Ray’s Daily
September 2, 2022
“Always do your best. What you plant now you will harvest later.”
Og Mandino
I have often been surprised at some of the things I have been able to do. It has not always been easy but I learned early in life to always do my best. I think tenacity coupled with a commitment to do as well as you can will always provide great reward.
Here is a story that reminded me of the value doing your best.
Be a good one
Pablo Picasso, the great Spanish painter and sculptor, once said this about his ability: ‘My mother said to me, if you become a soldier, you’ll be a general; if you become a monk, you’ll end up as Pope. Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso.’ No lack of confidence here!
But he would have agreed with Abraham Lincoln. ‘Whatever you are,’ said Lincoln, ‘be a good one.’ He demonstrated the wisdom of that advice with his own life. And in this present age, which often seems to be contented with mediocrity, his words summon a yearning for improvement and growth.
I think it helps to remember that excellence is not a place at which we arrive so much as a way of travelling. To do and be our best is a habit among those who hear and understand Lincoln’s admonition.
Viennese-born composer Frederick Loewe, whom we remember from his musical scores that include – My Fair Lady, Gigi and Camelot, was not always famous. He studied piano with the great masters of Europe and achieved huge success as a musician and composer in his early years. But when he immigrated to the United States, he failed as a piano virtuoso. For a while he tried other types of work including prospecting for gold and boxing. But he never gave up his dream and continued to play piano and write music.
During those lean years, he could not always afford to make payments on his piano. One day, bent over the keyboard, he heard nothing but the music that he played with such rare inspiration. When he finished and looked up, he was startled to find that he had an audience – three moving men who were seated on the floor.
They said nothing and made no movement toward the piano. Instead, they dug into their pockets, pooled together enough money for the payment, placed it on the piano and walked out, empty handed. Moved by the beauty of his music, these men recognized excellence and responded to it.
Whatever you are, be a good one. If what you do is worth doing, if you believe that who you are is of value, then you can’t afford to be content with mediocrity. When you choose the path of excellence through this life, you will bring to it your best and receive the best it can offer in return. And you will know what it is to be satisfied.
Writtne by Steve Goodier
~~~
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
William James
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A guy was down on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco when he saw a seafood restaurant and a sign on the Specials Board which read, “Big Lobster Tales, $5 each.” Amazed at the great value, he said to the waitress, “$5 each for lobster tails … is that correct?”
“Yes”, she said, “It’s our special just for today.”
“Well”, he said, “they must be little lobster tails.”
“No,” she replied, “It’s the really big lobster.”
Are you sure they aren’t green lobster tails – and a little bit tough?”
“No”, she said, “it’s the really big red lobster.”
“Big red lobster tails, $5 each?”, he said, amazed. “They must be old lobster tails!”
“No, they’re definitely today’s.”
“Today’s big red lobster tails – $5 each?”, he repeated, astounded.
“Yes”, she insisted.
“Well, here’s my five dollars,” he said, “I’ll take one.
She took the money and led him to a table where she invited him to sit down. She then sat down next to him, put her hand on his shoulder, leaned over close to him and said, “Once upon a time there was a really big red lobster …”
~~~
A direct quote from the Boss: “We passed over a lot of good people to get the ones we hired.”
~~~
Early in the semester, a student stops by during the professor’s office hours. He bids her enter. She glances up and down the hall, steps in, closes the door and says, “I would do anything to pass this class.” She steps closer to his desk, flips back her hair, gazes meaningfully into his eyes.
“I mean,” she whispers, “I would do…anything.”
He returns her gaze. “Anything?”
“Anything,” she replies.
The professor’s voice drops to a whisper and he says, “Would you…study?”
~~~
“I wish people who have trouble communicating would just shut up.”
Tom Lehrer
~~~
Tim was on his deathbed and gasped pitifully. “Give me one last request, Dear,” he said.
“Of course, Tim,” his wife said softly.
“Six months after I die, he said, “I want you to marry Lawrence.”
“But I thought you hated Lawrence,” she said.
With his last breath, Tim said, “I do!”
~~~
Photographer: The best shots are attempted through the lens cap.
~~~
She said, I was walking down the street when I was accosted by a particularly dirty and shabby looking homeless woman who asked me for a couple of dollars for dinner. I took out my wallet, got out ten dollars and asked, “If I give you this money, will you buy wine with it instead of dinner?”
“No, I had to stop drinking years ago,” the homeless woman told me.
“Will you use it to go shopping instead of buying food?”
“No, I don’t waste time shopping. I need to spend all my time trying to stay alive.”
“Will you spend this on a beauty salon instead of food?”
“Are you nuts?! I haven’t had my hair done in twenty years!”
“Well, I am not going to give you the money. Instead, I’m going to take you out for dinner with my husband and me tonight.”
The homeless woman was shocked. “Won’t your husband be furious with you for doing that? I know I’m dirty and I probably smell pretty disgusting.”
“That’s okay. It’s important for him to see what a woman looks like after twenty years without shopping, hair appointments and wine.”
~~~
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.”
Robert Collier
~~~
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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