A New Way To Think........

- A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than from
fears based on past experiences.

- An unmistaken ability to enjoy each moment.

- A loss of interest in judging self.

- A loss of interest in judging others.

- A loss in interest in conflict.

- A loss of interest in interpreting the action of others.

- A loss of the ability to worry. (This symptom is very serious.)

- Frequent overwhelming episodes of appreciation.

- Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.

- Frequent attacks of smiling through the eyes of the Heart.

- Increasing susceptibility to love extended by others and the
uncomfortable urge to extend it.

- An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make
them happen.

If you have all or most of the above symptoms, please be advised
that your condition of PEACE may be so far advanced as to not be
treatable.

-- Author Unknown

Golf Wisdom

When you're criticizing others
And are finding here and there
A fault or two to speak of
Or a weakness you can't bear;
When you're blaming someone's weakness
Or accusing some of pelf..
It's time that you went out
To walk around yourself.

There are lots of human failures
In the average of us all
And lots of grave shortcomings
In the short ones and the tall;
But when we think of evils
Men should lay upon the shelves,
It's time we all went out
To take a walk around ourselves

We need so often in this life
This balancing of scales;
This seeing how much in us wins
And how much in us fails.
But before you judge another
Just to lay him on the shelf...
It would be a splendid plan
To take a walk around yourself.

-- Author Unknown

The Cool Olympics...

Some time ago, at the Seattle Olympics, nine athletes, all
mentally or physically challenged, were standing on the start
line for the 100 m race.

The gun fired and the race began. Not everyone was running, but
everyone wanted to participate and win.

They ran in threes, a boy tripped and fell, did a few somersaults
and started crying.
The other eight heard him crying.
They slowed down and looked behind them.
They stopped and came back... All of them...

A girl with Down's Syndrome sat down next to him, hugged him and
asked, "Feeling better now?"

Then, all nine walked shoulder to shoulder to the finish line.

The whole crowd stood up and applauded. And the applause lasted a
very long time...

People who witnessed this still talk about it.
Why?

Because deep down inside us, we all know that the most important
thing in life is much more than winning for ourselves.

The most important thing in this life is to help others to win.
Even if that means slowing down and changing our own race.

A candle loses nothing if it is used to light another one."


- Author Unknown

The Power Of Your Actions.........

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my
class 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
friend the following 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.

I handed him his glasses and 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. It turned
out he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before.
He said he had gone to private school before coming to this school.

I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We
talked all the way home, and I carried his books. He turned out to be
a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play football on
Saturday with me and my friends. He said yes. We hung 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, "Damn 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 arrived - I saw Kyle and he looked great. He was one
of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled
out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than me
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 them. I am going to tell you a story."

I stared at my friend in 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.
Look for God in others.

"Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have
trouble remembering how to fly."

-Author unknown

A Bunch Of Winners!

"Last night was the last game for my eight-year-old son's soccer
team. It was the final quarter. The score was two to one, my
son's team in the lead. Parents shouted encouragement from the
sidelines as the boys clashed on the field. With less than ten
seconds remaining, the ball rolled in front of my son's teammate,
one Mikey O'Donnel. With shouts of "Kick it!" echoing across the
field, Mikey reared back and gave it everything he had.

All around me the crowd fell silent as the ball flew into the
goal. Mikey O'Donnel had scored!

Mikey had scored all right, but in the wrong goal, ending the
game in a tie. For a moment there was total silence. You see
Mikey has Down's Syndrome and for him there is no such thing as a
wrong goal. All goals were celebrated by a joyous hug from Mikey.
He had even been known to hug the opposing players when they
scored.

The silence was finally broken when Mikey, his face filled with
joy, grabbed my son, hugged him and yelled, "I scored! I scored.
Everybody won! Everybody won!"

For a moment I held my breath, not sure how my son would react. I
need not have worried. I watched, through tears, as my son threw
up his hand in the classic high-five salute and started chanting,
"Way to go Mikey! Way to go Mikey!"

Within moments, both teams surrounded Mikey, joining in the chant
and congratulating him on his goal. Later that night, when my
daughter asked who had won, my son smiled and replied, "It was a
tie. Everybody won!"

Author Unknown

Listen To Dr. R. Anthony..............

I understand what I am about to say may sound crazy to you, but
allow me to suggest the possibility that you have been totally
brainwashed and you have unknowingly become your own worst enemy.

In fact, this is exactly what is happening to millions of people.
And most likely, you are one of them.

What I am talking about is the SUBLIMINAL and SUBCONSCIOUS
programming you are getting - programming that is imprinted on your
subconscious without your knowledge.

I am not saying there is an organized conspiracy to program your
mind. The people that are spreading these negative messages
don't even know they are doing it!

The problem is as you are exposed to these mind viruses, you are
likely to be infected. Just as exposure to raw sewage can cause you
to be infected with germs, microbes and other nasty things,
prolonged exposure to the media will infect your mind with many
nasty viruses. Society spends billions of dollars to protect
us from biological and computer viruses. Yet a mind virus can be
the most dangerous of all.

One of the best things you can do to prevent mind viruses is stop
following the news. Don't watch TV, don't listen to "talk" radio,
don't read newspapers or magazines that have the news in them. Why?
Because they all make their money by selling fear, lack, scarcity
and limitation. Bad news is what sells.

Open the average newspaper and you will see that 90% or more of what
you read is negative news. The percentage is about the same for
radio and TV. Do you really believe it is important to find out how
many houses burnt down, how many people were robbed or killed in
your city, state or another country? Do you really need to be
reminded of the economic situation every day? Being exposed to all
this negativity creates a negative view of the world and negative
thought patterns in your mind.

When I tell people to skip the news, they invariably ask, "How will
I know if there is a major world tragedy or natural disaster
heading my way or terrorists striking near me?" Trust me. You will
know about all the big stuff you need to know. Let's face it,
the vast majority of your friends and neighbors follow the news so
they can do the watching and reading for you. You still won't be
able to escape it completely because most restaurants and shops now
have the TV news on all day long. So if something major happens, you
will know about it.

Break Free Now by: Burt Dubin

Every outstanding achievement starts with a minority of one. When
Mohammed Ali announced I am the greatest, only he believed it.
And he believed it from the marrow of his bones. Then he prepared
himself. He practiced, drilled, rehearsed. Just as you are to do.
He strengthened his muscles as he strengthened his resolve. Just
as you are to do. He became a powerhouse of implacable commitment
to be what he said he was. Just as you are to do.

Think about it. An affirmation, a bald, bold, audacious
affirmation became reality. And within his sphere and his time in
history, he made himself the greatest.

Is there an idea here for you? I think so. OK, how do you create
the conditions and circumstances, the vivid, living, breathing,
palpitating reality of you-and I do mean you-being personally
great in your sphere, in your time in history-being personally
great as an expert who speaks.

It's not so hard. Not if you have a plan.

1. Start with your essence. With your personal essence. What are
you really about? What right do you have to stand before
audiences sharing your wisdom? What have you to offer that is
unique and special? What sets you apart from all other experts
who speak? This is your core value. Identify and exploit your
core value. Until you do you're not ready for the big room, the
main stage, the general sessions or keynote slots.

2. Develop an hour of pure value. Principles and what-to's. Lace
it with a touch of humor. Include pauses to let your key ideas
sink in. Do your out-of-town tryouts, your shakedown cruise at
service clubs. Trim it down. Get the bugs out.

3. Create a couple of hours of how-to's. This is your concurrent
session. Be ready to expand this to whatever time length best
works for the clients you want to serve. To see if this will play
in Peoria, offer to present fund raisers for Chambers of Commerce
near your home. They promote. You present. You split the take 50-
50. They love this because it shovels cash into their treasury
while it served their community.

4. Now put on your marketing hat. Start to write articles
revealing your expertise. If you have case studies, before-and-
after tales of the difference your insights make, share them.
Discover how to do both inbound and outbound marketing. Market
relentlessly

5. Develop your one-sheet and your other marketing tools. Include
great letters of commendation: How it was before you came along
compared to how it is now. Glowing words of praise about the
outcomes you produce.

6. Design your Mission Statement. Make it magnificent. Better
yet, let it be transcendent. Allow it to be your guiding light,
your reason-to-be.

7. Energize your actions. Get behind your intentions with bulldog
tenacity. Believe wholly in what you're about. Back your belief
with fire in your belly. Be resolute about making yourself the
master of your personal universe.

Goals for Life......

#1. Everyone Is Important

During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a
pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through
the questions, until I read the last one: "What is the first name
of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was some kind of
joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall,
dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I
handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before
class ended, one student asked if the last question would count
toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely," said the professor. "In your
careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They
deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and
say "hello". I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her
name was Dorothy.

#2. Help Those In Need

One night, at 11:30 pm, an older African American woman was
standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a
lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately
needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next
car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of
in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety,
helped her get assistance and put her into a taxi cab. She seemed
to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him.
Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his
surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A
special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so much for
assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched
not only my clothes but also my spirits. Then you came along.
Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's
bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me
and unselfishly serving others." Sincerely, MRS. Nat King Cole.

#3. Always remember those who serve

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year
old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat a table. A waitress
put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream
sundae? " he asked. "Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The
little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the
coins in it. "Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he
inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the
waitress was growing impatient. "Thirty-five cents, she brusquely
replied." The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the
plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream,
put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the
ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came
back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed
neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels, and five pennies-
You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have
enough left to leave her a tip.

#4. Turn Obstacles Into Opportunities

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then
he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge
rock. Some of the King's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came
by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for
not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting
the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a
load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant
laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of
the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.
After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a
purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse
contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating
that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the
roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand.
Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

#5. Give Selflessly

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got
to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and
serious disease. Her only change of recovery appeared to be a
blood transfusion from her 5 year old brother, who had
miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the
antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the
situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he
would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him
hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and
saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion
progressed, he lay in bed next to this sister and smiled, as we
all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face
grew pale and his smile faded. He look up at the doctor and asked
with a trembling voice," Will I start to die right away?" Being
young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor, he thought he
was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to
save her.

-- Author Unknown