THOSE YOU TOUCH...YOU CHANGE IN LIFE

Peanut the cat in captivity - The cat has too much spirit to have no heart

Did you know that your money likely has traces of cocaine on it?

A study by Jack Demirgian of the Argonne National Laboratory
revealed that a full 78% of the currency circulating in Miami and
other major US cities carries trace amounts of cocaine. That's
probably true elsewhere, too.

They were only looking for cocaine, but I wonder what else might be
found on the bills? Maybe fast-food products, such as frying grease,
mustard or teriyaki sauce? Tea or coffee? And how about rouge or
lipstick from purses and lint from pockets? Perhaps ink from a leaky
pen? I've found more indistinguishable stains on some of my money
than I care to think about.

What's more, we're told that if they look closely enough, they can
even learn something about where your money has been. To the store.
To the beach. Even hidden beneath a mattress.

Just about anything that comes into contact with money leaves a bit
of itself behind. Then, when the bills rub up against each other in
a wallet or billfold, they share contaminates. Everything the bills
touch will be changed, however slightly.

So it is with us. Everything we touch is changed. I used to play
English hand bells. "Don't touch the bells with your bare hands," we
were told. "Wear gloves." The oils from our hands changed the
quality of the bells.

Everything we touch is changed. And everybody we touch is changed --
even if we're not infected with something contagious. I'm not only
talking about physical touch, either. Often we touch their minds and
spirits and hearts. Everybody we speak to, rub shoulders with or
even smile at...is changed in some minute way. These changes can be
helpful or hurtful, depending on our interaction. It is like leaving
a piece of ourselves behind with everyone we meet, and taking a
piece of them with us.

And even little changes can make a difference. NO ONE is
insignificant in this regard.

Bette Reeves said, "If you think you are too small to be effective,
you have never been in bed with a mosquito." You don't need to be a
mosquito to have an effect on people around you. The question is:
what little part of yourself will you leave behind? How will you
influence them? Will your encounter be thoughtful or hurried?
Helpful or harmful? Intentional or accidental?

There is something awe-inspiring about the influence we have on one
another. Whom will you touch today? What will you leave behind, and
what will you take with you?

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

EARLY TO BED FOR LIFE

Vibrant oil painting - The quality of your life is dependent upon the quality of the life of your cells. If the bloodstream is filled with waste products, the resulting environment does not promote a strong, vibrant, healthy cell life-nor a biochemistry capable of creating a balanced emotional life for an individual.

I know one man who says he likes work. It fascinates him. He says he
can sit and watch it for hours.

He was probably the same guy who went to his supervisor to ask for a
raise.

"I am already planning on giving you a raise," she said.

"Oh, great!" he said. "When will it be effective?"

"As soon as you are!" shouted the boss. (Do you know that man?)

Someone said, "Find a job that you love, and you'll never work a day
in your life."

Some people are fortunate enough to be able to find a job they love.
But not everyone can follow their bliss into the marketplace. I've
had jobs where my motto was closer to "Early to bed and early to
rise, 'till you make enough money to do otherwise." I had to decide
to at least try to like what I do, since I did not find myself doing
what I liked.

There are benefits to learning to enjoy at least parts of what we do
if we can't do what we love. It stands to reason that the more
pleasure we find in our work, the more effective and successful we
will become. And usually we will make more money. But mainly, who
wants to spend a life dreading to climb out of the bed every morning
only to spend the rest of the day watching the clock tick off
endless minutes and hours?

Can you concentrate more on the aspects of your work that you enjoy?
Can you find ways to develop nurturing relationships in your
workplace? Can you remember why you are working: to educate your
children or to save for retirement? Can you see yourself less as
chipping stones and more as building a temple.in other words, can
you see the big picture of what you do all day? Are there ways you
can serve others in your work environment? All of these techniques
and others can help you to learn to find more enjoyment at work.

It was the mystic Kahil Gibran who put it this way: "Work is love
made visible. And if you cannot work with love, but only with
distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at
the gate of the temple and ask for alms of those who work with joy."

If you can't do what you love ALL of the time, can you learn to
enjoy what you do MORE of the time?

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

A CONSPIRACY OF KINDNESS IN LIFE

Abalone mushrooms vegetables dish - All our progress is an unfolding, like the vegetable bud, you have first an instinct, then an opinion, then a knowledge, as the plant has root, bud and fruit. Trust the instinct to the end, though you can render no reason.

Kevin is a boy who might be described as "slow." He didn't learn his
ABCs as fast as other kids. He couldn't compete in schoolyard races.
But Kevin had a way with people. His bright smile and big heart won
him plenty of friends.

My friend Randy, the pastor at Kevin's church, decided they needed a
basketball team for boys. Kevin signed on and soon basketball became
a center of his life. He practiced hard. While the other boys worked
at dribbling the basketball and shooting lay-ups, skills Kevin would
never master, he simply shot baskets. Or more correctly, he threw
the ball AT the basket. He had a special spot near the free throw
line. He threw and threw, and it occasionally went in. On the rare
times that he succeeded, Kevin raised his arms and shouted, "Look at
me, Coach! Look at me!" Randy looked at him. And smiled.

The day before their first game, Coach Randy gave each player a
bright red jersey. Kevin was number 12. He scrambled himself into
the sleeves and wore that jersey almost every day. Everywhere. One
Sunday morning the church worship service was interrupted by Kevin's
excited voice. "Look, Coach!" He lifted his gray wool sweater to
reveal the red jersey underneath with number 12 on the front. Nobody
there minded the interruption; the congregation knew Kevin and loved
him.

I'd like to be able to tell you that the team did well. But the
truth is.they never won a game that season -- except for the night
it snowed and the opposing team never showed up.

At the end of the season, the boys played in the church league's
tournament. As the last-place team, they drew the unfortunate spot
of playing against the best team -- boys who had never lost a game
all year.

Game day arrived. Both teams played their best, but the game went as
expected. Near the end of the last quarter, Kevin's team stood
nearly 30 points behind. It was then that one of the boys called
timeout. "Coach Randy," he said, "this is our last game and Kevin
has never made a basket. I think we should let him make a basket."

The team agreed. Kevin was instructed to stand at his special place
near the free throw line and wait. He was told that when he was
given the ball, he should shoot.

Kevin was ecstatic. He ran to the floor and waited. When the ball
was passed to him he shot -- and missed. Number 17 from the other
team snatched the rebound, dribbled down the court for an easy
basket. But a moment later Kevin got the ball again. He shot -- and
missed again. Number 17 repeated his performance scoring two more
points. Kevin shot a third and fourth time with the same result.

But slowly the other team seemed to figure out what was going on and
the next time they snatched the rebound, a boy threw it to Kevin! He
shot...and missed. Now every rebound came to him and he threw and
threw toward the basket. Time was running down and Kevin still had
not scored.

BOTH teams circled the boy by this time and all of the players were
shouting, "Kevin! Kevin!" The crowd took up the chant. Soon everyone
in the gym was shouting Kevin's name.

Coach Randy was sure that time must have run out; the game HAD to be
over. He glanced at the official clock. It was stopped at 4.3
seconds. Even the timekeepers joined in the mania and stood by their
table shouting with the crowd, "Kevin! Kevin!"

Kevin shot and shot. Everyone was screaming. He attempted again and
again and again and...miraculously, one of his shots took a crazy
bounce on the rim. Everyone held their breath.

The ball dropped in.

Chaos reigned. Nobody remained seated. Everyone stood and cheered as
if one boy had single-handedly won a world championship. Kevin's
arms sprang up in the air and he shouted, "I won! I won!" He had
scored. His team escorted him off the court, the clock ticked down
and the game was over.

That day an undefeated team retained their perfect record. But
everybody won. Everybody. Because everybody had participated in a
crazy conspiracy of kindness that was so compelling, so powerful,
the earth itself might have stopped for a moment to rejoice with one
young boy.

How beautiful it is when we all conspire together in kindness.
Everybody wins.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

WHO'S YOUR HERO IN LIFE?

Wedding package promotion display - The real act of marriage takes place in the heart, not in the ballroom or church or synagogue. It's a choice you make / not just on your wedding day, but over and over again / and that choice is reflected in the way you treat your husband or wife.

One of those strange newspaper stories told of a 19-year-old woman
who had been charged in Los Angeles with two counts of
trespassing -- after sneaking into the home of actor Brad Pitt and
trying on his clothes. I suppose we have different ways of adoring
our heroes..

But who are our real heroes? I was given a little quiz recently. See
how well you do:

Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
Name five Olympic gold medalists.
Name the last five winners of your national beauty contest.
Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
Name the last half-dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and
actress.
Name the last decade's national or world champions in your favorite
sport.

These people, of course, are the best in their fields. But fame is
fleeting and outstanding performance is too soon forgotten.

Now try another quiz:

List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and
special.
Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.

If you found the second quiz easier, it may be because those people
who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the best
degrees or pedigrees, nor are they the most honored or acclaimed.
The people who make a difference are those who care. They may never
have seen a battle; never scored a winning goal; never been featured
in a magazine. But they have been busy helping you to be the best
you can be.

Let's remember and thank our real heroes. And don't be surprised if
someone thanks you.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

THE BEST REVENGE IN LIFE

Fake/bootleg Transformers Starscream toy on sale - The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made.

One person jokingly says she never goes to bed angry. Instead, she
stays awake and plots her revenge.

As one story goes, a group of occupational soldiers hired a local
boy to run errands for them. The soldiers liked to relieve stress by
playing practical jokes on the young boy. They would hide his
belongings, put gum in his shoes, or send him on silly errands.

The boy handled the joking quite well. He never seemed upset by it.
After a while, the soldiers decided that they had bothered the child
enough. They approached him to apologize and to tell him that they
would no longer play any jokes on him.

The boy replied in stilted English, "You stop making joke on me, I
stop spitting in your soup."

He had his revenge. But for most of us, revenge turns out to be more
bitter than sweet. Unsatisfying at best. It "has no more quenching
effect on emotions than salt water has on thirst," one writer says.
And it's true. The desire to inflict hurt and pain remains long
after one has given in to the urge to get even. Bitter emotions are
more often quenched by love and understanding than by fighting back.

Over 400 years ago, the English poet George Herbert said, "Living
well is the best revenge." Good advice - especially when tempted to
get even.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes