Who You Are Makes a Difference

Just Breathe

The following post is dedicated to

Marie Louise Adams Henrie Fuertes 1976 ~ 2011

and

Christopher R. Thomas 1973 ~ 2011

Two young people gone long before their time.

Gone on different days, for different reasons.

Friends of my kids.

JUST BREATHE

Yes, I understand that every life must end, uh-huh,

As we sit alone, I know someday we must go, uh-huh,

Oh I'm a lucky man, to count on both hands

the ones I love,

Some folks just have one,

yeah, others, they've got none, uh-huh

Stay with me, Let's just breathe.

Practiced are my sins,

never gonna let me win, uh-huh,

Under everything, just another human being, uh-huh,

Yeh, I don't wanna hurt, there's so much in this world

to make me bleed.

Stay with me,

You're all I see.

Did I say that I need you?

Did I say that I want you?

Oh, if I didn't I'm a fool you see. . .

No one knows this more than me.

As I come clean.

I wonder everyday

as I look upon your face, uh-huh,

Everything you gave

And nothing you would take, uh-huh,

Nothing you would take

Everything you gave...

Did I say that I need you?

Oh, did I say that I want you?

Oh, if I didn't I'm a fool you see,

No one knows this more than me.

As I come clean, ah-ah...

Nothing you would take,..

Everything you gave.

Love you till I die,..

Meet you on the other side.

This touching comment was left on YouTube after the above song:

"i'm 92 years of age and i try to keep up with the younger generation but when i found this song i cried because it reminds me of my wife who passed away 6 years ago at the age of 89 we had been together for 59 years this song just warms my heart. hope your happy in heaven Ann.... I love you so much.... "

Life Handbook 2011

Health:

1. Drink plenty of water.

2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.

3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy

5. Make time to pray.

6. Play more games.

7. Read more books than you did in 2010.

8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

9. Sleep for at least 7 hours a night.

10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:

11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

12. Don't think about negative things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.

14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.

16. Dream more while you are awake.

17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

23. Laugh more.

24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:

25. Call your family often.

26. Each day give something good to others.

27. Forgive everyone for everything.

28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.

29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

30. What other people think of you is none of your business.

31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will.  Stay in touch.

Life:

32. Do the right thing!

33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

34. GOD heals everything.

35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..

36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

37. The best is yet to come.

38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.

39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.


[Someone probably e-mailed this to you. If so, read it again. It's good to read every day.]

Something To Think About . . .

THE SITUATION

In Washington, D.C., at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.

About 4 minutes later:

The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

At 6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At 10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

At 45 minutes:

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.


No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:

• In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
• If so, do we stop to appreciate it?
• Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:


If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . .

How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?

The Cracked Pot

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water..

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.

But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.

'I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.'

The old woman smiled, 'Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?'

'That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.'

For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.

Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.'

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.

You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

SO, to all of us cracked pots, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!

How To Plant Your Garden

First,

come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses. . .

Then plant a GARDEN of DAILY LIVING . . .

Plant 3 rows of PEAS:

1. Peace of mind

2. Peace of heart

3. Peace of soul

Plant 4 rows of SQUASH:

1. Squash gossip

2. Squash indifference

3. Squash grumbling

4. Squash selfishness

Plant 4 rows of LETTUCE:

1. Lettuce be faithful

2. Lettuce be kind

3. Lettuce be patient

4. Lettuce really love one another

No GARDEN is complete without TURNIPS:

1. Turnip for meetings

2. Turnip for service

3. Turnip to help one another

To Conclude OUR GARDEN We Must Have THYME:

1. Thyme for each other

2. Thyme for family

3. Thyme for friends


Water Freely with Patience

And Cutivate with Love.

There isn't much fruit in your GARDEN,

Because you REAP what you SOW.

Life is Precious

"Make the most of yourself, for

that is all there is of

you."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson