Ray’s Daily
August 9, 2021
“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”
Confucius
It seems like too many of us make our lives more complicated than we should. So often when folks talk about the good old days, they are remembering a time when their lives seamed to be less complicated. In the case of most folks my age things really are not as complicated as they seem. It is mainly our mindset that makes things seem that way.
Recently Angel Chernoff sent me an article on how we can simplify our lives. Here is an abridged copy of what she wrote.
Let’s get back to the basics, shall we? Let’s make things simple again. Here are three ways to do just that:
1. Change your focus. – The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts. The mind is indeed your battleground. It’s the place where the greatest conflict resides. It’s where half of the things you thought were going to happen, never did happen. But if you allow these thoughts to dwell in your mind, they will succeed in robbing you of peace, joy, and ultimately your life. You can’t change anything if you can’t change your thinking… A beautiful day always begins with a beautiful mindset.
2. Fight today’s battles ONLY. – No matter what’s happening, anyone can efficiently fight the battles of just one day. It’s only when you add the battles of those two abysmal eternities, yesterday and tomorrow, that life gets overwhelmingly complicated. Also, remember to refill your bucket on a daily basis. That means catching up on sleep, making time for fun and laughter, eating healthy enough to maintain peak energy levels, and otherwise making time for recovery from the pressures of life.
3. Respectfully care less. – Today, I challenge you to make this your lifelong, daily motto: “I respectfully do not care.” Say it to anyone who passes judgment on something you strongly believe in or something that makes you who you are. People will inevitable judge you at some point anyway, and that’s OK. Remind yourself that even when it seems personal, rarely do people do things because of you, they do things because of them. You may not be able control all the things people say and do to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. Make that decision for yourself today.
~~~
“Voluntary simplicity means going fewer places in one day rather than more, seeing less so I can see more, doing less so I can do more, acquiring less so I can have more.”
John Kabat-Zinn
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LOVE – When you’re only interested in doing things with your partner.
LUST – When you’re only interested in doing things TO your partner.
MARRIAGE – When you’re only interested in your golf score.
~~~
You are suffering from what is technically known as an Electra Complex,” the psychiatrist is informing his blonde female patient. “In other words, you are in love with your father.”
The blonde breaks down into hysterical sobbing.
“Now, now,” comforts the shrink. “It’s not all that bad.”
“Yes..(snif)…yes, it is,” the blonde gets out between sobs. “I have no chance at all…he’s a married man!”
~~~
Natives who beat drums to drive off evil spirits are objects of scorn to smart Americans who blow horns to break up traffic jams.
Mary Kelly
~~~
The boss called one of his employees into the office. “Rob,” he said, “you’ve been with the company for a year. You started off in the mail room, one week later you were promoted to a sales position, and one month after that you were promoted to district manager of the sales department. Just four short months later, you were promoted to vice- chairman. Now it’s time for me to retire, and I want you to take over the company. What do you say to that?”
“Thanks,” said the employee.
“Thanks?” the boss replied.a “Is that all you can say?”
“I suppose not,” the employee said. “Thanks, Dad.”
~~~
Some people hate getting out of bed. I enjoy it. I do it 3-4 times a day.
~~~
A young couple came into the church office to fill out a pre-marriage questionnaire form. The young man, who had never talked to a pastor before, was quite nervous and the pastor tried to put him at ease.
When they came to the question, “Are you entering this marriage of your own free will?” there was a long pause.
Finally, the girl looked over at the apprehensive young man and said, “Put down yes.”
~~~
If you can’t see the bright side of life, there’s nothing to do but keep polishing the dull side.
A nun, badly needing to use to the restroom, walked into a local Hooters restaurant. The place was hopping with music and loud conversation and every once in a while the lights would turn off. Each time the lights would go out, the place would erupt into cheers.
~~~
However, when the revelers saw the nun, the room went dead silent.
She walked up to the bartender, and asked, “May I please use the restroom? The bartender replied, “OK, but I should warn you that there is a statue of a naked man in there wearing only a fig leaf.”
“Well, in that case I’ll just look the other way,” said the nun.
So, the bartender showed the nun to the back of the restaurant, and she proceeded to the restroom. After a few minutes, she came back out, and the whole place stopped just long enough to give the nun a loud round of applause.
She went to the bartender and said, “Sir, I don’t understand. Why did they applaud for me just because I went to the restroom?”
“Well, now they know you’re one of us,” said the bartender, “Would you like a drink?”
“But, I still don’t understand,” said the puzzled nun.
“You see,” laughed the bartender, “every time the fig leaf on the statue is lifted up, the lights go out. Now, how about that drink?”
~~~
“Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”
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Steve Jobs
~~~
Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.
Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than twenty 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@comcast.net. Back issues are posted at http://rays-daily,com/ currently there are hundreds of readers from around the world.
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