Be yourself. You’re okay. And it really doesn’t matter what other people think.
Taylor Schilling
Yesterday I shared with a few of my Kiwanis friends that I felt guilty about not being as active as I have been in the past. A few responded with notes of understanding and support. And then I got an e-mail from my dear friend Laura chastising me for feeling the way I did.
Laura reminded me that I write to all of you almost daily about staying positive and here I was sounding as if my woes were taking me down. She wanted to make sure I did not become one of those “Don’t do as I do, do as I say” guys. Of course she was right. As I thought about what I wrote I realized that it was not really guilt that triggered my thoughts but rather something like contrition. I wanted to convey that I appreciated what others were doing while I was standing on the sidelines.
Later I revisited an article written by Marc Chernoff that I think has merit, Here in part is what he wrote. Oh and by the way, thanks dear Laura, I am so fortunate to have you as a friend.
Habits that Stole Your Happiness Yesterday
Letting every little problem get the best of you.
Inner peace begins the moment you take a deep breath and choose not to allow another person or event to control your emotions. In other words, the greater part of your happiness or misery in the long run depends on your attitude, not your circumstances. If you’re stressed out by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your interpretation of it; and this is something you have the power to change at any moment. Just take that deep breath, adjust your attitude, and the frustration and stress is gone.
Expecting the day to be easy and everything to go as planned.
Easy days don’t exist when you’re doing amazing things. Good goals require hard work. Your days may be enjoyable, but there will always be unexpected obstacles. Expecting otherwise just leads to unnecessary headaches and heartache.
Decades from now when you’re resting on your deathbed, you will not remember the days that were easy, you will cherish the moments when you rose above your difficulties and conquered goals of magnitude. You will dream of the strength you found within yourself that allowed you to achieve what once seemed impossible.
Wanting your efforts to be absolutely perfect.
Every one of us is a perfectionist about something. Learn to sense when your desire to make something perfect is preventing you from getting it done well. Realize that the idea of perfection is not only unachievable, it can destroy your otherwise productive mindset. It will keep you running in place, feeling insane for your entire life.
Being too rigid (or too “mature”) to lose yourself in playful exploration.
Sometimes we put too much weight into trying to control every tiny aspect of our lives. Switch gears, relax and ride the path that life takes you sometimes. Try something new, be a bit daring, and explore your curiosity. Letting go a little lets you experience the unexpected.
We don’t stop dreaming and exploring because we grow old; we grow old because we stop dreaming and exploring.
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“When you think your life is falling apart, it’s usually falling together in disguise.”
Charlotte Eriksson
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“The Perks of Being Over 60
- Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.
- Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can’t remember them either.
- Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.
- People call at 8 PM and ask, “Did I wake you?”
- People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.
- There is nothing left to learn the hard way.
- Things you buy now won’t wear out.
- You can eat dinner at 4 P.M.
- You can live without sex but not without glasses.
- You enjoy hearing about other peoples operations.
- You get into heated arguments about pension plans.
- You have a party and the neighbors don’t even realize it.
- You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.
- You quit trying to hold your stomach in, no matter who walks into the room.
- You sing along with elevator music.
- Your eyes won’t get much worse.
- Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.
- You can’t remember who sent you this list.
~~~
What do people in China call their good plates?
~~~
Taking advantage of a balmy day in New York, a priest and three other men of the cloth swapped their clerical garb for polo’s and khakis and time out on the golf course. After several really horrible shots, their caddy asked, “You guys wouldn’t be priests by any chance?”
“Actually, yes, we are,” one cleric replied. “How did you know?”
“Easy,” said the caddy, “I’ve never seen such bad golf combined with such clean language!”
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“A married man can do anything he likes if his wife doesn’t mind.”
George Bernard Shaw
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Three stupid guys just died and are at the pearly gates of heaven. St. Peter tells them that they can enter the gates if they can answer one simple question.
St. Peter asks the first man, “WHAT IS EASTER?”
The man replies, “Oh, that’s easy, it’s the holiday in November when everybody gets together, eats turkey, and is thankful…”
“WRONG,” replies St. Peter, and proceeds to ask the second man the same question, “WHAT IS EASTER?”
The second man replies, “No, Easter is the holiday in December when we put up a nice tree, exchange presents, and celebrate the birth of Jesus.”
St. Peter looks at the second man, shakes his head in disgust, looks at the third man and asks, “WHAT IS EASTER?”
The third man smiles and looks St. Pete in the eye.
“I know what Easter is. Easter is the Christian holiday that coincides with the Jewish celebration of Passover. Jesus and his disciples were eating their Passover meal and He was later deceived and turned over to the Romans by one of his disciples. The Romans took Him to be crucified and he was stabbed in the side, they made Him wear a crown of thorns, and He was hung on a cross. He was buried in a nearby cave which was sealed off by a large boulder. Every year the boulder is moved aside so that Jesus can come out, and if He sees his shadow there will be six more weeks of winter.”
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So often in life a new chapter awaits. You ride off into the sunset and discover it’s the sunrise.
Robert Brault
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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.
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