ACHIEVER'S A - Z

A-void negative sources, people, things and habits. B-elieve in yourself. C-onsider things from every angle. D-on't give up and don't give in. E-njoy life today: yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never come. F-amily & friends are hidden treasures. Seek them and enjoy their riches. G-ive more than you planned to give. H-ang on to your dreams. I-gnore those who try to discourage you. J-ust do it! K-eep on trying, no matter how hard it seems. It will get better. L-ove yourself first and foremost. M-ake it happen. N-ever lie, cheat or steal. Always strike a fair deal. O-pen your eyes and see things as they really are. P-ractice makes perfect. Q-uitters never win and winners never quit. R-ead, study and learn about everything important in life. S-top procrastination. T-ake control of your own destiny. U-nderstand yourself in order to better understand others. V-isualize it W-ant it more than anything. X-ccelerate your efforts. Y-ou are unique of all of Nature's creations. Nothing can replace you. Z-ero in on your target, and go for it!

"When I hear about negative and false attacks, I really don't invest any energy in them, because I know who I am." Michelle Obama "One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals." Michelle Obama The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score. - Bill Copeland "If you give up your dreams, you die"- Flashdance 1983 (This is my favourite)

TODAY'S THEME IS LIFE: "Life isnt about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself" George Bernard Shaw "Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are" John Wooden "The greatest threat to freedom is the absence of criticism" - Wole Soyinka "Dont judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant" - Robert Louis Stevenson "I have found that if you love life, life will love you back" - Arthur Rubinstein "Dont ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is more people who have come alive" Howard Thurman "There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle" - Albert Einstein. "Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no ones definition of your life; define yourself" - Harvey Fierstein "No matter what, no matter how, where or who - you can almost always turn around and get a second chance" - Anony-mous

"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and let it come in" Morrie Schwartz. "To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance" Oscar Wilde. "Self-worth comes from one thing thinking that you are worthy" - Anonymous The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson. - Tom Bodett Let yourself be open and life will be easier. A spoon of salt in a glass of water makes the water undrinkable. A spoon of salt in a lake is almost unnoticed.- Buddha quotes "But the ultimate lesson is just sit down and write. That's all" - Wole Soyinka Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. -Maria Robinson

The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that that situation is over, you cannot move forward. Steve Maraboli Sometimes the hardest part isn't letting go but rather learning to start over.[/i] Nicole Sobon If people refuse to look at you in a new light and they can only see you for what you were, only see you for the mistakes you've made, if they don't realize that you are not your mistakes, then they have to go. Steve Maraboli Pain will leave you, when you let go Jeremy Aldana The day I understood everything, was the day I stopped trying to figure everything out. The day I knew peace was the day I let everything go. C. JoyBell C

17 RULES TO LIVE BY 1. Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play and you will finally be able to move forward toward the life that God intended for you...with grace, strength, courage and confidence. 2. Today, and every day, deliver more than you are getting paid to do. The victory of success will be half won when you learn the secret of putting out more than is expected in all that you do. Make yourself so valuable in your work that eventually you will become indispensable. Exercise your privilege to go the extra miles, and enjoy all the rewards you receive. You

deserve them! 3. 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. 4. Always reward your long hours of labor and toil in the very best way, surrounded by your family. Nurture their love carefully, remembering that your children need models, not critics, and your own progress will hasten when you constantly strive to present your best side to your children. And even if you have failed at all else in the eyes of the world, if you have a loving family, you are a success. 5. Build this day on a foundation of pleasant thoughts. Never fret at any imperfections that you fear may impede your progress. Remind yourself, as often as necessary, that you are a creature of God and have the power to achieve any dream by lifting up your thoughts. You can fly when you decide that you can. Never consider defeat again. Let the vision in your heart be in your life's blueprint. Smile! 6. Let your actions always speak for you, but be forever on guard against the terrible traps of false pride and conceit that can halt your progress. The next time you are tempted to boast, just place your fist in a full pail of water, and when you remove it, the hole remaining will give you a correct measure of your importance. 7. Each day is a special gift from God, and while life may not always be fair, you must never allow the pains, hurdles, and handicaps of the moment to poison your attitude and plans for yourself and your future. You can never win when you wear the ugly cloak of self-pity, and the sour sound of whining will certainly frighten away any opportunity for success. Never again. There is a better way. 8. Never again clutter your days or nights with so many menial and unimportant things that you have no time to accept a real challenge when it comes along. This applies to play as well as work. A day merely survived is no cause for celebration. You are not here to fritter away your precious hours when you have the ability to accomplish so much by making a slight change in your routine. No more busywork. No more hiding from success. Leave time, leave space, to grow. Now. Now! Not tomorrow! 9. Live this day as if it will be your last. Remember that you will only find "tomorrow" on the calendars of fools. Forget yesterday's defeats, and ignore the problems of tomorrow. This is it. Doomsday. All you have. Make it the best day of your year. The saddest words you can ever utter are, "If I had my life to live over again..." Take the baton, now. Run with it! This is your day! 10. Beginning today, treat everyone you meet, friend or foe, loved one or stranger, as if they were going to be dead at midnight. Extend to each person, no matter how trivial the contact, all the care and kindness and understanding and love that you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again. 11. Laugh at yourself and at life. Not in the spirit of derision or whining self-pity, but as a remedy, a miracle drug, that will ease your pain, cure your depression, and help you to put in perspective that seemingly terrible defeat of the moment. Banish tension and concern and worry with laughter at your predicaments, thus freeing your mind to think clearly toward the solution that is certain to come. Never take yourself too seriously. 12. Never neglect the little things. Never skimp on that extra effort, that additional few minutes,

that soft word of praise or thanks, that delivery of the very best that you can do. It does not matter what others think, it is of prime importance, however, what you think about you. You can never do your best, which should always be your trademark, if you are cutting corners and shirking responsibilities. You are special. Act it. Never neglect the little things. 13. Welcome every morning with a smile. Look on the new day as another special gift from your Creator, another golden opportunity to complete what you were unable to finish yesterday. Be a self-starter. Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don't waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail. 14. You will achieve your grand dream, a day at a time, so set goals for each day - not long and difficult projects, but chores that will take you, step by step, toward your rainbow. Write them down, if you must, but limit your list so that you won't have to drag today's undone matters into tomorrow. Remember that you cannot build your pyramid in twenty-four hours. Be patient. Never allow your day to become so cluttered that you neglect your most important goal - to do the best you can, enjoy this day and rest satisfied with what you have accomplished. 15. Never allow anyone to rain on your parade and thus cast a pall of gloom and defeat on the entire day. Remember that no talent, no self-denial, no brains, no character, are required to set up in the fault-finding business. Nothing external can have any power over you unless you permit it. Your time is too precious to be sacrificed in wasted days combating the menial forces of hate, jealousy and envy. Guard your fragile life carefully. Only God can shape a flower, but any foolish child can pull it to pieces. 16. Search for the seed of good in every adversity. Master that principle and you will own a precious shield that will guard you well through all the darkest valleys you must traverse. Stars may be seen from the bottom of a deep well, when they cannot be discerned from the mountaintop. So will you learn things in adversity that you would never have discovered without trouble. There is always a seed of good. Find it and prosper. 17. Realize that true happiness lies within you. Waste no time and effort searching for peace and contentment and joy in the world outside. Remember that there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving. Reach out. Share. Smile. Hug. Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself. -- Og Mandino -- From A Better Way to Live

THE APPLE TREE

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it everyday. He climbed to the tree top, ate the apples, took a nap under the shadow... He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him. Time went by... the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree everyday. One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad. "Come and play with me," the tree asked the boy. "I am no longer a kid, I don't play around trees anymore." The boy replied, "I want toys. I need money to buy them." "Sorry, but I don't have money... but you can pick all my apples and sell them. So, you will

have money." The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples. The tree was sad. One day, the boy returned and the tree was so excited. "Come and play with me" the tree said. "I don't have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?" "Sorry, but I don't have a house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house. " So the boy cut all the branches of the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad. One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was delighted. "Come and Play with me!" the tree said. "I am sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?" "Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy." So the boy cut the tree truck to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time. Finally, the boy returned after he left for so many years. "Sorry, my boy. But I don't have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you... " the tree said. "I don't have teeth to bite" the boy replied. "No more truck for you to climb on" "I am too old for that now" the boy said. "I really can't give you anything ... the only thing left is my dying roots" the tree said with tears. "I don't need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years." The boy replied. "Good! Old tree roots is the best place to lean on and rest. Come, Come sit down with me and rest." The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears........ This is a story of everyone. The tree is our parent. When we were young, we loved to play with Mom and Dad... When we grew up, we left them... only to come to them now when we need something or when we are in trouble. No matter what, parents will always be there and give everything they could to make you happy. You may think the boy is cruel to the tree but that's how all of us are treating our parents from time to time. Please enlighten all your friends by forward this to them. And love your parents.

7 Difficult Personality Types And How To Deal With Them

Have you ever felt the pulse pounding, face-flushing, word-sputtering frustration of being face to face with an aggressor, an egotist, a sneak, a victim, a negator, a superagreeable, or an unresponsive? No matter how challenging. belligerent or negative the difficult person's behavior, DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY. By identifying the difficult personalities listed below, and responding to each with openness and affirmation, you can open the bridge to communication

and sales. Aggressors - Aggressors are hostile, abusive and intimidating. They always have to be right and will charge like angry bulls if you challenge or cross them. Take a deep breath and let them blow off steam and express their anger and frustration. Address them by name to maintain control. Then state your position clearly and AVOID the temptation to argue. Egotists - Egotists are experts and appear to know more than others should about a particular subject. Facts are power to egotists and since they know the facts, they feel superior. Because you cannot "fake it" with egotists, make sure you know the facts and information. You can also capitalize on what they know by asking questions. Egotists love to show off and have others appreciate their knowledge. Sneaks - Sneaks take potshots. They undercut your authority in devious ways by using sarcasm, which they often disguise as a joke. Try to turn their attention and comments to the issues not the personalities involved. Once sneaks realize that you won't put up with their sniping, they will stop. Victims - Victims see everything negatively. They complain, whine and act defeated. Since victims often believe no one thinks they are important, start your interactions by listening to what they say. Steer them toward the facts, which are usually much less negative than what they believe. Maintain control by bringing up the negatives yourself , then dismiss each logically. Direct their attention to the more positive aspects of the situation Negators - Victims seem pale compared to the negators. Negators aren't just negative, they distrust anyone in power. They believe that their way is the only right way and their motto is "I told you so." Stay positive, but realistic. Delay discussing solutions since negators will dismiss every solution as you bring it up. Refuse to argue with them and stick with the facts. Superagreeables - While superagreeable people are easy to like, they can be difficult personalities to deal with. Superagreeables over commit themselves and their staffs because they can't say "NO." Carefully limit how much you ask of them to eliminate the disappointments caused by missed deadlines. Unresponsives - Unresponsive people are the most difficult personalities to deal with. They don't reveal their true motives, and you end up in a guessing game trying to find out what makes them tick. The most effective strategy is to draw them out with open-ended questions. Even if the silence between you and an unresponsive person grows chasm-like, wait it out. ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO CHANGE - When you ignore difficult people, they don't change. But when your support positive change and refuse to indulge their behaviors, you encourage them to learn new coping skills - at least in your presence. KNOW WHEN TO GIVE UP - Some people may suffer from more than just difficult personality traits; they may have personal problems as well. Keep in mind that you can't know the whole story - nor should you. Don't concern yourself past the bounds of your professional relationship. When you can deal successfully with difficult people, your coping mechanisms will improve and then you can create win-win situations. Author -- Marilyn Manning, Ph.D.,CSP,CMC.

Come To Think Of It...

There are moments in life when you really miss someone that you want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real! Hope you dream of that someone. Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be cause you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want in life. May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trails to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to make you happy and enough money to buy gifts. When one door of happiness closes, another opens but often we look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one which has been opened for us. The best kind of friend is the one you could sit on a porch, swing with, never saying a word, and then walk away feeling like that was the best conversation you've had. It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives. Always put yourself in other's shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably does hurt the other person too. A careless word may kindle strife; a cruel word may wreck a life; a timely word may level stress; a loving word may heal and bless. The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them with our own image. Otherwise, we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the right one so that when we finally meet the right person, we should know how to be grateful for that gift. It takes a minute to have a crush on someone, an hour to like someone and a day to love someone but it takes a lifetime to forget someone. Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched and those who have tried. For only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives. Love is when you take away the feeling, the passion, the romance and you find out you still care for that person. A sad thing about life is that when you meet someone who means a lot to you only to find out in the end that it was never bound to be and you just have to let go. Love starts with a smile, develops with a kiss and ends with a tear. Love comes to those who still hope even though they've been disappointed, to those who still believe even though they've been betrayed, need to love those who still love even though they've been hurt before. It hurts to love someone and not be loved in return, but what is the most painful is to love someone and never finding the courage to let the person know how you feel. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past, you can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches. Never say goodbye when you still want to try. Never give up when you still feel you can take it. Never say you don't love that person anymore when you can't let go. Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they'll love you back! Don't

expect love in return, just wait for it to grow in their hearts but if it doesn't, be content it grew in yours. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life. So that when you die, you're smiling and everyone around you is crying. Think about it... Everything Happens for a Reason Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help you figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be (possibly your roommate, neighbor, professor, long lost friend, lover, or even a complete stranger), but when you lock eyes with them, you know at that very moment they will affect your life in some profound way. And sometimes things happen to you that may seem horrible, painful, and unfair at first, but in reflection you find that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength, willpower, or heart. Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness, and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without the small tests, whatever they may be, life would be like a smoothly paved straight, flat road to nowhere. It would be safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless. The people you meet who affect your life, and the success and downfalls you experience, help to create who you are and who you become. Even the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones. If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to when you open your heart. If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because in a way, they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things. Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people that you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Let yourself fall in love, break free, and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, it will be hard for others to believe in you. You can make of your life anything you wish. Create your own life and then go out and live it with absolutely no regrets. Most importantly, if you love someone tell him/her, for you never know what tomorrow may have in store. And learn a lesson in life each day and everyday. Eight Gifts that Do Not Cost A Cent

1) THE GIFT OF LISTENING... But you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.

2) THE GIFT OF AFFECTION... Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends. 3) THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER... Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you." 4) THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE... It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life. 5) THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT... A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super job" or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day. 6) THE GIFT OF A FAVOR... Every day, go out of your way to do something kind. 7) THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE... There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others. 8) THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION... The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone, really it's not that hard to say, Hello or Thank You. --ooOoo-Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us. Show your friends how much you care. Interesting Reflections On Life

I've learned - that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them. I've learned - that no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back. I've learned - that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it. I've learned - that it's not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.

I've learned - that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you'd better know something I've learned - that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do but to the best you can do. I've learned - that it's not what happens to people that's important. It's what they do about it. I've learned - that no matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides. I've learned - that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be. I've learned - that it's a lot easier to react than it is to think. I've learned - that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them. I've learned - that you can keep going long after you think you can't. I've learned - that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel. I've learned - that either you control your attitude or it controls you. I've learned - that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences. I've learned - that learning to forgive takes practice. I've learned - that there are people who love you dearly, but just don't know how to show it. I've learned - that money is a lousy way of keeping score. I've learned - that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time. I've learned - that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up. I've learned - that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love. I've learned - 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. I've learned - 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've learned - that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it. I've learned - 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've learned - that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself. I've learned - that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I've learned - that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become. I've learned - that just because two 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. I've learned - that sometimes you have to put the individual ahead of their actions. I've learned - that we don't have to change friends If we understand that friends change. I've learned - that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different. I've learned - that there are many ways of falling and staying in love. I've learned - that no matter the consequences, those who are honest with themselves get farther in life. I've learned - that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you. I've learned - that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help. I've learned - that writing, as well as talking, can ease emotional pains. I've learned - that the paradigm we live in is not all that is offered to us. I've learned - that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being. I've learned - that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon. I've learned - that although the word "love" can have many different meanings, it loses value when overly used. I've learned - that it's hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people's feelings and standing up for what you believe.

SMILE! Driving down the road recently, I had a flashback to about twenty-five years ago. We were on a vacation, driving to see family in Pennsylvania. Mom and Dad, looking for ways to keep their two young kids busy, borrowed a sign about fifteen inches long and three inches high. On one side of the sign was painted "Smile" and on the other side, "Thanks!" The sign got a lot of use on the trip. One of us would hold up the sign, so a car behind us could read "Smile". If they did, we turned the sign over and they got the reward of "Thanks!" We would be turned around, pressing the sign to the glass, hoping the following vehicle would see the sign and we could elicit a smile. Or we would try to get passengers as they passed us, pressing the sign up to our windows. The biggest scores came from trucks who would often punctuate their smiles with a blow of their airhorns! These were the memories I pondered as I drove last weekend, with everyone else in the car

asleep. I wondered if the exercise would build the same kinds of memories for my kids some day as it did for my sister and I. I smiled as I drove and started to realize that the sign taught me much more than a fun way to pass time in a car. It taught me something about human nature, sharing and giving, and the power of a smile and a thank you. Have you ever noticed how much better you feel when you are smiling? Scientists can tell us about real changes in our body chemistry when we are smiling, and most of us have heard that it takes more muscles to frown than to smile. All that is interesting, but not as important as the mental and physical feeling we have when we are smiling. It is very powerful. It is human nature to smile when we are happy or when things are going well, but did you know how easy it is to just smile (it is just a choice)? Also do you know how easy it usually is to make someone else smile? I do this all the time. Walking along, if you make eye contact and smile, what happens? Invariably people smile back - regardless of how sour they looked before that! You don't have to say anything, just smile. And what happens to you when you do that little test? You keep smiling long after they pass. (And I suspect so do they.) They have benefited from your simple act, but you have benefited at least as much or more. The smile lesson is important, but no more so than the flipside, the thanks! Playing this driving game was one of the many ways my parents taught me the importance and value of gratitude, most easily expressed with a simple thank you. The story goes that a farmer took some of his corn to the State Fair and won the for the best corn. A reporter asked him what he was going to do with the prized ears of grain he was holding. He said that he would share the seed with his neighbors. The reporter was visibly surprised and asked, "Why would you want to do that?" The farmer calmly answered that his corn was only as good as his neighbors. "Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn." So it is with smiling. You are the wind. You can produce smiling faces by spreading your pollen. The cost to you is slight, but the fruits of your pollen will be felt all around. So who are you going to smile to today? (Right now?) Smile! :) Thanks! That's much better!!

TIME MANAGEMENT One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz" and he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouth mason jar and set it on the table in front of him. He also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?" Everyone in the class yelled, "Yes." The time management expert replied, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. He then asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?" By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not," one of them answered.

"Good!" he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?" "No!" the class shouted. Once again he said, "Good." Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?" One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!" "No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all. What are the 'big rocks' in your life-time with your loved ones, your faith, your education, your dreams, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all." So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are the 'big rocks' in my life? Then, put those in your jar first.

Unconditional Acceptance Following is a very inspiring story that is too much for it not to be shared...... ----------------------I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with. Her last project of the term was called "Smile." The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reaction. I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say, hello anyway..... so, I thought, this would be a piece of cake literally. Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonalds, one crisp March morning. It was just our way of sharing special play time with our son. We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did. I did not move an inch...an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved. As I turned around I smelled a horrible "dirty body" smell...and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men. As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was "smiling". His beautiful sky-blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance. He said, "Good day" as he counted the few coins he had been clutching. The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally deficient and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation. I held my tears....as I stood there with them. The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, "Coffee is all, Miss" because that was all they could afford to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something...they just wanted to be warm. Then I really felt it...the compulsion as so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes. That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on

me...judging my every action. I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue eyed gentleman's cold hand. He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Thank you." I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said," I did not do this for you...God is here working through me to give you hope." I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, "That is why God gave you to me, honey....to give me hope." We held hands for a moment and at that time we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given that we were able to give. We are not church goers but we are believers. That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love. I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand. I turned in "my project" and the instructor read it....then she looked up at me and said, "Can I share this?" I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read and that is when I knew that we, as human beings and being part of God, share this need to heal people and be healed. In my own way I had touched the people at McDonalds, my husband, son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student. I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn.... ----------------------UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE. Much love and compassion sent to each and every person who may read this learn how to LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS - NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE. If you think this story has touched you in any way, please send this to everyone you know. May God bless you. A Little Inspiration

Do not undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special. o Do not set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you. o Do not take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless. o Do not let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past nor for the future. o By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life. o

Do not give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying. o It is a fragile thread that binds us to each other. o Do not be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave. o Do not shut love out of your life by saying it is impossible to find. o The quickest way to receive love is to give love; o The fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly. o Do not dismiss your dreams. To be without dreams is to be without hope; To be without hope is to be without purpose. o Do not run through life so fast that you forget not only where you have been, but also where you are going. o Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

My True, Forever Friend I found a true, forever friend the day that I found you, And Lord, I can't give thanks enough for all the things you do. You shower me with blessings, not a day am I without - The things I am in need of ; There's no reason I should doubt. When days are dark and dreary, and my spirits are brought low, you give words of peace and comfort to my body, mind and soul. When I stumble by the wayside, when I've surely lost my way, Lovingly, you take my hand, that I shall not be led astray. Through trials and tribulations, when my faith is growing weak, you renew my hope and courage, for it's Your strength that I seek.

When dangers lurk about me, as the enemy draws near, Safety in your arms awaits me, there dispelling dread and fear. Blessed am I, tho' so unworthy, to have found a friend so true. Greater love could no man offer; no one cares for me like You. Words of Wisdom

If you don't think about the future, you can't have one. Character is who you are when no one is watching Charm is a woman's strength, while strength is a man's charm. Our job is not to see through one another, but to see one another through. One of the most difficult things to give away is kindness. It is usually returned. When we are hurt, there is no sweeter revenge than to forgive. Those at war with others are seldom at peace with themselves. For every minute you are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness. The best mirror is an old friend. Positive anything is better than negative nothing. Chances make our parents. Choices make our friends. No matter how thin you slice it there are always two sides. There are four stages to man: when he believes in Santa Claus when he does not believe in Santa Claus when he is Santa Claus when he looks like Santa Claus. To handle yourself, use your head; To handle others, use your heart. Anger is only one letter short of danger. Small minds discuss people; Average minds discuss events; Great minds discuss ideas. God gives every bird it's food, But he does not throw it into its nest. He who loses money, loses much; He who loses a friend, loses more; He who loses faith, loses all.

Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, But beautiful old people are works of art. Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself. Although the tongue weighs practically nothing, How come so few people can hold it? Words To Live By

"You can do it if you believe you can." "When you close the door of your mind to negative thoughts, the door of opportunity opens to you." "He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything." - Arabian Proverb "The way to happiness - Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry...... live simply...... expect little...... give much......" "A friend is a present you give yourself." - Robert Louis Stevenson "Watch the man ahead of you and you'll learn why he is ahead. Then emulate him." "There is a vast difference between failure and temporary defeat." "Only an open mind can grow." "Defeat is for those who acknowledge it!" "Happiness is not the absence of conflict but the ability to cope with it." "Courage is sustained by calling up anew the vision of the goal." "A ship in a harbour is safe, but that's not what ships are built for." "True friendship comes when silence between two people is comfortable." "Good intentions are useless until they are expressed in appropriate action." "Your failure may prove to be an asset, provided you know why you failed." "Wealth is not his that has it, but his that enjoys it." - Benjamin Franklin "To be enthusiastic - act enthusiastic." "No mistake or failure is as bad as to stop and not try again." - John Wanamaker "Every noble work is at first impossible." - Carlyle "Happiness is not a state to arrive at but a manner of travelling." - Margaret Lee Runbeck "The only way to have a friend is to be one." Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Purpose is what gives life a meaning." "The smallest good deed is better than the grandest intention." "Great souls have wills; feeble ones have only wishes." - Chinese Proverb "Faith needs a foundation on which to stand. Fear exists without a base." "Folks who never do any more than they get paid for, never get paid for any more than they do." - Elbert Hubbard "The only limits are, as always, those of vision." - James Broughton "The conditions of conquest are always easy. We have but to toil awhile, endure awhile, believe always, and never turn back." - Simms "The true riches of life are hidden in the hearts and minds of man." "Faith is courage; it is creative while despair is always destructive." - David Muzzey "Be the change you want to see in the world." Gandhi "Don't take yourself too seriously if you wish to get any joy out of life." "A friend is one who knows all about you and still respects you." "A smile is a little thing that may produce big results." "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." "The successful man keeps his mind fixed on what he wants in life - not what he doesn't want." "Failure is only the opportunity to more intelligently begin again." Henry Ford "People rarely succeed at anything unless they have fun doing it." "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." - William Shakespeare "May you always find new roads to travel; new horizons to explore; new dreams to call your own."