WHEN YOU'RE PULLED ALONG

River boating - “What makes a river so restful to people is that it doesn't have any doubt - it is sure to get where it is going, and it doesn't want to go anywhere else.”

Do you ever feel as if your life is pulling you someplace you don't want to go?

Comedian Carol Burnett experienced one of those moments when she emerged from a cab one day and caught her coat in the door. The driver was unaware of her plight and slowly began to edge out into traffic. All of a sudden, she found herself being pulled out into the street. All she could do was run alongside the cab as it made it's way down the block.

A passerby alerted the driver who quickly stopped. He jumped out and released Carol's coat from the door. "Are you all right?" he asked anxiously.

"Yes," she gasped, "but how much more do I owe you?"

Life goes like that sometimes. It pulls us along and all we can do is run to keep up. Or it may pull us in a direction we never chose to go and charge us for the experience!

It pulls us into frightening problems and circumstances.

It pulls us into complex situations that call forth the best from us.

It pulls us into experiences that change us and mold us.

It pulls us into the lives of other people.

It pulls us into opportunities to make a difference.

It pulls us in directions we never planned on going and gives us experiences we never thought we needed.

Sometimes all we can do is try to run alongside and make the best of a situation. But if we also let those situations make the best of us, it will always be worth the trip.

From Lifesupport.

TRAVEL TO SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

Sydney is one of Australia's largest city, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.28 million. Being one of the world's most multicultural cities, Sydney has much to offer for travelers and visitors.
With world famous landmarks such as the Sydney harbor, there are lots to see and much more to do in Sydney. For beach lovers, there is the great Bondi Beach where taking a nice and romantic stroll along the beach is an experience no one can afford to miss out on!

Finding Accomodation in Sydney is no hassle at all. Visitors will find that Sydney Accomodation has a wide diversity of choices. With various Cheap Hotels in Sydney, budget conscious travelers can easily make their way into a Sydney Hotel.

TRAVEL TO FRANCE

Ever dreamed about going to France for that romantic getaway or a visit to the world famous Eiffel tower? France is a great place for travelers looking for a great and amazing place to spend their holidays.
With many great France hotels to choose from, travelers can sample the exquisite French wine at various wineries or take peaceful scenic river cruises around Paris. For those opting for a visit to the romantic city of Paris, rest assured there is no problem finding suitable Paris hotels for accommodation with great choices of nice hotels to pick from.

TIME TO WAKE UP

Lucky cats figurines - “Love is like an earthquake-unpredictable, a little scary, but when the hard part is over you realize how lucky you truly are.”

Rich Johnson quips, "My mom always claimed to feel bad when a bird would slam head-first into our living room window. If she REALLY felt bad, though, she'd have moved the bird feeder outside."

We laugh, but what a great life lesson! If we feel badly enough about something, we will change it. If we feel badly enough about a behavior or an attitude, we will adopt a better behavior or a healthier attitude. We CAN change!

You remember Charles Dickens immortal story "Christmas Carol." The miserly Scrooge grows increasingly unconcerned with others and isolated until, one night, he is invited by supernatural visitors to change. The "Ghost of Christmas Past" takes him by the hand and shows him how his life has unfolded and how his self-centered decisions have led him to his present unhappy state. The "Ghost of Christmas Present" takes the blindfolds off his narrow view of life so he can clearly see how he has insolated himself from the struggles of others. Finally, the "Ghost of Christmas Future" portrays to Scrooge what is likely to happen if he persists along his present course. It is an ugly sight.

Then...how does the story end? Scrooge wakes up. That's right -- he WAKES UP! When he awakens from his slumber he also awakens to the way things are. He wakes up and changes! We really CAN change.

The name of Scrooge should never be associated with a miserly person. That was the OLD Scrooge. But he woke up! He became generous and jovial. He realized that he could enjoy life. He discovered love -- by giving it away! Nobody "kept Christmas" like Scrooge, Dickens tells us.

And that's what change is -- waking up. Waking up to the fact the things really CAN be different! We CAN change.

I like this prayer "with a twist":

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change; The courage to change the one I can; And the wisdom to know that person is me."

From Lifesupport.

RUN WITH INTENT

Human statue - “To dream anything that you want to dream. That's the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed.”

Buckminster Fuller once said, "The minute you choose to do what you really want to do it's a different kind of life." And it's not about what you're getting PAID to do! If you want to live abundantly, decide what you really want and figure out a way to do it. Be clear and live with intent.

You may have heard of Fred Lebow. Fred complained to his doctor that he lacked energy. His doctor advised him to take up running in order to increase his stamina. He fell in love with it! He was 39 years old when he entered his first race -- and did horribly. He beat only one other contestant…a 72-year-old man. But he loved it!

Fred decided what he really wanted to do -- and he did it in his spare time. He joined the New York Road Runners Club and organized New York City's first marathon race. But what Fred truly wanted to do, even more than run, was to bring people together. And that is what he did. He believe that anybody should be able to run -- people of all ages, any background, professional or amateur, and of any country. Today, more than 28,000 people of all backgrounds and nationalities compete in the NYC Marathon.

Not everyone in New York was excited about people running through their neighborhoods. Fred was approached by a youth gang that warned him that nobody had better run through their turf. "That's great," Fred enthused. "I need someone to protect the runners in your area, and you look like just the fellows to do it." He gave them each a hat, shirt and jacket and that year, when the marathon went through their neighborhood, these young men proudly guarded the runners along their way.

Fred decided what was truly important to him and he found a way to do it. He lived with intent. That single decision made his life remarkably different.

In 1990, Fred Lebow found he had a brain tumor. In 1992 he ran his final race. He crossed the finish line holding the hand of his friend and Norwegian Olympic medalist, Grete Waitz. A bronze statue was created of Fred in his running clothes, checking his watch. It is now placed at the finish line of every race. Fred died in 1994. But as one sports writer said, "Fate handed him a short race. With his gall, with his love of life, Fred Lebow turned it into a marathon."

Fred would say that it's not about how long you live, but how you run the race of life. Do you run it with intent?

From Lifesupport.

BEAUTY IS SOUL DEEP

Hotel room - “It doesn't make a difference what temperature a room is, it's always room temperature.”

Abraham Lincoln loved to tell stories on himself. One of his favorites concerned itself with physical appearance.

In the days when Lincoln used to be on the circuit (traveling on horseback from one county court to another), he was once approached by a stranger who said, "Excuse me, sir, but I have an article which belongs to you."

"How is that?" Lincoln asked in astonishment.

The stranger took a jack-knife from his pocket. "This knife," he said "was placed in my hand some years ago, with the injunction that I was to keep it until I found a man homelier-looking than I am myself. I have carried that knife for many years. Now I pass it on to you."

Lincoln added wryly, "I've carried that knife ever since."

One of Lincoln's greatest assets was his ability to laugh at himself. And he frequently laughed at his physical appearance. But history does not remember him as an "ugly" individual -- in fact, often just the opposite. His outer appearance was clothed in magnificently beautiful garments: character, honesty, humor and courage. But there are other clothes he wore equally well -- such as humility and forgiveness.

We say that beauty is skin deep. But it isn't really. It has very little to do with the skin. True beauty is soul deep. It is a fabric that is woven in the soul and worn in plain view.

The Bible speaks of something similar. It teaches us to clothe ourselves with "compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Then "over all of these put on love, which binds them in perfect unity." Regardless of how good looking we may otherwise be, it is these clothes that will determine our actual beauty.

This was taught to me by a woman who used to think that if she were granted only one wish, it would be to be beautiful. She saw her wheel-chair dependent body as unsightly and, therefore, she missed her more attractive assets. But when she was finally convinced of some of her beautiful personality traits by her friends, she came to a different point of view. Today she says, "Now I know I AM beautiful. Very beautiful."

Beauty is soul deep. Learn that and you may realize that you are far more attractive than you ever imagined!

From Lifesupport.

GREATER STRENGTHS

Food plate - “My dog, she looks at me sometimes with that look, and I think maybe deep down inside she must know exactly how I feel. But then maybe she just wants the food off my plate.”

If you're like most of us, failure is not your best friend! But I like the attitude of one man. "I don't say I have strengths and weaknesses," he asserts. "I say I have strengths and lesser strengths." That's me! Lots of strengths...many of them "lesser strengths!"

One of my "lesser strengths" may be in the area of art. But the day my three-year-old asked me to draw a picture of a horse on his chalkboard, I agreed anyway. And it wasn't too bad.... Well, it wasn't very good, either. It reminded me a little of a mongrel dog with hooves, but as they say, I've seen worse. (My own drawings, of course.) However, I did feel better about the picture when his preschool friend stopped by to play, looked into his room and asked, "Who drew the horse?" I even felt a bit proud! So I gladly announced, "I did!"

There was a moment of silence as a look of confusion swept her face. Then she asked, "Did you draw it when you were a baby?"

Everyone's an art critic!

But I'm thankful to my son's friend for reminding me about my strengths. Sure, I'd starve as an artist, but I don't have to excel at art. I have other strengths. And I can marvel at good art while I pursue other activities.

John Wooden said, "Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." There's nothing wrong with a list of things you are not able to do. These are just your lesser strengths. The key is to choose your greater strengths well. What is important to you? What must you excel at? And what can you do well? Focus on these priorities and your lesser strengths won't matter much.

But don't ask me for a picture of a horse.

From Lifesupport.

FOR CLOSENESS: T-R-A-V-E-L

Automotive workshop - “All the breaks you need in life wait within your imagination, Imagination is the workshop of your mind, capable of turning mind energy into accomplishment and wealth.”

Inmate Mitchell King had a visitor -- his wife. King was serving a six-year jail term in Auckland, New Zealand for armed robbery. But his wife didn't want to be away from him for that long. So they held hands. And they stuck. She'd rubbed her palms with Super Glue.

Their new-found closeness was short-lived. And their separation painful. Her technique is not one I'd recommend for a closer relationship.

But if you want more closeness; if you desire relationships that are deeper and broader, more meaningful and longer-lasting, then remember the word "travel."

T is for TRUST. Trust is the glue that holds people together (not Super Glue). A relationship will go nowhere without it.

R is for RESPECT. "Do not save your loving speeches for your friends till they are dead; do not write them on their tombstones, speak them rather now instead," writes Anna Cummins. It's about respecting others and letting them know that you value them.

A is for AFFECTION. Sometimes affection means love. Sometimes it means a touch. Always it means kindness.

V is for VULNERABILITY. Though we may feel afraid to let another too close, no relationship will go anywhere without risking vulnerability. Entrepreneur Jim Rohn says, "The walls we build around us to keep out the sadness also keep out the joy." And the love.

E is for EMOTIONAL INTIMACY. Learn to be open. Learn to communicate freely. What kinds of relationships you make are largely determined by how openly you have learned to communicate.

L is for LAUGHTER. Victor Borge got it right when he said, "Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." It's also the most enjoyable.

For relationships that can really go somewhere, just remember the word "travel." Then enjoy the trip!

From Lifesupport.

CHANGING THE WORLD

Cakes showcase - “Find the good. It's all around you. Find it, showcase it and you'll start believing in it.”

A sobbing little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it "was too crowded."

"I can't go to Sunday School," Hattie May Wiatt sobbed to the pastor as he walked by. Dr. Russell H. Conwell, the church's pastor, took her by the hand and found a place for her in the Sunday School class.

Some two years later, little Hattie May lay dead in one of the poverty-stricken tenement buildings near the church. Her parents called for church's pastor, who had befriended their daughter, to handle the final arrangements. Hattie May's mother gave the pastor a tiny purse her daughter had found in a trash can and kept under her pillow. The purse contained 57 cents and a note scribbled in childish handwriting. The note read, "This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday school."

For two years she had saved pennies. Dr. Conwell took the purse and coins into the pulpit and told of one little girl's dream to build a larger church.

A newspaper learned of the story and published it. Conwell told it and retold it. Eventually, inspired by Mattie May's sacrifice, an area resident offered him land at a reduced price. Church members gave sacrificially and $250,000 was eventually raised for a new church building, a large sum of money more than 100 years ago. Hattie May's dream was coming true.

Temple Baptist Church in Philadelphia eventually grew to a large church with a seating capacity of 3,300. Dr. Conwell also founded Temple University in 1884 (first called Temple College), upon which campus the church is still located. He and the church then built The Samaritan Hospital (now University Hospital) -- to provide quality medical care for those who lived in the neighborhood, such as Hattie May Wiatt.

Joel Barker accurately says, "Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world."

Hattie May had a vision and she acted. She worked hard to save 57 cents. A church had a vision and acted. Through hard work and sacrifice, they made almost impossible dreams come true.

Anthropologist Margaret Mead sums it up like this: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

From Lifesupport.

PILLARS ON YOUR PORCH

Orange chair - “You can't deny laughter; when it comes, it plops down in your favorite chair and stays as long as it wants.”

You may have heard writer Elizabeth Foley's insightful words: "Friends in your life are like pillars on your porch. Sometimes they hold you up and sometimes they lean on you. Sometimes it's just enough to know they're standing by." It's true. The difficulties of life are easier to manage with friends.

In the book SHINDLER'S LEGACY, authors Elinor J. Brecher and Jill Freedman interview some of the people saved by the Nazi Oscar Schindler. One survivor says this about the sufferings of her life: "I survived Auschwitz and all the atrocities of the war. But the most difficult thing I ever had to face was losing my 39-year-old daughter to cancer."

The army of modern medicine could not save her daughter. This woman went through the war and concentration camp experience WITH people; she suffered alongside of them. But she fought this other terrible battle alone.

We are all survivors! In some way we have each encountered something potentially devastating, and we overcame. And the overcoming of it was easier with the companionship of others.

Isn't it true that very few burdens are heavy if everyone lifts? And for some reason they seem lighter when we just know that, though others may not be lifting, they are standing by.

If you're trying to lift a burden alone, this may be a good time to reach out. Others may be waiting to help lift. Or, like porch pillars, they may at least be there to lean on.

From Lifesupport.

FINDING SURPRISES

Arrow man bronze statue - “Four things come not back: the spoken word, the sped arrow, the past life and the neglected opportunity.”

Have you noticed how life is full of surprises? A sailor tried to find a new trade route to China and stumbled upon a new (to him) continent. Alexander Fleming inadvertently left a culture dish on a window sill and discovered penicillin. Another scientist discovered saccharin when he noticed a strange, sugary taste in his sandwich.

According to a story from UNCLE JOHN'S ULTIMATE BATHROOM READER (The Bathroom Readers' Institute Bathroom Readers' Press, 1996), in 1989, an unidentified "middle-aged financial analyst from Philadelphia" paid four dollars for a painting at a flea market. He didn't even like the painting -- it was the frame he wanted. So he took the picture apart...and when he did, a copy of the US Declaration of Independence fell out. It was folded up, about the size of a business envelope. He thought it might be an early 19th-century printing and worth keeping as a curiosity.

A few years later, the man showed the print to a friend, who suspected it might be valuable and encouraged him to look into it. He did, and learned that only hours after finishing work on the Declaration in 1776, the Continental Congress had delivered the handwritten draft to a printer with orders to send copies of the Declaration to "the several Assemblies, Conventions & Committees and the Commanding Officers of the Continental troops, that it be proclaimed in each of the United States & at the head of the Army."

This was one of those original copies. No one is sure how many were printed that night; today only 24 survive, and most are in poor condition. But the one in the picture frame was in excellent shape, having spent the better part of two centuries undisturbed. In 1991, it sold at auction for $2.4 million.

Life is full of surprises! But most surprises are not nearly as dramatic as these. The unexpected occurs every day...random kindness from a stranger; a tragic accident is narrowly avoided; sickness unexpectedly healed.

There is a surprise hidden in every day. It may be disguised as a mere coincidence, but those who look will find it.

It's an exciting way to live!

From Lifesupport.

ADJUST YOUR SAILS

Marine engine machinery - “I do not fear failure. I only fear the "slowing up" of the engine inside of me which is pounding, saying, "Keep going, someone must be on top, why not you?"”

You remember the story about the woman who shook her son awake in the morning. "Get up and get ready for school," she urged. "You're going to be late!"

"Ah, Mom," he pleaded "I don't want to go to school. The kids don't like me; the teachers are against me; even the custodian hates me. Give me three good reasons to go."

"All right," she agreed. "It's 6:30. You're 45 years old. And you're the principal!"

Every day we climb from bed, we decide how to face the day. Will we dread it or will we anticipate it? Will we resist it or will we welcome it?

Few persons have made us as aware of the power of our attitudes as the late Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. In his book In God We Trust (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1994), he tells about a woman he describes as "a nice lady," but "she got all tired out by eight o'clock in the morning. And she wasn't even out of her bed by then," he said. The problem was that she "lay there thinking of all the terrible things that were going to happen to her, how badly everything would turn out, how many problems she had, how many difficulties she had to face - and by eight o'clock, she was so tired she could hardly get out of bed."

On the other hand, Henry David Thoreau used to lie in bed before rising and tell himself all the good news. When he arose, he was ready to meet the challenges before him.

Attitude is everything! It is well said that "we cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust our sails."

When you arise tomorrow morning, will you first adjust your sails?

From Lifesupport.

CAN'T HELP BUT BE HAPPY

Plants arrangements - “Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.”

Some people never need help. One man caught his foot in railroad tracks. He tried to pull it out, but his efforts only seemed to make matters worse.

He heard a noise and turned around to see a train coming. In a panic he prayed, "Dear God, please get my foot out of these tracks and I'll stop my heavy drinking and smoking!"

Nothing happened. He was still stuck, and the train showed no sign of slowing.

So he prayed again, "Oh, Lord, please get my foot out and I'll stop drinking and smoking and carousing and cussing!"

Still nothing. He tugged and pulled as the train bore down. In sheer desperation, he pled for help a final time. "Lord, please, if you get my foot out of the tracks, I'll do anything! I'll ... I'll ... I'll become a minister!

Suddenly his foot shot out of the tracks and he got up and dusted himself off as the train whizzed by. Then he looked toward Heaven and said, "Never, mind, Lord, I got it out myself."

Some people seemingly never need help from anyone. They rarely call on friends or even family to lend a hand. They seldom, if ever, confide in a good listener. They seem to believe they should be completely self sufficient; that needing assistance is an unwelcome weakness.

But others find great value in occasionally asking for assistance, and in offering it, too. Needing help, even once in a while, reminds them that they were not meant to journey this life alone. It is a group outing, not a private experience.

Those who find help when they need it are fortunate. But those who give help generously are the most fortunate of all. Few experiences can produce a sense of joy and satisfaction like that of truly easing the burden of another human being, with no thought of return. Fact is... when we help someone else, we can hardly help but be happy. At those magical times we may wonder who really helped whom!

From Lifesupport.

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS EVER

Hard on repairing - “The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair”

We ALL fail!

And I'm not talking about your latest baking disaster or losing a game of "Scrabble." We fail in some important areas. We may fail at a significant relationship. We may fail at a job. We may fail at doing something we are convinced we were meant to do! We all fail. And sometimes we fail in pretty spectacular ways.

Baseball player Lou Brock said something important about failure. Brock once held the record for stolen bases. He was about 35 years old at the time and his days as a professional player were winding down. Brock was talking about why he successfully stole more bases than younger, faster players.

"When you start out in baseball," Brock said, "you're young and you have the speed and reflexes. However, when you try to steal second base and you get thrown out, it's a long walk back to the dugout with 40,000 fans watching you. When you reach my age, you come to understand that records are not set by being the quickest, but by the willingness to look bad in the eyes of others."

When Brock became willing to look bad in the eyes of 40,000 fans, he broke the chains of fear and experienced true freedom. (He probably also played better!) He learned how to do ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS EVER: he learned how to put failure behind him.

Unless we learn how to put failure behind us:

· We will never ask for what we need for fear of rejection.

· We will never ask a boss for a promotion for fear of her saying no.

· We will never go back and take classes for fear of failing.

· We will never change careers for fear of it not working out.

· We will never forgive others who hurt us for fear of being hurt by them again.

· We won't do the things we want to do for fear of letting ourselves and others down.

Unless we learn how to put failure behind us, we won't take any risk at all! And we'll never fully live, either.

The Bible talks about forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. Learn to put your failures behind you and you can go places you never dreamed possible.

From Lifesupport.

FEW GOOD FOLLOWERS

“A boss creates fear, a leader confidence. A boss fixes blame, a leader corrects mistakes. A boss knows all, a leader asks questions. A boss makes work drudgery, a leader makes it interesting.”

A young woman was filling out an application for college when she came across the question: Are you a leader? She thought she had better be brutally honest, so she answered, "No." She was convinced when she sent the application in that she'd never hear from them because of that answer.

But she received a letter back from the school that read: "We have reviewed numerous applications and, to date, there will be some 1,452 new leaders attending school next year. We have decided to accept your application because we felt it was imperative that they have at least one follower."

One man bought a sign and put it on his office door. The sign read: "I'm the boss." The next day he came to work he noticed that someone had put a post-it on his sign that said, "Your wife called. She wants her sign back."

We can't all be the boss. And what good are leaders without followers? In actuality, we need to be both.

Sometimes we lead, sometimes we follow. We lead by example, but we still follow role models. We lead by sharing our expertise, but we remain open to the wisdom of others.

There are numerous courses and lessons on leadership. Yet the best leaders are also excellent followers. They know how to listen, they respect and follow great ideas from those around them, and they are humble enough to seek help when it's needed.

You may be the boss, but do you know how to follow? This world could use a few good followers.

From Lifesupport.