Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.— Benjamin Franklin"

There was a little boy with a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him to hammer a nail in the back fence every time he lost control.

The first day the boy drove 37 nails into the fence. Then it gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.
Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. His father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father led his son to the fence.

“You have done well, but look at the holes in the fence,” he said. “When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like the nail holes. You can put a knife in a person and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say ‘I’m sorry,’ the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.”

Judge Gently
Author Unknown
But Greatly Appreciated!


Pray don't find fault with the man who limps
or stumbles along the road,
unless you have worn the shoes he wears
or struggled beneath his load.
There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt,
though hidden away from view,
or the burden he bears, placed on your back
might cause you to stumble too.

Don't sneer at the man who's down today
unless you have felt the blow
that caused his fall or felt the shame
that only the fallen know.
You may be strong, but still the blows
that were his if dealt to you,
in the selfsame way, at the selfsame time,
might cause you to stagger too.

Don't be too harsh with the man who sins
or pelt him with word or stone,
unless you are sure, yea, doubly sure,
that you have no sins of your own -
for you know perhaps if the tempter's voice
should whisper as softly to you
as it did to him when he went astray,
it might cause you to stumble too.

"Go within every day and find the inner strength so that the world will not blow your candle out." --Katherine Dunham

Dust If You Must
Author Unknown


Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better,
To paint a picture or write a letter,
Bake a cake or plant a seed,
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there's not much time,
With rivers to swim and mountains to climb,
Music to hear and books to read,
Friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world's out there
With the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair,
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain.
This day will not come 'round again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it's not always kind.
And when you go and go you must,
You, yourself, will make more dust.

REGRET

Once the leaf falls, it can't be reattached to the tree. Some things really are final. Of course, the tree can always grow back a new leaf, which is the process of renewal that we all go through. There is always something to look forward to, as long as we are willing to grow and to renew ourselves.

There is really no point looking back at all our fallen leaves with regret. Every one of them had to fall ... to make way for new ones. If you are feeling regret, it's time to grow a new leaf.
--author unknown but greatly appreciated~

BEST DAY OF MY LIFE

Today, when I awoke, I suddenly realized that this is the best day of my life, ever!
There were times when I wondered if I would make it to today... but I did!

And because I did I'm going to celebrate!
Today, I'm going to celebrate what a great life I have had so far;
the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, even the hardships,
because they have served to make me stronger.

I will go through this day with my head held high, and a happy heart.
I will marvel at seemingly simple gifts: the morning dew,
the sun, the clouds, the trees, the flowers, the birds.

Today, none of these miraculous creations will escape my notice.
Today, I will share my excitement for life with other people.
I'll make someone smile. I'll go out of my way to perform an unexpected
act of kindness for someone I don't even know.

Today, I'll give a sincere compliment to someone who seems down.
I'll tell a child how special they are, and I'll tell someone I love
just how deeply I care for them and how much they mean to me.

Today is the day I quit worrying about what I don't have and
start being grateful for all the wonderful things I have already been given.

I'll remember that to worry is just a waste of time because
my faith ensures everything will be just fine.
And tonight, before I go to bed, I'll go outside and raise my eyes to the skies.
I will stand in awe at the beauty of the stars and the moon,
and I will be grateful for these magnificent treasures.

As the day ends and I lay my head down on my pillow,
I will thank Goodness for the best day of my life.
And I will sleep the sleep of a contented child,
excited with expectation because I know tomorrow
is going to be the best day of my life, ever!

~author unknown but greatly appreciated~

"One of the best ways to get through difficulties is to simply persevere day by day. Huge projects don't seem as daunting when we focus on one element ... completing that before we tackle the next phase. As Napoleon Hill said, "Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure."
— Chelle Thompson, Editor of Inspiration Line

"Blessed are those who can give without remembering, and take without forgetting."


Princess Elizabeth Asquith Bibesco

One morning you will never wake up, do all your friends know you love them? I was thinking ... I could die today, tommorrow, or next week, and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed friendships that needed rekindling or three words needing to be said. Let everyone of your friends know you love them. Even you think they don't love you back, you would be amazed at what those three little words and smile can do. And just in case GOD call me home before I see you again... I LOVE YA!!!

Men of Genius are admired, Men of wealth are envied, Men of Power are feared; but only men of chatacter are trusted.

Jeff Fields..

You don't have to buy from anyone.
You don't have to work at any particular job.
You don't have to participate in any given relationship.
You can choose.
You alone steer the course you choose
in the direction of where you want to be today,
tomorrow or in any distant time to come.
You hold the tiller.

You can decide to alter the course of your life at any time.
No one can ever take that away from you.
You can decide what you want and go after it.
It's always your next move.

© 2006, Max Steingart

"Happy people roll with the punches. They know from experience that everything changes. Today's good fortune may vanish tomorrow, today's crisis may turn out to be tomorrow's good fortune."

Author Unknown
But Greatly Appreciated!

"There is no difficulty that enough love will not conquer, no disease that enough love will not heal, no door that enough love will not bridge, no wall that enough love will not throw down, no sin that enough love will not redeem...

It makes no difference how deeply seated may be the trouble, how hopeless the outlook, how muddled the tangle, how great the mistake. A sufficient realization of love will dissolve it all.

If only you could love enough, you could be the happiest and most powerful being in the world...”

Emmet Fox, 1886-1951
Irish-born Author and Metaphysicist