Blessings in Disguise

"Our real blessings often appear to us in the shape of pains, losses and disappointments, but let us have patience and we soon shall see them in their proper figures."

- Joseph Addison -

Calm Composure

"My father used to say to me, 'Whenever you get into a jam, whenever you get into a crisis or an emergency…become the calmest person in the room and you'll be able to figure your way out of it.'"

- Rudolph Giuliani -

"Blessed are the young, for they shall inherit the national debt."

Herbert Hoover (1874-1964)
U.S. President

The Golden Rule

"Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you."

It's all about RESPECT guys. You don't have to be an Einstein to know that.

On Making A Difference

"We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee."

- Marian Wright Edelman -

Are you a Realist?

"An idealist believes the short run doesn't count. A cynic believes the long run doesn't matter. A realist believes that what is done or left undone in the short run determines the long run."

- Sydney J. Harris -

Challenges

"Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew. They're what make the instrument stretch - what makes you go beyond the norm."

- Cicely Tyson -

Listening to Oneself

"Don't let other people tell you what you want."

- Pat Riley -

BE YOURSELF

The worst crime is faking it.

Kurt Cobain (1967-1994)
Musician

A Purpose Driven Life

"I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be honorable, to be compassionate. It is, after all, to matter: to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all."

- Leo Rosten -

Being Twenty-Something

They call it the "Quarter-life Crisis." It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now. You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you. You look at your job... and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you. Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure. You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward. You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you are doing this because you know that you aren't a bad person. One night stands and random hook ups start to look cheap. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself... and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender! What you may not realize is that everyone reading this relates to it. We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out.

Send this to your twenty something friends.... maybe it will help someone feel like they aren't alone in their state of confusion.....GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF US!

Don't Speak

"The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right place, but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment."

- Lady Dorothy Nevill -

LAZINESS

"Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired."

OK, I admit that I am often too much of a workaholic; I just like to keep busy. But I also can get lazy sometimes. Jules Renard is letting us know that it is OK to be lazy, to take a break and to rest before we get tired...sort of like preventative medicine for our energy levels.

Laziness... Under-rated? Over-hated? You decide.

SUCCESS

If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.

John Rockefeller is reminding us that our own success depends on, well, our own success. We should not just follow somebody else. This does not mean we have to always re-invent the wheel, but strike out on your own path, do what you believe in, do what you enjoy, do what brings you fulfillment. You will succeed.

REALISM

The first time you swim, don't jump in the deep end. The first time you ski, don't head to the highest summit. The first time you walk...well, let's just assume you hadn't signed up for a marathon.

If there is something you want to change in your life, there will probably be another first time. And you might be tempted to jump in with both feet. Or you might be so afraid of jumping in with both feet, that you won't go in at all.

Why not stick your toe in the water first to feel the temperature. Make a small change in your life, and make plans to make the bigger change once you have mastered the small change.

This won't always work, of course. Sometimes, cold turkey is the way to go. But if cold turkey is too scary, try something a little easier to chew on...like warm turkey.

HAPPINESS II

"You can never get enough of what you don't need to make you happy."

Eric Hoffer's words are so true. We spend so much time chasing all the wrong things, mostly material things or respect of strangers who don't really matter, when we should be pursuing better experiences and the respect of those people closest to us (those whom we usually take far too much for granted).