Thought for Today

It doesn’t matter where you are, you are nowhere compared to where you can go.

~ Bob Proctor

Thought for the Day

The consequences of today are determined by the actions of the past. To change your future, alter your decisions today.

~ Anonymous

SOMETHING FOR YOU TO KNOW

SOMETHING FOR YOU TO KNOW & THEN PASS IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS     Ants Problem:Ants hate cucumbers. Keep the skin of cucumbers near the place or ant hole.   To  get pure and clean ice : Boil water  first before freezing.  To  make the mirror shine: Clean with  sprite  To  remove chewing gum from clothes:

 

Keep the cloth  in the freezer for an hour. 


To whiten white clothes: Soak white clothes in hot water with
A slice of lemon for 10 minutes  



To  give a shine to hair : Add one teaspoon of vinegar to hair, then wash hair. 

To  get maximum juice out of lemons : Soak lemons in hot water for one hour,
And then juice them. 



To  avoid smell of cabbage while cooking: Keep a piece of bread on the cabbage
In the vessel while cooking. 


To  avoid tears while cutting onions: Chew gum. 


To  boil potatoes quickly: Skin one  potato from one side only before boiling. 


To  remove ink from clothes : Put toothpaste on the ink spots generously and let it dry completely,
Then wash.



To skin sweet potatoes quickly : Soak in cold  water immediately after boiling. 


To get rid of mice or rats : Sprinkle black pepper in places where you find mice or rats.
They will run away. 




Chinese Proverb:  
'When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from  it, 
You have a moral obligation to share it with others.' 
So..., DO as I have done!

GIVE

By Dr. Tim Wright

There is a body of water in Israel that is actually below sea level. Water constantly trickles INTO it, but, because of the law of gravity, nothing can flow OUT of it. Do you know the name of this famous lake? It's called the Dead Sea. It's called this because the mineral deposits have accumulated to such an extent that no living thing could survive in this water. The water is literally dead.

Contrast this to what happens with "living water." When you think of the term living water" the image that comes to mind is a rushing river or bubbling spring that is FLOWING. It's filled with life and movement. It doesn't just "receive," but is also giving" simultaneously. There is LIFE there.

There's a valuable illustration here. Many of us believe that we need to RECEIVE more of something in order to be happy. Whether what we desire is money or love or something else, we think that we need MORE of it in order to be fulfilled. As a result of this, we begin to operate in fear and therefore don't GIVE anything because we're afraid that we won't have enough. The result? Like the Dead Sea, we become lifeless.

When we don't GIVE, we die.

Life is meant to flow. When a pool of anything stops flowing (giving), it becomes stagnant. Stagnant water breeds disease and death. It can't breathe. It can't receive any more. If nothing is flowing OUT, there's no room for anything else to come IN.

The solution? Give.

As you give, you WILL receive. It's a universal law. You see it at work in nature. You see it at work in the economy. You see it at work everywhere, because it's true.

We've somehow been deceived into believing that if we DON'T give, we'll have MORE. Or we're afraid that if we DO give, that we won't have anything left. On one hand, this seems to make sense. But it doesn't work. Because when we don't give, we shut off the flow of what's coming in.
 


If you truly desire to receive more of something, start giving it away. I know this sounds crazy, but it works. If you want someone to be kind to you, be kind to them. If you want love in your life, love someone. If you want money, give some money away. If you want joy in your life, give joy to someone else.

The universe only responds when we act. Take the first step and watch miracles begin to happen. Too often we're waiting for something to come to us first. Take the initiative. Give and you WILL receive.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Tim Wright is a freelance writer and communications consultant working out of his home in Norfolk, Virginia. He is the author and distributor of the book "Changing Your Emotions, Changing Your Life. You can contact him atwww.changingyouremothions.com

The Holstee Manifesto

Thought for Today

If we all worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true were really true,
 there would be little hope of advance.


 ~Orville Wright

The Blind Boy

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat. 

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?" 


The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way." I wrote: "Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it."

Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective? 

Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative.. Think differently and positively.

When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear..
Just think God is Near! God Bless you and your family. From a friend to a friend. 

The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling¦
And even more beautiful is, knowing that you are the reason behind it!!! 

Thought for Today

Everyone wants to be appreciated.

So, if you appreciate someone, don't keep it a secret.

 

~Mary Kay Ash  

BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE

©2009 Kathleene Baker

"My green slacks are hanging on the bottom rack on the right side of the closet. I want the forest green ones; not the brownish green or light green. And, the flowered silk blouse that goes with them is on the top rack hanging towards the middle. You'll know which one it is when you see it. Just pick out whatever flat shoes you think will look best." Mom was smiling as she planned her wardrobe for Thanksgiving Day.

I was nearly out the door when she stopped me. "One more thing, you know those gold drop earrings you gave me years ago? I'll need those, too. And, if you don't mind could you come early enough to make sure mymakeup and hair look nice?" I walked back to give her a hug, kiss, and told her not to give it another thought, "You'll look just beautiful! See you about 11 a.m. tomorrow. I love you, Mom."

The short two-block drive to my parent's home was somber. We'd traveled to Kansas to spend the holiday with them but it would not be celebrated as in years past; Mother had been in a nursing home for several months. The many fractures in her spine from osteoporosis were inoperable; Mother would remain there permanently.

We mustered all our strength to be positive and keep her spirits up as she adjusted to the one thing she'd always feared most-being confined to a nursing home. The only tiny, tarnished, silver cloud to be found was that the home she'd never return to could actually be seen from the facility. I prayed it made her feel like she was only down the street having coffee with a friend.

Always able to hide her feelings so as not to upset her loved ones, Mother appeared to be handling her situation well, although I knew down deep that in a matter of time she'd not be able to keep up the charade. The following morning I arrived with the items Mom had requested and we went to work dressing and primping. She looked beautiful even with the oxygen tubing draped across her cheeks.

With Mom situated in her wheelchair, we made our way to gather with family awaiting our arrival near the foyer. As we neared, I noted instantly that Dad's blue eyes, which had lost their luster in recent months, instantly came to life and regained their brilliance, for he'd not seen the love of his life "dolled-up" in quite some time. It warmed my heart to view the change.

Our linen-dressed table in the formal dining room was near the fireplace, a pianist played quietly in the background, and the meal was delicious. Everyone at the table was on stage like actors in a play; we struggled to feign jovial attitudes, not only for Mom's sake, but to prop one another up as we experienced a sorrowful and drastic change in a lifetime of family Thanksgiving traditions.

Still, there was much to be thankful for when I forced myself to see beyond the darkness that tried to encompass me. Mother had enjoyed a healthy life of independence for 83 years with a man she loved dearly. She suffered no pain with her condition and she was still as sharp as a tack!

I was fortunate in having my mom to share the holiday with although it wasn't at "home" and was missing favorite family dishes as only she could prepare. None of us knew it would be the last Thanksgiving we'd spend with Mother.

Eight holidays later I realize what a true gift the day was. Each cherished moment is remembered as if it were yesterday. My emotions that holiday were intermingled with love and grief. And, to this day they remain the same.

Remember when you count all you are thankful for. Often what seems less than ideal may be your most valuable blessing. Hidden in disguise.

May you all have a lovely Thanksgiving filled with love and many blessings!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathleene and husband, Jerry, reside in Plano, Texas. They share their home with two terribly spoiled schnauzers. A freelancer, she has contributed to newspapers, anthologies, magazines, online ezines, and writes a weekly column entitled "Heart of Texas." She is Editor for Starfish, a daily inspiration ezine. Visit Kathy's website at: www.txyellowrose.comor feel free to email her at: Lnstrlady@aol.com

©2009 Kathleene S. Baker Lnstrlady@aol.com www.txyellowrose.

Thought for Today

You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.

--John Wooden

Thought for Today

 Anyone who has never made a mistake 
has never tried anything new.


~Albert Einstein 

Changing Lives

By Duane Spears

Some years ago I attended a self-improvement seminar and the speaker was Jim Rohn. He said, "Everything matters in life, some things a little and some things a lot, we just don't know which is which." And I believed him.

Now if I may, I would like to relate a personal experience which occurred when I was a motorcycle officer that strengthened this belief and taught a young man that everything in life does indeed matter.

I was a motorcycle officer with the Los Angeles Police Department and I was working speed complaints out of West Traffic Division. On the 6th of January, 1986, I was working a speed complaint on one of the streets in the hills of Bel Air. It was around 9:30 in the morning. I was stopped at the base of a hill and had set up my radar on the handlebar of my motorcycle and was watching the traffic coming down the hill.

This was a residential area and the road was narrow with numerous curves and was posted at 25 miles per hour. I had just finished writing a couple of tickets when I heard the audio on the radar, looked up the road and saw a small sports car coming down the hill. I glanced at the digital readout on the radar unit and saw that the car was traveling close to 50 miles per hour. I stepped out into the street and waved the driver over to the curb.

The driver was a young man in his early 20's on his way to UCLA for a morning class. I told him why I had stopped him and started to write him a ticket. He, of course, didn't want the ticket and tried to talk me out of it. His name was Christopher and he was a good kid. But he was trying his best to get me to not write him a ticket. Never rude, always polite, but determined to convince me to let him go.

We bantered back and forth, he would raise his voice in support of his position, but I calmly explained why he should get the ticket. When he saw I was still going to write him the ticket, he asked me, "What If I had not stopped, you were not on your motorcycle, would you have chased me?" I replied, "Most likely not".

About this time, I heard the audio on the radar and noticed that the digital readout registered 52 miles per hour. I looked up and saw a young man coming down the hill on a motorcycle. I stepped out in front of him and waved him into the curb. He was going too fast and passed us, but he was slowing down. I walked towards the motorcycle rider and my back was to Christopher.

The motorcyclist had turned around and was coming back to me. The he suddenly made a quick U-turn and sped down the hill. I turned around and walked back to Christopher and said, "Well, one got away."

He said, "I waved him on".

I said, "What?"

He said, "I waved him on."

I replied, "Oh, no! You should not have done that."

He had a puzzled look on his face and asked, "Why not, it won't matter?"

I told him everything in life matters, some things a little and some things a lot. We just don't know which is which. The look on Christopher's face clearly indicated to me that he did not believe me. I finished the ticket and we talked a little more about life and philosophy, then Christopher went to class and I went to court.

Three days later, I was back working that same area and had three cars stopped. While I was writing the tickets, I noticed that a car coming up the hill had stopped across from me. There were three or four guys in the car. It was obvious to me that they were waiting to talk to me.

I finished the last ticket and the driver of the car got out and walked over to me. He had a very sad look about him. I could tell something was bothering him. As he approached me, he asked, "Do you remember me?"

"Yes," I replied, "you are Christopher."

He then said, "You taught me a valuable lesson the other day when you told me that everything in life matters. I didn't believe you then, but now I do."

"How do you mean?" I asked.

"Do you remember the boy on the motorcycle?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied, "I do remember him."

"Well," he said, "he was my roommate and that is why I waved him on. I thought I was helping him. After he turned around he made a wrong turn and went down a street, which ended in a cul-de-sac and hit a large planter in the center of the cul-de-sac. He died instantly. You were right when you said everything in life matters."

I was shocked and found it hard to believe, even though I had been with LAPD for 18 ½ years. We talked for a few more minutes. I expressed mysorrow, we shook hands and then we both left.

I rode to the station in Venice and looked up the traffic reports for the 6th of January and sure enough there it was. I still could not believe it. I mentioned what had happened to another officer whose was in the station at the time. His response was that the kid deserved to die for fleeing the scene; I thought this cannot be happening; I don't want to be like him.

As police officers and especially motor officers we are suppose to be saving lives, not pleased because some kid made a bad decision and died. Over the next several days I gave a lot of thought to this situation and my life in general. I decided I didn't want to be a police officer anymore and I needed a change. So I resigned in February 1986 after 18 ½ years with LAPD to pursue my passion, network marketing.

I thought that I should listen to my own advice about how everything matters and look at this situation as an opportunity to make some serious changes in my life. I've never regretted leaving LAPD even though mybusiness plans didn't quite work the way I had hoped back in 1986. But over the years they have and I have had a successful network marketing business since 1995.

Could now be the time for you to make a life change? If it is, I would encourage you to do so. Based on my experience you will not be sorry. I will be 67 in September, I'm in great health and could not be happier.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Duane Spears was born and raised in Osawatomie, Kansas. He graduated from high school in 1961 and joined the US Army. After 3 years with the Army, he went to Los Angeles in 1966 and joined the Los Angeles Police Department. Duane quit LAPD after 18½ years to work a network marketing business. That company went bankrupt after 6 months. Duane then learned the mortgage business opened his own office on Hollywood Beach in Oxnard, CA in 1989. Later in 1995 he joined another network marketing company, left the mortgage business and has been with them for the past 13 years. In 2000, Duane moved back to Osawatomie to be near his son. You can reach Duane at duane@duanespears.com

HIT BY AN ANGEL

By Timothy Kendrick

Have you ever wondered why you are here on this planet? Sounds like a simple enough question almost foolish. Everyday in someway angels bring us messages. You might be thinking I just left Starbucks with my Venti Latte and I did not see or feel any angels hovering about. Look back and think did you put a tip in the tip jar? Giving is living.

For me the more I give the more I get to keep. How about when someone cuts you off in traffic? Do you feel violated and angry? How could they do that to me? Or do you just let it go and realize that this person driving that vehicle is like many in our world just rushing, rushing, and rushing to where? The grave of course. Be grateful that the driver did not hit you and you had the mental faculties and maybe a guardian angel to adapt to the situation and maintain control of your vehicle.

Negative co-workers are angels also. They can knock you flat on your butt if you let them. What can I learn from their actions? How can I heal or help them without them knowing.

Negative co-workers are like angry customers if you run a business. They are gifts from the angels.

Or a better way to say it is these can be tools to improve yourself, your business, or your performance. What we learn from them may enhance our own lives. How I see people is how I treat them and how I treat them is how they become.

As far as Starbucks, I personally have never had a negative experience with them. Maybe that is because I NEVER EXPECTED TO. The last time I left Iraq in 2004 it was all I could do to keep from getting locked up or as they say in L.A. 5150 which means you are nuts.

On the flight out of Kuwait the attendants knew I was a bit stressed and I was talking to one of them and she took me in the back of the aircraft where they all where staying. They nurtured me and never left me alone. Maybe they were afraid, I doubt it, and I think they saw a wounded soul hurting like I had never hurt before. Yes I should've been evacuated to Landstuhl in Germany but I disliked hospitals because they always want to keep me for further evaluation. Besides I was a civilian now and I don't even know how I got on that flight to the U.S. but I did and I resigned as soon as I got home. So no psych ward for me.

What did I learn? There are angels everywhere. We can be angels if we choose to. Life is a gift, a great blessing. There are many stories I could tell about getting hit by angels from Africa, Germany and even my own house.

Have I seen real angels? Yes. I mean really felt the presence of and seen real angels? Yes. Did I think I was out of my mind? Yes.

Do you believe in angels? I have found that I like to have faith in angels. It feels better than no faith at all.

Look for your angels.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Timothy Kendrick is a retired U.S. Army veteran who served in Panama, Somalia, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and various other places in the world. Timothy's first book 'PTSD: Pathways Through the Secret Door' is widely used throughout the Veterans Administration to help returning veterans cope with the emotional scars of war.

Timothy currently lives in Tampa Florida with his wife Brenda. Timothy's new book "Wide Asleep Slumber No More" is available online and bookstores everywhere. Included is an MP3 audio download for free! To find out more about Tim you can reach him at http://www.timothykendrick.org