NO ROOM IN THE BANK IN LIFE

Wet floor caution sign - “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.”

Is your life full and busy? If you're like me, maybe it is TOO busy.
Sometimes I fill my life so full doing things I think I SHOULD do, I don't have time for the things I WANT to do, even if some of those things are important. It seems that I have a thousand deadlines to meet, and too often I can't find enough time to write, I skip my exercise routine, or I neglect uninterrupted time spent solitude and meditation.

But it helps to remember a story about a young girl and her bank.
The little girl's father had just given her a silver dollar to put into her bank. She excitedly ran off to her room to "deposit" the coin. However, in afew minutes she returned and handed the silver coin back to her father.

"Daddy," she said sadly, "here's your dollar back. I can't get it into my bank."

"Why not?" her concerned father asked.

"It's too full," she said, obviously disappointed.

Her father accompanied her back to her room and, sure enough, her bank was too full to accept even one more coin. It was stuffed with pennies.

If your life ever like that bank? So full of errands, obligations and
activities of no lasting value, that there simply is no room left for what is truly important - the silver dollars?

Author Grenville Kleiser once said, "To live at this time is an inestimable privilege, and a sacred obligation devolves upon you to make right use of your opportunities. Today is the day in which to attempt and achieve something worthwhile."

Have you made room for a few large coins in your bank; for something you believe to be worthwhile? If not, you may have to take out a few pennies, but I suspect you will never know they are gone.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

WHEN OTHERS GRIEVE IN LIFE

Fresh red hot chili for sale - “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”

People should never have to suffer loss alone. Yet, how do you comfort
those who hurt? I think that offering genuine comfort to another is
one of the most important things we can do for others. And sometimes
one of the most difficult.

Experts tell us, among other things, to simply say, "I'm sorry" or "I
love you." They warn us against trying explain away the death or loss;
against theologizing or philosophizing about it. Often, the less said,
the better, so long as you are present, you care and you listen.

American poet Edgar Guest told of a neighbor by the name of Jim
Potter. Mr. Potter ran the drug store in the neighborhood where Edgar
Guest lived. Their relationship was cordial, if not deep. Mostly they
smiled and exchanged greetings when they happened to see one another.

One tragic night the poet's first-born child died. He felt crushed and
overcome with grief. Several days after the death, Guest had reason to
go to the drug store run by his neighbor. When he entered, Jim Potter
motioned for him to come behind the counter.

"Eddie," he said, "I really can't express to you the great sympathy
that I have for you at this time. All I can say is that I am terribly
sorry, and if you need for me to do anything, you can count on me."

Many years later Edgar Guest reflected on that encounter. He said,
"Just a person across the way -- a passing acquaintance. Jim Potter
may have long since forgotten that moment when he extended his hand to
me in sympathy, but I shall never forget it -- never in all my life.
To me it stands out like the silhouette of a lonely tree against a
crimson sunset."

As the poet thought back to that unhappy time, one vivid memory of a
brief and genuine moment of comfort still lingered years later. It was
a moment that meant everything to a grieving father.

Those who comfort others bring no less than a piece of heaven to
earth.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

NO ONE TO PHONE IN LIFE

Electronic spare part delivery box - “Service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life, and not something you do in your spare time.”

One afternoon after the death of her grandfather, Carol lay huddled on
her bed, sobbing forlornly. Her mother sat beside her and asked,
"What's
the matter, honey?"

"I miss my grandpa, and I miss talking to him about my problems," the
girl said.

"I know, dear," sympathized her mother. "I miss him too. But can't you
talk to me?" Carol shook her head vehemently.

"Why not?" her mother persisted.

"Because you're what we talked about," sobbed Carol.

Children may not always confide in their parents. And adults may
choose not to confide in many of their friends and family. But it is
important to have someone with whom we can be emotionally intimate.

Tragically, it has been estimated that the majority of men, and many
women, have nobody they could phone at 2:00 in the morning if their
lives fall apart. They believe there is nobody who really wants to
hear from them in a crisis. Too many of us are utterly without close
and intimate friends.

The philosopher Goethe once observed, "The world is so empty if one
thinks only of mountains, rivers and cities; but to know someone here
and there who thinks and feels with us, and who, though distant, is
close to us in spirit, this makes the earth an inhabited garden."

Who can you be vulnerable with? Is the earth, for you, more like a
lonely desert or an inhabited garden? The difference may simply be in
whom you feel free to call at your most wounded moments. Do you have
such a person? And are you such a person for someone else?

As it has been said, "A friend is someone who knows the song in your
heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."
If we are to find the kind of friend who knows the song in our hearts,
we must also BE that kind of friend. And since good friends take time
to grow, today is a good day to work on those friendships.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IN LIFE

Teapot and cups with dragon and phoenix design - “To attract good fortune, spend a new penny on an old friend, share an old pleasure with a new friend and lift up the heart of a true friend by writing his name on the wings of a dragon.”

Author Erynn Miller said: "It takes a lot of understanding, time and
trust to gain a close friendship with someone. As I approach a time in
my life of complete uncertainty, my friends are my most precious
asset."

I had a friend who felt that way. I sat next to Hal's "death-bed" and
thought about the fact that I had known him for over twenty years. Hal
knew he was dying and that these next few days would be his last. I
held his hand.

We spent time reminiscing about his long and fruitful career as a
church pastor. We talked about old friends. We chatted about his
family. And I listened as he offered a piece of sage wisdom to someone
he believed represented a "younger generation."

Hal seemed to carefully consider what he was about to say next. Then
he squeezed my hand, gazed intently into my eyes and whispered, just
loud enough for me to hear, "Nothing is more important than
relationships. "

I knew that this utterance somehow mattered a great deal to him. He
seemed to consider a lifetime of experiences - personal, professional,
spiritual and family - and this one simple observation surfaced above
the rest: "Nothing is more important than relationships. "

"Don't get too caught up in your career," he said. "And don't use
people just to get what you want, then throw them away. No project, no
program, no task - NOTHING - is more important than your friends and
family." I never knew Hal that well, but I wondered if he were talking
as much to himself as to me.

Remember," he repeated, "that in the end, only your relationships will
matter. Tend them well."

Writer Og Mandino put it this way: "Beginning today," he said, "treat
everyone you meet as if he or she were going to be dead by midnight.
Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can
muster, and do so with no thought of any reward. Your life will never
be the same again."

At the end of a long life, my friend Hal would have agreed.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

WHAT GREATNESS IS ALL ABOUT FOR LIFE

Gundam Wing model kit - “We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another.”

A school music teacher received this essay from an eight-year-old
student concerning Johann Sebastian Bach: "He was a GREAT composer. He
had 20 children and had an old spinster in the attic to practice on."

Actually, I don't know the exact number of children he had, but it
seems to be quite a few. And I don't know what he kept in the
attic ... or what he practiced on. But the student was absolutely
right
about one thing: Bach was a GREAT composer.

Not all of us can be great at what we do. I try to do some things the
very best I can. But that means I cannot give much attention to some
of the less important tasks.

But what about just being good at WHO WE ARE? Good human beings? Even
being GREAT at who we are?

Author James Michener learned something about greatness on a stormy
night in the South Pacific. His plane was trying desperately to land
on the Tontouta airstrip but could not do so. After several attempts
in the dark of night, his knuckles were white with fear. When they
finally landed safely, Michener went out and walked the length of the
airstrip, looking at the dim outlines of the mountains they had so
narrowly missed. He wrote this:

"And as I stood there in the darkness I caught a glimpse of the
remaining years of my life and I swore an oath when peace came, if I
survived, I would live the rest of my years as if I were a great man.
I did not presume to think that I would be a great man. I have never
thought in those terms, but I could conduct myself as if I were. I
would adhere to my basic principles. I would bear public testimony to
what I believed. I would be a better man. I would help others. I would
truly believe and act as if all men were my brothers. And I would
strive to make whatever world in which I found myself a better place.
In the darkness a magnificent peace settled over me, for I saw that I
could actually attain each of those objectives, and I never looked
back."

Michener says that the very next day he started to draft the book
TALES OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC.* And if it can ever be said that he
became a great man, I suspect it was only because he decided to be a
better man than he was before.

Greatness may never have been your goal. But you and I can be a little
better today than we were yesterday. We can help others a bit more
today than yesterday. We can act more deliberately as if all people
are our sisters and brothers. We can leave the world a better place
tomorrow than we found it today.

And if that is the way to greatness, then we all can head that
direction. One step at a time ... beginning today.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

GOOD PEOPLE IN LIFE

Ice herbal tea beverage - “The spirit of the tea beverage is one of peace, comfort and refinement.”

A doctor said to his patient, "You have a slight heart condition, but
I wouldn't worry about it."

"Really, Doc?" the patient replied. "Well, if you had a slight heart
condition, I wouldn't worry about it either."

We can sometimes get the impression that most of the world is more or
less out for themselves and that people care little about the plight
of others. But I choose to believe differently. I believe that a lot
of people are basically concerned about others, even if they don't always know how to express it. That is perhaps why a certain story, clipped years ago and filed away, has remained one of my favorites to this day.

A trucker relates that he was traveling through rural North Carolina
on I-95 when a brown sedan merged onto the highway. It weaved back and
forth between lanes, causing the driver of the truck to shift into a
lower gear. At first he thought the driver was drunk, but when he came
closer, the trucker saw an old man shaking uncontrollably behind the
wheel. He noticed a Citizen's Band aerial whipping to and fro as the
car jerked between lanes, so he called on the radio: "You in the brown
Chevy, if you can hear me, pull over. Pull off the road!"

Amazingly, he did! The trucker pulled up behind the car and climbed
from his cab. The elderly man staggered from his auto and fell into
the trucker's arms. He poured out a story of months of fear and pain
that accompanied the illness of his only daughter.

Now he was returning from the hospital where it was decided that she
would cease any further treatment. In the hospital he remained "strong" and stoic for his daughter, but out on the road he fell
apart.

The two men talked for the good part of an hour. The father eventually
decided to share his pain with his daughter and said he felt good
enough to drive home. The men embraced and the trucker followed him
for 50 miles. As they drove along, the two talked together on the
radio.

The older man finally acknowledged that his exit was ahead and thanked
his new friend again for the help. The trucker asked if he could make
it home all right and, suddenly, a third voice broke in on the
conversation: "Breaker 19, don't worry, good buddy. Go your way. I'll
see him home!" Glancing in his mirror, he saw a livestock truck move into the exit lane behind the brown sedan.

I think there are good people the world over. People who will gladly
give that caring touch, a needed warm embrace or a patient and
listening ear. They are like angels who lift us to our feet when our
wings have trouble remembering how to fly.

Look around. You're sure to see one. And look in the mirror. You might
spot one there, too.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

PUTTING IT OUT THERE FOR LIFE

Sweet and spicy peanuts - “May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human enough hope to make you happy.”

We used to play spin the bottle when I was a kid," says comedy writer
Gene Perret. "A girl would spin the bottle, and if the bottle pointed
to you when it stopped, the girl could either kiss you or give you a
nickel. By the time I was 14, I owned my own home."

Gotta admire persistence. Because rejection is hard to take.
Especially when it comes from someone you know. Or, come to think
about it, someone you don't know.

And we all want to be appreciated. We like being valued for what we do
and who we are.

American football coach Bum Phillips lives in a world where one can
become a hero or a heel in an amazingly short time. One mediocre
season and a coach, even a good one, can be out of a job. Like
Phillips once said, "There's only two kinds of coaches -- them that's
been fired and them that's about to be fired." Sounds like they might
want to make friends with rejection.

Few things hold people back more than the fear of rejection. They
don't ask for what they need because the answer may be no. They don't
ask their boss for a raise or for more time off. They don't ask for
help. They are afraid to be the first to say "I love you" (what if
they don't hear "I love you" back?). They don't ask for a better deal
or a lower interest rate. They don't submit that manuscript to a
publisher. In short, they don't let their wants and needs be known,
for fear of being turned away, turned down or turned out.

But the wonderful truth is this: If you can accept NO for an answer,
you can ask for anything. ANYTHING. When no is an acceptable and okay
answer to what you'd like, you can fearlessly ask for whatever you
need.

I love the expression, "I'm just putting it out there." Just put it
out there. Ask. And don't worry about the response. Nobody can say YES
if you never asked. Just put it out there and don't be afraid -- you
may be surprised at the answer you get. Sometimes people just need to
be asked. And if you don't get the response you want, are you any
worse off than before?

Hey -- I'm just putting it out there.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

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

Grand staircase - “Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

For closeness: travel. No, I don't mean to go to take a road trip or
to fly away to some exotic place. But there are ways to go deeper into a relationship -- like traveling. And there are things we can do to help a relationship really go somewhere. Let me explain.

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. She wanted them to always stick together - through it all. Hand in hand, forever joined. And they did stick together. She had rubbed her palms with Super Glue.

Their new-found closeness was short-lived. And their separation
painful. (I suggest we put the Super Glue idea on a short list of
"THINGS NOT TO DO" when we want to grow closer.)

But if you want a deeper connection with someone your care about, if
you want relationships that are more intimate, more meaningful and
longer-lasting, then try this simple technique. Just remember the word "TRAVEL."

T is for TRUST. If we're seeking a glue to cement us to another, then
trust is that bond. A relationship will go nowhere without it.

R is for RESPECT. Some people talk about how much they have always
respected their cherished friends and family at a funeral. But why
wait? People want to know that we hold them in high regard. It's about valuing others and letting them know you respect them.

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

V is for VULNERABILITY. Though we may feel afraid to let another too
close, no relationship will go anywhere without taking a risk. Like
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. It about learning to be open. Learning to communicate freely. The quality of relationships we make are largely determined by how openly we 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.

So for a relationship that can really go somewhere, just remember the
word "TRAVEL." Then enjoy the trip.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

EIGHT GIFTS THAT DON'T COST A CENT FOR LIFE

Papercraft galore on display - “Make no display of your talents or attainments; for every one will clearly see, admire, and acknowledge them, so long as you cover them with the beautiful veil of modesty”

This simple checklist can help measure how you are nurturing your
relationships. The author of these thoughts is unknown, but deeply
appreciated.

The Gift of Listening
But you must really listen. Don't interrupt, don't daydream, don't
plan your response. Just listen.

The Gift of Affection
Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and
handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for
family and friends.

The Gift of Laughter
Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say,
"I love to laugh with you."

The Gift of Solitude
There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone.
Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.

The Gift of a Favor
Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.

The Gift of a Written Note
It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A
brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime.

The Gift of a Compliment
A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super
job," or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.

The Gift of a Cheerful Disposition
The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone.

These are eight important ways we can contribute toward whole and
healthy relationships. They cost nothing, yet they may well be the
most valuable gifts we can ever offer another.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

ENJOYING WHAT YOU DO FOR LIFE

Frozen french fries for sale - “You expected to be sad in the fall. Part of you dies each year when the leaves fell from the trees and their branches were bare against the wind and the cold, wintry light. But you knew there would always be the spring, as you knew the river would flow again after it was frozen. When the cold rains kept on and killed the spring, it was as though a young person had died for no reason.”

Plato said that work should be play. Some airline employees are
taking him seriously. After landing, one flight attendant announced,
"Thank you for flying Delta Business Express. We hope you enjoyed
giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."
(I like the honest approach.)

As a plane touched down and was slowing to a stop in Washington, a
lone voice came over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella. WHOA!" (Who
says you can't have fun with your job?)

One pilot made this weather announcement: "Weather at our
destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but they'll try
to have them fixed before we arrive."

"As you exit the plane," a flight attendant said, "please make sure
to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be
distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave
children or spouses."

And passengers reported that they heard this from the crew just as
they began to exit: "Last one off the plane must clean it."

To enjoy your work more, I think it helps to put some play in what
you do. And if you don't like your work, can you find something to
do you enjoy more?

Authors Doug Hall and David Wecker tell the story of Ken Davis, a
man who found a simple way to enjoy his work (MAKING THE COURAGE
CONNECTION; Fireside Books, 1997). Ken just couldn't find his
occupational niche. He worked at a variety of jobs and disliked them
all. While Ken was working as a door salesman, he noticed that at
least half of his customers had malfunctioning doorbells. And
suddenly, Ken's life career became clear. He opened his own doorbell
repair service.

Ken's wife laughed when she first heard his idea. When she realized
he was serious, she cried. Whoever heard of making a living
repairing doorbells? But Ken is making a comfortable living at his
unique job, and he's happier than he's ever been. Ken didn't enjoy
what he was doing, so he is now doing what he enjoys.

"The biggest mistake that you can make is to believe that you are
working for somebody else," Earl Nightingale asserts. "Job security
is gone. The driving force of a career must come from the
individual. Remember, jobs are owned by the company; you own your
career!"

It's true that, no matter where you work, you actually work for
yourself. After all, it's your life. And with a little creativity
and imagination, maybe your work can seem less like drudgery and
more like play. Wouldn't you really rather have it that way?

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

DOING SOMETHING GREAT FOR LIFE

Preparing camera tripod for photo session - “Look and think before opening the shutter. The heart and mind are the true lens of the camera.”

When was the last time you were challenged to do something really...
well... great?

President Abraham Lincoln helped me to understand that there is a
bit of greatness within all of us. It is said that he often slipped
out of the White House on Wednesday evenings to listen to the
sermons of Dr. Phineas Gurley at New York Avenue Presbyterian
Church.

He generally pre­ferred to come and go unnoticed, so when Dr.
Gur­ley knew the president was coming, he left his study door open.
On one of those occasions, the president quietly entered through a
side door of the church, took his seat in the minister's study,
located just off the sanctuary, and propped the door open just wide
enough to hear the preacher.

During the walk home one Wednesday even­ing, an aide asked Mr.
Lincoln his appraisal of the sermon. The president thoughtfully
replied, "The content was excellent... he delivered with
elo­quence... he had put work into the message.."

"Then you thought it was an excellent ser­mon?" questioned the aide.

"No," Lincoln answered.

"But you said that the content was excel­lent, it was delivered with
eloquence and it showed much work," the aide pressed.

"That's true," Lincoln said. "But Dr. Gur­ley forgot the most
important ingredient. He forgot to ask us to do something great."

There is nothing wrong with average lives and average
accomplishments. Most of the good of the world is built on the
accumulated efforts of everyday people. But, as Lincoln seemed to
know, a life should strive for some greatness.

Are you part of a relationship that, if given more effort, could be
outstanding? Or do you volun­teer for an organization which is truly
doing something excellent? Have you joined a cause that is
attempting something great? Or have you ever said to yourself
concerning a beautiful dream, "I could never do that," while knowing
that if you were to attempt it and succeed, you just might
ac­com­plish something significant?

If Abraham Lincoln is right, then every life should strive to reach
a little further today than it did yesterday, for there is some
greatness in each of us.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

HOW THIRSTY ARE YOU IN LIFE?

Rice vermicelli with chicken drumstick - “The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.”

A man had an operation, and the doctor, by mistake, left a sponge in
him. A friend asked him if he had any pain because of it. "No," said
the man, "but I sure do get thirsty."

Isn't it wonderful when we get thirsty - not for water, but thirsty
to chase a dream or to so something different? I think it is those
people who crave something with an unquenchable thirst who, in the
end, are likely to be most satisfied with their lives.

Author Napoleon Hill said, "Desire is the starting point of all
achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire
which transcends everything." He is really talking about a deep
thirst.

Alan C. Elliott tells in his book A DAILY DOSE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM
about a five-year study that was undertaken to discover what made
some people extraordinarily successful. The study consisted of
detailed research into the lives of 120 of the nation's top artists,
athletes, and scholars.

He reports that the researcher was surprised to find that natural
abilities played only a small part in the development of those
individuals. As children, these unusually successful adults were
often mediocre musicians, athletes or students. But research found
that they possessed a powerful thirst to succeed. They practiced the
piano for hours every day, rose well before school in the morning to
practice swimming or running, or spent huge chunks of time alone
(time they could have spent hanging out with friends) working on
science projects or painting.

Parental support was also a key factor. Parents of these
extraordinarily thirsty young people helped out, exposing their
children to great ideas and influential persons. Many sacrificed to
ensure that their offspring received good training. But in the end,
it was their children's thirst and single-mindedness that made the
difference.

The principle applies to adults, too. If you want to be more
successful, the question you might first ask yourself is, "How
thirsty am I?" Your success in any field you choose, anything you
want to be or anything you want to do will hinge on your answer to
that simple question.

How thirsty are you?

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

BLUEBIRD OF HAPPINESS IN LIFE

Fresh ginger roots for sale - “Love is the essence of human experience and emotion. It is at the root of all and everything we, as humans, do. Without love, what do we have to live for?”

A sign in a pet store read, "If anybody has seen the Bluebird of
Happiness, would you please notify this pet store?"

Happiness seems to be in short supply for many people. If the
results of recent surveys can be trusted, there is a general decline
of happiness in today's world. And people were not all that
cheerful a few years back! It was Oliver Wendell Holmes who stated,
"I might have been a minister for aught I know, if a certain
clergyman had not looked and talked like an undertaker." (I have to
say, though, that some clergy and undertakers I've known could teach
the rest of us something about joy.)

Joy and happiness are not always the same things. Happiness can be
thought of as more of a temporary, emotional condition, often based
on outside circumstances. Joy, on the other hand, is deeper. It is
often contentment in spite of the unsettling present. We can be
basically joyful, regardless of a particular unhappy situation that
we may be enduring. It is sometimes just a matter of keeping
perspective on our troubles, and especially when those troubles
seem to be in long supply.

You may know the story of the man who had a marvelous way of keeping
joy in his life. He was a carpenter. He followed the same ritual
every day when he came home from the job. He stopped by a small tree
in his front yard and placed his hand on a couple of branches. Then,
when he walked into his home, it was as if a magical transformation
had occurred. All of a sudden, the stress was lifted from him. He
became energetic and joyful, able to fully interact with his
children and his wife.

He explained it this way: "That tree is my trouble tree. When I come
home I stop by the tree and, just like I leave my tools in the
truck, I leave my troubles outside of my home. I hang them on that
tree before greeting my family. Anything that does not have to come
in my house stays outside. Anything that I do not have to deal with
at home, I leave on that tree. And in the morning, I stop by the
tree and pick up the troubles I left there in the evening."

Then he adds, "It's a funny thing, though. Every morning I always
find fewer troubles remaining than I hung the night before."

Here is a man who has no doubt seen the Bluebird of Happiness.
Chances are, it is nesting in a tree just outside his home.

There is wisdom in knowing that some problems can wait until
tomorrow. And more wisdom in knowing what to hang on the tree and
what to bring in. Managing daily problems well is vital to
maintaining joy.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

PRINCIPLES TO LIVE BY FOR LIFE

Green toad stool - “This planet has -- or rather had -- a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.”

Groucho Marx quipped, "Those are my principles, and if you don't
like them... well, I have others." Though he is joking, I wonder if
he is actually hitting close to home. I need to regularly check in
with myself and ask questions like, "Is the thing I'm doing now
guided by sound principles?

Principled people are the heart and soul of a society. But who
teaches our young people about character? Who teaches them how
important it is to be honest and to do what is right?

Even ETHICS classes might not touch on matters of character. They
discuss the medical ethics of cloning, stem cell research and
genetic engineering. They consider euthanasia, abortion and capital
punishment. And they even look at the ethics of governments and
multi-national corporations.

But one college professor recently made a disturbing discovery: she
assumed her students shared her principles of honesty, honor,
integrity, and the like. She taught ethics, but assumed that her
students shared her personal ethical standards.

Then one day she dropped an armful of final exams on her desk in
disgust and complained that over 50% of her students CHEATED on
their social justice exam. (Do you think they caught the irony
here?) They'd spent months learning about ethical issues most
societies face, but they never discussed personal morality. They
could talk convincingly about good and bad behaviors of
corporations, governments and societies, but they cheated on their
exams. They just didn't get it: cheating is wrong. And can we expect
societies, governments and businesses to do better than the people
who run them and live in them?

Principled people are the heart and soul of our lives together.
Church leader John Wesley simplifies it for us. In regards to what
is right and wrong, he says simply this:

"Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can."

I think those are principles I want to live by.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

HEALTH INSURANCE FOR LIFE

Hearty meal for dinner - “Hearty laughter is a good way to jog internally without having to go outdoors.”

Have you noticed how health insurance is like a hospital gown: every
time you turn around, you find something that isn't covered? But
health researchers are discovering what many people have known all
along -- that getting healthy is about more than medicine and
treatment. It also involves a healthy outlook on life.

Various studies have validated the mind/ body connection. Cancer is
often diagnosed within months of the death of one's spouse. People
who are cynical or angry have been shown to be more prone to heart
attacks than those with a more positive outlook. And former Saturday
Evening Post editor Norman Cousins has demonstrated for years how
humor, laughter and hope can aid the healing process.

Not only is a healthy mental outlook necessary, but a healthy
spiritual outlook seems to be equally important. Noted psychologist
Carl Jung (1865-1961) made a telling observation about the
connection between one's mental health and spiritual outlook.
"During the past 30 years, people from all civilized countries of
the earth have consulted me," he said. "Among all my patients in the
second half of life -- that is to say, over 35 -- there has not been
one whose problem in the last resort was not that of finding a
(spiritual) outlook on life. It is safe to say that every one of
them fell ill because he had lost that which living religions of
every age have given to their followers.."

A healthy person is not one with a certain lifestyle, a certain
income or certain favorable circumstances. A healthy person is
usually one with certain attitudes. Positive mental attitudes and
fruitful spiritual attitudes are part of it. One might say that a
robust spiritual outlook is good health insurance.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes