A PARABLE OF A CHILD IN LIFE

Hard at work in the office - “Work like you don't need the money, love like your heart has never been broken, and dance like no one is watching”

There is a difference between education and experience. Education is what you get from reading the small print. Experience is what you get from not reading it!

But isn't it true that great learning comes from both education and experience? Let me tell you a parable:

A young school teacher had a dream that an angel appeared to him and said, "You will be given a child who will grow up to become a world leader. How will you prepare her so that she will realize her intelligence, grow in confidence, develop both her assertiveness and sensitivity, be open-minded, yet strong in character? In short, what kind of education will you provide that she can become one of the world's truly GREAT leaders?"

The young teacher awoke in a cold sweat. It had never occurred to him before -- any ONE of his present or future students could be the person described in his dream. Was he preparing them to rise to ANY POSITION to which they may aspire? He thought, 'How might my teaching change if I KNEW that one of my students were this person?' He gradually began to formulate a plan in his mind.

This student would need experience as well as instruction. She would need to know how to solve problems of various kinds. She would need to grow in character as well as knowledge. She would need self-assurance as well as the ability to listen well and work with others. She would need to understand and appreciate the past, yet feel optimistic about the future. She would need to know the value of lifelong learning in order to keep a curious and active mind. She would need to grow in understanding of others and become a student of the spirit. She would need to set high standards for herself and learn self discipline, yet she would also need love and encouragement, that she might be filled with love and goodness.

His teaching changed. Every young person who walked through his classroom became, for him, a future world leader. He saw each one, not as they were, but as they could be. He expected the best from his students, yet tempered it with compassion. He taught each one as if the future of the world depended on his instruction.

After many years, a woman he knew rose to a position of world prominence. He realized that she must surely have been the girl described in his dream. Only she was not one of his students, but
rather his daughter. For of all the various teachers in her life, her father was the best.

I've heard it said that "Children are living messages we send to a time and place we will never see." But this isn't simply a parable about an unnamed school teacher. It is a parable about you and me -- whether or not we are parents or even teachers. And the story, OUR story, actually begins like this:

"You will be given a child who will grow up to become...." You finish the sentence. If not a world leader, then a superb father? An excellent teacher? A gifted healer? An innovative problem solver? An inspiring artist? A generous philanthropist?

Where and how you will encounter this child is a mystery. But believe that one child's future may depend upon influence only you can provide, and something remarkable will happen. For no young person will ever be ordinary to you again. And you will never be the same.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

HOW MUCH MUSIC CAN YOU MAKE FOR LIFE?

Wooden decorative electric lighting - “When you have come to the edge Of all light that you know And are about to drop off into the darkness Of the unknown, Faith is knowing One of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on or You will be taught to fly”

Imagine this. A concert violinist is performing a difficult piece in front of a large audience. Suddenly there is a loud snap that reverberates throughout the auditorium. The audience immediately knows that a string has broken and fully expects the concert to be suspended until another string, or instrument, is brought to the musician.

But instead, the violinist composes herself, closes her eyes and then signals the conductor to begin again. The orchestra resumes where they had left off and now the musician plays the music on three strings. In her mind she works out new fingering to compensate for the missing string. A work that few people can play well on four strings, the violinist with the broken string plays on three.

When she finishes, an awesome silence hangs in the room. And then as one, the crowd rises to their feet and cheers wildly. The violinist smiles and wipes perspiration from her brow. When silence returns to the great room, she explains why she continued to play in spite of a broken string. "You know," she says, still breathless, "sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left." *

We know what she means, don't we? Maybe we've lived most of our lives and we have only a little time left. Can we still make music?

Maybe disease has robbed us of our capacity to work. Can we still make music?

Perhaps a financial loss has left us impoverished. Can we still make music?

Or maybe a meaningful relationship has ended and we feel alone in the world. Can we still make music?

There will come a time when we all experience loss. Like the violinist, will we find the courage to discover just how much music we can still make with what we have left? How much good we can still do? How much joy we can still share? For I'm convinced that the world, more than ever, needs the music only you can make.

And if it takes extra courage to make the music, many will applaud your effort. For some people have lost more than others, and these brave souls inspire the rest of us to greater heights.

Just how much music can you make with what you have left?

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

LISTEN WITH YOUR EYES IN LIFE

Sturdy door lock - “Smile, it is the key that fits the lock of everybody's heart.”

An expert on whales was telling friends about some of the unusual findings he had made. "For instance," he said, "some whales can communicate at a distance of 300 miles."

"What on earth would one whale say to another 300 miles away?" asked a sarcastic member of the group.

"I'm not absolutely sure," answered the expert, "but it sounds something like this: 'Heeeeeeey! Can you hear me nowwww!?!' "

Hearing well is only part of effective communication. But another, and often more important part, is frequently overlooked. It does not concern the ears, however, but the eyes.

According to Leil Lowndes (TALKING THE WINNER'S WAY, Contemporary Books) Boston researchers asked opposite-sex individuals to have a two-minute casual conversation. They tricked half their subjects into maintaining intense eye contact by directing them to count the number of times their partner blinked. They gave the other half of the subjects no special eye-contact directions for the chat.

When questioned afterward, the unsuspecting blinkers reported significantly higher feelings of respect and fondness for their colleagues who, unbeknownst to them, had simply been counting their blinks. One might conclude that, for respect and fondness, count blinks! But the larger message is: good eye contact will dramatically improve your relationships.

Ears are not the only organs essential for great listening. Whether you're talking to a spouse, a colleague, a neighbor, a child or a stranger, eye contact is essential. When eyes are focused away from distractions and onto the speaker, the message you communicate most clearly is, "I value you."

Today, listen with your eyes -- and "see" what you've been missing!

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

LET GO IN LIFE!

Electronic computer motherboard - “There's a way of transferring funds that is even faster than electronic banking. It's called marriage.”

One newspaper advice columnist was asked if there was a predominant theme in her readers' request for help. She replied, "Yes, there is -- fear. People are afraid of losing their loved ones, their health, their wealth. People are afraid of life itself."

Going to the dentist is a fearful experience for many people. One man jokingly listed his middle name as "Wimp" on the admittance form. The receptionist read it, laughed and assured him that there was nothing to worry about. "Besides," she added, "many patients felt the same way."

Half an hour later, the same receptionist came into the waiting room. Looking directly at the nervous patient, she said, smiling, "The doctor will now see the wimp."

Three other people got up with him.

At least those people were there! Too often we find it easier to avoid a thing we fear and never grow beyond it. In order to do all we want to do and to live as fully as possible, we will have to learn to manage our fears.

I believe that it was Dr. Paul Tournier who once compared life to a man swinging on a trapeze. Back and forth he went. The bar was his whole life -- back and forth, back and forth. He hung on tightly and felt secure. He knew nothing other than swinging on the trapeze -- back and forth.

Then one day another bar came into view and he faced a dilemma. What was he to do? Should he reach for the new bar? Should he take the chance ... abandon the security he'd always known and venture forth to a new place? He felt excited, and a little scared.

The moment of truth dawned, however, when he realized that, in order to reach the new bar, he would have to LET GO of the old one. The thought terrified him. But he knew that he could never move ahead unless he left the place where he was.

Our lives are filled with fearful moments and anxious decisions. Managing the fear sometimes means letting go and just doing it. It's the only way to move ahead.

Do you need to let go and take hold of that new thing? The reward could be the life you've been wanting.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

ONE DAY IN LIFE

Flower wall motive decoration - “Love is the only flower that grows and blossoms Without the aid of the seasons.”

In Turin, Italy, an anonymous citizen wrote the tax office enclosing 10,000 Lira (four or five US dollars) and explained he had cheated on his income tax and it had caused him to lose his appetite. He added, "If my appetite doesn't improve I'll send the rest."

Guilt created a biological response in him. But it created an even more unusual response in one woman. William Wirt Winchester's widow built a bizarre mansion to assuage her guilt. It is a house built over a 38 year period at a cost of over five million dollars. The 160 room house has stairways that lead to blank walls, corridors that lead to unopenable doors, 13 bathrooms, 13 stair steps, 13 lights to a chandelier, 13 windows to a room.

Her husband was the son of the Winchester, heir of the manufacturer of the repeating rifle. Her house is referred to as the "guilt house," and was conceived as a never-ending building project to provide a home for the spirits of those killed by Winchester rifles. Instead of confronting her guilt and working through it in constructive ways, her project occupied the rest of her life.

Erma Bombeck has called guilt "the gift that keeps on giving." And it is, if it isn't laid to rest. It can keep on giving emotional, physical and spiritual problems for a lifetime. But you needn't carry it around forever or find a bizarre way to assuage it.

Do you have unresolved guilt? I'm not talking about the kind of guilt that may keep one from breaking the law or hurting innocent people. I mean unnecessary guilt. Over-anxiety and self-loathing about that which can no longer be changed.

- In one day you can recognize where your feelings of guilt come from.
- In one day you can decide to make necessary amends to those you may have hurt.
- In one day you can decide to ask for forgiveness from others.
- In one day you can exercise your spiritual power and choose to be at one with God and the universe.
- In one day you can decide to be gentler with yourself and allow yourself to experience the healing balm of acceptance.
- In one day you can resolve to learn from the past and not repeat your behavior.
- In one day you can choose to do something constructive with that guilt, and then continue every day until it is only a memory.

And best of all, that one day can be today.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

ACTING THANKFUL FOR LIFE

Crocodile resting in the shade - “To sit back hoping that someday, some way, someone will make things right is to go on feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last -- but eat you he will.”

Do you remember the story of the two men who were walking through a pasture and spotted an enraged bull? Instantly they darted toward the nearest fence. The storming bull followed in hot pursuit, and it was soon apparent they wouldn't make it in time. Terrified, one shouted to the other, "Put up a prayer, John. We're in for it!"

John answered, "I can't. I've never made a public prayer in my life."

"But you must!" panted his companion. "The bull is catching up to us."

"All right," agreed John, "I'll say the only prayer I know, the one my father used to repeat at the table: 'O Lord, for what we are about to receive, make us truly thankful.'"

Not a bad prayer, actually, at least in other circumstances. And not a bad attitude about life! But even as important as BEING truly thankful, it is necessary to ACT truly thankful.

Italian actor, director, singer-songwriter and poet Roberto Benigni believes in the importance of acting thankful. Benigni won the 1998 Academy Award for best actor for his performance in the controversial film "Life Is Beautiful." In his joy at receiving the honor, he actually danced over the tops of chairs and leaped up on stage, applauding the audience. The effusive Benigni believes that it's a sign of mediocrity when one demonstrates gratitude with moderation. And he is anything but moderate when showing gratitude!

How are you at showing your gratitude? Most of us are not as demonstrative as Benigni, but acting truly thankful can actually help us feel more grateful. And feeling plenty of gratitude it is one of the quickest paths to joy!

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

NO CRYSTAL BALL FOR LIFE

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

When Jeanne Calment turned 120 years old, she was asked what her view of the future was. "Very brief," she responded.

Don't you wish the future were clear? It is usually hazy, at best. A lonely frog called a psychic hotline. "You will meet a beautiful young woman who will want to learn all about you," the psychic advisor told him.

"Where will I meet her?" he asked. "Down by the old mill stream?"

"No," she said. "In biology class."

I received a postcard from a psychic advisor once. It said that if I call a 900 number, she would lead me through a hazy future to clarity and happiness. That sounded great! But when I turned the card over I noticed that it was addressed to the wrong house. We had moved from that old address several months earlier.

I thought that perhaps she was better with the future than the present. And I couldn't help but wonder, if she doesn't even know where I am, how can she know where I am going?

I believe it was Mahatma Gandhi who said so well, "The future depends on what we do in the present." And Thomas Carlyle put it like this: "Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand." What I do today will shape what tomorrow looks like.

I don't need a crystal ball -- I only need to live well now. My future will take care of itself.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

WHEN YOU JUST CAN'T RESIST IN LIFE

Touch sensitive plant Mimosa Pudica - “Kindness is more than deeds. It is an attitude, an expression, a look, a touch. It is anything that lifts another person.”

"The trouble with resisting temptation," says one woman, "is that it may never come again." Hmmm....

Yeats said this about those ever-present allurements: "My temptation is quiet." And Oscar Wilde quipped, "I can resist everything except temptation." Isn't that the way it is for most of us? Many folks pray, "Lead us not unto temptation." But the problem is ... most of us don't need leading -- we can find the way ourselves! And seductive temptations will also find their ways to us.

It is not always possible to avoid that which is not in our best interest. We're enticed to spend money we don't have. We're lured to ingest something that we will later regret. We're pulled toward people who may not be good for us, and tempted to get back at those who've used or hurt us. Seductions of various kinds bait us at every opportunity.

A pet store owner learned a hard lesson about temptation. He bought a one-foot, three-pound grouper (a fish) to add to his large saltwater aquarium. He knew that groupers tend to eat smaller fish, but he thought he could control what the fish ate by hand feeding it. In time, however, he noticed that the expensive, exotic fish in his tank grew sparser.

After 18 months, he was out $5,000 worth of tropical fish. But he now had a three-and-a- half foot long, 35 pound grouper. And who can blame the grouper? It just couldn't resist fresh sea food!

But you and I aren't fish. We CAN do something about those temptations that assault us daily. When tempted, we can decide to act in our best interest, rather than on impulse. We can decide to come from strength -- for just that moment -- rather than weakness. And the next time it will be easier, for we will be that much stronger.

You DO have the strength needed to act in your best interest. You CAN take control of your urges, rather than allowing them to control you. And when you do, you WILL have the life your want.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR VISION FOR LIFE

Papercraft happy bear - “To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering, one must not love. But then, one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer; not to love is to suffer; to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be happy, one must love or love to suffer or suffer from too much happiness.”

The English word "thanks" comes from the same root word as "think." But they not only share a similar background, they are related in another way. It seems the more we think, the more we thank. One woman illustrated the how thinking and thanking are related in a visit to the eye doctor.

She complained to her ophthalmologist that, as she grew older, her eyesight was getting worse. He examined her eyes and could not be encouraging about the future of her eyesight. But to his surprise, she did not seem to be upset. She told him all she was grateful for: her deceased husband; her children and their families; her friends; the many years she has enjoyed upon this earth; her vast library of memories. She had done a great deal of thinking about these things. "My eyesight is getting worse," she summarized, "but I'm not going to fret over that."

Her doctor later made this observation: "Her eyesight is poor, but her vision is better than most people." She clearly saw what many never see -- all the good in her life. And she was content.

When we take time to think, and make time to thank, we see more clearly.

It sounds like an good way to improve your vision.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

FOR THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE

Computer monitor screen - “After a day spent staring at a computer monitor, think of (a) book as a kind of screen saver for your brain”

Malcolm Forbes once said, "Unless you're serving time there's never enough of it." It's true! Time is the greatest commodity we have. We may be able to make more money, but we will eventually run out of time.

Writer Carl Sandburg advised, "Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you."

One man must have been thinking about this when he took a time management seminar. The instructor asked everyone in the class to make a list of ten major time-wasters. The eager young man raised his hand and inquired, "Is it necessary to identify the individuals by name?"

How we use time is important, and only you can determine what is a good use of your time. But if we are not clear about how we want to spend our time, other people will be all too happy to spend it for us.

Those who take charge of their time have learned to say "no" to some things that will have enough time left to say "yes" to that which is more fulfilling. THEY decide how to fill their days up - THEY take charge. THEY determine what is an important use of their time.

This is not to say that every minute should be used in productive pursuits. I like Bertrand Russell's observation: "The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." Why not? Because time you spend doing something that brings you pleasure can be an excellent way to spend some of the day.

Only you can choose how your time will be spent. You will use it for work as well as play; for pursuing your dreams as well as relaxation; for self improvement, for inner growth and to give away to others. Much of your time you will feel you spent well. Some of it you may feel you could have used differently. But all of it ought to be spent as YOU determine. For there are few things you will regret more than to look back and wonder why you spent so much time doing what others want.

For the time of your life remember ... it is YOUR life. And your time.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

BUZZING LOCAL BUSINESSES

Google is great when it comes to searching any kind of information that your heart desires. But when it comes down to finding Business Listing locally in Connecticut or Pennsylvania for example, I would still prefer to use a Business Internet Directory.
Buzzhub is my personal choice when searching for local businesses online. With a straight forward page layout and an easy to use search input bar I can easily look for air conditioning repair services available in New Jersey for example. So now you do not have to break a sweat during those scorching hot summer days.

Buzzhub can also be classified as an online Yellow Pages of sorts. Having a hard time trying to figure out where is the ideal restaurant for your romantic date in the New York area or frantically trying to look for roofing experts to prevent rain from sipping in during the next down pour? Stop worrying and head on over to Buzzhub to find the right businesses to get the job done today!

IS IT TIME TO MOVE AHEAD IN LIFE?

Clothes for sale - “With clothes the new are best, with friends the old are best.”

Have you ever noticed how dependent we are on others?

If you're good at something, chances are, other people helped you along the way. A musician is usually trained by another musician. An athlete achieves excellence because she trains hard and is well coached. A wise man became that way because of books, schools and centuries of accumulated wisdom to draw upon. No matter your field, you are probably good largely because of the work and help of others!

Author William A. Cohen in his book THE ART OF THE LEADER (Prentice Hall, 1990), tells about a man whom most people will recognize. His name is Napoleon Hill.

Hill was a young newsman around the turn of the last century. He interviewed steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie was then one of the wealthiest men alive. He convinced Hill to devote twenty years of his life to a study of what made people successful. Carnegie helped Hill by giving him introductions to the mightiest, wealthiest, and best-known men of his day. These included Henry Ford, Theodore Roosevelt, Charles Schwab, George Eastman, John D. Rockefeller, Thomas Edison and others. (Personally, I wish the list contained the names of women, too, but this was a hundred years ago.)

The young Napoleon Hill discovered an amazing fact from his research. None of these successful individuals became successful strictly by themselves or by virtue of what they could do by themselves. Every single one of the successful individuals that Napoleon Hill interviewed excelled in their fields through the help of others. Talented as these people may have been, they needed the expertise, leadership and talents of other people in order to move to new levels.

The lesson we learn is this: We need other people - especially if we are to improve. If you want to excel, if you are ready to move to the next level professionally, economically, or in any other way, there are those with the skills and the desire to assist. You'll never do and be what you are capable of doing and being until you turn to the right people to aid your success. There are those better than you in the areas you want to improve. Find them...and use them.

A German proverb states, "When one helps another, both are strong." Conversely, when two go it alone, both are weaker. It may be time to reach out...and move ahead.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

ESSENTIAL TRAVELING COMPANIONS

Traveling is a lot of fun and it is a great way to relax and enjoy all the wonderful sights and sounds that the destinations bring into our lives. For most of us, traveling usually means going to vacation destinations and bringing back exotic gifts and souvenirs for friends and family.

In my case, the ideal practice would be to travel light with ample luggage space available to bring back all the good haul of gifts and souvenirs. I always go to ShopWiki for the best luggage buying guide online. Not only do they have an extensive coverage on different luggage types available, they also highlight various USA airlines luggage policies with details on permitted weight and dimensions. Very convenient indeed!

For me I prefer a lightweight luggage as my main carry on baggage. And in place of a laptop bag I would definitely go for a sturdy backpack which also can carry my other personal items. That means one check-in baggage and a hand carry backpack whenever boarding an airplane.And through some easy research on the ideal luggages that suit my requirements on ShopWiki, I picked the Rick Steves Ultra-Lightweight Rolling Luggage for its ultra-lightweight and high durability. As for my backpack I choose the Targus revolution notebook backpack with SafePORT Air Cushion System to store my Lenovo Thinkpad T61 notebook. With the ultimate in notebook protection, I do not have to worry about accidentally bumping my backpack when I turn to navigate busy streets and public transportation stations.
And I owe it all to ShopWiki for picking out the ideal luggages that suit my every needs. Thanks ShopWiki!

THE FABLE OF MARY LIN IN LIFE

Mixed vegetables and chicken for lunch - “A man may be a pessimistic determinist before lunch and an optimistic believer in the will's freedom after it.”

A modernized Chinese fable tells of Mary Lin, who was widely-known as a holy woman. She was a kind mother, a devoted wife, a loyal friend, an active part of her community of faith and a concerned neighbor to those in need. She visited the lonely who had nobody. She assisted the ill, caring for them however she could. She baked for new families who moved to her community. She befriended children and always had time to listen when anybody needed an ear.

Mary Lin was busy and contented. And when she died, everyone who knew her believed she would go to heaven. If there was no heaven, one would certainly be prepared for her, they agreed.

Mary Lin stood at heaven's gate. She was welcomed into a city alive with many voices of joy and praise. A gentle feeling of rest came over her, for here there were no worries, no tears, no sorrows and no losses. She could rest forever and enjoy the companionship of other good souls.

But a strange thing happened. Amid the pleasant sounds of heaven, Mary Lin thought she heard weeping. She concentrated on that sound and discerned that it was the cry of a child far, far away. It was barely audible as it moved up to her from the earth. She knew someone was distraught. Someone was in need.

Mary Lin turned and passed out through the gate....

"If we make our goal to live a life of compassion and unconditional love," said Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, "then the world will indeed become a garden where all kinds of flowers can bloom and grow."

The world can become ... heavenly.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

ARE YOU PLAYING YOUR MUSIC FOR LIFE?

Indoor river boat ride - “Time is a sort of river of passing events, and strong is its current; no sooner is a thing brought to sight than it is swept by and another takes its place, and this too will be swept away.”

We visited friends recently and sat outside where we watched paragliders and hang gliders soaring overhead. They rose up into the sky upon invisible warm currents of air and floated effortlessly by -- trusting in their equipment and their ability to keep them from crashing into the earth. But isn't that risky? Perhaps it is, but what a thrill to experience!

My son is a rock climber. Using toeholds and fingertip holds he makes his way up the shear face of a cliff. Though he fell once and broke his arm, he's back out there again. Why? Isn't that risky? Perhaps, but he likes the feeling of satisfaction of conquering the mountain and succeeding at a difficult endeavor.

We live in wonderful ski country in Utah. But did you know that numerous people die every year of skiing accidents? Not that skiing is so dangerous, but there is a certain risk factor in all sports.

And one doesn't have to participate in sports to take a risk. Just buy stocks and bonds! I've been told that October is one of the riskiest months to buy stocks. The other dangerous months are January, February, March, April . . . .

There is risk in all of life. But we have a choice: we can either live fully or live in fear.

Queen Margareth II of Denmark once said, "I have always had a dread of being a passenger in life." She never wanted to sit on the sidelines, be a spectator or just go along for the ride. Life is for living, not watching.

May Kay Ash, founder of the Mary Kay Company once remarked, "Most of us die with our music un-played." At the end of your life, you may have played it safe. But is your music still un-played?

I don't want to die before I've lived! And when I'm ready to go, I still want to be playing my music.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

WILL YOU JUMP FOR LIFE?

Smelted aluminium blocks - “Some scientists claim that hydrogen, because it is so plentiful, is the basic building block of the universe. I dispute that. I say that there is more stupidity than hydrogen, and that is the basic building block of the universe.”

You are trapped at the window of a building that is on fire. You hear a man's voice through the smoke below you shouting, "Jump! I'll catch you." Will you jump?

The answer probably is: "It depends!" It depends upon how much immediate danger you believe you are in. Do you have other options?

But it also depends upon how much you know about the person who is shouting to you. Is this man reliable? Will he let you fall to the ground or can he be depended upon to support your weight? Can you trust this person?

So it is with all of our relationships. What do we know about the people we would like to trust? Are they reliable? Will they be there tomorrow? Will they stand by you when circumstances change? Can you depend on them to support you?

It's like a woman who once purchased two watches from a street salesman on London's Oxford Street. When she asked if the street vendor could furnish her guarantees, he said, "Certainly, madam. I can give you five-year, ten-year or even lifetime guarantees." Then he added, "The only thing I can't guarantee is that I will be here this time next Monday morning."

It's true that not all people are trustworthy. But it is equally true that many people can be relied upon, and that our very lives may depend upon our ability to trust.

It requires some trust to leap into a new relationship, a business venture or an unknown future. Trust is needed to allow others to hold us up. It takes trust to jump.

You may be deciding to make a jump. Staying in the burning building is always an option...but not one you'll want to make for long. And though it feels risky to leap into the smoke, you may discover there a safe and secure landing. You may also discover that there are those who can be trusted -- those who can be relied upon to stand by, to keep an eye out for you or to cushion your fall. You may discover how to trust.

Will you risk the fall by trusting others? It can be worth the jump.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

THE SEVEN STEPS TO STAGNATION IN LIFE

Drypers mascot costume - “They take the paper and they read the headlines, so they've heard of unemployment and they've heard of bread lines, and they philanthropically cure them all by getting up a costume charity ball”

You may recall that for centuries people believed Aristotle was right when he said that the heavier an object, the faster it would fall to earth. The philosopher was regarded as one of the greatest thinkers of all time, and so it follows that he MUST be right!

But nearly 2,000 years after Aristotle's death someone actually tested the theory. In 1589 Galileo Galilei summoned learned professors to the base of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. He pushed two weights from the top of the tower -- one light and one heavy. They landed at the same instant. But the power of belief was so strong that the professors denied their eyesight! They continued to teach that Aristotle was correct.

Galileo and others also tried to convince the educators of his day that the earth revolves around the sun. But they would not believe anything so radical and eventually forced him to recant his support of the Copernican theory. He lived the last years of his life under house arrest.

Erwin M. Soukup compiled a list he calls "The Seven Steps to Stagnation." You have no doubt heard these statements before. Most of us have said them! They are:

1. We've never done it that way before.
2. We're not ready for that.
3. We are doing all right without trying that.
4. We tried it once before.
5. We don't have money for that.
6. That's not our job.
7. Something like that can't work.

There is tremendous power in belief. Our beliefs shape our future; what we believe to be true quite literally becomes true for us!

And there is a bold and exciting tomorrow awaiting anyone with the courage to believe something new CAN HAPPEN -- things CAN BE DIFFERENT! Your life -- your organization -- can be stagnant or things can change. Tomorrow can look very different than today for those who believe.

Will you stagnate or will you believe in tomorrow?

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes