"Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance." Sam Jackson

There is no law that says you HAVE to do good for others.
Those who choose to, do good because that's the kind of person they are!


"Ever tried?
Ever failed?
No matter.
Try Again.
Fail again.
Fail better."
--Samuel Beckett

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When you are not practicing, remember, someone somewhere is practicing, and when you meet him he will win.

--- Ed Macauley
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"Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all they have."
--H. Jackson Brown Jr




One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives.
--Euripides, 484-406 B.C., Greek Tragic Dramatist



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We didn't lose the game; we just ran out of time.
--Vince Lombardi, 1913-1970, Hall of Fame American Football Coach


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GREAT Truth....



"Nothing is so exhausting as indecision, and nothing is so futile."

-- Bertrand Russell, philosopher and Nobel Laureate


Questions to Ponder

What decisions face me today?

Am I committed to making them?

If not, why not?



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GREAT Mini-Lessons...

** Time management is the central skill of success.
Your ability to manage your time, to focus and channel your energies on your highest value tasks, will determine your rewards and your level of accomplishment in life more than any other factor.


** Learn From The Experts
If you want to be a big success in any area, find out what other successful people in that area are doing, and do the same things, until you get the same results.

**The key to happiness and success is to have a dream.


**All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today.



**You always pass failure on the way to success.



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Just for Fun...


An elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100%.

The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, "Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again."


The gentleman replied, "Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I've changed my will three times!"


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GREAT Thought...



DON'T LET GO OF YOUR DREAMS...
by Catherine Pulsifer

Don't let go of your dreams.
If you have determination and belief in your dreams, you will succeed in spite of your desire to let go.

One notable person who demonstrated this attitude was Washington Roebling. He and his father had a dream of building a suspension bridge.

Not long after starting construction, his father died.

Washington carried on but was struck with the paralyzing caisson disease.

It was impossible for him to go to the site.

But possessed with a dream, a strong desire, and with the help of his wife, Emily, he was able to complete the Brooklyn Bridge.

This story has many themes in it:
determination; your dreams; and choice.

Here was a man who suffered the death of his father and became paralyzed; yet, because he was determined he did not give up on his dreams!

In every situation we have a choice.

We can either choose the negative or we can choose the positive --- the choice is ours.

In Washington's situation he could have felt sorry for himself and gave up on his project. He chose, however, to continue with the help of others.

In situations you are confronted with which do you choose:
the positive or the negative?



TEN SIMPLE RULES FOR A BETTER LIFE

Be a good person. Try to be a kinder, gentler, better, nicer person. Treat others with respect. Be polite. Obey the rules.

Help others. It is not about you. Nowhere is it written that you must be perfect in order to help others.

Pay yourself first. Save and invest at least 10% of your gross annual income. Your income makes everything else possible. Make sure that you have adequate disability, medical, and life insurance.

Be honest and candid. Trust is the single most important factor in relationships. Be honest and trustworthy. Do what you say you will do.

Learn from the past and move on. You cannot change the past. If you have made mistakes, admit them and apologize if you have hurt others. Learn from your mistakes and get on with your life.

Enjoy life. Laugh a lot. Life is difficult, hard, and unfair. Life is also happy, satisfying, and full of joy. Choose to focus on the good things in life. He who laughs ... lasts.

Simplify. Eliminate the unnecessary and the unimportant. Focus on the necessary and the important. Know the difference.

Be positive. Maintain a positive, can-do attitude. No one likes to be around negative people. Expect success. The best is yet to come. Every problem is an opportunity.

Work harder and smarter. Working harder is working smarter, however you can only work harder up to a point. Someone making $200,000 is probably not working ten times harder than someone making $20,000, but they probably are working smarter. Focus on doing what you do best and delegate or don't do the rest.

Focus on first things first. Decide what's really important to you and do it. Develop a master list of goals, projects, things to do, priorities, and deadlines. Ask yourself frequently, "What is my #1 priority right now?" Focus on it to the exclusion of everything else. Finish what you start.




Dogs are wise.
They crawl away into a quiet corner and lick their wounds and do not rejoin the world until they are whole once more.

--Agatha Christie, Author


"If you are never scared, embarrassed or hurt, it means you never take chances." --Julia Soul

Life is not about feeling comfortable all the time. The point is NOT to always avoid doubt, uncertainty and uneasiness. Sometimes we all need a reminder that life is an extraordinary adventure full of risks, chances, opportunities and challenges.



"Improve relationships with others by assuming that they can hear everythin you say about them." ~ Stephen R. Covey




To be able to practice five things everywhere under heaven
constitutes perfect virtue...
gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.

-- Confucius (551-479 BC) Chinese Philosopher



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"Kyle"

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd." I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.

My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives."

He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!" There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.

I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to a private school before.

I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends. He said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, "Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!"

He just laughed and handed me half the books. Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.

When we were seniors, we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship. Kyle was
valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd.


He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak. Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys who really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more
dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was jealous.

Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!"

He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. "Thanks," he said. As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began. "Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings,
maybe a coach... but mostly your friends. I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give him or her. I am going to tell you a story."

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.

"Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.

Not until that moment did I realize its depth. Never underestimate the power of your actions.
With one small gesture you can change a person's life. For better or for worse. God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way. Always look for God in others.



One Day, One Person
by John Bennett


My elementary and junior high school years were difficult. My parents divorced when I was ten years old, my brother was nine, and my sister was five. Home life was not easy.

Although school could have been a place to get away from the unhappiness at home, it was often worse. I had some friends, but I also had enemies for no apparent reason. Starting in fourth grade, they chased me after school and tried to beat me up. I had to run home almost daily.

In our last year at that school, I was relieved -- until I learned that all of us would go to the same junior high school.

Seventh grade was farther from home, yet not far enough for me to take the bus. I ran the mile or so home every day. Often, I'm sure there weren't any bullies waiting for me, but I didn't want to take any chances.

In the cafeteria, I chose tables with only a few kids. We didn't talk much to each other; they probably had the same problems I did. Everyone at the table seemed a little scared. I was worried every day, even sitting in the cafeteria where some of my foes were.

One day, one person changed the rest of my life. He was very popular, with lots of friends at school. He hung out with other kids I knew by name, who knew me, but we didn't socialize much. They just hadn't paid any attention to me. "Bill" came up to me and said, "John, why don't you
come over and sit with us at our table?"

I couldn't believe my ears. There was no reason for Bill to risk his popularity by inviting me to join his friends. I was nervous, even scared, but I said OK and went to sit down at his table. It was packed end to end, with about fifteen kids.

Those kids quickly became some of my best friends. I don't remember if I had fun the first day, the third, or the thirtieth -- but it was finally OK. I started walking home with some of my new friends and no longer had to run.

From then through high school, I was able to gain some self-respect. I became outgoing and confident, and made friends myself. I now own a home and business, and have a fulfilling social life.

That all began when Bill asked me to join his table, where I met friends I still have 23 years later. I have never forgotten Bill's kindness. He wasn't obligated to include me, and may not even realize what an impact he had.

I now watch out for other people who might be the same as I was that day. They might be alone, nervous or scared. I learned that simple acts can have large impacts, and I know that one person can change in one day.