Life Reflections

· If you're too open minded, your brains will fall out.
· Age is a very high price to pay for maturity.
· Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, if he gets angry, he'll be a mile away - and barefoot.
· Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you a mechanic.
· Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
· A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
· A closed mouth gathers no feet.· If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before.
· My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
· If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.
· Always yield to temptation, because it may not pass your way again.
· Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.
· A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.
· Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.
· Men are from earth. Women are from earth, Deal with it.

GOOD KARMA

INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIFE
1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk..
2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson..
3. Follow the three R's:
* Respect for self,
* Respect for others, and
* Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.
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21 Things To Remember

1. No one can ruin your day without YOUR permission.
2. Most people will be about as happy, as they decide to be.
3. Others can stop you temporarily, but only you can do it permanently.
4. Whatever you are willing to put up with is exactly what you will have.
5. Success stops when you do.
6. When your ship comes in.... make sure you are willing to unload it.
7. You will never have it all together.
8. Life is a journey...not a destination. Enjoy the trip!
9. The biggest lie on the planet When I get what I want I will be happy.
10. The best way to escape your problem is to solve it.
11. I've learned that ultimately, 'takers' lose and 'givers' win.
12. Life's precious moments don't have value, unless they are shared.
13. If you don't start, it's certain you won't arrive.
14. We often fear the thing we want the most.
15. He or she who laughs......lasts.
16. Yesterday was the deadline for all complaints.
17. Look for opportunities...not guarantees.
18. Life is what's coming....not what was.
19. Success is getting up one more time.
20. Now is the most interesting time of all.
21. When things go wrong.....don't go with them.

3 Keys To Overcoming Problems

Are you stuck in a rut? Do you seem to have the same problems popping up time after time? What will it take to finally get you over your problems and into the abundant life? Here are three biblical principles to help you get out of whatever personal problems you’re going through and on the road to achieving the life of your dreams.Have you noticed that almost all of our problems stem from relationships? Either someone has hurt us or we lack relationships in our life, especially healthy ones. Sometimes other symptoms develop as a result of our hurt or isolation; such as addictions, depression, bitterness, anger, and loneliness. Then we get sidetracked working to resolve these symptoms instead of realizing there is a deeper underlying cause - that of unhealthy relationships.It has been discovered that when a person works on living their life according to God’s overall instructions, their problems get resolved as a by-product. So, when we work on having the following three key principles active in our life, then almost all of our problems get resolved.The first principle is: when you develop a strong, deep relationship with God, then you will know how to build loving relationships with others. It is only through our relationship with God that our deepest desire for unconditional love gets fulfilled. No other person can fulfill this need except God. Since God is love, He has the greatest capacity to provide us the love we so desperately search for. Since God never leaves us, we can stand firm in our relationship with Him. During our lifetime we will never fully uncover the depth of God’s love toward us. So we have a lifelong pursuit in this love relationship. How close we get to God is up to us!Once we experience God’s love revealed to us, then we can properly love others. We can quit expecting others to meet our deep need for love because we now receive that from God. Through our understanding of how God treats us (or doesn’t treat us) we learn how to properly interact with others. The second key principle is: to overcome our problems we must take 100% responsibility for our own life. We must stop blaming
others and making excuses for the way we act. Once we realize that we have a choice on how to act and react to situations, we gain control over the quality of our life. In order to move on in life and let go of our focus on our problems, we must learn how to act and react in a different manner. Many of our reactions to hurtful people are changed after God shows us His unconditional love. We realize that because God loves us even with all our mistakes, then we can learn to love others in the same way. God asks us to make the effort and He will provide His love through us to others. Now we’re on our way to developing healthy, godly relationships.Taking control of your life also means you must plan for your future, and that is where the next principle helps you.The third key principle is: when you find God’s unique purpose for your life, you have the motivation to keep you headed in the right direction and you discover the abundant life. God’s plan usually entails taking whatever you are passionate about and putting it into a life-long project whereby you use it to love and serve others. God created man to have an intimate relationship with Him, then to love others, and then to carry out the specific purpose he designed us for. While there are general guidelines on how God wants us to live and act, God also gives each of us a very personal goal for us to carry out. Since this vision includes loving and serving others, it is important that we have the first two key principles in place to enable us to adequately carry out God’s plan. With a proper understanding of God, His love and His plan, then we will be able to handle trials that come while serving the Lord. When you focus on implementing these three key biblical principles instead of dissecting every individual problem, you will get better results. Now that you know three areas to work on, get a pen and paper and begin to determine what these items will require of you in your daily living.

mayonnaise jar......and the coffee

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar......and the coffee. A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "Yes." The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. "Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf ball are the important things—your family, your children, your health, your friends, your favourite passions--things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else--the small stuff." "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. "Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand. "One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend." Have a Great Day!

THINGS YOU LEARN AS YOU "MATURE"

THINGS YOU LEARN AS YOU "MATURE" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
· I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is stalk them and hope they panic and give in.

· I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people are just assholes.
· I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and it only takes suspicion, not proof, to destroy it.

· I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to others - they are more screwed up than you think.

· I've learned that you can keep puking long after you think you're finished.
· I've learned that we are responsible for what we do, unless we are celebrities.
· I've learned that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades, and there had better be a lot of money to take its place.
· I've learned that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones who do.

· I've learned that we don't have to ditch bad friends, because their dysfunction makes us feel better about ourselves.

· I've learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon and all the less important ones just never go away.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: The 90/10 Principle

Have you read this before? Discover the 90/10 Principle. It will change your life (at least the way you react to situations). What is this principle?
10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react. What does this mean? We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us. We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane will be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%.
How? By your reaction. You cannot control a red light. But you can control your reaction. Don't let people fool you; YOU can control how you react.
Let's use an example.
You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just what happened. What happens when the next will be determined by how you react?
You curse. You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over.
She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt. Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus. Your spouse must leave immediately for work.
You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed limit. After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60 traffic fine away, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home, When you arrive home, you find small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter.
Why? Because of how you reacted in the morning. Why did you have a bad day? A) Did the coffee cause it? B) Did your daughter cause it? C) Did the policeman cause it? D) Did you cause it?
The answer is “D". You had no control over what happened with the coffee. How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day. Here is what could have and should have happened. Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say, "It's ok honey, you just need, to be more careful next time". Grabbing a towel you rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff. Your boss comments on how good the day you are having.
Notice the difference? Two different scenarios. Both started the same. Both ended different. Why? Because of how you REACTED. You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% was determined by your reaction.
Here are some ways to apply the 90/10 principle. If someone says something negative about you, don't be a sponge. Let the attack roll off like water on glass. You don't have to let the negative comment affect you! React properly and it will not ruin your day. A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired, getting stressed out etc.
How do you react if someone cuts you off in traffic? Do you lose your temper? Pound on the steering wheel? A friend of mine had the steering wheel fall off) Do you curse? Does your blood pressure skyrocket? Do you try and bump them? WHO CARES if you arrive ten seconds later at work? Why let the cars ruin your drive? Remember the 90/10 principle, and do not worry about it.
You are told you lost your job. Why lose sleep and get irritated? It will work out. Use your worrying energy and time into finding another job.
The plane is late; it is going to mangle your schedule for the day. Why take out your frustration on the flight attendant? She has no control over what is going on. Use your time to study, get to know the other passenger.
Why get stressed out? It will just make things worse. Now you know the 90-10 principle. Apply it and you will be amazed at the results. You will lose nothing if you try it.
The 90-10 principle is incredible. Very few know and apply this principle. The result? Millions of people are suffering from undeserved stress, trials, problems and heartache. We all must understand and apply the 90/10 principle.
Author: Stephen R. Covey (Management Guru)

Little Boy

I read this on someone's blog, I found this touching so I thought it best to put up here too.....This is a true story which happened in the States. A man came out of his home to admire his new truck. To his puzzlement, his three-year-old son was happily hammering dents into the shiny paint of the truck. The man ran to his son, knocked him away, hammered the little boy's hands into pulp as punishment. When the father calmed down, he rushed his son to the hospital. Although the doctor tried desperately to save the crushed bones, he finally had to amputate the fingers from both the boy's hands. When the boy woke up from the surgery & saw his bandaged stubs, he innocently said, "Daddy, I'm sorry about your truck." Then he asked, "but when are my fingers going to grow back?" The father went home & committed suicide. Think about this story the next time someone steps on your feet or u wish to take revenge. Think first before u lose your patience with someone u love. Trucks can be repaired.. Broken bones & hurt feelings often can't. Too often we fail to recognize the difference between the person and the performance. We forget that forgiveness is greater than revenge. People make mistakes. We are allowed to make mistakes. But the actions we take while in a rage will haunt us forever