Three Habits Of Procrastination

This article deals with understanding and identifying when you are under the influence of poor habits. Here we point out three worst causes of procrastination and provide simple solutions for them.

I believe the first and most severe obstacle to any success is procrastination - the habit which makes us say, "Not Now. Wait for the Right Time." What we never understand is that the only Right Time is now. Start this moment, and you succeed. If you wait for the Right Moment in the foggy future, you may be left to wait for that further and this wait goes on.

What makes you Procrastinate?

Once you know who your enemies are, you can keep yourself ready to face them. Procrastination doesn't just exist. It comes and stays till you make the effort to push it out. Its job is just to hold you in abeyance, not letting you go any further towards your goals and awaiting success. Now we discuss three most important causes of procrastination and comment on how to fight them.

1. Waiting for the Right Time

When we're on to a project or important task, we just feel that this is not the right moment. Sometimes we feel there are some prerequisites undone. Or sometimes think someone else would stand behind to support.

What to do: Learn there is no time better than NOW. If you want to start a new project, just begin - call your team, draft the process and work. If you want to start a new hobby, buy the tools required, get a teacher or a good book and start off. Don't wait till the next weekend.

2. Fear

Sometimes we do not do what we must because of the fear of failure. We need some backup and wait for it to appear. Sometimes we just keep on waiting for a guarantee or insurance to appear before we start.

What to do: Fight the fear, and you win. What worst can happen if you fail? At most you'll have to begin again from the start. No, there is no waste of time. An urdu poem said "Why to fear of failure? Even the worst will bring you experience." Edison failed - and we still remember him because he wasn't afraid of failures; he kept on doing for years before success.

3. Indecision

It always happens when we're ready and excited about doing something that we sit at the table, but suddenly we're stuck and don't know how to proceed. Writers suffer from writers' block. I've seen many who pick up a guitar but don't learn anything more than G, C, D chords. Computer programmers get stuck collecting ideas. This is natural and happens even with the experts. The professionals get some solution, but the rest of us feel discouraged and start losing interest towards the target.

What to do: First and foremost, you must have a mentor or a friend in the same field that can help you find an inspiration. Try best to make planners and prepare a track for your course with a deadline. Plan well. If you're writing a novel, write in your planner that you'll finish the character sketch for the hero on Saturday. On Sunday, you'll write about how the hero meets the girl. Same way, prepare tasks for everyday.

These were the major three causes of procrastination. Learn to fight these and keep such situations from happening. Try not to indulge yourself by sitting idle or doing worthless chores. Keep some time separate for each kind of work you have to do every day and stick to it.

By Aditya Joshi

Dream Big

Know though, that things worth doing seldom come easy.

There will be good days.

There will be times when you want to turn around, pack it up, and call it quits.

Those times tell you that you are pushing yourself, that you are not afraid to learn by trying.

If there was ever a time to dare, to make a difference,

to embark on something worth doing, it is now!

Not for any grand cause, necessarily –

but for something that tugs at your heart,

something that’s your aspiration, something that’s your dream.

You owe it to yourself to make your days here count.

Have fun, dig deep, stretch.

Persist. Because with an idea, determination,

and the right tools, you can do great things.

Let your instincts, your intellect,

and your heart guide you.

Steps to Take Control of Your Life

Taking control of your life is getting in touch with your values, setting meaningful goals and identifying your vision. To be in control of where life is taking you means being more productive, dealing more effectively with stress, having the ability to solve problems, handing change and developing healthy optimism. Start with these 7 steps and you are on your way.

1. Get in touch with your values:
a. When we feel like we are working hard but not getting anywhere it is probably because our priorities are not aligned with our values. To begin identifying your values ask yourself these questions:
i. What is important to me? Wisdom, freedom, happiness, equality, security, self-respect, romantic love, money, power, comfortable living, fresh air, beauty, controlling others, etc. Rate these values.
ii. Who is important to me?
iii. What or who is most important? Be honest with yourself.
iv. What do I need to do to feel good about myself?
v. How would you feel if someone you respect knew this was one of your values?
vi. Would you stick by this value?
vii. Is it who you are?
viii. How is this value affecting your life?

Make a list of your 10 top values. Of that 10 choose 4 and of the 4 choose your top two. From this exercise you will see where you need to focus your time and effort.

2. Decide what motivates you:
a. If tomorrow you knew you could do anything and not fail what would you do? Is there something you are passionate about but are afraid of trying? If you have no idea what your passion is spend some time reflecting on it. To start, write down the types of activities you like to do and the types of activities (hobbies) that make you feel good when you do them. What are your special skills and talents - don’t be shy - usually if it’s something we like to do we are probably good at it. What inspires you?

3. Set Goals:
a. In order to get what you really want you must start by setting goals. Goals fuel your intent and make your desires concrete. Start by writing the goals for this year in area of personal relationships, work, health, finances and spirituality. List five goals in each category (add more categories if you like). Then break them down into monthly and then weekly goals. Focusing on what you intend in your life will bring it to reality. You create your life - so start now by setting your goals.

4. Take Action:
a. Goals are worthless without action. If you have written long-term and short-term goals and prioritized them, you have a plan of action. Just take it one step at a time and do something everyday that takes you closer to where you want to be. Remember however, to live in the present and be thankful for what you have now, enjoying the journey toward your goals.

5. Manage Your Time:
a. We all have the same amount of time to use in a day. Why do some people a lot done while others do very little? You have complete control of how much time you spend productively and how much you waste. Plan your days and prioritize your time to get the most out of the time you have. Use time-wasters like standing in line or waiting in a doctor’s office to catch up on reading or something else that is important to you.

6. Do What Needs to be Done:
a. Do what has to be done to get to where you want to go. Whether it is a mundane task or internal work, putting it off gets us nowhere. You are either going forward or falling behind; there is no such thing as standing still. Sometimes when we work on ourselves we stop when we get to a place that we need to change. Change can be difficult when we have to step out of our comfort zone. The more change is needed the more difficult it is.

7. Self-discipline:
a. Self-discipline is the final step that takes all that we have learned and puts it into action. This is a trait that for most of us has to be developed. To reach our goals we must visualize them as already being accomplished and have faith that we can reach them. When you believe in and trust yourself and have enough desire, self-discipline comes easily.

What Will Matter

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.

It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear.
So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.
So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought but what you built;
not what you got but what you gave.

What will matter is not your success but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.
What will matter are not your memories but the memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered,
by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.

It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters.

By Michael Josephson

Good and Evil

Every morning a woman baked Chapati, an Indian flatbread, for members of her family and an extra one for a hungry passerby. She would always place the extra Chapati on the windowsill, for whosoever needed to eat it.

She noticed a hunchback came every day and took the extra Chapati. Instead of expressing gratitude, he would muttered the following words as he went on his way: "The evil you do remains with you. The good you do, comes back to you!"

This went on day after day after day. The woman felt very irritated. "Not a word of gratitude," she said to herself. "Every day this hunchback utters this jingle! What does he mean? "

One day, exasperated, she decided to do away with him. "I shall get rid of this hunchback," she said.

And what did she do? She added poison to the Chapati she prepared for him!

As she was about to place it on the windowsill, her hands trembled. "What is this I am doing?" she said. Immediately, she threw his Chapati into the fire, prepared another one and put it on the sill.

As usual, the hunchback came, picked up the Chapati and muttered the words: "The evil you do, remains with you. The good you do, comes back to you!"

The hunchback proceeded on his way, blissfully unaware of the war raging in the mind of the woman.

Every day, as the woman placed the Chapati on the windowsill, she offered a prayer for her son who had gone to a distant place to seek his fortune. For many months she had no news of him and she always prayed for his safe return.

That evening, there was a knock on the door. As she opened it, she was surprised to find her son standing in the doorway. He had grown thin and lean. His garments were tattered and torn. He was hungry, starved and weak.

Looking at his mother he said, "Mom, it's a miracle I'm here. While I was but a mile away, I was so famished that I collapsed. I would have died, but just then an old hunchback passed by. I begged him for a morsel of food and he was kind enough to give me a whole Chapati."

"When he gave it to me, he said, 'This is what I eat every day. Today, I shall give it to you, for your need is greater than mine!'"

As the mother heard those words, her face turned pale. She leaned against the door for support. She remembered the poisoned Chapati that she had made that morning. Had she not burnt it in the fire, it would have been eaten by her own son and he would have lost his life!

It was then that she realized the significance of the words: "The evil you do remains with you. The good you do, comes back to you!"

Moral of the story: Do good and don't ever stop doing good, even if it's not appreciated at that time.

Author Unknown

The Art of Sharing

Author unknown

Many years ago, three soldiers, hungry and weary of battle, came upon a small village. The villagers, suffering a meager harvest and the many years of war, quickly hid what little they had to eat and met the three at the village square, wringing their hands and bemoaning the lack of anything to eat.

The soldiers spoke quietly among themselves, and the first soldier then turned to the village elders. “Your tired fields have left you nothing to share, so we will share what little we have: the secret of how to make soup from stones.”

Naturally, the villagers were intrigued, and soon a fire was put to the town's greatest kettle as the soldiers dropped in three smooth stones. “Now this will be a fine soup,” said the second soldier, “but a pinch of salt and some parsley would make it wonderful!”

Up jumped a villager, crying, “What luck! I've just remembered where some has been left!” And off she ran, returning with an apron full of parsley and a turnip. As the kettle boiled on, the memory of the village improved. Soon, barley, carrots, beef and cream had found their way into the great pot, and a cask of wine was rolled into the square as all sat down to feast.

They ate and danced and sang well into the night, refreshed by the feast and their newfound friends. In the morning, the three soldiers awoke to find the entire village standing before them. At their feet lay a satchel of the village's best breads and cheese. “You have given us the greatest of gifts: the secret of how to make soup from stones,” said an elder, “and we shall never forget.”

The third soldier turned to the crowd, and said, “There is no secret, but this is certain: it is only by sharing that we may make a feast.”

And off the soldiers wandered, down the road.

Five Great Lessons

#1 Most Important Lesson

During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed though the questions until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello". I’ve never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

#2 Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain One Night

At 11:30 PM on a rainy night, an older African-American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man’s door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband’s bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat King Cole

#3 Third Important Lesson - Always Remember Those Who Serve

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at the table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "Fifty cents" replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. "Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied. The little boy again counted his coins. "I’ll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn’t have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

#4 Fourth Important Lesson - The Obstacle in Our Path

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

#5 Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I’ll do it if it will save her.." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in the bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning
to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?" Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her. You see, after all, understanding and attitude are everything.

The Garbage Truck Philosophy

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.

My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches!

The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly. So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!'

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you.

Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day.

Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so -

* Love the people who treat you right.
* Pray for the ones who don't.

Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!

Have a blessed, garbage-free day!

Paul Harvey Story

Years ago a hardworking man took his family from New York State to Australia to take advantage of a work opportunity there. Part of this man's family was a handsome young son who had aspirations of joining the circus as a trapeze artist or an actor.

This young fellow, biding his time until a circus job or even one as a stagehand came along, worked at the local shipyards which bordered on the worst section of town. Walking home from work one evening this young man was attacked by five thugs who wanted to rob him. Instead of just giving up his money the young fellow resisted. However they bested him easily and proceeded to beat him to a pulp. They mashed his face with their boots, and kicked and beat his body brutally with clubs, leaving him for dead.

When the police happened to find him lying in the road they assumed he was dead and
called for the Morgue Wagon. On the way to the morgue a policeman heard him gasp for air, and they immediately took him to the emergency unit at the hospital.

When he was placed on a gurney a nurse remarked to her horror, that this young man no longer had a face. Each eye socket was smashed, his skull, legs, and arms fractured, his nose literally hanging from his face, all his teeth were gone, and his jaw was almost completely torn from his skull.

Although his life was spared he spent over a year in the hospital. When he finally left, his body may have healed but his face was disgusting to look at. He was no longer the handsome youth that everyone admired.

When the young man started to look for work again he was turned down by everyone just on account of the way he looked. One potential employer suggested to him that he join the freak show at the circus as "The Man Who Had No Face."

He did this for a while. He was still rejected by everyone and no one wanted to be seen in his company. He had thoughts of suicide. This went on for five years.

One day he passed a church and sought some solace there. Entering the church he encountered a priest who had seen him sobbing while kneeling in a pew. The priest took pity on him and took him to the rectory where they talked at length. The priest was impressed with him to such a degree that he said that he would do everything possible for him that could be done to restore his dignity and life, if the young man would promise to be the best Catholic he could be, and trust in God's mercy to free him from his torturous life.

The young man went to Mass and communion every day, and after thanking God for saving his life, asked God to give him peace of mind and the grace to be the best man he could ever be in His eyes.

The priest, through his personal contacts was able to secure the services of the best plastic surgeon in Australia. There would be no cost to the young man, as the doctor was the priest's best friend.

The doctor too was so impressed by the young man, whose outlook now on life, even though he had experienced the worst was filled with good humor and love.

The surgery was a miraculous success. All the best dental work was also done for him. The young man became everything he promised God he would be. He was also blessed with a wonderful, beautiful wife, and many children, and success in an industry which would have been the furthest thing from his mind as a career if not for the goodness of God and the love of the people who cared for him.

This he acknowledges publicly. The young man was and is.......................Mel Gibson.

His life was the inspiration for his production of the movie "The Man Without A Face." He is to be admired by all of us as a God fearing man, a political conservative, and an example to all as a true man of courage.

And to think I admired him before I knew any of this! He is quite a man!

Paul Harvey

The Letter

Ruth went to her mail box and there was only one letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address.

She read the letter:

Dear Ruth,

I'm going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit.

Love Always,
Jesus

Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. "Why would the Lord want to visit me? I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer." With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner." She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents. "Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least." She threw on her coat and hurried out the door. A loaf of french bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving Ruth with grand total of twelve cents to last her until Monday. Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.

"Hey lady, can you help us, lady?" Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags.

"Look lady, I ain't got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us, lady, we'd really appreciate it."

Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and, frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to.

"Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him."

"Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway." The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart.

"Sir, wait!" The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. "Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest." She handed the man her grocery bag.

"Thank you lady. Thank you very much!"

"Yes, thank you!" It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering. "You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take this one." Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders.
Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street...without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest. "Thank you lady! Thank you very much!"

Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him. She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox.

"That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day." She took the envelope out of the box and opened it.

Dear Ruth,

It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.

Love Always,
Jesus

The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.

Respect and Dependable

RESPECT:

Hold Sacred. To Regard As Important. Pay Attention to. A Just Regard For And Appreciation Of Worth. Honor And Esteem. Serious Compliance Or Observance. Rendering Of Honor


Dependable:

The State Or Quality Of Being Dependable Or Trustworthy. To Have Full Reliance; Trust With; On Or Upon. To Rely Or Be Obliged To Rely Upon Especially For Support Or Supply.

The Fence

The Fence

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily, gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said "you have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one." You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. Make sure you control your temper the next time you are tempted to say something you will regret later.

The Window

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour a day to drain the fluids from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed next to the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed would live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the outside world. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see anything? It didn't seem fair. As the thought fermented, the man felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window and that thought now controlled his life.

Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running.

In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence-deathly silence.

The following morning the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendant to take it away-no words, no fuss.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed ... ..........It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Epilogue . . .
There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that money can't buy.

Judging Others?

‎"Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving." - Dale Carnegie. Judge not until you walk a mile in another man’s shoes.

Fly Against The Wind

When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. - Henry Ford, Be strong don't give up, These experiences are shaping you into the person you will be.

Quotes from Zig Ziglar

Zig's top 20 Quotes ...

* Each of us will one day be judged by our standard of life, not by our standard of living; by our measure of giving, not by our measure of wealth; by our simple goodness, not by our seeming greatness.~William Arthur Ward

* Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.~Martin Luther King

* The message is clear: plan with attitude, prepare with aptitude, participate with servitude, receive with gratitude, and this should be enough to separate you from the multitudes.~Krish Dhanam

* A winner is big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.~John Maxwell

* You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.~Joe Sabah

* Regardless of your lot in life, you can build something beautiful on it.~Zig Ziglar

* Decision is the spark that ignites action. Until a decision is made nothing happens.~Wilfred A. Peterson

* You might not be what you say you are, but what you say, you are.~Zig Ziglar

* When I was young I observed that nine out of every ten things I did were failures, so I did ten times more work.~George Bernard Shaw

* If you don't think every day is a good day, just try missing one.~Cavett Robert

* Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people.~Barbara Bush

* What I hear I forget. What I see I remember. What I do, I know.~Chinese Proverb

* I bring you the gift of these four words: I believe in you.~Blaise Pascal

* The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.~Vince Lombardi

* It is a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best you very often get it. ~W. Somerset Maugham

* He who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love. ~Saint Basil

* Life is like a game of tennis; the player who serves well seldom loses. ~Anonymous

* Dreams get you started; discipline keeps you going.~Jim Rohn

* Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow. ~Ronald E. Osborn

* You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.~Zig Ziglar

Empowering Thoughts

This should probably be taped to your bathroom mirror where one could read it every day. You may not realize it, but it's 100% true.

1.There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.

2.At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.

3.The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.

4.A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.

5.Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.

6.You mean the world to someone.

7.You are special and unique.

8.Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.

9.When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.

10.When you think the world has turned its back on you take another look.

11.Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

Good friends are like stars...You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.

Whenever God Closes One Door He Always Opens Another, Even Though Sometimes It's Hell in the Hallway.

I would rather have one rose and a kind word from a friend while I'm here than a whole truck load when I'm gone.

Belief

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."

— Marilyn Monroe

Just Two Tickets To Indy

By Rick Phillips

"The first time you accept 'good' is the last time you will see excellence."
--- John Ulmo

We had talked about the possibility and it's ramifications for weeks as test after test failed to confirm or refute the diagnosis. But now we sat in my office crushed by the reality that it was true; John had ALS, Lou Gehrigs's disease. The insidious affliction strikes the muscular system of its victim, eventually draining the body of all strength to support even breathing and a beating heart.

John had been my business partner, my friend and my mentor for many years. He was the kind of friend who pushed you beyond what you thought you could do. John always saw you not for what you are but for what he thought you could be, and then he never let you settle for anything less. One time I objected to his expectations and he responded patiently, "Rick, I wouldn't be much of a friend if I let you settle for what you think is your best."

We sat in the office crying and holding hands like two adolescent children, realizing that the crippling death sentence would not allow John to live for more that two years. Finally, I asked him to think about the one thing he had always dreamed about doing, something that he had not done yet. Was there some event he would like to see with Bonnie, his loving partner? Would it be the running of the bulls in Spain or would he want to see the Great Wall of China, the Parthenon or the Wailing Wall?

His response was actually predictable. John was a lifelong car-racing enthusiast; he had always wanted to go to the Indianapolis 500. Unfortunately, it seemed that the tickets for the event were long tied up in corporate commitments or with fans that handed their seats down through the family as a legacy.

However, I confidently told John it would be no problem. Many of my clients had connections to the automobile industry from tire makers, to paint and oil producers to parts suppliers; someone was certain to have access to just two tickets to Indy. But my confidence was misplaced. Time after time, I was told that even though my request was noble, the corporate allotment was predetermined for years in the future. The 1996 Indy 500 came and went and I was unable to get the tickets for John and Bonnie.

I took advantage of my position as a professional speaker for fifteen months. I asked over 100 audiences for the tickets and my hopes sagged, as the 1997 Memorial Day classic loomed nearer. John's faith remained and his fortitude drove him to lead his hectic life as his body declined and strength drained away. He would often say, "This disease thinks it has me. Well little does it know, I got it and it hasn't seen anything like me."

For all of his positive faith, I knew in my heart that 1997 would be John's last chance to see the event. By the time I became desperate enough to call them, the brokers and scalpers were out of tickets. In a depression for weeks because I had failed to act sooner, I could barely face John and Bonnie. I had failed to make his wish come true. He reassured me that he appreciated the idea and my efforts but said, "You are going to die stressed out over this ticket thing before I die of ALS."

Then, just two weeks before the event, the telephone rang and Peggy Zomack of Cooper Power in Pittsburgh asked the question that stopped my breathing.

"Rick," she asked, "are you still looking for those Indy 500 tickets?" Then she had to ask, "Rick, are you still there?"

I couldn't say anything. My voice was paralyzed. Eventually, I got the words out and through joyful tears assured her she was heaven sent. She put the tickets in overnight mail, and I called Bonnie.

"Bonnie," I said, "tomorrow, before 10:00 A.M. I will have in my hands two tickets to the 1997 Indy 500 for you and John." She and I rejoiced for several more minutes through bouts of more tears. Then a horrifying thought struck me. "Bonnie!" I said, "The 500 is just two weeks from now, I don't know how you will be able to find a room."

"Oh, don't worry about that," she replied, "I paid for the room almost a year ago. I knew if I showed that much faith in Him, God would provide the tickets somehow."

Do You Believe or Do You Know

By Steve Maraboli

Imagine you were going skydiving for the first time. Your heart would be racing as the instructor gives you final instructions before you jump from the plane.

You ask an important question, " Are you sure this parachute will work?"

Now, which answer would you prefer your instructor to give:
"I believe it will work." or "I know it will work."

The word belief implies question. By definition there is a degree of uncertainty. Think about it, if you believe with certainty, then you wouldn't say, "I believe", you would say, "I KNOW".

To know is to be certain. There is no question in knowing. There can be no doubt found when you KNOW something. Take time to analyze your internal dialog and perspectives. Do the words you use imply empowerment or disempowerment? I'm reminded of a story I once heard about a community.

This was a test between believing and knowing.

The story goes like this...

Several years ago, a small farming community was experiencing a terrible drought. The leaders of the community called a prayer meeting in hope of everyone attending and holding a group prayer for rain.

One man was in attendance with his small son. As everyone was praying, the small boy reached up and tugged his father's shirt to ask, "Daddy, what is everyone doing?" The man explained that everyone was praying for rain and then went back to his prayer.

The boy looked around for a few more minutes and was puzzled. He tugged again on his dad's shirt and asked, "Daddy, if everyone is here to pray for rain, why didn't anyone bring an umbrella?"

Think about it...

Do you believe you can reach your goals or do you KNOW you can?

Do You Have Time?

I knelt to pray but not for long
I had too much to do
Must hurry off and get to work
For bills would soon be due.
And as I said a hurried prayer
Jumped up from off my knee
My duty was now done
My soul could be at ease

All through the day I had no time
To speak a word of cheer
No time to speak to friends
They'd laugh at me I fear
No time...No time too much to do
That was my constant cry
No time to give to those in need

At last it was time to die
And when the Lord I came
I stood with downcast eyes
With His hands He held a book
It was The Book of Life

He look in the book and said
Your name I cannot find
I once was going to write it down
But never found the time...

The Best Way Out is Through | The Best Way Out is Always Through Movie

The Best Way Out is Through | The Best Way Out is Always Through Movie

I’VE LEARNED

I’ve learned…

•That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

•That it’s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

•That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

•That you can keep going, long after you can’t.

•That we are responsible for what we do, no matter what we feel.

•That either you control your attitude, or it controls you.

•That regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

•That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of consequence.

•That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

•That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

•That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you’re down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

•That sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.

•That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

•That just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.

•That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you’ve had and what you’ve learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.

•That no matter how good a friend is, they are going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

•That it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn how to forgive yourself.

•That no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn’t stop for your grief.

•That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

•That just because 2 people argue it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other. And just because they don’t argue it doesn’t mean they do.

•That we don’t have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

•That you shouldn’t be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

•That two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

•That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don’t even know you.

•That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries to you, you will find strength to help.

•That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

•That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

Success and Happiness

Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties. - Helen Keller

How to Live a Less Stressful Life: 10 Simple Tips

"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it."
Jim Goodwin

"For fast-acting relief, try slowing down."
Lily Tomlin

Stress sucks. It sucks joy and the life out of you.

So today I'll share 10 of my favorite tips that I use to minimize stress and live a more relaxed but at the same time productive life. I hope you find something helpful here, even if it's just a few reminders of things you had forgotten about.

1. Accept the situation.

Stress is often to a large part resistance to what already is. You may be in a stressful situation and think to yourself that this situation shouldn't be, that you shouldn't be here. But the situation has already arisen, is here, and so are you.
So to decrease the stress and resistance you accept the situation. With your resistance gone or lowered you can now direct your mental energy and focus to finding a solution in a level-headed manner instead of trying to do it while panicked or confused.

2. Take everything less seriously.

Taking things or yourself overly serious adds a lot of unnecessary negativity and stress to your life. A minor situation may be blown up to a major one in your mind. If you just learn to lighten up a bit, life becomes more fun and you realize that you get great results even if you aren't super-serious about everything.

3. Decrease or put a stop to negative relationships.

If someone is always making you more stressed or creates a lot of negativity in your life you may want to consider decreasing the amount of time you spend with that person. Some people almost seem to like to dwell in negativity. That is their choice. It's your choice if you want to participate.

Or you can choose to hang out more with relaxed and non-stressed people. Both in real life and by watching/listening to CDs and DVDs. Two guys that tend to calm me down when I listen/watch them are Eckhart Tolle and Wayne Dyer.

4. Just move slower.

You emotions work backwards too. If you slow down how you walk or how you move your body you can often start to feel less stressed.

This allows you to think more clearly too. A stressed mind tends to run in circles a lot of the time. And slowing down to decrease stress goes for other forms of movement too, like riding your bicycle or driving the car.

5. Exercise.

A simple and time-tested way to decrease inner tension. Regular exercise can do wonders for both your mind and body. This is one of the solutions that work most consistently for me.

6. Find five things you can be grateful for right now.

Being grateful and appreciating your life and surroundings is one of the most effective ways to turn a negative emotional state to a more positive one. So find a few things you are grateful for right now.

Perhaps it's the sunny weather, that you feel healthy and energetic today, that you have just eaten a delicious after-noon snack, that the guy/gal that just walked by had a great looking jacket on and that tonight there is a new episode of your favorite TV-show to enjoy.

7. Look for solutions.

When faced with a challenge that can cause stress, try to direct your focus to solutions rather than to dwelling on the problem for too long. Dwelling only causes more stress and makes your mind less open to finding a solution.

8. Be early.

Just be 10 or 5 minutes early for meetings etc. This very simple tip can cut down on stress quite a bit.

9. Do just one thing at a time.

Single tasking and focusing on doing just one thing at a time not only decreases stress but from my experience gets things done a whole lot quicker than if you multitask.

10. Talk to people around you about it.

Perhaps they can offer you advice that has worked for them or just an ear and some support. Just telling someone about something, just getting it out can often help to relieve some of the stress.

Article courtesy of the positivity blog at http://www.positivityblog.com/

ROLE MODEL

The Bible says it would be better for a person to have a lage stone tied around his neck and drowned in the ocean than to be a stumbling block to a youngster.

1. Compliment three people every day.
2. Watch the sunrise at least once a year.
3. Be the first to say, "hello."
4. Live beneath your means.
5. Treat everyone like you want to be treated.
6. Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen.
7. Forget the Joneses.
8. Never deprive someone of hope. It may be all he has.
9. Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage.
10. Be tough-minded but tenderhearted.
11. Be kinder than necessary.
12. Don't forget, a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.
13. Keep your promises.
14. Learn to show cheerfulness, even when you don't feel like it.
15. Remember that overnight success usually takes about 15 years.
16. Leave everything better than you found it.
17. Remember that winners do what losers don't want to do.
18. When you arrive at your job in the morning, let the first thing you
say brighten everyone's day.
19. Don't rain on other people's parades.
20. Never waste an opportunity to tell someone that you love them.

-Life's Little Instruction Book

Courage

Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, Ill try again tomorrow. - Anonymous

Never Give Up

Sir Winston Churchill took three years getting through eighth grade because he
had trouble learning English. It seems ironic that years later Oxford University
asked him to address its commencement exercises.

He arrived with his usual props. A cigar, a cane and a top hat accompanied
Churchill wherever he went. As Churchill approached the podium, the crowd rose
in appreciative applause. With unmatched dignity, he settled the crowd and stood
confident before his admirers. Removing the cigar and carefully placing the top
hat on the podium, Churchill gazed at his waiting audience. Authority rang in
Churchill's voice as he shouted, "Never give up!"

Several seconds passed before he rose to his toes and repeated: "Never give up!"
His words thundered in their ears. There was a deafening silence as Churchill
reached for his hat and cigar, steadied himself with his cane and left the
platform. His commencement address was finished.

Grandpa and the Raging Bull

By Cole Presley, Livingston, Tennessee

"Hand me that feed bag,” Grandpa hollered from the cattle trough.

I reached into the bed of our pickup and lifted out the heavy burlap bag. There was no mistaking Pa’s voice. Even at his age, 75, it was commanding.

Any other Friday afternoon, I would have been in school. But the flu was going around real bad that week, and in our small town, it knocked out enough people to give us a day off. A day off for most kids, anyway.

I might have been hanging out watching TV or going fishing with my friends. But not with my grandpa around. Pa lived close by and came to our farm nearly every day to help take care of our cattle. Today he had me and my little sister, Jordan, as extra farmhands, so he was putting us to work too. It was better than seventh-grade math class, I guess.

You get used to the chores on a farm. Feeding the cattle, keeping the troughs filled, taking care of our dogs, mending fences. I loved hanging with Pa. I learned a lot from him. Like when he taught me to drive—even though I was only nine years old at the time. “Right foot gas, right foot brake,” he explained to me, pointing down at the pedals my feet barely reached. “Not too hard; don’t gun the engine. And both hands on the wheel at all times.”

He even let me take the truck for a spin once in the field sometimes when we worked hay. I always asked him if I could drive again. “Wait until you’re older,” Pa would tell me.

I hauled the bag of feed to Pa and he poured it slowly into the trough. “Keep an eye on that bull,” he said. That would be our newest addition to the farm, a 1,400-pound Angus bull. He was grazing at the far end of the pasture, but Pa wasn’t taking any chances. We’d only had the bull for two weeks. The entire time he caused problems: busting down a gate, charging at tractors, butting our truck.

Pa finished loading up the trough and we walked to the truck parked on the other side of the fence, about 20 feet away. Suddenly, Pa stopped. “Did you feed the calves?” he asked. Jordan and I had bottle-fed the smallest one earlier, but hadn’t filled the feeder for the others. “You two wait by the truck,” Pa said. “I’ll do it.”

Pa trudged back through the gate. I felt bad about forgetting. All of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a black streak crossing the field. The bull, running, picking up steam, and heading straight for Pa.

“Pa!” I yelled. Too late. The bull hit Pa full force, flipping him into the air like a rag doll. Pa hit the ground, hard. Oh, Lord, he’s killed him, I thought.

But Pa rolled over. Before he could get out of the way, the bull dug its head underneath him and slammed him against the trough. Pa flailed his arms. He tried to push the bull away.

“Get Mom and Dad!” I shouted to Jordan. She froze for a moment, terrified. “Go!” She took off for the house. I called 911 on my cell phone.

The bull backed away and kicked up dirt. He was going to charge again. I had to do something. I grabbed the feed bag and raced along the fence to where the bull was. I tossed the feed at it. “Come on, bull,” I hollered. “Come and get it!” No use. He was too mad. The bull butted and pawed at Pa again. Pa put his arms up around his head, shielding himself. I knew if he could, he’d be praying. Pa was big on his faith. I made a silent prayer too. I didn’t know what else to do.

Then everything got real quiet. Everything except a voice. Pa’s voice. “The truck,” I heard him say. “Use the truck.” I looked at our pickup. The keys were in it. The door was open. I jumped inside. Turned the key to start the engine, like Pa taught me. Shifting into drive, I hit the gas. The truck lurched forward.

Both hands on the wheel, I lined the truck up with the open gate and drove through. I turned toward the bull and pressed my foot down. The truck shot across the field.

The bull snorted and backed away. I kept moving toward him, pushing him back. I got him as far away from Pa as I could. Finally the bull turned its back. I shifted into reverse and pulled alongside Pa.

Pa could barely stand. I hefted him up with all the strength I had and pulled him into the truck. That’s when I heard it: Thunk! The bull was back. Now he was ramming the pickup! I climbed back into the driver’s seat and shut the door just in time.

My parents, who’d rushed home from work, ran to the pasture with my sister. Pa was so banged up he had to be airlifted to a trauma hospital. “He’ll be okay,” the paramedic told us later.

Everyone was calling me a hero, but I couldn’t get over how easily things could have gone the other way. What were the chances that school would be cancelled that day? And what would have happened if I hadn’t heard my grandpa’s voice say, “Use the truck”?

That’s the oddest thing. The next day I went to visit Pa in the hospital. He was still in bad shape, bandaged up with IV lines running into his arms. “I don’t remember much,” he told me, “’cept seeing the wheels of the truck coming toward me. You saved my life.”

“I just listened to you, Pa,” I said. “You told me to use the truck.”

Pa shook his head slowly. “I was too busy trying to stay alive,” he said. “I couldn’t have said a word.”

I heard a voice that day. But it wasn’t Pa. I reckon it was someone who makes sure we hear him when we need to the most. Someone who spoke to me in a commanding voice I couldn’t ignore.

Persistence

“If I had to select one quality, one personal characteristic that I regard as being most highly correlated with success, whatever the field, I would pick the trait of persistence. Determination. The will to endure to the end, to get knocked down seventy times and get up off the floor saying, ‘Here goes number seventy-one!’”

-Richard M. DeVoss