Ray’s Daily
January 15, 2020
Cherish your yesterdays, dream your tomorrows and live your todays
Yesterday I learned that one of my favorite fellow residents is leaving our community because of her failing health. She needs more intensive care as she prepares for end of life. We had a chance to spend a few minutes that allowed me to tell her how much I appreciated knowing her.
She is well into her nineties but retains her impressive intellect. Her body is failing her but she is still in control. For the short time I have known her I have been impressed with how strong she has been. She has stayed active, assisted others and was appreciated by all who know her.
Recently Marc Chernoff shared a list of things that he felt were important. The list could have been written by my friend. Here it is for your consideration.
Live Well
- Start embracing your humanness and giving yourself more credit. – “Human” is the only real label we are born with, yet we forget so easily. To become attached to an opinionated label of depressed, divorced, diseased, rejected, or poor, is to be like the rain, that doesn’t know it is also the clouds… or the ice, that forgets it is water. For we are far more than the shape we’re currently in. And we, like the wind, water, and sky, will change forms many times in our lives, while forever remaining beautifully human.
2. Start making your own happiness a priority. – Your needs matter. If you don’t value yourself, look out for yourself, and stick up for yourself, you’re sabotaging yourself. Remember, it is absolutely possible to take care of your own needs while simultaneously caring for those around you. And once your needs are met, you will likely be far more capable of helping those you love who need you most.
4. Start putting your heart and soul into the things you do. – There’s a big difference between empty fatigue and gratifying exhaustion. Life is short. Invest daily in meaningful activities.
5. Start taking more deep breaths, so you can mindfully collect more lessons for the long run. – It’s incredibly easy to overestimate the significance of a single decision, outcome, or event in the heat of the moment. But you must remind yourself to take a deep breath when things don’t go your way. Your results in the long run—good or bad—are always the byproduct of many small decisions, outcomes, and events over time. The truth is we all fail sometimes. The greater truth is that no single failure ever defines us.
6. Start entering new relationships for the right reasons. – Enter new relationships with dependable, honest people who reflect the person you are and the person you want to be. Choose friends you are proud to know, people you admire, who show you love and respect—people who reciprocate your kindness and commitment. And pay attention to what people do, because a person’s actions are much more important than their words or how others represent them.
7. Start forgiving yourself and others. – We’ve all been hurt by our own decisions and by others. And while the pain of these experiences is normal, sometimes it lingers for too long. We relive the pain over and over and have a hard time letting go. Forgiveness is the remedy. It doesn’t mean you’re erasing the past, or forgetting what happened. It means you’re letting go of the resentment and pain, and instead choosing to learn from the incident and move on with your life.
~~~
Quit hanging on to the handrails . . . Let go. Surrender. Go for the ride of your life. Do it every day.
Melody Beattie
~~~
Florida
Note: If you are not a resident of FLORIDA or never have lived in hot, humid south Florida, you may not understand the weight of this blessing!
Bless this house, oh Lord, we cry.
Please keep it cool in mid-July.
Bless the walls where termites dine
While ants and roaches march in time.
Bless our yard where spiders pass
Fire ant castles in the grass.
Bless the garage, a home to please
Carpenter beetles, ticks and fleas.
Bless the love bugs, two by two,
The gnats and mosquitoes that feed on you.
Millions of creatures that fly or crawl, In FLORIDA, Lord, you’ve put them all!
But this is home, and here we’ll stay,
So thank you Lord, for insect spray.
~~~
She said: All Desirable things in life are either ILLEGAL, BANNED, FATTENING, OR MARRIED TO OTHERS.
~~~
She said: Curious when I found two black-and-white negatives in a drawer, I had them made into prints. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they were of a younger, slimmer me, taken on one of my first dates with my husband. When I showed him the photos, his face lit up. “Wow, look at that!” he said with appreciation. “It’s my old Plymouth!”
~~~
Regrets and recriminations only hurt your soul.
Armand Hammer
~~~
THE TODDLER’S RULES
* If it is on, I must turn it off.
* If it is off, I must turn it on.
* If it is folded, I must unfold it.
* If it is liquid, it must be shaken then spilled.
* If it is solid, it must be crumbled, chewed or smeared.
* If it is high, it must be reached.
* If it is shelved, it must be unshelved.
* If it is pointed, it must be run with full speed.
* If it has leaves, they must be picked.
* If it is plugged, it must be unplugged.
* If it is trash, it must be removed, inspected and thrown on the floor.
* If it is closed, it must be opened.
* If it does not open, it must be screamed at.
* If it has drawers, they must be rifled.
* If it is a pen or pencil, it must write on refrigerator, monitor, TV or table.
* If it is full, it will be more interesting empty.
* If it is empty, it must be more interesting full.
* If it is a pile of dirt, it must be laid upon.
* If it has a flat surface, it must be banged upon.
* If it is a paper, it must be torn.
* If it has switches, they must be pressed.
* If the volume is low, it must go high.
* If it is a bug, it must be swallowed. If it doesn’t stay on my spoon, it must be dropped on the floor.
* If it is not food, it must be tasted.
* If it is food, it must not be tasted.
* If it is dry, it must be made wet.
~~~
“I’m dating a guy who’s twenty-one. That’s seven in boy years.”
Lisa Goich
~~~
An evangelist had a great revival camp going. One night he was up in front of a large audience, speaking on imperfection. He asked his audience towards the end, “Has anyone ever known anyone who has come CLOSE to the perfection of our lord, Jesus Christ?” Nobody, of course raised their hand. So he issued the question again. “Anybody! Has ANYONE ever known that kind of perfection?”
Finally a guy in the back raised his hand, so of course he was asked to stand up. “Tell us. Tell us who you knew who was so close to perfection.”
The man responded, “My wife’s first husband.”
~~~
The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.
Eleanor Roosevelt
~~~
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 http://rays-daily,com/ currently there are more than 2000 readers from around the world.
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