Wednesday, March 21, 2012

BEGIN AGAIN---- Collin McCarty

One of the best things we can do in our lives is this:
Begin again.

Begin to see yourself as you were
When you were the happiest and strongest you've ever been.

Begin to remember what worked for you
(and what worked against you),
And try to capture the magic again.

Begin to remember how natural it was when you were a child --
To live a lifetime each day.

Begin to forget the baggage you have carried with you
For years:
The problems that don't matter anymore,
The tears that cried themselves away,
And the worries that are going to wash away
On the shore of tomorrow's new beginnings.

Tomorrow tells us it will be here every new day of our lives;
And if we will be wise,
We will turn away from the problems of the past
And give the future -- and ourselves -- a chance
To become the best of friends.

Sometimes all it takes is a wish in the heart to let yourself ...
Begin again.

Monday, March 19, 2012

DIDN'T WRITE IT BUT I LIKE IT!

A Birth Certificate shows that we were born.

A Death Certificate shows that we died.

Pictures show that we lived!

Have a seat . . . Relax . . . And read this slowly...

I Believe...
That just because two people argue, that
doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they  don't  argue, that
doesn't mean they  do  love each other.

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

I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if
we understand that friends change.

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

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

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

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

I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with
loving words.. It may be the last time you see them.  (very very true)

I Believe...
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I Believe...
That we are responsible for what
we do, no matter how we feel.

I Believe...
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to
be done, regardless of the consequences.

    I Believe...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

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

I Believe....
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you
When you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe...
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.

I Believe...
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for
your grief.

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

I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find
out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same
thing and see something totally different.

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

I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give, if
a friend cries out to you...you will find the strength to help.

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

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

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
They just make the most of everything.

Thank you God for all the wonderful people who help us throughout the
journey of life...

God Bless You!

4 Steps to End Judgmental Thoughts :Elisha Goldstein

As soon as we open up our eyes in the morning, stories are running in
our minds that influence the way we see people. We have preconceptions
about who our wife, husband, kid, roommate or partners are. When we
walk out the door, we already have ideas about who the neighbors,
baristas, grocery store clerk, colleagues, and even strangers who are
walking up the street are.

So the question is: Do we actually even see the person behind our
conceptions of who they are? Most of the time the answer is a
resounding no.

Mother Teresa said, "The biggest disease today is not leprosy or
tuberculosis but rather the feeling of not belonging."

We live on auto-pilot in our every day relationships and our ability
to automatically interpret the world can lead to disconnection, which
leads to dis-ease in life.

It's that simple.

Here is a practice to try out today with anyone you come in contact with:

1. Put you lenses of judgment aside. Whether you believe it or not,
you instantly judge someone as soon as you see them. It may be the
color of their skin, their ethnicity, a memory you have of this person
or maybe the expression on their face. See if you can set that aside
for a moment and adopt fresh eyes.

2. See the person. This is someone who has a history of adventures,
sense of failure, loves, fears, regrets, triumphs, traumas, family,
and friends.

3. Ask yourself, what does this person most deeply want? The answer
is likely within you and it has something to do with being treated
kindly and feeling a sense of belonging.

4. Provide a gesture that feeds this need. Smile at the person; ask
them if you can help; listen to what they have to say; if its family
or friends, tell them you love them, etc. There are so many ways to do
this.

We can always ask ourselves if what we are doing is in service
of connection or disconnection. It's a simple question that can
sometimes lead to important answers and actions.

The fact is, when we or others around us feel understood and cared
about, a sense of acceptance and belonging arises. This breaks down a
barriers and simply makes relationships better. Like anything, this
takes practice.

A moment of connection may have rippling effects across many
people, like a pebble thrown into the water creates ripples of waves.
Give it a try!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

An Inspiring Story of Kindness

Two boys walked down a road that led through a field. The younger of
the two noticed a man toiling in the fields of his farm, his good
clothes stacked neatly off to the side. The boy looked at his older
friend and said, "Let's hide his shoes so when he comes from the
field, he won't be able to find them. His expression will be
priceless!" The boy laughed.

The older of the two boys thought for a moment and said, "The man
looks poor. See his clothes? Let's do this instead: Let's hide a
silver dollar in each shoe and then we'll hide in these bushes and see
how he reacts to that, instead."

The younger companion agreed to the plan and they placed a silver
dollar in each shoe and hid behind the bushes. It wasn't long before
the farmer came in from the field, tired and worn. He reached down and
pulled on a shoe, immediately feeling the money under his foot.

With the coin now between his fingers, he looked around to see who
could have put it in his shoe. But no one was there. He held the
dollar in his hand and stared at it in disbelief. Confused, he slid
his other foot into his other shoe and felt the second coin. This
time, the man was overwhelmed when he removed the second silver dollar
from his shoe.

Thinking he was alone, he dropped to his knees and offered a verbal
prayer that the boys could easily hear from their hiding place. They
heard the poor farmer cry tears of relief and gratitude. He spoke of
his sick wife and his boys in need of food. He expressed gratitude for
this unexpected bounty from unknown hands.

After a time, the boys came out from their hiding place and slowly
started their long walk home. They felt good inside, warm, changed
somehow knowing the good they had done to a poor farmer in dire
straits. A smile crept across their souls.