"The fact that man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to other creatures; but the fact that he can DO wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creature that cannot."—
~Mark Twain~

"[Manners] may not be much in themselves, but they are capable of
adding a great deal to the value of everything else." -- Freya Stark

WIND

Sometimes the wind blows pretty hard around here. In fact, the wind is often so exaggerated that it almost seems like a spoof of
nature. I often wonder how there can still be branches on our trees, with all the ones that fall to the ground during wind storms.

Wind can get pretty nasty in life sometimes, too. Wind is not about our choices; it is about what others are doing, the adversity they hand
us that we can't really control. It can whip at us, and we do have choices.

We can choose defiance - to stand against the wind. We can choose escape - to shelter against it. We can choose our own path - to ignore
it. Our reactions are our choices. How we choose to react will dictate
how happy we are.

What I focus on in life is what I get. And if I concentrate on how bad I am or how wrong I am or how inadequate I am, if I concentrate on what I can't do and how there's not enough time in which to do it, isn't that what I get every time? And when I think about how powerful I am, and when I think about what I have left to contribute, and when I think about the difference I can make on this planet, then that's what I get. You see, I recognize that it's not what happens to you; it's what you do about it.

~W. O. Mitchell,Canadian Author and Teacher~

"Keep a good heart. That’s the most important thing in life. It’s not how much money you make or what you can acquire. The art of it is to keep a good heart.”

Joni Mitchell
American Folk Singer

Quick! Think Well of Yourself!

Quick, think of three things that are good about yourself. Remind yourself of these things all day today, at every given opportunity. Go ahead, give yourself some compliments (even though it may be hard at first).

If you need prompting, chose three descriptions from this list that apply to you: sincere, prompt, truthful, caring, attentive, smart, good hair, beautiful blue (or brown or green) eyes, precise, diligent, great sense of humor, peaceful, patient, proud, friendly, fastidious, childlike, poetic, hard-working, tall, sweet, creative, neighborly, green-thumb, witty, resourceful, good cook...That's only a starter list of possibilities!

It's way too easy to be self-critical, and hard on oneself.

~Norris J. Chumley~

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try to understand each other, we may even become friends."
—Maya Angelou~

"People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they are not on your road does not mean they have gotten lost. — H. Jackson Brown"

"Perfection, then, is finally achieved, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”

Antoine de St. Exupery
French Aviator and Author

"Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such."
~Henry Miller~

"Rings and jewels are not gifts,
but apologies for gifts.
The only true gift is a portion of thyself."

Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-1882
American Author, Poet and Philosopher