ALWAYS DO THE RIGHT THING...

Say good words.
Have good thoughts.
Do good deeds, and
Help Make a World of Difference.

WD-40

WD-40 Well, Who Knew...?


I had a neighbor who had bought a new pickup. I got up very early one Sunday morning and saw that someone had spray painted red all around the sides of this beige truck (for some unknown reason). I went over, woke him up, and told him the bad news. He was very upset and was trying to figure out what to do probably nothing until Monday morning, since nothing was open. Another ne ighbor came out and told him to get his WD-40 and clean it off. It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paint job that was on the truck. I'm impressed! WD-40 who knew?

Water Displacement #40. The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a "water disp lacement" compound. They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. The Corvair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.

Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you.

When you read the "shower door" part, try it. It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. It's a miracle! Then try it on your stovetop... Voila! It's now shinier than it's ever been. You'll be amazed.

Here are some of the uses:
1) Protects silver from tarnishing.
2) Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3) Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4) Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making it slippery.
5) Keeps flies off cows
6) Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7) Removes lipstick stains.
8) Loosens stubborn zippers.
9) Untangles jewelry chains.
10) Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11) Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12) Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13) Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14) Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15) Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16) Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17) Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes
18) It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19) Bug guts will eat away the finish on yo ur car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!
20) Gives a child ren's play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21) Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers.
22) Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23) Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
24) Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close
25) Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
26) Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27) Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28) Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles f or easy handling.
29) Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30) Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31) Removes splattered grease on stove
32) Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33) Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34) Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35) Removes all traces of duct tape.
36) Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
37) Florida's favorite use is: "cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers."
38) The favorite use in the state of N ew York WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39) WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in n o time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.
40) Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
41) WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
42) Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and re-wash. Presto! Lipstick is gone!
43) If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributo r cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.

P. S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL.

Put your heart, mind, intellect, and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret of success

They invented hugs to let people know you love them without saying anything

March first. Then advise.

Giving advice is easy. Giving really good advice is harder.
Providing an example is hardest but is usually the most effective
way of influencing both youth and adults. After all, adults are
simply older youths who were influenced by someone's example
early in life.


Our walk or march through life is the greatest teacher that we
will provide for others. Even Paul in the Bible said,
"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."
(1 Cor 11:1 NIV)

==

If you want to make good use of your time,
you’ve got to know what’s most important and then give it all you’ve got

==

If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.
---Mother Teresa

==

Starting today, decide to always 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 mile, and enjoy all the rewards you receive.
--- Og Mandino

Don't find fault, find a remedy; anybody can complain

==

When you consistently maintain a positive frame of mind, you'll become known as a problem-solver rather than a complainer. People avoid complainers. They seek out problem-solvers

===

TIME

GREAT LESSON



“If you want to make good use of your time,
you’ve got to know what’s most important and then give it all you’ve got.”
--- Lee Iacocca




Mr. Belser

It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man.
College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way.
In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams.

There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son.

He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.


Over the phone, his mother told him, ‘Mr. Belser died last night.
The funeral is Wednesday.’

Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.


‘Jack , did you hear me?’

‘Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you.
It’s been so long since I thought of him. I’m sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago,’ Jack said.


‘Well, he didn’t forget you.
Every time I saw him he’d ask how you were doing.
He’d reminisce about the many days you spent over ‘his side of the fence’ as he put it,’ Mom told him.


‘I loved that old house he lived in,’ Jack said.


‘You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man’s influence in your life,’ she said


‘He’s the one who taught me carpentry,’ he said.

‘I wouldn’t be in this business if it weren’t for him.
He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important…
Mom, I’ll be there for the funeral,’ Jack said.


As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful.

He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.


The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped byto see the old house next door one more time.


Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment.
It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time.

The house was exactly as he remembered.
Every step held memories.
Every picture, every piece of furniture… . Jack stopped suddenly.


‘What’s wrong, Jack?’ his Mom asked.


‘The box is gone,’ he said


‘What box?’ Mom asked.


‘There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk.

I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside.

All he’d ever tell me was ‘the thing I value most,'’ Jack said.



It was gone.
Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box.

He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.


‘Now I’ll never know what was so valuable to him,’ Jack said.
‘I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom.’


It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died.

Returning home from work one day, Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. ‘Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days,’ the note read.


Early the next day Jack retrieved the package.

The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago.

The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention.
‘ Mr. Harold Belser ‘ it read.

Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package.

There inside was the gold box and an envelope.
Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside.


‘Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It’s the thing I valued most in my life.’

A small key was taped to the letter.
His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box.
There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch.


Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing,
he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved:

‘Jack, Thanks for your time! - Harold Belser’


‘The thing he valued most was…my time’


Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office
and cleared his appointments for the next two days.

‘Why?’ Janet, his assistant asked.


‘I need some time to spend with my son,’ he said.


‘Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!’

WINNING

What does it mean to win? We are taught by popular culture, especially the movies and of course all the contest organized from early on in school through lotteries and sporting events, that winning means walking away with the one and only prize, the trophy... the top spot.




But people are winning every day in life, all over the place, and thankfully they are not doing it to earn instant fame and trophies.




You win when you give it your all.


You win when you give someone else your all.


You win when you improve.


You win when you make life worth living.


And there can be only one judge in this contest - you.


Set your sites on winning today.


Make 'Today' YOUR Day!!

The Law of Garbage Trucks


Sixteen years ago I learned an important life lesson,
in the back of a New York City taxi cab.

I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station.
We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car
jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.


My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded,
and missed the other car by mere inches!

The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident,
whipped his head around and started yelling bad words at us.


My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy.
And I mean, he was actually friendly!


So, I asked him, "Why did you just do that?
This guy almost ruined your car and could've sent us to the hospital!"


And this is when my taxi driver told me about
what I now call, "The Law of Garbage Trucks."


"Many people are like Garbage Trucks. They run around full of garbage,
full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment.
As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it, and if you let them,
they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally.
Instead, just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.
You'll be happier because you did."



Wow. That really got me thinking about how often do I let Garbage Trucks run
right over me. AND, how often do I then take their garbage and spread it onto
other people: at work, at home, on the streets?

It was that day I resolved, "I'm not going to do it anymore."


Since then, I have started to see Garbage Trucks everywhere.
Just as the kid in the Sixth Sense movie said, "I see dead people,"
I can now say, "I see Garbage Trucks." :)


I see the load they're carrying ... I see them coming to drop it off.
And like my Taxi Driver, I don't make it a personal thing;
I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.

Stress Management

A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked,
"How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter.

It depends on how long you try to hold it.

If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.

If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.

If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.

In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

He continued,

"And that's the way it is with stress management.

If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later,

as the burden becomes increasingly heavy,

we won't be able to carry on. "

"As with the glass of water,

you have to put it down for a while and rest
before holding it again.

When we're refreshed
we can carry on with the burden."

"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down.

Don't carry it home.

You can pick it up tomorrow.

Whatever burdens you're carrying now,

let them down for a moment if you can."

So, my friend, Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now.

Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.

Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

* Accept that some days you're the pigeon,
and some days you're the statue.

* Always keep your words soft and sweet,
just in case you have to eat them.

* Always read stuff that will make you look good
if you die in the middle of it.

* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be
recalled by their maker.

* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply be kind to others.

* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

* The second mouse gets the cheese.

* When everything's coming your way,
you're in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you.
The more you have, the longer you live.

* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

* We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

The Ten Habits of Highly Effective Brains

The LA Times just completed a wonderful 4-part series on how learning and memory work. The NYT re-emphasized the importance of physical exercise for neurogenesis (the creation of new neurons). To put this news in better perspective, let's review some good lifestyle options we can follow to maintain, and improve, our vibrant brains.

1. Learn what is the "It" in "Use It or Lose It". A basic understanding will serve you well to appreciate your brain's beauty as a living and constantly-developing dense forest with billions of neurons and synapses.

2. Take care of your nutrition. Did you know that the brain only weighs 2% of body mass but consumes over 20% of the oxygen and nutrients we intake? As a general rule, you don't need expensive ultra-sophisticated nutritional supplements, just make sure you don't stuff yourself with the "bad stuff".

3. Remember that the brain is part of the body. Things that exercise your body can also help sharpen your brain: physical exercise enhances neurogenesis.

4. Practice positive, future-oriented thoughts until they become your default mindset and you look forward to every new day in a constructive way. Stress and anxiety, no matter whether induced by external events or by your own thoughts, actually kills neurons and prevent the creation of new ones. You can think of chronic stress as the opposite of exercise: it prevents the creation of new neurons.

5. Thrive on Learning and Mental Challenges. The point of having a brain is precisely to learn and to adapt to challenging new environments. Once new neurons appear in your brain, where they stay in your brain and how long they survive depends on how you use them. "Use It or Lose It" does not mean "do crossword puzzle number 1,234,567". It means, "challenge your brain often with fundamentally new activities".

6. We are (as far as we know) the only self-directed organisms in this planet. Aim high. Once you graduate from college, keep learning. The brain keeps developing, no matter your age, and it reflects what you do with it.

7. Explore, travel. Adapting to new locations forces you to pay more attention to your environment. Make new decisions, use your brain.

8. Don't Outsource Your Brain. Not to media personalities, not to politicians, not to your smart neighbour... Make your own decisions, and mistakes. And learn from them. That way, you are training your brain, not your neighbour's.

9. Develop and maintain stimulating friendships. We are "social animals", and need social interaction. Which, by the way, is why 'Baby Einstein' has been shown not to be the panacea for children development.

10. Laugh. Often. Especially to cognitively complex humor, full of twists and surprises. Better, try to become the next Jon Stewart (Note: I just corrected his name from "John"...which may call for a #11: Spellcheck!)

Now, remember that what counts is not reading this article-or any other-, but practicing a bit every day until small steps snowball into unstoppable, internalized habits...so, pick your next battle and try to start improving at least one of these 10 habits today! For more in-depth information on these topics, check our Brain Fitness Topics section.
http://www.sharpbrains.com/hottopics/

It is we who make of life what it is

"You have the power to hurt yourself or to benefit yourself. If you do not choose to be happy no one can make you happy. Do not blame God for that! And if you choose to be happy, no one can make you unhappy. It is we who make of life what it is."
Paramahansa Yogananda