Quote of the day:
“Remember, there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple.” — Scott Adams Reflection: In my writings, I often speak about making a difference and helping others. I encourage you to do more for others, but I don’t often give practical examples. Today I share one such example with you—an excerpt from Anna Perlini, co-founder of Per un Mondo Migliore, a humanitarian organization in the Balkans. This is an illustration of an alternative lifestyle choice to escape the frustrations of our greed base society. Ivan and Francesca often expressed their frustration in trying to adjust to a society that was losing its values. They wished they could adopt a different lifestyle, but didn’t know how. Then, on one of my more recent visits, it was immediately obvious that something was very different. For one thing, their dining room had extra tables, which quickly filled with what seemed like a river of lively children from the neighborhood. Ivan was busy serving and introduced me to Claudio and Manuela, another couple who not only lived in their small town, but also shared a similar vision. Later on, I got to know other families who were also part of a network called Gruppi di Acquisto Solidale (Ethical Purchasing Groups). The aim is to cooperate in order to buy food and other commonly used goods directly from producers or retailers at discounted rates, while also emphasizing the use of local and fair-trade produce, and reusable or eco-compatible goods. Ivan and Francesca (and their now three children) were some of the founders of the local branch, and needless to say, they always found a way to direct some love and attention to their “neighbor near or far.” “If we want a message of love to get to others, we need to send it. If we want a lamp to keep burning, we need to keep feeding it oil.” As time passes, it’s clear that what was once an experiment has grown into a tried-and-proven alternative life choice. I’m not suggesting that we all start Ethical Purchasing Groups but it is good food for thought—how one couple changed their little part of the world for the better.
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Quote of the day:
“Discovery of a solution consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different.” — Albert Szent-Gyorgyi Reflection: Whenever I hear someone bemoaning the state of the world, I'm reminded of something I first heard many years ago, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem." It is easy to identify the problem as being due to "all the injustice and suffering in the world." This quote, I later learned, was by U.S. civil rights activist Eldridge Cleaver. It didn’t tell me how I could become part of the solution, but it did reinforce my growing conviction that I couldn't turn a blind eye to problems. If you want to be part of the solution, try to do your best, day by day, wherever you are, and it will make a difference. Will you dare to be part of the solution by thinking something different? Quote of the day:
"Kindness is in our power even if fondness is not.” – Samuel Johnson Reflection: A young couple had a baby who was physically perfect except for one thing. She was born with no ears. The parents of this young child were extremely worried about how difficult life would be for their offspring. They feared the ridicule that would surely occur when she was old enough to attend school. They wanted to introduce their daughter to other children before that dreaded day in order to see what the reaction would be. They asked a neighbor to bring her little girls to the house and let them look at the baby. Instead of showing up with her daughters, the neighbor showed up with her eight-year-old son who was known for his mean mouth. If someone had bad breath he wouldn't simply say it, he would fall to the floor and faint! With many reservations they introduced their daughter to the little boy and waited for a reply. He looked at her lying in the crib. Finally he asked, "Are her eyes good?" "Yes, why?" asked the concerned parents. "Because she's going to have a hard time wearing glasses.” Even the brattiest, most obnoxious person doesn't have to say something mean. Why notice everything that is wrong with people? Instead, try to see the positive side. If you look a little closer than first appearances you'll find it. Chances are they already know what's wrong. They have heard the ridicule and scorn already. Surprise them by saying something nice.
Quote of the day:
"The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.” —Confucius Reflection: You and I have been in many situations when someone burst in to the room and said, "I've got news." Immediately this person receives the full attention of everyone present. The point is, sometimes the news they bring is good, and yet, sometimes it’s negative. So, I challenge you to think twice before passing on “the news”. Pass on good news. Good news does more than merely get attention; good news brings good results. Good news results in enthusiasm. Good news even promotes good digestion. Just because there are more broadcasters of bad news than there are of good news, don't be misled. No one ever won a friend, no one ever made money, and no one ever accomplished anything good by broadcasting bad news. It's pointless to pass on the bad. Make it a habit to always speak positively! Broadcast good news about life, about others, about situations, about how you feel. Be an "I-feel-great" person. Simply say, "I feel great" at every possible opportunity. If you do, you will feel better. By the same token, telling people, "I feel awful," I guarantee, will make you feel just that—awful! How we feel is, in large part, is determined by how we think we feel. Why not determine to be a transmitter of good news? Tell everyone the good that happened today. Encourage others—compliment them at every opportunity. Tell them about the positive things that are happening. Recall the amusing, pleasant things you experienced and let the unpleasant things stay buried. Spread good news! Quote of the day:
“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” --Henry Ford Reflection: At a full-contact karate meet the contestants were asked to break two 1-inch-thick boards to demonstrate their punching power. However, one contestant’s boards didn’t break, but his knuckle did. He had practiced this routine before and we had seen him break one board of this thickness, but not two. We thought he might give up, but he didn’t. On the third try he was successful. Backstage he was asked what had gone wrong. He quickly replied, "I made a great mistake. Instead of looking through the boards at a point beyond, I looked at the boards. To do it right you have to imagine a point past the point of impact." This lesson is a good one for all of us. Look past the obstacles in life, not at them. We are only set back when we take our sights off the goal! As the contestant found out, reaching the goal may involve pain, even broken bones and broken dreams. How much better to see goals clearly, to make full contact with life, to break through every barrier and to not give up until you make your dream a reality. “When you make a mistake, there are only three things you should ever do about it: admit it, learn from it, and don't repeat it.”—Paul “Bear” Bryant
“Whenever you make a mistake or get knocked down by life, don't look back at it too long. Mistakes are life's way of teaching you. Your capacity for occasional blunders is inseparable from your capacity to reach your goals. No one wins them all, and your failures, when they happen, are just part of your growth. Shake off your blunders. How will you know your limits without an occasional failure? Never quit. Your turn will come.” — Og Mandino “You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call “failure” is not the falling down, but the staying down.” —Mary Pickford “So go ahead. Fall down. The world looks different from the ground.” — Oprah Winfrey “The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.” — Elbert Hubbard “To admit you were wrong is to declare you are wiser now than before.” —Unknown “The person interested in success has to learn to view failure as a healthy, inevitable part of the process of getting to the top.” — Dr. Joyce Brothers Quote of the day:
"Gratitude is something of which none of us can give too much. For on the smiles, the thanks we give, our little gestures of appreciation, our neighbors build their philosophy of life.” — A. J. Cronin Reflection: I saw an interesting thing in a Japanese magazine. It was a picture of a butterfly. Its color was dull gray until warmed by someone's hand. The tender touch of someone’s hand caused special inks in the printing to react. When touched by a human hand, the lack luster gray was transformed into the brilliant colors of the rainbow. Often, this is how people are. In this hurting world people are hungry for a personal touch—the touch of someone who sincerely cares. I'd like to encourage you to step out and try this exercise: Make a list of people you do not particularly feel drawn to. Show them acts of kindness and appreciation, think positive things about them and be grateful for them. Stand back and see what happens. See if they don’t transform from dull gray into the vibrant colors of the rainbow. Quote of the day:
"Positive anything is better than negative nothing.” —Elbert Hubbard Reflection: Isn’t it interesting how sunflowers always turn their face toward the sun? The fact is, they follow the sun across the sky. Experiment with it yourself. Position the sunflower away from the window and you will discover that in a short time the sunflower will resume its original position—facing toward the sun. With amazing persistence the sunflower will refuse to face the darkness. It will insist on ever looking toward the light. Let’s learn a lesson from the sunflower. Let’s not allow ourselves to face toward the gloom and doom of life. Let’s never sit down in the shadows of sorrow and let the night cast the dark shadows of gloom and despair upon us. Let’s turn our faces toward the light. Adversity should serve to make us better and give us renewed skill and power; it should make our hearts softer, our spirits kinder, and give us a more gentle touch. Let’s learn needed lessons, and then go on to experience new love and better service. Stay positive like the sunflower. Turn away from negativity. Keep your chin up. Always look toward the positive. |
AuthorThe goal of the blog is to provide interesting, motivational, soul feeding material. All to help remind us that God loves us all and wants a personal relationship with each of us and will take care of us in times of trouble. I aspire to be a force for good by providing you with positive input. I encourage you to share the blog with others. Archives
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