SOMETHING TO UNLOCK US FOR LIFE

Restaurant dining table napkin - “Here's a good thing to do if you go to a party and you don't know anybody: First take out the garbage. Then go around and collect any extra garbage that people might have, like a crumpled napkin, and take that out too. Pretty soon people will want to meet the busy garbage guy.”

I have hear numerous comments like these: "I want my life to matter." "I want to make more of a difference to people." "Life is too short. I may not live a long life, but I do want to look back on a meaningful one." We live in a time when people are seeking more authentic ways to live.

We also live in a time when there is less interest in religion and more in spirituality. Less in denominations and more in global participation. There seems to be a public yearning for lasting answers to the gnawing emptiness so many feel within.

Television, movies and print media are tying into our universal attraction to all things spiritual. And so is the Internet. Just google the word "God." In English you will get several hundred million hits! More people are writing and talking about God than the world's wealthiest, most powerful and most well-known historical personalities. There is a great interest in spirituality, and for many people, a renewed quest for meaning.

In the wonderful Lewis Carroll story of "Alice In Wonderland," one of the characters is a lock. The lock is restless. It is busily hunting for something behind every rock and tree. As Alice watches the lock, her curiosity is aroused and she asks, "What is the matter?"

The lock replies, "I am looking for something to unlock me."

I think that is our quest -- looking for something to unlock us. Something to open us up to passion and purpose for living. We don't want to die before we ever truly LIVE! And we somehow know that our best answers will be spiritual ones; for we're finally unlocked when our hearts have been opened. It's a key...to peace.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

KEEPING PACE WITH YOURSELF FOR LIFE

The boss' office - “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.”

Who is setting your standards for you?

A true story has it that one older man decided to jog around the local high school football field. As he huffed and puffed along, the team was in practice.

The players soon started running sprints up and down the field. The man told himself, "I'll just keep running until they quit." So he ran. And they ran. And he ran some more. And they kept running. And he kept running until he could finally run no more. He stopped in exhaustion. One of the players, equally exhausted, approached him and said, "Boy, I'm glad you finally stopped, Mister. Coach told us we had to keep running wind sprints as long as the old guy was jogging!"

He was watching them. They were watching him. He was letting them set his standard. They allowed him to set theirs.

My question is this: Are you keeping pace with somebody else? Are you allowing other people to set your standards for you? What about your standards, or principles, for moral behavior? Or guidelines for what kind of attitudes you want, or how happy your relationships should be? Do you keep pace with those around you, or do you decide yourself just how you will live your life? The truth is...only you are qualified to determine what your standards will be.

Set your standards too low, and you'll know only discontent. But set high standards and you can live an immeasurably full and worthwhile life. For only when you reach for the best that is within yourself, will you experience great living.

Who is setting your standards?

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

A BETTER WAY FOR LIFE

Bad weather at the beach - “There is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.”

We live in a day of unrestrained violence. Children are snatched from homes or slain at school. Bombs and missiles are exploded in public places. There is war and there are rumors of war. No community, no race, no nation is immune to nor protected from a growing culture of violence. More than ever, we need to learn a different way, for the path we're following has led us into a dark and dangerous wilderness.

I like the way of Khamisa and Felix. One deadly evening in 1995, 14-year-old Tony Hicks shot and killed a 21-year-old college student and pizza deliveryman. Tony and several other gang members ordered pizza and, when it was delivered, Tony was told by his gang to shoot the young man who delivered the food, Tariq Khamisa.

Tariq's father Azim was enraged at the senseless killing. "There's something really wrong with a society where kids kill kids," he spat. He was angry at the kids, but he was even more upset with a culture that breeds so much violence.

Shortly after his son's death, Azim heard from a gentleman named Ples Felix. Ples was Tony Hick's grandfather. Azim invited Ples to his home and the two men shared their mutual grief and heartache. They also decided to do something. "I realized that change had to start with me," Azim reasoned. Therefore, though he may have wanted revenge, Azim Khamisa chose a different way to respond to his son's death.

What happened? Azim Khamisa toured the United States with Ples Felix, the grandfather of his son's killer. The two men visited schools with a message of nonviolence. They told the story of Tariq and Tony -- one child dead and the other in prison. And in a culture of violence, these two men of peace change lives -- by changing the attitudes of young people.

Martin Luther King, Jr. said that we do not start living until we can rise above the narrow confines of our individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. If that is true, then these two men are helping the rest of us to truly live. They're showing us a better way. And if we listen and learn, I believe we'll all be saved.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

TIME TO WAKE UP FOR LIFE

Sparkling hanging chandelier - “People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.”

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 isolated 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.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

CHANGING THE WORLD FOR LIFE

Security locking safebox - “Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.”

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.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

FEW GOOD FOLLOWERS FOR LIFE

Power drill toolbox - “There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love.”

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.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

HURRY SICKNESS FOR LIFE

Colorful glass ornaments - “Let yourself be open and life will be easier. A spoon of salt in a glass of water makes the water undrinkable. A spoon of salt in a lake is almost unnoticed.”

One woman tells how she sought to convince her continually harried friend that she needed to find ways to relax. So she gave her a videotape on stress management and relaxation techniques and encouraged her to watch it right away.

Fifteen minutes later, her friend handed back the tape. "It was good," she said, "but I don't need it."

"But it's a 70-minute video," the woman replied. "You couldn't have watched the whole thing."

"Yes, I did," her friend assured her. "I put it on fast-forward. "

A major social problem of the 21st Century is Hurry Sickness. We hurry through work by "multi-tasking. " We gulp down fast food. We shop at convenience stores. We lament that we haven't enough time. We race through the days and weeks until one day we look back in amazement and comment, "My, how the years flew by." Or until we hit a "speed bump" -- like illness -- that stops us cold. Then we realize the heavy toll we paid to travel the express lane.

Hurry Sickness. Its symptoms include stress and anxiety, ailing relationships, lowered work performance and numerous physical maladies. Some people don't survive it.

What is the cure? "For fast-acting relief try slowing down," quipped comedian Lily Tomlin. But then, perhaps that's not so funny. Slow down and live, for life is too short to be lived fast, and too precious not to be lived well.

"I have no time to be in a hurry," said John Wesley. And he accomplished more than most of us ever will! Maybe it's time to slow down ... and live well.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

THE FIRST SECRET OF SUCCESS

Gargoyles statues - “Society is one vast conspiracy for carving one into the kind of statue it likes, and then placing it in the most convenient niche it has”

"Success is dependent upon the glands - sweat glands," says motivational speaker Zig Ziglar. Here's a true story about a man who learned that lesson.

Harold was ready to retire. His wife Martha, however, was less enthusiastic. As she explained to a friend, "Harold has never done anything that required physical exertion. He never played golf, mowed the lawn or even washed the windows. When he retires, he will sit in his easy chair and expect me to bring him his food."

But to Martha's surprise, soon after he retired Harold joined a health club. And one night, when he arrived home from exercise class, he announced, "I signed up for the wrestling tournament. I am going to wrestle Friday night."

Martha was shocked. "Please don't do it, Harold," she begged. "You're not in shape. You will be so beat up they will have to carry you home!" However, he couldn't be dissuaded and she told him that if he went through with his "lame idea," she was not going to watch.

She stayed away that Friday evening as Harold wrestled. Then about 10:00 p.m., just as she predicted, two men practically carried Harold home. He lay down on the couch, every muscle strained and bruised. Before she could speak, he sputtered, "Don't say a word, Martha! This is not the worst of it. I won tonight. I have to wrestle again tomorrow night!"

Harold worked hard for his success, but he may not have been ready to succeed! He proved, however, that when you combine sweat with the belief that you can do a certain thing, tremendous results will often follow.

In fact, I believe Harold may have even surprised himself. As Dr. Norman Vincent Peale said, "People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success."

Have you discovered that secret?

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

WHAT IS LOVE FOR LIFE?

Sunflower pattern container cover - “Every friend is to the other a sun, and a sunflower also. He attracts and follows.”

Diane Ackerman said, "Everyone admits that love is wonderful and necessary, yet no one agrees on just what it is." Over the years, I have been learning what it is.

When I first got married, I wanted to show my love to my new wife. I was drawn to romantic stories like one from the time of Oliver Cromwell in England where a young soldier had been tried in military court and sentenced to death. He was to be shot at the "ringing of the curfew bell." His fiancée climbed up into the bell tower. Several hours before curfew time and tied herself to bell's huge clapper. At curfew time, when only muted sounds came out of the bell tower, Cromwell demanded to know why the bell was not ringing. His soldiers went to investigate and found the young woman cut and bleeding from being knocked back and forth against the great bell. They brought her down, and, the story goes, Cromwell was so impressed with her willingness to suffer in this way on behalf of someone she loved that he dismissed the soldier saying, "Curfew shall not ring tonight."

That must be love, I thought! That was the kind of commitment I needed to make! I wanted to give my all. To tie myself to the bell for her. To die, if necessary, for her. To sacrifice myself on the altar of true love! I wanted her to know that I'd give it all up for her.

But she never wanted me to die for her. Never! Clean the toilets, maybe, but never die. My commitment was to be shown in household chores! (I read that an exhaustive study showed that no woman ever shot her husband while he was doing dishes. What a relief. Washing dishes may lack inspiration, but it says "I love you" better than roses...)

I was never called upon to tie myself to the bell. But I was still called upon to show my love - in little ways, mostly.

I was needed to comfort her before we were married when the doctor told her she could never have children; to hold her hand and tell her I wanted her more than I wanted a family.

I was called upon to sit by her hospital bed after surgery and encourage her.

I was called upon to hold her after her father died and let her cry.

I was also called upon to carve out alone time with her as often as possible and to make sure my plans included her as well as me.

I was never needed to prove my undying love through a glorious act of self-sacrifice. It was something I was required to do in little ways, through one small act of kindness at a time.

And that, I've learned, is love.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

NFL TV PACKAGE CHOICES IN LIFE

The NFL or the National Football League is the largest league formed for professional American football. It is one of America's world famous sporting event closely followed worldwide by legions of loyal fans and American football aficionados. During every new season of the NFL, it has garnered the highest domestic per-game attendance of any professional league of sports in the entire world. That being said, American football fans worldwide have caused a surge in the demand for NFL TV.

With so many NFL TV Package to choose from it can get pretty confusing to pick one out from the flock. It will be ideal if you know which one offers you the very best apart from the rest to satisfy your cravings for the NFL Sunday Ticket. From all the packages that I have tried throughout the years I now can honestly say that the DirectTV NFL Sunday Ticket is my pick for the best choice available.

In addition to the Direct TV NFL Sunday Ticket you can pickout other fantastic DirectTV programs like the Premier package which comes with over 265 channels for your viewing pleasure. Act fast and you can get 3 months worth of subscription absolutely free of charge! Having been rated number 1 in customer satisfaction for 7 years running, you know you cannot go wrong with DirectTV NFL Sunday Ticket. I have been with them for over two years and I plan to stay on until I find a better choice.

FINDING SURPRISES FOR LIFE

Curry chicken for lunch - “Where life is colorful and varied, religion can be austere or unimportant. Where life is appallingly monotonous, religion must be emotional, dramatic and intense. Without the curry, boiled rice can be very dull.”

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.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

USE YOUR GREATEST POWER IN LIFE

Steel statues - “The finest workers in stone are not copper or steel tools, but the gentle touches of air and water working at their leisure with a liberal allowance of time.”

"Becoming aware of my character defects leads me naturally to the next step of blaming my parents," one woman quips.

Benjamin Franklin didn't feel that way. Becoming aware of his character defects led him to something quite remarkable. He exercised what author J. Martin Kohe calls YOUR GREATEST POWER (1955 & 2005) -- your power to choose.

Franklin noticed that he had difficulty getting along with people. He tended to argue too much. He had trouble making and keeping friends. So he made a choice. He chose to examine his own personality and make a list of what he considered undesirable personality traits. (It's not known if other people helped him make this list.)

It was New Year's Day. Franklin finished his list of personality traits he wanted to change. He identified 13 character flaws and determined to work on each one for a week. He did this for an entire year and finally checked each trait off his list.

Benjamin Franklin developed one of the finest personalities in America. People looked up to him and admired him. When the colonies needed help from France, they sent Franklin. The French liked him and gave him what he wanted.

Suppose Franklin had chosen to go through life without using his greatest power -- his power to choose. Suppose he reasoned that there was really nothing he could do about himself. Would France have supported the colonies? The history of the world may have been significantly different.

One good wish changes nothing. But one good decision changes everything. Your power to choose, to make a good decision, spells the difference between wishing and making those wishes come true.

Do you need to exercise your greatest power? Your power to choose can never be taken from you. It can be neglected. It can be ignored. But if used, it can make all the difference. Use your greatest power and, whether or not you change history, you will certainly change your future.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

FINDING A WAY TO HELP FOR LIFE

The sun's reflection in the water - “The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.”

A funny story going around concerns itself with two hunters who were out in the woods when one of them collapsed. He didn't seem to be breathing and his eyes were glazed. The other pulled out his phone and called emergency services.

He gasped to the operator: "My friend is dead! What can I do?"

The operator in a calm, soothing voices replied: "Take it easy. I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead."

There was a silence, then a shot was heard.

Back on the phone, the hunter said, "Ok, now what?"

With friends like that ...

On the other hand, have you ever wanted to help but didn't know what to do?

A friend once told me a beautiful story of how ordinary people found a simple way to help. He was enjoying the scenic view atop Casper Mountain, a favorite spot for visitors to Casper, Wyoming (USA). Even in the summer it is cool on top of the mountain, and on this day he noticed a young woman who apparently had no coat. She shivered as she wrapped her arms around herself.

Then he saw an older man approach the young woman, take off his sweater and place it on her shoulders. The man said, "Here, keep the sweater. The view is even better when you're warm." She smiled her thanks and wrapped the warm garment around her arms as he drove away.

Before the woman left, she spotted a middle-aged woman who was obviously cold and handed her the sweater. "Keep it," she said. "The view is even better when you're warm."

Intrigued, my friend kept his eyes on the sweater. He noticed that before the current owner of the sweater left, she approached a shivering man, gave it to him and said, "Here...keep the sweater. The view is even better when you're warm."

"That happened a couple of years ago," my friend said. "And as far as I know, that sweater is still on top of Casper Mountain, going from one person to another."

Ordinary people ... finding a way to help. Sally Koch said, "Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us daily." Or like somebody else likes to say: "Nobody can help everybody, but everybody can help somebody!"

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

YOUR LIFE IS AN INSIDE JOB

Ultra violet infra red flame detector - “Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.”

Taking his seat in his chambers, the judge faced the opposing lawyers. "So," he said, "I have been presented, by both of you, with a bribe."

The lawyers squirmed as he continued. To the one on his left he said, "You gave me $15,000." To the other, he said, "And you, gave me $10,000."

The judge reached into his pocket and pulled out some cash. Handing it to the first one, he said, "Now then, I'm returning $5,000 and we're going to decide this case solely on its merits."

Where is a person of character when you need one?

A whole and healthy life -- a life of character -- is cultivated on the inside. It has little to do with outward appearances, or even reputations. It's an inside job!

It is groomed from within. It grows from seeds of good decisions. Like always choosing to do the right thing, even when you're alone. Or standing up for what is good and decent, even if you run the risk of criticism.

A life of character is sometimes difficult to grow. But what else can you accomplish as worthwhile?

There is no work you'll ever complete;
no project you'll ever attempt;
no skill you'll ever master;
no book you'll ever write;
no race you'll ever run;
no sculpture you'll ever create;
no task you'll ever perform;
no structure you'll ever build;
nothing you'll ever do --
more important than the life you shape one day at a time.

Nurture your life on the inside and you'll never be disappointed with the fruit it bears.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

USING YOUR HOMING INSTINCT FOR LIFE

Water chestnuts for sale - “For luck you carried a horse chestnut and a rabbit's foot in your right pocket. The fur had been worn off the rabbit's foot long ago and the bones and the sinews were polished by the wear. The claws scratched in the lining of your pocket and you knew your luck was still there.”

Did you know that the Arctic Tern, that lives about seven degrees south of the North Pole, leaves its home every year and flies all the way to Antarctica and back -- some 23,000 miles in all.

I wonder WHY the bird does that.. Is it looking for a better place to live? Surely it must pass a LOT of good real estate between its home seven degrees south of the North Pole and Antarctica! Can't it find something suitable? Is Antarctica really that much better? Or, if it's getting a little warm, why doesn't the bird just fly up to the North Pole?

But that's not the point. The point is that the bird returns home -- home to its special place near the North Pole. It flies all that distance and returns to just the same spot it once left. I can hardly
drive across town without getting lost -- how does it do it? Twenty three thousand miles! But somehow, the Arctic Tern possesses the ability to fly halfway around the globe and return home every year.

You know that the salmon leaves her little mountain stream as a fingerling and swims, perhaps hundreds of miles, to the ocean where she lives. Then, when it's time to lay eggs, she swims back to her place of birth. She somehow finds just the right river, and all of the correct tributaries and streams and creeks until she arrives home. It's the trip of a lifetime -- one she may not survive. But she presses on, somehow knowing just the right paths to take along the way.

Like the arctic tern, the salmon possesses a built-in ability to find her way home.

So it is with humans. Not in a physical sense, for many of us can't get anywhere without a map. But we have a built-in ability to successfully navigate the twists and turns of life.

We may pay a lot of money for counseling, but, as a good counselor knows, it's not advice most of us need. So a skilled therapist will help us to find the way ourselves.

When you feel lost and confused about a path you should take or a decision to be made those answers you need you usually possess -- deep inside. Learn to be still and listen, trust your natural guidance system, and you can most often can find your way home again.

Are you using your homing instinct?

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

PILLARS ON YOUR PORCH IN LIFE

Uniform leaves growing plant - “Count the garden by the flowers, never by the leaves that fall. Count your life with smiles and not the tears that roll.”

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.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

EXPECT A MASTERPIECE IN LIFE

Full shopping cart - “The worst wheel of the cart makes the most noise”

It was reported that one man was killed and another wounded in the Philippines when a fight broke out at a karaoke bar in Manila over the quality of the singing. The fighting evidently broke out when a group of drinkers claimed the man at the microphone was singing out of tune. Many karaoke clubs in the country have already removed Frank Sinatra's "My Way" from their playlists because of fistfights as the song was being performed. There was apparently no tolerance to let them sing it "their way."

While it's true that some people perhaps believe themselves to be talented in ways they clearly are not, that is not the case with most of us. People frequently lament that they have little or no talent; that they possess no "gifts" or unique abilities. Too many of us see ourselves as having little to contribute beyond our jobs. Too often we feel that we will make little difference in this world because we have nothing to offer.

But then there's Mary Clough. Mary has Down syndrome. She is a volunteer teacher at a school she herself attended many years ago. Mary works with 2- and 3-year-olds, some with Down syndrome and some without. Among other tasks, she helps with puzzles, reads stories and teaches the kids a variety of athletic activities. "We care about little kids here," she says. "We set examples for them."

Mary does not say that she has nothing to offer; she knows better. And I suspect she knows that it does not matter WHAT talents and abilities any of us has, but what we DO with them that counts.

John Ruskin correctly says, "When love and skill work together; expect a masterpiece. " Mary takes what skill she has, combines it with a heart full of love, and gives it away as a masterpiece. She has much to teach us about using the talent we have.

From Lifesupport.

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