Ray’s Daily
February 24, 2020
Happiness is a function of accepting what is.
Werner Erhard
I have been pleasantly surprised at how happy I have become in spite of my advanced age and health problems. I am blessed by making new friends while retaining many old friends. And having a family that helps us to stay happy
I have learned the value of simplifying; I really didn’t need all that I had accumulated over the years. Nor do I have to see every film, read every book or attend every play. I have learned to appreciate those things I do select to enjoy.
By clearing out the excess and being selective in what I chose to do I have found plenty of time to take care of my wife and to discover what my community has to offer. I honestly do not remember being happier.
I said recently in a meeting that I thought we do better when we focus on what can do and have instead of focusing on what we no longer can do or don’t have. Here is abridged article that reminds me of my life.
5 Things That Happy People Know
Happy is having nothing to prove, being at peace with past actions whilst welcoming the future and whatever it may bring. Happiness isn’t some unknown destination that you may or may not reach; it can be found in every second of every day. Here’s what happy people know:
- Everything is a choice – Happy people know that there are two ways of viewing every single situation. It’s completely your choice.
- Happiness is your responsibility – Happy people know that they alone are responsible for their happiness. They know that no one can make them feel anything without their explicit consent. Happy people aren’t looking for any external events to dictate their mood because they know it’s their responsibility to get intentional about their day to day and the general direction of their lives and careers.
- Happiness takes place in the present – Happy people know that looking fondly back or excitedly forward is not a substitute for true, in-the-present living. It’s always possible to stay present, in the moment you’re in. Meditation, daily journaling or just paying attention to whatever is happening right in front of you at any given time is a way to be present.
- Humans adapt – Happy people know that everything is fleeting and temporary, without exceptions. Our time on earth, our time with others, any feeling we may have at any given time. What you are experiencing right now constitutes your current version of normal, but once it was only a pipe dream. Hold on to that feeling and remember when you wished you had everything you have right now.
- What adds and what subtracts – Happy people can predict what will make them feel better and what will make them feel worse, and they act accordingly. Happy people can identify the people, places and situations where they find happiness, energy and positivity and they can avoid those that bring them down. They do this to design a life intentionally set up for success and happiness, whatever their version of that may look like.
~~~
If you aren’t grateful for what you already have, what makes you think you would be happy with more.
Roy T. Bennett
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There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren’t invented in England or French fries in France. Sweet meats are candies while sweet breads, which aren’t sweet, are meat.
Quicksand works slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. And why is it that writers write but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groce and hammers don’t ham?
If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn’t the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? Doesn’t it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend. If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it? Is it an odd, or an end?
If teachers taught, why didn’t preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all.
~~~
“If there is anything the nonconformist hates worse than a conformist, it’s another nonconformist who doesn’t conform to the prevailing standard of nonconformity.”
Bill Vaughan
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An anthropologist was assigned to Borneo, where he found a guide with a canoe to take him up the river to the remote site he where he would make his collections. At noon on the second day of travel up the river they began to hear drums. “What are those drums?” asked the anthropologist, knowing he was in cannibal country.
The guide turned to him and said “No worry. Drums OK, but very bad when they stop. “They both went ghostly pale when the drums suddenly stopped. The guide crouched in the belly of the canoe and covered his ears. “Do as I do! Very important!”” intoned the guide with great urgency.
“Why? What does this mean?” asked the panicked anthropologist. “Drums stop! Next come guitar solo!”
~~~
“The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.”
Mark Twain
~~~
Ways to Tell If You Have PMS
* Everyone around you has an attitude problem.
* You’re adding chocolate chips to your cheese omelette.
* The dryer has shrunk every last pair of your jeans.
* Your husband is suddenly agreeing to everything you say.
* You’re using your cellular phone to dial up every bumper sticker that says, “How’s my driving- call 1-800-###-####.
* Everyone’s head looks like an invitation to batting practice.
* Inanimate objects get on your nerves.
* You’re counting down the days until menopause.
* You’re sure that everyone is scheming to drive you crazy.
* The ibuprofen bottle is empty and you bought it yesterday.
* You dump the pretzels out of the bag, and eat the salt. While simultaneously eating a gallon of ice cream.
* You cry at commercials one minute, and contemplate assault the next.
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Change is inevitable — except from vending machines.
~~~
A young scholar from New York was invited to become Rabbi in a small old community in Chicago. On his very first Shabbat, a hot debate erupted as to whether one should or should not stand during the reading of the Ten Commandments.
The next day, the rabbi visited 98 year-old Mr. Katz in the nursing home. “Mr. Katz, I’m asking you as the oldest member of the community,” said the rabbi, “what is our synagogue’s custom during the reading of the Ten Commandments?”
“Why do you ask?” asked Mr. Katz.
“Yesterday we read the Ten Commandments. Some people stood, some people sat. The ones standing started screaming at the ones sitting, telling them to stand up. The ones sitting started screaming at the ones standing, telling them to sit down… ”
“That,” said the old man, “is our custom.”
~~~
I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.
Groucho Marx
~~~
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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