What I've Learned.............

I've learned that if someone says something unkind about me,
I must live so that no one will believe it.

I've learned that you can make some one's day
by simply sending them a little note.

I've learned that the greater a person's sense of guilt,
the greater his or her needs to cast blame on others.

I've learned that no matter what happens,
or how bad it seems today, life does go on,
and it will be better tomorrow.

I've learned that motel mattresses are better
on the side away from the phone.

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a man
by the way he handles these three things,
a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

I've learned that regardless of your relationship
with your parents, you'll miss them when
they're gone from your life.

I've learned that making a "living"
is not the same thing as making a "life".

I've learned that life sometimes gives
you a second chance.

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life
with a catcher's mitt on both hands.
You need to be able to throw something back.

I've learned that if you pursue happiness,
it will elude you.
But if you focus on your family, the needs of others,
your work, meeting new people,
and doing the very best you can,
happiness will find you.

I've learned that whenever I decide something with kindness,
I usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains,
I don't have to be one.

I've learned that every day you should reach out
and touch someone. People love human touches --
holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

I've learned that you should pass this on
to someone you care about.
Sometimes they just need a little something
to make them smile.

- Author Unknown

Always Look on the Inside

I remember reading a story once about a man who was exploring some caves by the seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled up some clay and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man so he took the bag out of the cave with him.

As he strolled along the beach, to pass the time, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could throw.

He thought little about it until he dropped one of the balls and it cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone. Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left, then it struck him.

He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have had tens of thousands, but he just threw it all away.

You know sometimes, it's like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look like much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it; we see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy.

But we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person. There is a treasure hidden in every one of us. We are wonderfully made. Not just our physical bodies, our spiritual selves, which are sometimes hidden from others by the *earthen vessel*

But if you take the time to get to know that person, and if you ask the Spirit to show you that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth.

The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with his friendship.

- Author Unknown

Because Of The Day

I challenged a moment
and I lost a time
that I see now clearly
was not worth a dime.

The fragments I remember
are certain dismay
of another timeframe
of another day.

I pushed my luck
when I knew better true
and I found a moment
of then tore into.

But through the challenge
I learned better yet
so many lessons
that I won't forget.

I guess God was watching
the footsteps I made
and He let me stumble on
my own parade.

He knew that I'd learn
as time marched along
and so He was helping me
learn from my wrong.

Some lessons shouted
the wrongs I'd begun
and others more timidly
showed what was done.

Yet God The Father
is still by my side,
because of the day
I let Jesus inside.

©By Bill Pearce

Lessons On Life

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.

Moral:
Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. Don't judge life by one difficult season. Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time or later.

- Author Unknown

Acknowledge and Recognise Everyone in Your Life

A short anecdote I once read. The source is unknown but the story resonated with me.

During the second month of Management school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through 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. 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.

There are many a Dorothy who are part of our lives and make our lives comfortable and easy. Acknowledge and recognise them.

Courtesy : Dorothy

Help People

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 apronful 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 new-found 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, thank you!"

Help people make soup from stones.

Attitude

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, then circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, say, or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.

We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes.

- Author Unknown