceeded to scream and yell at the caddy on the tee telling him that he was a better golfer than that and how dare the caddy under estimate his game.

So, giving in the caddy handed the gentleman the four-wood he had asked for.

He proceeded to top the ball and watched as it rolled about fifteen yards off the front of the tee.

Immediately the caddy handed him his putter and said, “And now for one hell of a putt…”

~~~

Never read the fine print. There ain’t no way you’re going to like it.

~~~

Leaving a plush night club one evening, a miserly gentleman walked past the doorman without tipping him.

Never the less, the doorman helped the man into a taxi with a flourish and said pleasantly, “By-the-way, in case you happen to lose your wallet on the way home, Sir, just remember that you didn’t pull it out here.”

~~~

When cashing a check at a bank, the teller asked me if I wanted large bills. I had to tell her no, they won’t fit in my wallet, just give me the regular size.

Max Moore

~~~

A young man and a priest are playing golf. At a short par-3 the priest asks, “What are you going to use on this hole my son?”

The young man says, “An 8-iron, Father. How about you?”

The priest says, “I’m going to hit a soft seven and pray.”

The young man hits his 8-iron and puts the ball on the green. The priest tops his 7-iron and dribbles the ball out a few yards. The young man says, I don’t know about you Father, but in my church when we pray, we keep our head down!”

~~~

“To find out a girl’s faults, praise her to her girl friends.”

Benjamin Franklin

~~~

Although he was a qualified meteorologist, Hopkins ran up a terrible record of forecasting for the TV news program. He became something of a local joke when a newspaper began keeping a record of his predictions and showed that he’d been wrong almost three hundred times in a single year.

That kind of notoriety was enough to get him fired. He moved to another part of the country and applied for a similar job. One blank on the job application called for the reason for leaving his previous position. Hopkins wrote, “The climate didn’t agree with me.”

~~~

While they were saying among themselves it cannot be done, it was done.

 Helen Keller

~~~

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.

Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than fifteen years to 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.

What do you see?

Vision is the art of seeing the invisible.

 Jonathan Swift

I had a big day yesterday. One of my Doctors told me to loose twenty pounds by next November. I learned that a friend of mine was selected to run for our states Lieutenant Governor and if that was not enough we are in the midst of the prelude to the 100^th Indianapolis 500 race. I am worn out and have an early meeting today so here is another Daily from the past.

Ray’s Daily first published on May 26, 2006

Many years ago someone told me that I see things others don’t. As the years have gone by it appears that he might have been right. I have been fortunate enough to be able to spend many hours with people who have difficulty seeing all that they are. It seems we are often so blinded by the big stuff that we miss the little things which are the building blocks that make us what we are. It takes time and a clear vision to productively focus in on all that we are. The good news is that when we do a whole new world can open up. For many it is the difference between just existing, letting the world carry you away and rewarding yourself by taking action consistent with things that are important to you. I honestly believe that everyone has the opportunity to not just be doing what they can do, but do what they want to do that is if they know what they want.

I don’t know what it is that blurs our vision so that all we see is the big outline of ourselves and not the detail. It might be cultural conditioning or tradition that stops us from looking at the fine points. Too many of us stop looking as soon as we see something recognizable. Ask someone what they are and most likely they will tell you what they do for a living, engineer, clerk, whatever. They might also report that they are a father or a mother, and live here or over there. Few will tell you that they love being with people, enjoy classical music, thrive on the time they spend with their kids, love the smell of flowers, feel good about helping others; if they really knew themselves the list would be almost limitless. But you know what? When the list outlines who we really are, when we stop long enough to really see ourselves, we can use the knowledge to find what is right for ourselves and start to do those things that will add the greatest meaning to our lives. We need to set aside our blinders, eliminate all the filters, and with an open mind take a look at ourselves and note what we see.

And you know what? You’ll find that life is so much easier when you can be yourself and no longer have to play at being someone your not. If you won’t invest in yourself, who will?

~~~

“You cannot be wimpy out there on the dream-seeking trail. Dare to break through barriers, to find your own path.”

Les Brown

~~~

A blonde is on board a small two-seater plane when suddenly the pilot dies.

Not knowing how to fly a plane she grabs the radio. “Mayday, Mayday! My pilot just died!” she screams.

Ground control receives her call for help and answers back: “Don’t worry, Madam. I’ll talk you down; just do as I say. First I need you to give me your height and position.”

“I’m 5″2′ and sitting in the front.”

~~~

“Nice guys finish last, but we get to sleep in.”

Evan Davis

~~~

Now that they are retired, my mother and father are discussing all aspects of their future. “What will you do if I die before you do?” Dad asked Mom.

After some thought, she said that she’d probably look for a house sharing situation with three other single or widowed women who might be a little younger than herself, since she is so active for her age.

Then Mom asked Dad, “What will you do if I die first?”

He replied, “Probably the same thing.”

~~~

“Time” has named former Presidents Bush and Clinton the partners of the year. These two are now so close they’re thinking about making a cowboy movie.”

Dave Letterman

~~~

Bill is sitting at the bar staring morosely into his beer. Doug walks in and sits down. After trying to

start a conversation several times and getting only distracted grunts he asks Bob what the problem is.

“Well,” said Bill, “I ran afoul of one of those women’s questions my wife women ask. Now I’m in big trouble at home.”

“What kind of question? Asked Doug.

“My wife asked me if I would still love her if when she was old, fat and ugly.”

“That’s easy,” said Doug. “You just say ‘Of course I will'”.

“Yeah”, said Bill, “That’s what I did, except I said ‘Of course I DO.'”

~~~

“When I woke up this morning my girlfriend asked me, ‘Did you sleep good?’

I said ‘No, I made a few mistakes.'”

Steven Wright

~~~

George had been a compulsive worrier for years until he found a way to overcome this problem. His friends noticed the dramatic change.

“You don’t seem to be worried about anything anymore.”

“I hired a professional worrier for $1000.00 a week,” George replied.

“I haven’t had a single problem since.”

“A

thousand a week?” said his friend. “How the hell are you going to pay him?”

“That’s his problem.”

~~~

Trouble is a part of your life, and if you don’t share it, you don’t give the person who loves you a chance to love you enough.

Dinah Shore

~~~

The young man told his father, “I want to marry a good woman, a smart woman, one who’ll be a good mother to our kids, a woman who will make me happy.”

His father told him he’d better make up his mind.

~~~

Abandon the search for Truth; settle for a good fantasy.

~~~

Nadine: There are two men sitting alone at the bar over there.

Jill: So?

Nadine: Well, we’re two women alone sitting over here at a table. What do you think that adds up to?

Jill: Four losers?

~~~

A hug is a great gift, one size fits all. It can be given for any occasion and it’s easy to exchange.

~~~

He said: When I was a newly commissioned Lieutenant in the Army, I was assigned as a temporary assistant in an administrative office in a Military Intelligence unit.

One day a long memo came around with a cover sheet instructing all assigned officers to read it and initial it as indication of their compliance. I figured it meant me too, so I read and initialed it.

BUT a few days later, it came back addressed specifically to me.  An attached note read: “You are not permanently assigned to this unit and are thus not an authorized signee. Please erase your initials and initial your erasure.”

I did.

~~~

All my life I had been looking for something, and everywhere I turned someone tried to tell me what it was.  I accepted their answers too, though they were often in contradiction and even self-contradictory.  I was naïve.  I was looking for myself and asking everyone except myself questions which I, and only I, could answer.  It took me a long time and much painful boomeranging of my expectations to achieve a realization everyone else appears to have been born with:  that I am nobody but myself.

Ralph Ellison

~~~

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.

Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than fifteen years to 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 like my authentic friends

“I know of nothing more valuable, when it comes to the all-important virtue of authenticity, than simply being who you are.”

Charles R. Swindoll

When I read the following article it reminded me of many of you that I know well. As we have discussed in the past I think far too many people go through life try to act like someone else rather than having the confidence to just be themselves, in other words to authentic. I am privileged to know so many of you who are truly authentic, you know you are among the “What you see is what you get” folks. I probably don’t say it enough but I really enjoy the times we spend together.

Things Authentic People Do That Others Don’t

by Steven Aitchison

They are not afraid to stand out.

Whether it be with the way they dress or their voice or their jobs. They have no fear in standing out above and from the rest. As a matter of fact, they don’t give it a second thought. There is nothing wrong with their outfit, at all. They are uniquely them and they love being themselves. No inhibitions.

They use their voice.

They say what they mean, mean what they say and won’t back down from a great conversation, debate or something they strongly believe in. they won’t sugar coat things to protect someone’s feelings (they won’t deliberately or intentionally hurt your feelings either though)

Just be yourself.

They encourage you to be yourself around them. They don’t want you to pretend to be someone you’re not, especially not in their company. This is the only person you can do that with, comfortably. They don’t have time to hang with fake people and they don’t want you to be one.

They know how to deal with every and any kind of situation.

Stressful, horrible, good and bad. They are extremely flexible in their attitude to life and the cards that life deals and their attitude is more often than not, optimistic and positive. No drama for them.

They love their own company.

They really truly do. They think they are awesome and that their company is fantastic. They don’t feel the need to have to be with people all the time for entertainment or company. They love themselves enough to hang out alone.

They don’t need validation from anyone.

Ever about anything. They do their best. If it wasn’t their best they will try again tomorrow. They like who they are, they like their hair, clothes, or whatever. They don’t need to seek anyone’s approval.

They don’t get defensive when people criticize them.

People are people and not every one is going to like them. They are always open to constructive criticism and take it as exactly that. They are open minded enough to listen to what the other is saying and appreciate their input.

They just act.

They trust their gut enough to do that thing they’ve been thinking of or talking about. They don’t look to others for advice. Most often, others will deter them from what is in their heart. They just go off and do what their heart is telling them to. Carefree and enthusiastically.

There is beauty in everything and everyone and they see it.

They see love and kindness and beauty everywhere and if for one second they don’t find it, then they will be it. They will be the change the world needs and are quick to jump in and be that person.

They don’t hang out with negative or judgmental people.

They really can’t be bothered and find it is a total waste of energy and time to be with people who don’t see the good in everything. They have no qualms about telling people that either. They don’t care if you like that or not.

~~~

Don’t be scared to present the real you to the world-authenticity is at the heart of success.

~~~

A well-worn one dollar bill and a similarly distressed twenty dollar bill arrived at a Federal Reserve Bank to be retired. As they moved along the conveyor belt to be burned, they struck up a conversation.

The twenty dollar bill reminisced about its travels all over the country. “I’ve had a pretty good life,” the twenty proclaimed. “Why I’ve been to Las Vegas and Atlantic City, the finest restaurants in New York, performances on Broadway, and even a cruise to the Caribbean.”

“Wow!” said the one dollar bill. “You’ve really had an exciting life!”

“So tell me,” says the twenty,” “where have you been throughout your lifetime?”

The one dollar bill replies, “Oh, I’ve been to the Methodist Church, the Baptist Church, the Lutheran Church…”

The twenty dollar bill interrupts, “What’s a church?”

~~~

“There is never enough time, unless you’re serving it.”

Malcolm Forbes

~~~

HOW TO CLEAN THE HOUSE

1. Open a new file in your PC.
2. Name it “Housework.”
3. Send it to the RECYCLE BIN
4. Empty the RECYCLE BIN
5. Your PC will ask you, “Are you sure you want to delete Housework permanently?”
6. Answer calmly, “Yes,” and press the mouse button firmly….
7. Feel better?

~~~

How can a society that exists on instant mashed potatoes, packaged cake mixes, frozen dinners, and instant cameras teach patience to its young?

Paul Sweeney

~~~

1. The Wall Street Journal is read by the people who run the country.
2. The Washington Post is read by people who think they run the country.
3. The New York Times is read by people who think they should run the country, and who like seeing the news twisted to be suitable for badmouthing the government.
4. USA Today is read by people who think they ought to run the country but don’t really understand the Washington Post. They do, however, like their statistics shown in pie charts.
5. The Los Angeles Times is read by people who wouldn’t mind running the country, if they could spare the time, and if they didn’t have to leave LA to do it.
6. The Boston Globe is read by people whose parents used to run the country and did a far superior job of it, thank you very much.
7. The New York Daily News is read by people who aren’t too sure who’s running the country, and don’t really care as long as they can get a seat on the train.
8. The New York Post is read by people who don’t care who’s running the country, as long as they do something really scandalous, preferably while intoxicated.
9. The San Francisco Chronicle is read by people who aren’t sure there is a country or that anyone is running it; but whoever it is, they strenuously oppose all that they stand for
10. The Miami Herald is read by people who are running another country but need the baseball scores.
11. The National Enquirer is read by people trapped in line at the grocery store.

~~~

“Virtue is often the result of insufficient temptation”

~~~

Vacationing in Alaska, I couldn’t help but notice all the warnings about bears posted in campgrounds, visitors’ centers and rest areas advising people not to feed the bears, how to avoid bears, what to do if a bear sees you, what to do if a bear attacks, and so on.

My favorite, however, was a hand-lettered sign on the door of a small gas station in a remote area.  It said: “Warning!  If you are being chased by a bear, PLEASE don’t come in here!”

~~~

One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else. Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be just like you. Don’t change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.

William E Lewis Jr

~~~

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.

Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than fifteen years to 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.

Are you busy enough?

“You can be beautiful and young even as you get older. Keep an active life.”

Lailah Gifty Akita

Those of you who know me well have watched me limit my activities over the last year or so. I reluctantly have done so because some health problems often kept me from making some of my commitments so I was not as reliable as I needed to be. The result was my backing away from many of the positions I have held. In truth I also have not been yet able to restore my previous energy level.

So why am I telling you this? After I read the following article I realized how important it is that we don’t hibernate as we grow older. In my case I am fortunate that a number of friends and former colleagues keep me in the loop as we meet on occasion to discuss issues of interest. I often get a chance to brainstorm around the challenges faced by organizations I respect. I may not be in the trenches and longer but I am glad I still get to observe and comment from behind the lines.

This was on Time Magazines Blog today. It provides good advice for all ages.

Your Brain Will Age Better If You Do This

Keeping a busy schedule may benefit the brain

One of the best ways to keep your brain sharp as you get older may be to stay busy, according to new research. While scientists have previously recommended engaging in mentally challenging activities, a new study suggests that keeping a packed schedule may offer similar benefits.

In a survey of over 300 people participating in the Dallas Lifespan Brain Study, study authors found that among adults over the age of 50, having a busy schedule was associated with better brain processing, improved memory, sharper reasoning and better vocabulary.

People in the study ranged from 50 to 89 years old, and the positive effect of busyness on the brain was consistent across age. This, the study authors conclude, suggests that keeping a busy lifestyle is important in middle age as well as old age.

It’s possible that staying busy increases people’s ability to learn new things, as they may be exposed to different situations, people, and information on a daily basis, the researchers suggest. But it’s also possible that people with higher cognitive abilities are also more likely to be busier. The study cannot definitively determine that busyness alone causes better brain health.

And what about the stress that can come from maintaining a tight schedule? “We certainly considered that being very busy could hurt cognition,” says study author Denise Park, director of research at the Center for Vital Longevity at The University of Texas at Dallas. “Basically, the data suggest that the benefits of busyness outweigh the downside.”

Park says her team plans to further study the effects of busyness on the brain to hopefully further untangle the factors that improve or hamper cognition later in life.

~~~

Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.

Henry David Thoreau

~~~

With only two tellers working at the bank, the line I was standing in was moving very slowly.  As I waited, I began to fill in my withdrawal slip. Not sure of the date, I turned and asked the woman behind me. “It’s the fifth,” she replied. From the back of the line a man advised, “Don’t write it in yet!”

~~~

The teacher wrote “Like I ain’t had no fun in months” on the board and then she said, “Timmy, how should I correct that?”

Timmy replied, “Maybe get a new boyfriend ?”

~~~

“I feel so miserable without you, it’s almost like having you here.”

Stephen Bishop

~~~

A congregant asked his Rabbi, “Rabbi, you’re a man of God. So why is it that you are always talking business when I, a businessman, am always talking about spiritual matters when I’m not at work?”

“You have discovered one of the principles of human nature,” the Rabbi replied.

“And what principle is that, Rabbi?”

“People like to discuss things they know nothing about.”

~~~

Discover wildlife!  Have kids!

~~~

Well Bill, how are you getting on with trying to date that new cocktail waitress?”

“Not so bad. I’m getting some encouragement now.”

“Really, is she beginning to smile sweetly at you or something?”

“Not exactly, but last night she said that she’s said ‘NO’ for the last time.”

~~~

Lord, if I can’t be skinny, let all my friends be fat.

~~~

My boss’ wife Sherry was exasperated with her younger sister, who bought an unreliable car and called for a ride every time it broke down. One day Sherry got yet another one of those calls. “What happened this time?” she asked. “My brakes went out,” her sister said. “Can you come to get me?” “Where are you?” Sherry asked. “I’m in the drugstore,” her sister responded. “And where’s the car?” “It’s in here with me.”

~~~

“His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork.”

Mae West

~~~

A woman sees a beautiful tennis bracelet in a jewelry store window.  She goes in and asks the clerk if a small deposit will hold it until her husband does something unforgivable.

~~~

“Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.”

Oscar Wilde

~~~

“How long have you been driving without a tail light?” asked the policeman after pulling over a motorist.

The driver jumped out, ran to the rear of his car, and gave a long, painful groan.

He seemed so upset that the cop was moved to ease up on him a bit.

“Come on, now,” he said, “you don’t have to take it so hard.  It isn’t that serious.”

“It isn’t?” cried the motorist.  “Then you know what happened to my boat and trailer?”

~~~

“To do what you love and feel that it matters…what could be more fun?”

Katharine Graham

~~~

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.

Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than fifteen years to 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.

Good week ahead

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

James Oppenheim

Here we go again, a new week, I hope yours will be as good as I expect mine to be. I do have some visits with my primary physician and with one of my heart doctors. I see them so often they are like old friends. I have learned to appreciate it when they tell me I am really doing pretty good for an old guy.

I also get to brainstorm with the head of one of my favorite organizations who is helping to make my city a better place, Not only that I will be breakfasting with a consultant friend who can tell me what is going on in the outside world.

Of course me week will include some exercise and numerous naps. So all in all it will be a good week without too much to do but will include some positive experiences. I have included a piece below that includes ideas that will help me make sure I will enjoy the next seven days, they can do the same for you.

Promise Yourself

by Christian D Larson

Promise yourself

• To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
• To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
• To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
• To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
• To think only of the best, to work only for the best and expect only the best.
• To be enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
• To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements of the future.
• To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
• To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
• To be too large for worry, too noble for anger,
• Too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

~~~

“True happiness is to enjoy the present… without anxious dependence upon the future.”

Seneca

~~~

Tips from the kids:

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?

You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff.  Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming. — Alan, age 10

No person really decides before they grow up who they’re going to marry.  God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you’re stuck with.– Kirsten, age 10

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?

Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.– Camille, age 10

No age is good to get married at.  You got to be a fool to get married.– Freddie, age 6 (very wise for his age)

HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?

You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.– Derrick, age 8

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?

Both don’t want any more kids.– Lori, age 8

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?

Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other.  Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.– Lynnette, age 8 (isn’t she a treasure)

On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.– Martin, age 10 (wise beyond his years)

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?

When they’re rich.– Pam, age 7

IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?

It’s better for girls to be single but not for boys.  Boys need someone to clean up after them.– Anita, age 9 (bless you child)

HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN’T GET MARRIED?

There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn’t there?– Kelvin, age 8

wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck. — Ricky, age 10

~~~

“Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.”

James Matthew Barrie

~~~

One of those physical fitness club franchises was preparing to enter the international market.  They placed ads in newspapers all over the county for people who could represent them on a tour.  The ad said:

We’re looking for five men in peak physical condition.  Must be able to speak Spanish, French, Chinese, or Japanese.  Must be knowledgeable about weights, aerobics, and at least two major sports.

The day after the ad appeared, a heavy man of about 70 appeared in the offices of the fitness club.  “I’m here about the ad,” he said.

The bronzed Adonis behind the desk looked surprised, but decided to be polite.  “Do you speak Spanish or French?” he asked.

“Nope,” the old man said.

“Chinese? Japanese?”

“No, both times.”

“Know anything about weights or aerobic exercises?”

“Only that I wouldn’t be caught dead with either one.”

“How about sports?”

“I’ve never played anything more taxing than checkers.”

“I see,” the young man said.  “Tell me something.  Why did you come here?”

“To tell you to count me out.”

~~~

God grant me the Senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.

~~~

Timmy was roughhousing with his dog.

His mother said to him, “Now, Timmy, I know you love Grover, but you’re loving him too much. How would you feel if someone huge picked you up and squeezed you so hard you couldn’t breathe?”

The boy thought a moment and then said, “I guess I’d feel like it was my birthday and Aunt Donna was here!”

Listen to the compass of your heart.

All you need lies within you.

Mary Anne Radmacher

~~~

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.

Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than fifteen years to 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.

The good folks

Let your smile change the world, but don’t let the world change your smile!

Today rather than listening to my thoughts I would like to share with you some short stories I picked up from the Sunny Skyz blog. They are stories about my kind of folks.

Never Doubt Your Ability To Brighten Someone’s Life

Some people are very lonely and a friendly conversation will literally make their day, even if it seems insignificant to you. Here are some stories people shared about those little compliments that went a long way:

• “I worked in a restaurant for a number of years and every Wednesday a family would come in with their adult special needs son. On his way in and out he would complement every person he saw on their shirt or their hair or shoes or smile. One of the few things I miss about that job.”
• “When I was in my 20s I was in the hospital for septic shock (blood poisoning). I was all alone late at night, feeling like literal death. I wasn’t afraid I was going to die, but I was still scared and close to freaking out just from a combination of boredom, loneliness, pain, and just being creeped out by my body. The nurse came in to do the nightly rounds. You know how when someone does something so often that they get really efficient at it? Like a chef who can chop an onion in five seconds flat. No wasted motions. I’d been in the hospital a week, and all the nurses were like that. Half of them could take vitals, check the IV and all that without ever actually looking at me. Nurse lady does her thing, same as all the others. Then she did something special. She stopped, looked me in the eyes, and smiled. This was more than twenty-five years ago. Maybe she patted my arm and said a few words. I don’t remember. I don’t remember her name or what she looks like. But I remember that she took a few seconds to acknowledge me as a human being, and that it suddenly made the pain and fear and loneliness bearable again. Little gestures matter.”
• “Years ago,when I was very down on my luck–suffering from deep depression, taking several medications that made my hands shake – I ran out of coffee. I had to go across the street to the only place near me that sold it: a discount store, somewhat below Wal-Mart. I was standing in a fairly long line (my hair not brushed, my coat over my pajamas) and the clerk was a miserable sourpuss who truly hated her job. She was super-fast though and was flying through the line, speaking only when necessary, not unlike the Soup Nazi. She was very dismissive to the customer ahead of me and was spoiling for a fight. I was determined that she was not going to treat me that way, I was already down as low as I could go. After she whipped my coffee can across the scanner and into a bag, I said to her: ‘You know what?’ No response, just a scowl and blazing eyes. ‘You are the fastest cashier I’ve ever seen. You should be working at least at Safeway with union wages and benefits, you are wasting yourself here.’ Her face was transformed by the most beautiful smile and she mouthed the words ‘thank you.’ I took my time walking away so I heard how cheerful and polite she was to the customer after me. That girl taught me that even at my lowest point, I still had something to offer that was valuable.”

~~~

When I was in grade school, they told me to write down what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down happy. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, I told them they didn’t understand life

Unknown

~~~

A police officer sees a man driving around with a pickup truck full of penguins. He pulls the guy over and says, “You can’t drive around with penguins in this town! Take them to the zoo immediately.”

The guy says okay, and drives away. The next day, the officer sees the guy still driving around with the truck full of penguins — and they’re all wearing sunglasses. He pulls the guy over and demands, “I thought I told you to take these penguins to the zoo yesterday!”

The guy replies, “I did. Today I’m taking them to the beach!”

~~~

There is a difference between happiness and wisdom: He that thinks himself the happiest man really is so; but he that thinks himself the wisest is generally the greatest fool.

Charles Caleb Colton

~~~

Late one Friday night, I was awakened by the ringing of my phone…In a sleepy grumpy voice I said, “Hello.”

The party on the other end of the line paused for a moment before rushing breathlessly into a lengthy speech.

“OK… Mom, this is Marsha and I’m sorry I woke you up, but I had to call because I’m going to be a little late getting home. See, Daddy’s car has a flat but it’s not my fault. Really! I don’t know what happened. The tire just went flat while John and I were inside the theater. Please don’t be mad, okay?”

Since I don’t have any daughters, I knew the person had misdialed. “I’m sorry dear, “I replied, “but you’ve reached the wrong number. I don’t have a daughter named Marsha.”

“Come on, Mom,” pleaded the young woman’s voice, “I didn’t think you’d be this mad.”

~~~

“If you haven’t got anything nice to say about anybody, come sit next to me.”

Alice Roosevelt Longworth

~~~

“I had the toughest time of my life. First, I got angina pectoris and then arteriosclerosis. Just as I was recovering from these, I got tuberculosis, double pneumonia and phthisis. Then they gave me hypodermics. Appendicitis was followed by tonsillectomy. These gave way to aphasia and hypertrophic cirrhosis. I completely lost my memory for a while. I know I had diabetes and acute ingestion, besides gastritis, rheumatism, lumbago and neuritis. I don’t know how I pulled through it. It was the hardest spelling test I’ve ever had.”

~~~

Laugh alone and the world thinks you’re an idiot.

~~~

She said: My husband, Michael, and I were at a restaurant with his boss, a rather stern older man. When Michael began a tale, which I was sure he had told before, I gave him a kick under the table. There was no response, so I gave him another poke. Still the story went on. Suddenly he stopped, grinned and said, “Oh, but I’ve told you this one before, haven’t I?”

We all chuckled and changed the subject. Later, on the dance floor, I asked my husband why it had taken him so long to get my message. “What do you mean?” he replied. “I cut the story off as soon as you kicked me.”

“But I kicked you twice and it still took you awhile to stop!”

Suddenly we realized what had happened. Sheepishly we returned to our table. The boss smiled and said, “Don’t worry. After the second one I figured it wasn’t for me, so I passed it along!”

~~~

“It was only a sunny smile and little it cost in the giving but like morning light it scattered the night and made the day worth living.”

Unknown author

~~~

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.

Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than fifteen years to 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.

Animosity Poisons

“Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity, or registering wrongs.”

Author: Charlotte Bronte

I hope I am wrong but there seems to be widespread animosity running rampant these days. It appears that civility has lost its importance for many folks. It will do us no good to allow unreasoned acrimony to drive people away from respectful dialogue with each other.

Today’s political rhetoric has helped to feed peoples intolerance for ideas other than their own. In some quarters friends are afraid to discuss issues with each other for fear of an unreasoned response. Winning because of one’s ability to shout down another is nothing more than bullying. What must children think when they see adults substitute insults for rational discussion.

If we fight amongst ourselves we limit our chances of solving our problems. I just hope that the current national political enmity is not a reflection of who we have become as a people.

Here is a short piece from the Stronghold Smashers blog that says it better than I can.

Free from the Stronghold of Animosity

Animosity builds a stronghold in our lives when we stop forgiving and give ourselves over to ill will. Unfortunately animosity claims a right to revenge and can hurt the person, persons, or group it targets. Eventually it hurts and will even murder the host if left unchecked.

When animosity builds a stronghold it displays itself in action, inviting spite, gossip, hate, malice, bitterness and many other demons along with it to build strongholds in the host as well. The curses these demons bring can ruin the host and the object of its agenda.

Animosity is selfish and deceptive. It will hide itself very cleverly for years. It keeps seven abominations close by and one of these evils has its roots in manipulation. When it surfaces it will take its host and others by surprise. Because animosity is cloaked in deception it confuses the host as well as the objects of its agenda.

The resentment animosity carries can become very destructive. The only way to deal with this demonic stronghold is through love. Love may not necessarily heal the person harboring animosity because of the denial brought on by deception, but it can heal or protect the person or persons it targets.

~~~

It’s difficult to have any animosity towards someone if you recognize that on so many levels they’re exactly the same as you.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas

~~~

It was a terrible night, blowing cold and rain in a most frightful manner. The streets were deserted and the local baker was just about to close up shop when a little, old man slipped through the door. He carried an umbrella, blown inside out and was bundled in two sweaters and a thick coat. But even so, he still looked wet, freezing and bedraggled.

As he unwound his scarf, he said to the baker, “May I have two poppy seed bagels to go, please?”

The baker said in astonishment, “Two bagels? Nothing more?”

“That’s right,” answered the little man. “One for me and one for Sherry.”

“And who is Sherry, your wife?” asked the baker.

“What did you think,” snapped the little man, “that my mother would send me out on a night like this?!”

~~~

Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart, give yourself to it.

~~~

A redneck and a Frenchman were caught in Kentucky for making and selling bad moonshine. The law decided to hang them off the middle of the Ohio Bridge. They tied the rope around the Frenchman’s neck and said, “Do you have any last words?”

He said, “No.”

They threw him off the bridge, but the rope was too long. He removed the rope from his neck and swam to the Ohio side of the river.

Then they tied the same rope around the redneck’s neck and said, “Do you have any last words to say?”

He said, “Yep, you-uns shorten up that thare rope boys ‘caws I cain’t swim.”

~~~

“It’s choice – not chance – that determines your destiny.”

Jean Nidetch:

~~~

Jack and Jill were watching a TV show one night where the wife hired a private detective to follow her husband to see if he was “cheating” on her.

Jack asked, “Would you ever do that?”

Jill said, “Well not so much to find out who the other woman was, but to see if I could find out what she saw in you.”

~~~

Time passed, which, basically, is its job.

~~~

One of our co-workers went missing for a few hours and we tore up the place looking for him. The boss finally found him fast asleep. Rather than waking him, he quietly placed a note on the man’s chest.

“As long as you’re asleep,” it read, “you have a job.” “But as soon as you wake up, you’re fired!”

~~~

The young know the rules, the old know the exceptions.

~~~

Mensa is an organization for people with an IQ of 140 or higher.

A few years ago, there was a Mensa convention in San Francisco, and several members lunched at a local cafe. While dining, they discovered that their salt shaker contained pepper and their pepper shaker was full of salt.

How could they swap the contents of the bottles without spilling, and using only the implements at hand? Clearly this was a job for Mensa! The group debated and presented ideas, and finally came up with a brilliant solution involving a napkin, a straw, and an empty saucer. They called the waitress over to dazzle her with their solution.

“Ma’am,” they said, “we couldn’t help but notice that the pepper shaker contains salt and the salt shaker…”

“Oh,” the waitress interrupted. “Sorry about that.” She unscrewed the caps of both bottles and switched them.

~~~

Heat and animosity, contest and conflict may sharpen the wits, although they rarely do they never strengthen the understanding, clear the perspicacity, guide the judgment, or improve the heart.

Walter Savage Landor

~~~

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.

Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than fifteen years to 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.

Are you a carrier?

“Enthusiasm is contagious. Be a carrier.”

Susan Rabin

I am really tired and have a full day ahead so I am going back to see what the Daily contained six years ago, here is what I found.

Ray

Ray’s Daily first published on May 18, 2010

This morning I was reading some of the articles that I have saved and reread the following by best selling author Gretchen Rubin were she promotes the value of our being enthusiastic. It started me thinking about the people I worked with on various projects last week and as I reflected I realized that the one thing they all had in common was enthusiasm. What I especially like is that enthusiasm is contagious and there are not too many things better than being around people who like doing what they are doing and who let you do it with them.

One of the things that hit home in Gretchen’s article was her saying she tries to act the way she wants to feel and in my experience that is often the difference between having a bad day and a good day. Her comments also reminded me that far too many people who spend all of their time being critical of those who are enthusiastic and happy, fortunately I have learned to ignore the destroyers as I rush to join the builders.

So how about trying it, let the complainers sit around bad mouthing everything as they contribute nothing while you are up, out, having fun while enjoying life.

Why I’d Rather Be Enthusiastic than Confident

By Gretchen Rubin

Lately, I’ve been thinking about enthusiasm. I’ve become increasingly convinced of the importance of enthusiasm to happiness. Enthusiasm is energetic, positive, generous, and social. It’s outward-turning and engaged. It’s kind of goofy.

As one of my happiness-project experiments, I tried putting sticky notes throughout the apartment with two key adjectives to keep in mind as I went through my day. In my office, the sticky note originally said, “Creative and confident.” But as I thought more about the quality of confidence, I decided that it really wasn’t the right adjective.

Confidence has an overtone of posture; also it relates to the way I’m seen by others, or the way I feel about myself. Enthusiasm, on the other hand, has to do with the way I feel about something or someone else. Enthusiasm is a form of social courage; it’s safer to criticize and scoff than to praise and embrace.

Enthusiasm is contagious; one person’s enthusiasm can infect others with enjoyment. My mother-in-law is a theater nut who takes my older daughter to the theater a lot, especially to musicals. If my daughter took a class in musicals, would she love them? I’m not sure. But being swept up in her grandmother’s enthusiasm has made her love them, too.

I’m not a particularly enthusiastic person, except in certain very specific areas, and I’m trying to do a better job of tapping into my enthusiastic side and encouraging other people’s enthusiasms. For instance, I follow resolutions to give positive reviews and to act the way I want to feel.

There’s a dark tendency in human nature to mock or attack other people’s enthusiasms. It’s easy to make fun of ping-pong or Barry Manilow or Star Trek or wine-tasting — but why do it? I remind myself to Shield my joyous ones. I draw energy and cheer from the joyous ones, from the enthusiastic ones, and I need to encourage and join them, not drag them down.

~~~

“Act enthusiastic and you will be enthusiastic”

Dale Carnegie

~~~

Moe and Lenny are strolling home from Shul one Saturday morning. Suddenly a cab speeds past, and their friend, Irving, is running frantically behind it, flailing his arms wildly. “Well,” said Lenny. “I never imagined our good friend Irving was a Sabbath violator! Look at him running for that taxi.”

“Wait a minute,” Moe replied. “Didn’t you read that book I lent you. ‘The Other Side of the Story,’ about the command to judge other people favorably? I’ll bet we can think of hundreds of excuses for Irving’s behavior.”

“Yeah, like what?”

“Maybe he’s sick and needs to go to the hospital.”

“Come on! He was running 60 miles an hour after that cab, he’s healthier than Arnold Schwartzennegger.”

“Well, maybe his wife’s having a baby.”

“She had one last week.”

“Well, maybe he needs to visit her in the hospital.”

“She’s home.”

“Well, maybe he’s running to the hospital to get a doctor.”

“He is a doctor.”

“Well, maybe he needs supplies from the hospital.”

“The hospital is a three minute walk in the opposite direction.”

“Well, maybe he forgot that it’s Shabbos!”

“Of course he knows it’s Shabbos. Didn’t you see his tie? It was his paisley beige l00% silk Giovanni tie from Italy. He never wears it during the week.”

“Wow, you’re really observant! I didn’t even notice he was wearing a tie.”

“How could you not notice? Didn’t you see how it was caught on the back fender of the taxi?”

~~~

“Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused.”

~~~

A professor at the Michigan State University was known for giving boring, cliché-ridden lectures.   At the beginning of one semester, an innovative class breathed new life into the course by assigning baseball plays to each hackneyed phrase.

For example, when the professor said, “On the other hand,” that counted as a base hit. “By the same token” was a strike out; “and so on” counted as a stolen base. Divided into two teams by the center aisle of the lecture hall, the students played inning after inning of silent but vigorous baseball.

On the last day of class, the impossible happened: the score was tied and bases were loaded. Then the batter hit a home run! The winning team stood and cheered wildly.

Though deeply appreciative, the professor later was quoted as wondering why only half of the students had been enthusiastic about his lectures.

~~~

What you don’t see with your eyes, don’t invent with your mouth.

Jewish proverb

~~~

Jill complained to Nina, “Rosey told me that you told her the secret I told you not to tell her.”   “Well,” replied Nina in a hurt tone, “I told her not to tell you I told her.”

“Oh dear!” sighed Jill. “Well, don’t tell her I told you that she told me.”

~~~

Good breeding consists of concealing how much we think of ourselves and how little we think of the other person.

Mark Twain

~~~

Mildred, the church gossip, and self-appointed monitor of the church’s morals, kept sticking her nose into other people’s business. Several members did not approve of her extra-curricular activities, but feared her enough to maintain their silence.

She made a mistake, however, when she accused George, a new member, of being an alcoholic after she saw his old pickup parked in front of the town’s only bar one afternoon. She emphatically told George (and several others) that everyone seeing it there would know what he was doing.

George, a man of few words, stared at her for a moment and just turned and walked away. He didn’t explain, defend, or deny… He said nothing. Later that evening, George quietly parked his pickup in front of Mildred’s house… walked home… and left it there all night.

You got to love George!

~~~

If you have zest and enthusiasm you attract zest and enthusiasm. Life does give back in kind.

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.

Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than fifteen years to 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.

It’s a new day, let’s make it a good one

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”

Confucius

I have a busier than normal day today. I am going to do one of my favorite things; I get to check out a new restaurant that just opened nearby. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the menu looks great to me.

I also will be joining a large group of special people for a volunteer appreciation luncheon. These folks are members of OASIS and are responsible for enriching the lives of hundreds of Indianapolis children and older adults.

Oh and I will be transmitting my Pacemaker information to a computer in Minnesota where they will process the data a send it to my hear doc verifying that I am still breathing, I am glad I still am.

Rather than leave you with nothing I am including an article written by Justin Criner that I just received:

The 5 Myths of Happiness (you wont be happy till you understand these!)

Everyone believes in happiness, but your beliefs may actually be false. Happiness has many false beliefs. I will outline some of the most prevalent so that you can see them in your life. Once you realize these are myths then you can begin to eliminate them, becoming more happy.

Happiness is time based

Are you waiting for happiness to happen to you? Is there a future time that you will be happy? Will it be after you retire? When you get a new job? When you get married or perhaps divorced? Will it be the WEEKEND, or after 5:00 Pm today? Will it be when you are in a relationship, when you lose weight, make more money, or any other future event? People are waiting for happiness to happen to them. They battle against the bad things in life and they hope that eventually happiness will come. Happiness does not come in the future! Happiness is not time based. There is no amount of time that will create happiness. If you are on this earth for a hundred, or a thousand, or a million years you will not be happy. If you are thinking that at some point in the future you will become happy this is a myth. You can be happy now, but you can not be happy some day, for some day never comes. Happiness is not predicated on time. It happens only in the now.

Happiness is event based

If I asked you “what would make you happy” you might respond with some event. Something happening to you that would create happiness in your life. Events come and go, but they don’t bring happiness with them. Marriage, jobs, vacations, are all events, but will they really make you happy? Have you ever been unhappy in any of these? If you have, this proves that happiness comes from somewhere other than an event.

Happiness is related to “stuff”

Material things are nice. They make life more comfortable. They can be fun, but they don’t bring happiness. Now we probably all know this to some degree, but most of us still live our life as if it is true. You might say “money does not bring happiness” but deep down, in your core, you probably still feel that some degree of happiness comes from money. The truth is that if you are unhappy now, you will be unhappy when you have more stuff. When you have more stuff there will be more taxes, more bills, more insurance, more things breaking, more problems. Happiness and stuff are mutually exclusive. They are not related.

Happiness comes from external sources

You may have noticed that the first 3 myths are external “things.” They are things that are outside of you, or yourself. While external things can help you to achieve happiness, true happiness comes from inside. Its true that a good relationship can seem to bring happiness, but first you must be happy inside. If you are an unhappy person then the good relationship will only carry you so far. Have you ever been with a good person and been unhappy? I know I have. I have had inner turmoil when in a great relationship. Even families can be a source of unhappiness. In other words, if the happiness is not first coming from inside of you, then you can’t receive it from external things. So you must have happiness internally. If you are looking for some external source to make you happy, or to bring happiness in your life then you will never find it for any lasting amount of time.

Fighting BAD creates happiness

“Bad” things happen every day in life. Most people fight against them. This means that they get upset, stress, hate the situation, talk bad about it, and resist it with their heart or soul. You can fight “bad things” as much as you want, but fighting bad does not create good. Said another way – dwelling on the bad does not create happiness. So your life has difficult things in it. So what! Every life does, but your life also has great things in it. Happiness is appreciated by dwelling in the good things. You have a choice. You can chose to dwell on what sucks, or dwell on what’s amazing. Its up to you. Usually when we dwell on what sucks we are fighting against it. We are talking about why it sucks, why we don’t like it, and how rotten it is. This does not create happiness. This creates more misery. Its called complaining, and complaining does not create happiness. So why fight bad, just enjoy the good.

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“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

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The new Supermarket near our house has an automatic water mister to keep the produce fresh.  Just before it goes on, you hear the sound of distant thunder and the smell of fresh rain.   When you approach the milk cases, you hear cows mooing and witness the scent of fresh hay.   When you approach the egg case, you hear hens cluck and cackle and the air is filled with the pleasing aroma of bacon and eggs frying.   The veggie department features the smell of fresh buttered corn.

I don’t buy toilet paper there any more.

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Two Wrongs Don’t Make A Right, But Three Lefts Do.

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Obtainable Affirmations

1. As I let go of my feelings of guilt, I am in touch with my inner sociopath.
2. I have the power to channel my imagination into ever-soaring levels of suspicion and paranoia.
3. I assume full responsibility for my actions, except the ones that are someone else’s fault.
4. I no longer need to punish, deceive, or compromise myself, unless I want to stay employed.
5. In some cultures what I do would be considered normal.
6. Having control over myself is almost as good as having control over others.
7. My intuition nearly makes up for my lack of self-judgment.
8. I honor my personality flaws for without them I would have no personality at all.
9. I am grateful that I am not as judgmental as all those censorious, self-righteous people around me.
10. I am willing to make the mistakes if someone else is willing to learn from them.

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Goodness is a special kind of truth and beauty. It is truth and beauty in human behavior.

H.A. Overstreet

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It doesn’t make sense. You’re flying at 500 m.p.h., 30,000 feet in the air, and the pilot tells you to feel free to roam around the plane. But when you’re on the ground taxiing to the gate at 1 m.p.h., he tells you to remain seated for your own safety.

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Jill:  I had to take the bus the other day, and a gentleman asked his young son to give up his seat “for the lady” – ME!

Mary:  Well, that was just common courtesy, right?

Jill:  I don’t know.  The boy was sitting on his father’s lap!

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I know what men want. Men want to be really, really close to someone who will leave them alone.

Elayne Boosler

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In a software design meeting, we were using typical technical jargon to discuss a data exchange interface with a vendor. One co-worker said the programming we had ordered was delayed because the vendor was suffering from a “severe nonlinear waterfowl issue.” Curious, the team leader raised his eyebrows and asked, “What exactly is that?”

The programmer replied, “They don’t have all their ducks in a row.”

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“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.”

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

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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.

Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than fifteen years to 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.