Ray's Daily

We need each other

Hear me, four quarters of the world – a relative I am! Give me the strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is! Give me the eyes to see and the strength to understand, that I may be like you. With your power only can I face the winds.

Black Elk

(1863-1950) Oglala Sioux holy man

I had a full day yesterday that wore me out so I decided to concentrate my energy on resting so you guessed it, another Daily from yesteryear.

Ray’s Daily first published on September 16, 2005

I was talking to a friend, a daily reader, at a Foreign Affairs dinner the other evening. I mentioned that recently we have had a number of new people join our list including someone from New Zealand and a few from Australia. He commented on how much our family of readers has grown. He said “do you realize that you have made friends you will never see?” Of course I said I did.

Since then I have been thinking about what he said and how we have our daily communication in common. We may never see each other but I know you are there and that gives me pleasure, almost as much as I get when you let me know what’s happening in your life.

We live in different parts of the world, we practice many religions, and our education levels run the gamut from school drop outs to PHD’s. Some of us work in government, some humanitarians, and many of us are businessmen and women. We work in hospitals, we are cooks and chefs, we are teachers, artists, performers, and laborers. There are few things that are not done by one or more of us. We are retirees, housewives, students, parents, brothers, sisters, neighbors, and citizens.

We share a zest for life, a belief in ourselves, and know that in our own way we make a difference. Just think, there are hundreds of us each day who make a difference, it might be the smile we give to a stranger, a child that allows us to share a little of their time, or one of the other hundreds of ways we enrich our lives by enriching the lives of others. We dream, we have fun, and most of all we care and share. As you know a sunset is always more beautiful when it is seen and shared with another. And you know what? We share what we do each day knowing that others of us are out there also doing what they can. We may not be able to hold hands but we can share our spirit. And as Black Elk said, “Hear me, four quarters of the world – a relative I am!” And so my brothers and sisters, thanks for being who you are and thanks for being there.

~~~

The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt.

Frederick Buechner

~~~

The boss was very exasperated with his new secretary. She ignored the telephone when it rang.

“You must answer the telephone,” he told her irritably.

“All right,” she replied, “but it seems so silly. Nine times out of ten, it’s for you!”

~~~

If I called the wrong number, why did you answer the phone? For that matter, how come wrong numbers are never busy?

~~~

Church Bulletin Bloopers

– The Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

– Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.

– The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The Congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

– Thursday night Potluck Supper. Prayer and medication to follow.

– A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.

– At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be “What Is Hell?” Come early and listen to our choir practice

~~~

All I Ask Is a Chance to Prove That Money Can’t Make Me Happy.”

~~~

The Hebrew people were sitting around Mt. Sinai. You could hear only a subdued murmur among them, but you could feel the tension in the air.

For hours now, Moses had been on top of the mountain, hidden from their gaze by clouds wafting around its top. Sometimes the clouds became dark and you could hear thunder rolling down. In spite of the warm weather, this caused a shudder among the waiting mass. The end of day was approaching and dusk was beginning to set in when suddenly a figure came through the clouds and walked down the steep mountainside carrying a heavy load. It was Moses. Moses set down his load and raised his hands.

“Friends,” he said. “Friends, it was hard work and I have done my best. I have negotiated with Him. I used every possible argument, every trick I could think of—and I think I was successful. The good news is: I brought him down from 15 to 10. The bad news is: Adultery is still in.”

~~~

“A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words, But It Uses Up a Thousand Times the Memory.”

~~~

An elderly gentleman is standing at the pearly gates and St. Peter addresses him: All you need to have done is one good deed, and we will allow you passage into heaven?

The old man says, “No problem,” as he recounts to St. Peter that he once stopped at an intersection and saw a motorcycle gang harassing a young woman. He got out of his car, walked up to one of the bikers, who was over seven feet tall and must have weighed nearly 400 pounds, and told the biker that abusing and harassing a woman is a cowardly act and that he would not tolerate it in his presence. He then reached up, yanked out his nose ring and kicked him in the groin to make a point.

St. Peter is frantically searching the man’s life in his book in front of him and says, “I can’t find that incident anywhere in your file. When did that happen?”

The old man looks down at his watch and says, “Oh, about five minutes ago.”

~~~

Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.

~~~

A woman had gained a few pounds. It was most noticeable to her when she squeezed into a pair of her old blue jeans.   Wondering if the added weight was noticeable to everyone else, she asked her husband, “Honey, do these jeans make me look like the side of the house?”

“No, dear, not at all,” he replied, “Our house isn’t blue.”

~~~

Life would be much easier if I had the source code.

~~~

Billy called his mother from his friend Charlie’s house and confessed he had broken a lamp when he threw a football in their living room.

“But, Mom,” he said, brightening, “you don’t have to worry about buying another one. Charlie’s mother said it was irreplaceable.”

~~~

A motivational sign at work: The beatings will continue until morale improves.

~~~

A man with a nagging secret couldn’t keep it any longer. In the confessional he admitted that for years he had been stealing building supplies from the lumberyard where he worked.

“How much material did you take?” his priest asked.

“Enough to build my own house, and enough for my son’s house, and houses for our two daughters and our cottage at the lake.”

“This is very serious,” the priest said. “I shall have to think of a far-reaching penance. Have you ever done a retreat?”

“No, Father, I haven’t,” the man replied. “But if you can get the plans, I can get the lumber.”

~~~

Responsibility does not only lie with the leaders of our countries or with those who have been appointed or elected to do a particular job. It lies with each of us individually. Peace, for example, starts within each one of us. When we have inner peace, we can be at peace with those around us.

Dalai Lama

~~~

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 enjoying the ride?

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 blooming outside our windows today.

Dale Carnegie

As I look back on my life I realize that I have much to be thankful for. My wife, my children and the times we spent together as the kids were growing up has filled a memory book with happy moments. I have visited many countries around the world encountering good people that provided pleasing instants to remember. I have been fortunate enough to have worked with and met numerous special people who enhanced my life through their friendships,

I just wish as I look back that I had appreciated and savored each moment more than I often did. But generally I realized throughout my life that what I did have was worth enjoying. Thank goodness that I realize that even now my life is good. I hope you appreciate your experiences as well.

Here is a story that I like, it reminds me of how important it is that we recognize our valuable moments.

The Best Time Of My Life

by Joe Kemp

It was June 15, and in two days I would be turning thirty. I was insecure about entering a new decade of my life and feared that my best years were now behind me. My daily routine included going to the gym for a workout before going to work. Every morning I would see my friend Nicholas at the gym. He was seventy-nine years old and in terrific shape. As I greeted Nicholas on this particular day, he noticed I wasn’t full of my usual vitality and asked if there was anything wrong. I told him I was feeling anxious about turning thirty. I wondered how I would look back on my life once I reached Nicholas’s age, so I asked him, “What was the best time of your life?”

Without hesitation, Nicholas replied, “Well, Joe, this is my philosophical answer to your philosophical question:

“When I was a child in Austria and everything was taken care of for me and I was nurtured by my parents, that was the best time of my life.

“When I was going to school and learning the things I know today, that was the best time of my life.

“When I got my first job and had responsibilities and got paid for my efforts, that was the best time of my life.

“When I met my wife and fell in love, that was the best time of my life.

“The Second World War came, and my wife and I had to flee Austria to save our lives. When we were together and safe on a ship bound for North America, that was the best time of my life.

“When we came to Canada and started a family, that was the best time of my life.

“When I was a young father, watching my children grow up, that was the best time of my life.

“And now, Joe, I am seventy-nine years old. I have my health, I feel good and I am in love with my wife just as I was when we first met. This is the best time of my life.”

~~~

Each day is a new canvas to paint upon. Make sure your picture is full of life and happiness, and at the end of the day you don’t look at it and wish you had painted something different.

Author Unknown

~~~

You might be from Las Vegas If…..

* – You no longer associate bridges with water.

* – You can say 110 degrees without fainting.

* – You can make instant sun tea.

* – You learn that a seat belt makes a good branding iron.

* – The temperature drops below 85, and you feel a bit chilled.

* – You discover you can get a sunburn through your car window.

* – You notice the best parking place is determined by shade, not distance.

* – Hot water comes out of both taps.

* – You actually burn your hand opening the car door.

* – No one would dream of putting vinyl upholstery in a car or not having air conditioning.

* – You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.

~~~

More and more these days I find myself pondering on how to reconcile my net income with my gross habits.

John Kirk Nelson

~~~

In a little town, tucked into the woods and far from the main roads, the Jews were afraid that the Messiah would come and pass them by. They decided to build a tower on the outskirts of town, and appointed one of the town’s beggars to serve there as watchman. If the Messiah should come, the watchman would give him directions to the town.

One day a stranger approached the tower, and the watchman came down to greet him. “What are you doing here in the middle of the forest?” asked the stranger.

“I sit on top of the tower and wait for the Messiah,” answered the watchman.

“How do you like your job?” the stranger asked. “I’m sure it doesn’t pay very much.”

“That’s true,” answered the watchman. “But it’s steady work.”

~~~

My friend admitted she was forty but she didn’t say when.

~~~

A lady was taking her time browsing through everything at a yard sale and said to the homeowner, “My husband is going to be very angry when he finds out I stopped at a yard sale.”

“I’m sure he’ll understand when you tell him about all the bargains,” the homeowner replied.

“Normally, yes,” the lady said. “But he just broke his leg, and he’s waiting for me to take him to the hospital to have it set.”

~~~

We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons.

Alfred E. Newman

~~~

Shortly after reporting to the 101st Airborne Division, we were ordered to fall out in our dress uniforms. Only problem was, I didn’t know how to tie a necktie. So I asked the guy in the next bunk for help.

“Sure,” he said. “Lie down.”

Confused, I lay down on the bunk and he tied my tie.

“Sorry, but this is the only way I know how,” he said. “comes from practicing on my father’s clients.”

“What does your father do?”

“He’s a mortician.”

~~~

“My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying.”

Ed Furgol.

~~~

“So, Mr. Clark,” the doctor says to one of his patients, “I see by your chart that you’ve been recommended for dismissal. Do you have any idea what you might do once you’re released?”

The patient thinks for a moment, then replies, “Well, I went to school for mechanical engineering. That’s still a good field, good money there. But on the other hand, I thought I might write a book about my experience here in the hospital, what it’s like to be a patient here. People might be interested in reading a book like that. In addition, I thought I might go back to college and study art history, which I’ve grown interested in lately.”

Dr. Leroy nods and says, “Yes, those all sound like intriguing possibilities.”

The patient replies, “And the best part is, in my spare time, I can go on being a teapot.”

~~~

At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent.

Barbara Bush

~~~

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’m Better Now

Be moderate in order to taste the joys of life in abundance.

Epicurus

I like many others have learned lessons late in life that would have made my life better if I had learned them earlier. I just read the piece I am going to share with you today that reminded me of my own behavior in my early days in the computer industry. I often spent long hours and even weeks away from my family focusing on the challenges of my job.

Even later in life I often found myself thinking that I was more important than I probably was. I know you have heard me say lately that my health has sometimes kept me from important activities so I have avoided any commitments where I was important or critical to the success of the activity. And you know what, my absence has not really made any real difference.

We need to do what we can as well as we can but not let our self-imposed obligations consume us. Work hard but not to the exclusion of a happy life.

Spend Half Day in a Graveyard

A physician gave some rather whimsical advice to a patient, an aggressive, go-getter type of businessman. Excitedly the businessman told the doctor what an enormous amount of work he had to do and that he had to get it done right away or else things will fall apart.

“I take my brief case home every night and it’s packed with work,” he said with nervous inflection.

“Why do you take work home with you at night?” the doctor asked quietly.

“I have to get it done,” he fumed.

“Can’t someone else do it, or help you with it?” asked the doctor.

“No,” the man snapped. “I am the only one who can do it. It must be done just right, and I alone can do it as it must be done, and it has to be done quickly. Everything depends upon me.”

“If I write a prescription, will you follow it?” asked the doctor.

This, believe it or not was the prescription. His patient was to take off half-day a week and spend that half-day in cemetery.

In astonishment the patient demanded, “Why should I spend a half-day in a cemetery?”

“Because,” answered the doctor, “I want you to wander around and look at the gravestones of men who are there permanently. I want you to meditate on the fact that many of them are there because they thought even as you do, that the whole world rested on their shoulders. Meditate on the fact that when you get there permanently the world will go on just the same &, as important as you are, others will be able to do the work you are now doing.”

The patient got the idea. He stopped fuming & fretting. He got peaceful and developed a more competent organization & his business is in better condition.

K.N.RAJAN

~~~

Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.

Robert Fulgham

~~~

Driving my friend Steve and his girlfriend to the airport, I passed a billboard showing a bikini-clad beauty holding a can of beer. Steve’s girlfriend glances up at it and announces, “I suppose if I drank a six pack of that same beer, I’d look like her.”

“No,” Steves corrects her… “but If I drank a six pack, you’d look like her.”

~~~

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

~~~

Visiting our son during his freshman year, we were shocked by the mess in his room:  clothes, books, and rubbish lay everywhere. Later, over dinner, we tried to touch on the informal versus formal dress codes that life after college might require.  Our son, however, shared his own firmly held dress code guidelines:

1. informal: socks optional
2. semiformal: two socks required
3. formal: both socks must match

~~~

Don’t let other people tell you what you want.

Pat Riley

~~~

The phone rang as we were sitting down to dinner.  I answered it and was greeted with, “Is this William Wagenhoss?”

This didn’t sound anything like my name, so I asked, “Who is calling?”

The telemarketer said he was with The Rubberband-Powered Freezer Company or something like that.  I asked him if he knew William personally and why was he was calling this number.  I then said, off to the side, “Get really good pictures of the body and all the blood.”

I turned back to the phone and advised the caller that he had called a murder scene and must stay on the line because we had already traced this call and he would be receiving a summons to appear at the local courthouse to testify in this murder case.

I questioned the caller at great length as to his name, address, phone number at home, at work, who he worked for, how he knew the dead guy and could he prove where he had been about one hour before he made this call.  The telemarketer was getting very concerned and his answers were given in a shaky voice.

I proceeded to tell him we had located his position at his work place and the police were entering the building to take him into custody. At this point, I heard the phone fall and the scurrying of his running away.

My wife asked me as I returned to our table, why I had tears streaming down my face and so help me, I couldn’t tell her for about fifteen minutes.  My food was cold, but oh-so-very enjoyable.

~~~

For those who like peace and quiet —  phoneless cord.

~~~

Anyone who’s ever been to a “teaching hospital” knows to expect a group of students to descend upon them at any time. At one such hospital, in the recovery room, a bunch of students gathered around a beautiful blonde who, even in a gown, was obviously very well endowed.

Recovery is an excellent place for student doctors to become familiar with variations in heartbeats while the body comes back to normal from the operation and the anesthesia.

The first student approached the patient calmly and proceeded to listen intently to her heartbeat through the stethoscope.

The group was silent as he did so. The woman hesitated, then looked sympathetically into the eyes of the doctor-to-be. Reaching up, she gently placed the earpieces into his ears.

~~~

Today’s subliminal thought is:…

~~~

*Ten Step Guide To Being Handy Around The House*

1. If you can’t find a screwdriver, use a knife. If you break off the tip, it’s an improved screwdriver.
2. Try to work alone. An audience is rarely any help.
3. Above all, if what you’ve done is stupid, but it works, then it isn’t stupid.
4. Work in the kitchen whenever you can … many fine tools are there, it’s warm and dry, and you are close to the refrigerator.
5. If it’s electronic, get a new one … or consult a twelve-year- old.
6. Stay simple minded: Get a new battery; replace the bulb or fuse; see if the tank is empty; try turning the switch “on” ; or just paint over it.
7. Always take credit for miracles. If you dropped the alarm clock while taking it apart and it suddenly starts working, you have healed it.
8. Regardless of what people say, kicking, pounding, and throwing sometimes DOES help!
9. If something looks level, it is level.
10. If at first you don’t succeed, redefine ‘success’.

 

~~~

We find our energies are actually cramped when we are overanxious to succeed.

Michel de Montaigne

~~~

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’m on it

“Think simple” as my old master used to say – meaning reduce the whole of its parts into the simplest terms, getting back to first principles.”

Frank Lloyd Wright

Now that I have my computer back I have started on my backlog of bills, paper correspondence and deferred projects. It is what I use to call in my working days a “mandatory stack attack.” You see over the years I have had a propensity to give priority to what I wanted to do rather than dealing with what I need to do. Yes I have always been a somewhat prodigious procrastinator but neither you nor I need to be. Here are some tips offered by Henrik Edberg that can help

Get More Done with (a Lot) Less Stress: Helpful Daily Habits

• Prepare your day the evening before. Pack your bag or suitcase. Pack the leftovers from your dinner in a container and put it in the fridge. Put your keys, wallet etc. in a place where you can easily find them as you head out in the morning. This preparation will help you to have a less stressful morning.
• Be 5-10 minutes early for appointments. This will make your time of travel during the day into a time of relaxation and recharging. Instead of a time of stress and anxiety. Plus, people tend to like when other people are on time.
• Work on just one thing at a time. It will be easier to focus and to do a good job. And to do it in less time compared to if you try to multi-task (at least if you are anything like me).
• During your day regularly ask yourself questions for simplicity and focus. It is easy to get off track during a regular workday. To stay on track or to get back there if you get lost use questions like:
  • What is the most important thing I can do right now?
  • Is doing this bringing me closer to my goal?
  • Am I keeping things extremely simple right now?
• Ask for help. You don’t have to always go it alone. You can ask for help. You may not always get it but you may also be surprised at how helpful and kind people can be in helping you ease your burdens and solve a challenge. Just don’t forget to do the same for them as best you can when they ask.
• Consciously set and maintain firm boundaries between your work and personal time. Have a set stop time for your daily work (mine is 7 o’ clock). Don’t work on weekends. Consciously manage your boundaries and you’ll have less stress and more energy and focus both to do better work and to have a personal life of higher quality. This is one of the most important and often overlooked habits in this article.

~~~

“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”

Albert Einstein

~~~

Golfer walks into the pro shop at the local course and asks the golf pro if they sell ball markers.

The golf pro says they do, and they are $1.00.

The guy gives the golf pro a dollar…

The golf pro opens the register, puts the dollar in and hands him a penny.

~~~

In God we trust, all others we virus scan.

~~~

Thanks to a fellow named John Dixon for thinking about all of this:

Fender skirts I haven’t thought about “fender skirts” in years. When I was a kid, I considered it such a funny term. Made me think of a car in a dress.

Thinking about “fender skirts” started me thinking about other words that quietly disappear from our language with hardly a notice.

Like “curb feelers” and “steering knobs”, sometimes called “spinners.” Since I’d been thinking of cars, my mind naturally went that direction first.

Any kids will probably have to find some elderly person over 50 to explain some of these terms to you.

Remember “Continental kits?” They were rear bumper extenders and spare tire covers that were supposed to make any car as cool as a Lincoln Continental.

When did we quit calling them “emergency brakes?” At some point “parking brake” became the proper term. But I miss the hint of drama that went with emergency brake.”

Didn’t you ever wait at the street or down by the mail box for your daddy to come home, so you could ride the “running board” up to the house?

Here’s a phrase I heard all the time in my youth but never anymore “store-bought.” Of course, just about everything is store-bought these days. But once it was bragging material to have a store-bought dress or a store-bought bag of candy.

“Coast to coast” is a phrase that once held all sorts of excitement and now means almost nothing. Now we take the term “worldwide” for granted.

On a smaller scale, “wall-to-wall” was once a magical term in our homes. In the ’50s, everyone covered his or her hardwood floors with, wow, wall-to-wall carpeting! Today, everyone replaces their wall-to-wall carpeting with hardwood floors. Go figure.

When’s the last time you heard the quaint phrase “in a family way?” It’s hard to imagine that the word “pregnant” was once considered a little too graphic, a little too clinical for use In polite company. So we had all that talk about stork visits and “being in a family way” or simply “expecting.”

Apparently “brassiere” is a word no longer in usage. I said it the other day and my daughter cracked up. I guess it’s just “bra” now. “Unmentionables” probably wouldn’t be understood at all.

It’s hard to recall that this word was once said in a whisper, -“divorce”. And no one is called a “divorcee” anymore. Come to think of it, “confirmed bachelors” and “career girls” are long gone, too.

Always loved going to the “picture show,” but I considered “movie” an affectation.

Most of these words go back to the ’50s, but here’s a pure-’60s word came across the other day – “rat fink.” Ooh, what a nasty put-down!

Here’s a word I miss – “percolator.” That was just a fun word to say. And what was it replaced with? “Coffeemaker.” How dull. Mr. Coffee, I blame you for this.

I miss those made-up marketing words that were meant to sound so modern and now sound so retro. Words like “DynaFlow”, “Fluid Drive” and Electrolux. “Introducing the 1963 Admiral TV, now with “Spectra Vision!”

Some words aren’t gone, but are definitely on the endangered list. The one that grieves me most – “supper.” Now everybody says “dinner.” Save a great word. Invite someone to supper and discuss fender skirts.

Someone forwarded this to me, and I thought some of us of a “certain age” or know some one that’s a “certain age” that you can send this to, would remember most of these.  Oh, yeah, this got left out.  How about Burma Shave signs?

~~~

The thesaurus is where we find big words for the ones people actually understand.

~~~

An architect, an artist and an engineer were discussing whether it was better to spend time with the wife or a mistress.

The architect said he enjoyed time with his wife, building a solid foundation for an enduring relationship.

The artist said he enjoyed time with his mistress, because of the passion and mystery he found there.

The engineer said, “I like both.” The architect and the artist replied in unison,

“Both!?”

Engineer: “Yeah. If you have a wife and a mistress, they will each assume you are spending time with the other woman, this way you can stay longer at work and get some really interesting stuff done.”

~~~

Nothing is less productive than to make more efficient what should not be done at all.

Peter Drucker

~~~

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.

 

Appreciate the little things

Gratitude turns what we have into enough.

Now my new week starts and I get to go back to my normal routine. Soon I will be off to the YMCA for my morning workout. My computer is back working so this week I will be able to stay in touch with you and others on a daily basis. My health is pretty good and my family is reasonably well. I truly have a lot to be thankful for.

I have found as my wife and I have shifted to a less active life style that I have learned to appreciate the little things in life that are often overlooked. My food seems to taste better, my reading is more rewarding and I find I really appreciate the kindness of others.

Recently I received an article written by Marc Chernoff that talks about the value of being grateful for all we have. I like it so much I want to share some of it with you today. Here is what he had to say:

How to Force Yourself to Be More Grateful

In the end, the secret to being grateful is no secret.  You choose to be grateful.  Then you do it again and again.  If you forget, begin again.

There are, however, three specific gratitude strategies that Angel and I often cover with our students and coaching clients.  We’ve literally seen these strategies work wonders for people over the past decade (and we practice them ourselves too).  I encourage you to implement them, gradually, one at a time, into your life.  And if you need further assistance, we’re here.

1. Practice a private, evening gratitude ritual.

Every evening before you go to bed, write down three things that went well during the day and their causes.  Simply provide a short, causal explanation for each good thing.

If you begin this ritual this evening, you just might be looking back on today many years from now, as the day when your whole life changed.

2. Practice giving thanks publicly.

Although gratitude comes from within, the public expression of gratitude is important too.  In his best selling book, “Authentic Happiness,” the renowned positive psychologist Martin Seligman gives some practical suggestions on how to do this.  He recommends that we ritualize the practice of expressing gratitude in letters to friends, family, coworkers, and other people who we interact with in our community.

3. Practice reflecting on the little things you are grateful for.

It’s fairly easy to remember to be grateful for the big and obvious things that happen — a new addition to the family, a great promotion at work, a significant business breakthrough, etc.  But the happiest people find ways to give thanks for the little things too.  Ponder these perspective-shifting points from an article I wrote a while back:

• You are alive.
• You didn’t go to sleep hungry last night.
• You didn’t go to sleep outside.
• You had a choice of what clothes to wear this morning.
• You haven’t spent a minute in fear for your life.
• You know someone who loves you.
• You have access to clean drinking water.
• You have access to medical care.
• You have access to the Internet.
• You can read.

Be honest: when was the last time you were grateful for simply being alive, or going to sleep with a full belly?  More specifically, think of all the little things you experience — the smell of a home-cooked meal, hearing your favorite song when it randomly comes on the radio, seeing a marvelous sunset, etc. Pay attention, and be grateful.

Truly, the richest human isn’t the one who has the most, but the one who needs less.  Wealth is a mindset.  Want less and appreciate more today.  And remember, the best time to focus on being grateful is when you don’t feel like it.  Because that’s when doing so can make the biggest difference.

~~~

If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily.

Gerald Good

~~~

My sister had been ill, so I called to see how she was doing. My ten-year-old niece answered the phone.

“Hello,” she whispered. “Hi, Honey. How’s your mother doing?” I asked.

“She’s sleeping,” she answered, again in a whisper.

“Did she go to the doctor?” I asked.

“Yes. She got some medicine,” my niece said softly.

“Well, don’t wake her. Just tell her I called. What are you doing, by the way?”

Again in a soft whisper, she answered, “Practicing my trumpet.”

~~~

One is not rich by what one owns, but more by what one is able to do without with dignity.

Immanuel Kant

~~~

“Do you remember first meeting your wife?” asks Ed.

“Sure,” says Jim. “I found her lying face down in the gutter. I lifted her up to her feet & promised her that if she agreed to marry me, she would begin a new life & I’d never allow her near the gutter again.”

“Wow! I hope she appreciates what you did for her!”

“Not really. She hated to give up bowling!”

~~~

After you’ve heard two eyewitness accounts of an auto accident it makes you wonder about history.

~~~

“George is so forgetful,” the sales manager complained to his secretary.  “It’s a wonder he can sell and I’m not sure he’ll even remember to come back.”

Just then the door flew open, and in bounced George. “You’ll never guess what happened!” he shouted. “While I was at lunch, I met Old Man Brown, who hasn’t bought anything from us for five years. Well, we got to talking and he gave me this half-million dollar order!”

“See,” sighed the sales manager to his secretary. “I told you he’d forget the sandwiches.”

~~~

When asked by his Boss why he only worked 4 days a week the employee replied, “Because I can’t manage on 3 days a week.”

~~~

To make it possible for everyone to attend church on Sunday, we are proposing to have a special “No Excuse Sunday.”

1. Cots will be placed in the foyer for those who say, “But, Sunday is my *only* day to sleep in.”
2. They will have steel helmets for those who say, “The roof will cave in if I ever came to church.”
3. Blankets will be furnished for those who say it is too cold and fans will be furnished for those who say it is too hot.
4. 4.There will be hearing aids for those who say, “The pastor speaks too softly,” and cotton for those who say, “He preaches too loudly.”
5. Scorecards will be available for those who wish to list the hypocrites present.
6. Some relatives will be in attendance for those who like to go visiting on Sunday.
7. There will be TV dinners for those who can’t go to church and cook dinner too.
8. Golf clubs will be available for practice swings for those who like to golf on Sunday.

~~~

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

Melody Beattie

~~~

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.

 

Don’t let it get to you

When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.

Viktor Frankl

Having no computer for a week while I awaited a repair specialist was an eye opener for me. These days I spend a lot of time on the computer doing research, communicating with friends, preparing the Daily and much more. Since I don’t get out as much as I use to the computer provides me is a constructive diversion that helps keep me mentally active. As I have said before putting together the Daily for you motivates me to think about the world and our place in it at least five days a week and I am glad it does.

When I found myself without the computer last week I found it necessary to practice what I so often preach about. I found my mind dwelling on how the computer failure was going to be a major catastrophe. I found my mindset going negative leading to the possible “Oh woe is me attitude.” I had to remind myself that the world was not ending and that most likely the outcome of my wait and subsequent repair was going to be fine.

I was surprised that I was able to choose to successfully walk away from dread and use the time for alternative activities. And since I was home bound awaiting the promised arrival of the service guy for a few days in a row I got to watch some favorite old time movies that I never seem to get to see.

As I thought about the past week I was reminded of the following piece by Christian Larson which has value for me and I hope for you.

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 criticise others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy  to permit the presence of trouble.

Christian D Larson

~~~

Difficulties are opportunities to better things, they are stepping stones to greater experience. Perhaps some day you will be thankful for some temporary failure in a particular direction. When one door closes, another always opens, as a natural law it has to be, to balance.

Brian Adams

~~~

Over a round of golf, two doctors were talking shop. “I operated on Mr. Lee the other day,” said the surgeon.

“What for?” asked his colleague.

“About $17,000.”

“What did he have?”

“Oh…  About $17,000.”

~~~

We should make tail lights different colors so that gridlock is more interesting.

~~~

Nadine confided to Jill, “My cooking left my husband cold.”

“He divorced you because of your cooking?”  Jill asked.

“No,” Nadine replied, “he died.”

~~~

A great many people confuse their lack of planning with an emergency.

~~~

Here is what she sent:

Ten Interesting Points about Men

1. A good place to meet a man is at the dry cleaner. These men usually have jobs and bathe.
2. All men hate to hear, “We need to talk about our relationship.” These seven words strike fear in the heart of even General Schwartzkopf.
3. Men like phones with lots of buttons. It makes them feel important.
4. Men like to barbecue. Men will cook if danger is involved.
5. Most men hate to shop. That’s why the men’s department is usually on the first floor of a department store, two inches from the door.
6. Men forget everything; women remember everything. Think about it! How many women’s sports use something called an “instant replay?”
7. Men are self-confident because they grow up identifying with super-heroes. Women have bad self-images because they grow up identifying with Barbie.
8. No man is charming all of the time. Even Cary Grant was on record saying he wished he could be Cary Grant.
9. Women take clothing much more seriously than men. I’ve never seen a man walk into a party and say, “Oh no, I’m so embarrassed; I’ve got to get out of here. There’s another man wearing a black tuxedo.”
10. Men have higher body temperatures than women. If your heating goes out in winter, I recommend sleeping next to a man. Men are like portable heaters that snore.

~~~

“Part of being sane, is being a little bit crazy.”

Janet Long

~~~

She said: One of my most difficult tasks as a flight attendant is to enforce rules while keeping customers happy.  The electronic equipment that comes on board creates the greatest challenge.  I walk the aisle asking passengers to turn off computers, electronic games and cell phones, which can create interference in communications between the pilot and the air traffic control tower.

During one landing, a man persistently kept his cell phone at his ear. I confronted him and said, “Sir, you cannot talk on your phone until we reach the gate.”

“I am not talking,” he replied.  “I’m listening.”

~~~

Do bankruptcy lawyers really expect to be paid?

~~~

A young American tourist goes on a guided tour of a creepy old castle. At the end of the tour the guide asks her how she enjoyed it. She admits to being a bit worried about seeing a ghost in some of the dark cobwebby rooms and passages.

“Don’t worry” says the guide, “I’ve never seen a ghost all the time I’ve been here.”

“How long is that?” asks the girl.

“About three hundred years.”

~~~

“My definition of an expert in any field is a person who knows enough about what’s really going on to be scared.”

J. Plauger

~~~

Stephanie, the young blonde, came running through the door. “Uncle!  Uncle!  Guess what?”

“What?”  The surprised uncle replied.

“I was getting a hundred dollars a week and the boss just doubled my salary!”

“Really?” said Uncle.  “That’s great!  What are you getting now?”

Stephanie beamed with pride and answered, “A hundred dollars every two weeks!”

~~~

The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.

Scott Peck

~~~

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.

 

Yippee! Ray’s Daily is back

No man can always be right. So the struggle is to do one’s best, to keep the brain and conscience clear, never be swayed by unworthy motives or inconsequential reasons, but to strive to unearth the basic factors involved, then do one’s duty.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Greetings my friends. After a one week wait the computer technician came and fixed my computer, the $250 cost was worth it as I never would have solved the problem on my own. If you will forgive me it is late in the day and I am worn out so we will restart the Daily with a past edition.

Ray’s Daily first published on September 8, 2005

It seems like Katrina has brought out both the best and the worst in us. I am not talking about the hurricane itself or the horror that we all have witnessed on television. Nor am I talking about the victims, heroes, or criminals that have been a part of the drama unfolding in the south. I am talking about people like you and me. We have seen heroes donate rooms in their homes, volunteer to work as part of rescue teams, and those who have contributed more than they could afford.

Unfortunately we have also watched the two extremes of our polarized society again trying to absolve themselves of any responsibility by shifting the total blame for rescue failures and more on the opposite camp. I have been told such things as the cuts made to the Corps of Engineers flood control efforts were justified because funding them probably would not have made a difference; that the people affected are at fault, they didn’t leave when they got the chance, some even have said that people should never have lived there in the first place, even though New Orleans has been a critical port for centuries. I was in a doctor’s office in Florida last Friday when a guy told them to turn off CNN as the network was just milking the story and making this out to be a big deal. Others have said that none of this would have happened if the Federal Government would have done their job. I have been told that it was obvious that FEMA and others dragged their feet, that we had conquered Iraq in three weeks and couldn’t even drop food and water in New Orleans for days.

Everyone of course does not have someone to blame for the Hurricane itself, but too many have tried to place the exclusive responsibility for the difficult time we have had doing what needed to be done on someone else. Let’s face it everyone needs to do better, there have been mistakes made by everyone, plans at every level were inadequate, preventative measure were under funded or non-existent. We need to quit placing the blame on only one side or the other and admit we all are to blame. Those of us in the middle have stood silently aside while the extremes in our country control the debate. It is time for the rest of us to take an interest, demand constructive action, and monitor our legislative action. It is also important that we remember that there are other critical things going on that require attention, the war, deficits, medical costs are just a few examples. So it is time we said enough of your childish bickering, enough trying to shift the blame for everything on someone else, admit error and then do something to correct the error. Too many in our nation spend too much of their time acting like children without regard to what is going on around them. We need more adults, more responsible leaders, and a more knowledgeable and involved citizenry.

~~~

Moral courage and character go hand in hand… a man of real character is consistently courageous, being imbued with a basic integrity and a firm sense of principle.

Martha Boaz

~~~

Oh, by the way, I am back in Indianapolis until next Thursday when I again will be winging my way east. I am currently trying to catch up and know that I owe some of you answers, meetings, and if I owe you money I forgot, just don’t remind me. I hope to get through the backlog by Sunday.

~~~

A man decides to take the opportunity while his wife is away to paint the toilet seat. The wife comes home sooner than expected, sits, & gets the seat stuck to her rear. She is understandably distraught about this asks her husband to drive her to the doctor.

She puts on a large overcoat so as to cover the stuck seat, & they go. When they get to the doctor’s, the man lifts his wife’s coat to show their predicament. The man asks,

“Doctor, have you ever seen anything like this before?”

“Well, yes,” the doctor replies, “but never framed.”

~~~

She said, I was shopping with my husband at a local supermarket and suddenly couldn’t find him. “I’ve lost my husband!” I muttered slightly louder than was necessary. Then I heard a strange woman’s voice from the next aisle: “Some people have all the luck.”

~~~

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

Gandhi

~~~

Jill:  You look a little frazzled today, Mary.

Mary:  I am!  This morning I took one of those free introductory sessions with a personal trainer at the health club, and it finally made up my mind about taking the training.

Jill:  So you’re going to do it?

Mary:  Oh, hell, no!  I have no desire to pay some skinny bitch to yell at me!

~~~

On life: This isn’t a rehearsal, this is the real thing.

Michale Caine

~~~

Grandma Levy, always a regular synagogue member, had finally talked her cousin, a woman who had lived a riotous, free life into joining the Temple.

“Tell me Rabbi,” the old lady asked, “Do you feel that my cousin will have her sins forgiven after all those years?”

“Yes I do. I’m positive of it. You must remember that the greater the number of sins, the greater the glory.”

“Yeah?” the old lady replied thoughtfully.  “Gee Rabbi, I sure do wish I’d known that fifty years ago.”

~~~

A politician is a person who can make waves and then make you think he is the only one who can save the ship.

Ivern Ball

~~~

Woman phones up her husband at work for a chat.

Husband: “I’m sorry dear, but I’m up to my neck in work today.”

Wife: “But I’ve got some good news and some bad news for you, dear.”

Husband: “Okay, darling, but as I’ve got very little time now, so just give me the good news.”

Wife: “Well, the air bag works.”

~~~

We find comfort among those who agree with us – growth among those who don’t.

Frank A. Clark

~~~

A tired homemaker opened the front door of her home to find a young minister from the neighborhood church who says, “I’m collecting donations for the new children’s home we’re building. I hope you’ll give what you can to help us out.”

“Well, to be sure,” replied the beleaguered woman, “I’ll give you two boys, two girls, or one of each.”

~~~

Nadine:  I’ve discovered the origin of the word “good-bye.”

Jill:  Oh, yeah?  What is it?

Nadine:  Many years ago, some husband said to his wife, “I’m leaving you!”  The wife said, “Good!  Bye!”

~~~

At the construction site of a new church, the contractor stopped to chat with one of his workmen.

“Paddy,” he asked casually, “didn’t you once tell me that you had a brother who was a bishop?”

“That I did, sir.”

“And you are a bricklayer!  It sure is a funny world.  Things in life aren’t divided equally, are they?”

“No, that they ain’t sir,” agreed Paddy, as he proudly slapped the mortar along the line of bricks.  “Me poor brother couldn’t do this to save his life!”

~~~

Mistakes are costly and somebody must pay. The time to correct a mistake is before it is made. The causes of mistakes are, first, “I didn’t know”; second, “I didn’t think”; third, “I didn’t care”.

Henry H. Buckley

~~~

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.

 

Ray’s Daily on temporary leave

My primary computer is not working. It is probably going to be down for some time. Hopefully I will be back sometime next week.