.. Our Past ..

Appreciating Our Past :

It is easy to be negative about past mistakes and unhappiness. But it is much more healing to look at ourselves and our past in the light of experience, acceptance, and growth.

Our past is a series of lessons that advance us to higher levels of living and loving. The relationships we entered, stayed in, or ended taught us necessary lessons.

Some of us have emerged from the most painful circumstances with strong insights about who we are and what we want. Our mistakes? Necessary. Our frustrations, failures, and sometimes stumbling attempts at growth and progress? Necessary too. Each step of the way, we learned. We went through exactly the experiences we need to, to become who we are today. Each step of the way, we progressed. Is our past a mistake? No. The only mistake we can make is mistaking that for the truth.

Today, God, help me let go of negative thoughts I may be harboring about my past circumstances or relationships. I can accept, with gratitude, all that has brought me to today.

Success ...

Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be

— George Sheehan

Just Listen ...

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens and nature.

— Anne Frank

We rest here while we can, but we hear the ocean calling in our dreams, And we know by the morning, the wind will fill our sails to test the seams. The calm is on the water and part of us would linger by the shore. For ships are safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for.

— Song "Ships" by Tom Kimmel & Michael Lille

Tuesday

Most things that happen in life we can choose to call 'gifts' ... though it's often difficult to see the treasure in a tragedy. As time passes and extenuating circumstances reveal themselves, however, I believe we can always find the 'diamond that arrived... wrapped in a square of toilet paper.'

— Chelle Thompson

Attitude

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, gift, or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, and that is our attitude.
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes.
- Charles Swindoll

Change

The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers. ~M. Scott Peck

Sometimes in Life ....

Sometimes in life,
you find a special friend;
someone who changes your life
just by being part of it.
Someone who makes you laugh
until you can't stop;
someone who makes you believe
that there really is good in the world.
Someone who convinces you
that there really is an unlocked door
just waiting for you to open it.
This is forever friendship.
When you're down,
and the world seems dark and empty,
your forever friend lifts you up in spirit
and makes that dark and empty world
suddenly seem bright and full.
Your forever friend gets you through
the hard times, the sad times,
and the confused times.
If you turn and walk away,
your forever friend follows.
If you lose your way,
your forever friend guides you
and cheers you on.
Your forever friend holds your hand
and tells you that
everything is going to be okay.
And if you find such a friend,
you feel happy and complete,
because you need not worry.
You have a forever friend for life,
and forever has no end

Ginger is my Forever Friend
Love You ... Marianne

... A Difference ...

Amidst the morning mist of the swift returning tide I set out on my daily run, my Walkman on my side. Lost within my private world apart from cares and woes I ran along the moistened shore, the sand between my toes.
In the distance, I saw a boy, as busy as can be. He was running, stooping, picking up, and tossing in the sea. Just what he threw, I couldn't tell, I looked as I drew near. It seemed to be a rock or shell — as I approached him I could hear:
"Back you go, where you belong. You're safe now hurry home. Your family's waiting for you, little starfish, hurry on! "It seemed the evening tide had washed the starfish on the shore, And the swift receding water left a thousand there or more.
And this self-appointed savior, was trying one-by-one To toss them back into the sea, against the racing sun. I saw his plight was hopeless, that most of them would die. I called out from my private world, "Hey Kid, why even try?"
"Must be at least a thousand here, strewn along the beach, And even if you had the time, most you'll never reach. You really think it makes a difference, to waste your time this way? "And then I paused and waited, just to hear what he would say.
He stooped and took another, and looked me in the eye. "It makes a difference to this one sir, this starfish will not die! "With that, he tossed the little life, back where there was hope.He stooped to take another. I could tell this was no joke.
The words that he spoke to me cut like a surgeon's knife. Where I saw only numbers, he saw only life. He didn't see the multitude of starfish on the sand. He only saw the little life he held there in his hand.
He didn't stop to argue, to prove that he was right. He just kept tossing starfish in the sea with all his might. So I too stooped, and I picked up, and I tossed into the sea, And I thought, just what a difference, that this boy has made in me.

May You ....

May you find serenity and tranquility in a world you may not always understand. May the pain you have known and the conflict you have experienced give you the strength to walk through life facing each new situation with courage and optimism. Always know that there are those whose love and understanding will always be there, even when you feel most alone. May you discover enough goodness in others to believe in a world of peace. May a kind word, a reassuring touch, and a warm smile be yours every day of your life, and may you give these gifts as well as receive them. Remember the sunshine when the storm seems unending.

— Unknown

Trust

"Trust is a main ingredient to peace of mind. Trust is sacred. Honor your inner voice. Listen. Trust happens when you are true to yourself."


Why is trust such a hard thing to grasp once you have been hurt. If someone hits you, you don't expect everyone will...why when someone cheats on you...do you carry that with you to every relationship you have.

Try as I may...whenever my boyfriend tells me something...I immediately think about things past boyfriends have said and how they betrayed my trust. You carry that doubt with you and it sticks to everything the new relationships hands you.

Then there is the fine line between trust and being sucked in by lies. But what if it is the truth...time will tell.

We must Listen ....

There is always music amongst the trees in the garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it.

- Minnie Aumonier

Negative Thoughts ...

Crowd Them Out

Fighting against negative thoughts will not rid you of them. In fact, the energy you set against those negative thoughts will only make them more intense.

When you try to dismiss a negative thought directly, that only causes you to think more about it. Instead, turn your attention to something else. Rather than rejecting the negative thought, replace it. Override it with a positive, creative, constructive thought.

Crowd out the negative thoughts by keeping your mind busy with other, more uplifting endeavors. That works much better than trying to push the negative thoughts away.

Your mind is always filled with one thought or another. Keep a supply of positive thoughts on hand, ready and waiting for you to focus upon.

Keep yourself busy with positive, productive endeavors. And the negative thoughts won't find their way into your attitude.

~ Ralph Marston

Your many blessings How often do you stop to count your blessings? In your daily struggle for more, how often do you feel joyful and thankful for the many, many things you already have?
In your ambitious quest to better your life, be careful that you don't overlook the wealth that you already have. Wealth? Yes, wealth that is very real and very accessible to you.
Did you know that you already have abundant wealth? Perhaps you don't feel like it if you've just paid the bills. Yet each and every one of us has an abundance that is almost beyond comprehension. The secret is to tap into that abundance and use it to do whatever we want to do.
And the process starts with counting your blessings. Taking stock of the things you have, the things you know, the people in your life, your spirituality, your skills, your opinions, your special perspective on life, your family, your hobbies, your sense of humor, your appreciation for beauty, your caring for others, your concern for those less fortunate, your ability to see opportunity. The list of possibilities is endless, and these things all have value beyond anything you can imagine.
I challenge you to take a good hard look at yourself and to count your blessings. Think of as many of them as you can. Think of the beauty and richness of your life. These things don't require money or power or position. They all spring from your attitude, the way you react to situations, the way you value others, the way you value life itself.
Right now, within yourself, you have the ability to do anything you want with your life. You have complete control of your behavior, your actions from minute to minute. Look deep inside yourself and tap into the wealth that lies hidden within you. It is there if only you will look, and the best way to find it is with an attitude of thanksgiving and joy.
-- Ralph Marston

Finish Each Day

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Character

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved." --Helen Keller

Steps to Happiness:

Steps To Happiness

Everybody Knows:
You can't be all things to all people.
You can't do all things at once.
You can't do all things equally well.
You can't do all things better than everyone else.
Your humanity is showing just like everyone else's.

So:
You have to find out who you are, and be that.
You have to decide what comes first, and do that.
You have to discover your strengths, and use them.
You have to learn not to compete with others,
Because no one else is in the contest of *being you*.

Then:
You will have learned to accept your own uniqueness.
You will have learned to set priorities and make decisions.
You will have learned to live with your limitations.
You will have learned to give yourself the respect that is due.
And you'll be a most vital mortal.

Dare To Believe:
That you are a wonderful, unique person.
That you are a once-in-all-history event.
That it's more than a right, it's your duty, to be who you are.
That life is not a problem to solve, but a gift to cherish.
And you'll be able to stay one up on what used to get you down.

....author unknown