Thought 30DEC2009

ANGER PREVENTION KIT
A match stick has a head, but it does not have a brain.

Therefore, whenever there is a little friction, it flares up immediately. Now, at times the effects of this flaring up can be devastating as it can engulf a whole lot of many things and play havoc and cause destruction.

We have a lesson to learn from this tiny match-stick. All of us have heads. And unlike the match-stick, we have brains as well. Therefore, our wisdom lies in not reacting on impulse - a habit of great importance when managing people.
extracted from 'Management Thoughts' by Promod Batra, Golden Book Centre Sdn Bhd, reprinted 1995
Nyeng mu a hukbiten ta isek ni tatumuk / Grasp the opportunity because the bed bugs will carry and hide them inside the floor - Ivatan Proverb

Thought 29DEC2009

MY DAUGHTER, MY TEACHER
Children teach us something every day. As a parent, I have learned to expect this.. Yet sometimes the extent of my daughter teaches surprises me. When Marissa was six months old, it seemed she was always looking up. As I gazed upward with her, I learned the magic of leaves dancing on trees and the awesome size of the tail of a jet. At eight months she was forever looking down. I learned that each stone is different, sidewalk cracks make intricate designs and blades of grass come in variety of greens. Then she turned 11 months and began saying "Wow!" She spoke this marvelous words for anything new and wonderful to her, such as the assortment of toys she spotted in the pediatrician's office of the gathering of clouds before a storm. She whispered, "Oh, wow!" for things that really impressed her, like a brisk breeze on her face or a flock of geese honking overhead. Then there was the ultimate in "Wow," mouthing of the word with no sound, reserved for truly awesome events. These included the sunset on a lake after a magnificent day in Minnesota and fireworks in the summer sky.

She has taught me many ways to say "I love you." She said it well one morning when she was 14 months old. We were cuddling. She buried her head in my shoulder and with a sigh of contentment, said "Happy." Another day (during her terrific twos) she pointed to a beautiful model on the cover of a magazine and said, "Is that you, Mom?" Most recently my now three-year-old walked into the kitchen while I was cleaning up after supper and said, "Can I help?" Shortly after this she put her hand on my arm and said, "Mom, if you were a kid, we'd be friends." At moments like this, all I can say is, "Oh, wow!"
Janet S Meyer - extracted from 'Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul', Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne and Marci Shimoff, Health Communications, Inc., 1997.
A visitor comes with ten blessings, eats one, and leaves nine - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 24DEC2009

JOSH AND HIS JAG
About ten years ago a young and a very successful executive named Josh was travelling down a Chicago neighbourhood street. He was travelling a bit fast in his sleek, black, sixteen-cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old. He watched for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child darted out, but a brick sailed and - whump - smashed into the Jag's shiny side door. SCREECH! Brakes slammed. Gears pounded into reverse and tires madly spun the Jaguar back to the spot from where the brick was thrown. Josh jumped out of the car, grabbed the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, "Just what was that about? Who do you think you are?" Building up a head of steam he continued, "That's my new Jag; that brick is going to cost you plenty. Why did you throw it?"

"Please ... please, mister, I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do," pleaded the youngster. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop." Tears were dripping down the boy's chin as he pointed around the parked car. "It's my brother, mister," he said. "He fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up." Sobbing, the boy asked the executive, "Would you please help him back into his wheelchair? He's too heavy for me." Moved beyond words, the young executive tried desperately to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He helped the youngster upright the wheelchair and the two of them lifted his brother back into the chair. It was a long, long walk back to the sleek, black, sixteen-cylinder Jaguar XKE - a long and slow walk. Now, Josh never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. It reminded him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention.
Josh Ridker - extracted from 'a 5th portion of Chicken Soup for the Soul', Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, Health Communications, Inc., 1998
Ability has no school - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 23DEC2009

GRANDMA RUBY
Being a mother of two very active boys, ages seven and one, I am sometimes worried about their making a shambles of my carefully decorated home. In their innocence and play, they occasionally knock over my favourite lamp or upset my well-designed arrangements. In these moments when nothing feels sacred, I remember the lesson I learned from my wise mother-in-law, Ruby. Ruby is the mother of 6 and grandmother of 13. She is the embodiment of gentleness, patience and love. One Christmas, all children and grandchildren were gathered as usual at Ruby's home. Just the month before, Ruby had bought beautiful new white carpeting after living with the 'same old carpet' for over 25 years. She was overjoyed with the new look it gave her home.

My brother-in-law, Arnie, had just distributed his gifts for all the nieces and nephews - prized homemade honey from his beehives. They were excited. But as fate would have it, eight-year-old Sheena spilled her tub of honey on Grandma's new carpeting and trailed it throughout the entire downstairs of the house. Crying, Sheena ran into the kitchen and into Grandma Ruby's arms. "Grandma, I've spilled my honey all over your brand new carpet." Grandma Ruby knelt down, looked tenderly into Sheena's tearful eyes and said, "Don't worry sweetheart, we can get you more honey."
Lynn Robertson - extracted from 'Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul', Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne & Marci Shimoff, Health Communications, Inc., 1996.
Gebel ma gebel ma jiltaqa', izda wicc ma wicc jiltaqa' / Mountain does not meet mountain, but a face meets another face - Maltese proverb

Thought 22DEC2009

THE OBSTACLE IN OUR PATH
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 kingdom'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 big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along, carrying a load of vegetables. On 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.

As 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 others never understand : Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.
Brian Cavanaugh - extracted from 'A cup of chicken soup for the soul', Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Barry Spilchuk, Health Communications, Inc., 1996
A bad name is like a stigma - South Sotho Proverb

Thought 21DEC2009

A SIMPLE GESTURE
Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles. Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden. As they walked Mark discovered the boy's name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, that he was having a lot of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend.

They arrived at Bill's home first and Mark was invited for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then Mark went home. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years. Finally the long awaited senior year came, and three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.

Bill reminded him of the day years ago when they had first met. "Do you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?" asked Bill. "You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn't want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had stored away some of my mother's sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide. But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up my books that day, you did a lot more. You saved my life."
John W Schlatter - extracted from 'Chicken Soup for the Soul, Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen,Health Communication,Inc, 1993.
Cuanto menos se diga, mejor / menos hay que rectificar / Least said, soonest mended - Spanish Proverb
!!! BE GOOD - DO GOOD - THINK GOOD - FEEL GOOD - LIVE GOOD !!!

Thought 17DEC2009

WRITE DOWN YOUR FIVE MOST STUBBORN POSITIONS AND SEE IF YOU CAN SOFTEN THEM
The first time I tried this strategy, I was stubborn that I insisted that I wasn't stubborn! Over time, as I have worked toward becoming a gentler person, I have found it far easier to see where I'm being stubborn. Here are a few examples from my clients : "Perhaps who aren't stressed are lazy." "My way is the only way." "Men aren't good listeners." "Women spend too much money." "Children are too much work." "People in business don't care about anything except money." You can see that the list itself is potentially endless. The point here isn't the specifics of what you are stubborn about but rather that you hold on so tightly to any given idea you might have.

It doesn't make you weak to soften your positions. In fact it makes you stronger. I have a male client who was adamant, to the point of being obnoxious about it, that his wife spent too much money. As he relaxed a little and noticed his own rigidity, he discovered something that he's now a little embarrassed about, but laughs at. He found out that, in reality, he spent more discretionary money on himself than his wife spent on herself! His objectivity had become muddled by his own rigid belief. As he has become wiser and gentler, his marriage has improved immensely. Rather than resenting his wife for something she wasn't even doing, he now appreciates her restraint. She, in turn, feels his new acceptance and appreciation and loves him more than before.
Richard Carlson, PhD - Extracted from his book "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff ... and it's all small stuff", Hyperion, 1997
El que algo quiere, algo le cuesta / He that would have the fruit must climb the tree - Spanish Proverb

Thought 15DEC2009

BE HAPPY WHERE YOU ARE
Sadly, many of us continually postpone our happiness - indefinitely. It's not that we consciously set out to do so, but that we keep convincing ourselves, "Someday I'll be happy." We tell ourselves we'll be happy when our bills are paid, when we get out of school, get our first job, a promotion. We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough - we'll be more content when they are. After that, we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire. And on and on and on!

Meanwhile, life keeps moving forward. The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. One of my favourite quotes comes from Alfred D' Souza. He said, "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, some thing to be got through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served. a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life." This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.
Richard Carlson, PhD - Extracted from his book "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff ... and it's all small stuff", Hyperion, 1997
Study from new books but from old teachers - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 14DEC2009

WHAT IS SUCCESS?
To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty; To find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived; This is to have succeeded.
Ralph Waldo Emerson - extracted from 'Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul', Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Kimberly Kirberger, Health Communications, Inc., 1997
Amigo y vino, el mas antiguo / Old friends and old wine and old gold are best - Spanish Proverb

Thought 11DEC2009

FOREVER, FOR ALWAYS AND NO MATTER WHAT!
Our daughter Ariana moved from baby to toddler with her share of the usual bumps and scrapped knees. On these occasions, I'd hold out my arms and say, "Come see me." She'd crawl into my lap, we'd cuddle and I'd say, "Are you my girl?" Between tears she'd nod her head yes. Then I'd say, "My sweetie, beetie Ariana girl?" She'd nod her head, this time with a smile. And I'd end with, "And I love you forever, for always and no matter what!" With a giggle and a hug, she was off and ready for her next challenge.

Ariana is now four-and-a-half. We've continued "come see me" time for scrapped knees and bruised feelings, for "good mornings" and "good nights."A few weeks ago, I had "one of those days." I was tired, cranky and overextended taking care of a four-year-old, twin teenage boys and a home business. Each phone call or knock at the door brought another full day's worth of work that needed to be done immediately! I reached my breaking point in the afternoon and went into my room for a good cry.

Ariana soon came to my side and said, "Come see me." She curled up beside me, put her sweet little hands on my damp cheeks and said, "Are you my mommy?" Between my tears I nodded my head yes. "My sweetie, beetie mommy?" I nodded my head and smiled. "And I love you forever, for always and no matter what!" A giggle, a big hug and I was off and ready for my next challenge.
Jeanette Lisefski - extracted from 'Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul', Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne and Marci Shimoff, Health Communications, Inc., 1997
What the heart thinks, the mouth speaks - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 10DEC2009

DON'T CRY OVER SPILT SOUP
An old Chinese farmer was walking along the road with a stick across his shoulder. Hanging from the stick was a pot filled with soybean soup. He stumbled and the jar fell off and broke into pieces. The old farmer kept going, unperturbed. A man rushed up and said excitedly, "Don't you know that your jar broke?" "Yes," the old farmer answered, "I know. I heard it fall." "It's broken; the soup is gone - what can I do about it?" he asked.
extracted from 'Management Thoughts' by Promod Batra, Golden Book Centre Sdn Bhd, reprinted 1995
A thousand friends are too few; one enemy is one too many - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 09DEC2009

THEN WHAT?
Henry Ford always bought flowers for his wife from a shop every Friday evening. Once, he asked the old florist, "Gentleman, you have a good shop. Why not open a branch?" Florist, "Sir, then what?" Henry Ford, "You will then have several branches in Detroit." Florist, "Sir, then what?" Henry Ford, angrily, "Damn it, you will then be able to relax." Florist, "That is what I am doing even now." Ford walked away sheepishly.
extracted from 'Management Thoughts' by Promod Batra, Golden Book Centre Sdn Bhd, reprinted 1995
To speak is to sow; to listen is to reap - Kurdish Proverb
Anybody wants to explore with me, possibility of traveling on : "Qinghai-Tibet Railway" - the highest railway in the world, meandering through the roof of the world : Beijing (China) to Lhasa (Tibet,) 4 days and 3 nites !!!

Thought 08DEC2009

A PASSIONATE FLIGHT ATTENDANT
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome aboard United Airlines flight number 548, direct from Palm Springs to Chicago." Wait a minute! My mind starts racing. I know it's early in the morning, 6.50 am to be exact, but I was sure this flight went to Denver. "Now that I got your attention," the voice continues, "my name is Annamarie and I'll be your first flight attendant today. Actually, we will be en route to Denver, so if you were not planning to go there, now would be a good time to get off the plane."

I breath a sigh of relied as Annamarie continues: "Safety is important to us, so please take out the safety card in front of you and acquaint yourself with it. Come on, everybody, take out those brochures and wave them in the air!" Seventy percent of the passengers chuckle and do as they are told, 20 percent aren't awake yet and the other 10 percent are sourpusses. "In the event that we mistakenly land in a body of water, a decision must be made. You can either pray and swim like crazy, or use your seat as a floatation device."

About half of the 20 percent start to emerge from their stupor. "We will be serving breakfast in flight this morning. On the menu I have eggs Benedict and fruit crepes - not really, but they sound good to me. However, the flight attendants will be offering you a choice of an omelet or cold cereal." By now, even a few of the sourpusses are venturing a smile. Thanks for an enjoyable flight, Annamarie. And thank God for flight attendants who are passionate about their jobs!
Glen Van Ekeren - extracted from 'Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work', Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Maida Rogerson, Martin Rutte & Tim Clauss, Heaalth Communications, Inc., 1996.
Wish well, be well - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 07DEC2009

WHAT MATTERS MOST
I'd watched this old man for many months, with tattered clothes most worn. I'd seen the look on many a face, as each looked at him with scorn. He did not hold a sign up, on the corner where he stood Begging for food or money, like others like him would. And each day that I'd see him, I'd glimpse into his eyes. He'd catch my gaze and look away, and I'd often wonder why... I began to think to myself, what life he'd lived before. A beggar not was this man I saw. Was he rich or feigned be poor?

One day I noticed he wasn't there, that corner, his familiar place. And I vowed that if I saw him again, I'd speak to him face to face. As days went by I forgot this man, this man who'd seen much hate. He must have been just another bum, another corner would be his fate. One day I walked past his spot, on my way to meet a friend. And saw him right in front of me, my vow this day I'd spend. "Sir, I vowed I'd talk to you, if ever I saw you here. And ask you what your life had been, throughout your many years."

"Son", he said, "I know you, I've seen your face before I'm not a bum as you probably think, I'm rich and not poor." "If rich why do you dress this way, can you explain this to me? The rich own cars and have big homes, they stand not on the street." He reached into his pocket, and showed me a picture of his wife who'd died one year ago, the one he dearly loved. "It matters not how big the home, I have everything I need. What matters most in life my son, is that which we can't see."
Brian G. Jett - Got this from Wendy A Rodrigues of AFFIN Bank, many many many moons ago
No matter where you go, your destiny follows you - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 04DEC2009

THE ART OF CHANGING YOURSELF
Life is constantly pounding you from the outside with millions of hammer blows, but you have the last word as to how those blows will change you. Man alone, of all creatures of earth, can change his own pattern. Man alone is architect of his destiny. William James declared that the greatest revolution in his generation was the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives. History and literature are full of examples of the miracle of inner change - Paul on the Damascus Road... Ernest and the Great Stone Face... the hunchback prince, of the Persian story, who became straight and tall by standing each day before a statue of himself made straight...

You cannot climb uphill by thinking downhill thoughts. If your world is gloomy and hopeless, it is because you are gloomy and hopeless. YOU MUST CHANGE YOUR MIND TO CHANGE YOUR WORLD. Change demands self-discipline. Command yourself and make yourself do what needs to be done. Change requires the substituting of new habits for old. You mould your character and your future by your thoughts and acts. Change can be advanced by associating with men and women with whom you can walk among the stars. Meet, mingle and make friends with those who have the upward urge.

Change can be inspired by selecting your own spiritual ancestors from among the great of all the ages. You can practice the kindliness of Lincoln, the devotion of Schweitzer, the vision of Franklin... Change can be achieved by changing your environment. Let go of lower things and reach for the higher. Surround yourself with the best in books, music and art. Listen to the greatest speakers. Hang on the walls of your home portraits of the men you most admire. Change can be realized through conscious evolution. Moment by moment, day by day, concentrate on becoming the man you want to be. Change can be accomplished most of all through the power of prayer, because with God all things are possible.
WILFERD PETERSON - Got this from Vijayakumaran of AFFIN Bank, many many many moons ago
Many will show you the way once your cart has overturned - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 03DEC2009

LEGACY OF AN ADOPTED CHILD
Once there were two women who never knew each other.
One you do not remember, the other you call Mother.
Two different lives shaped to make you one.
One became your guiding star. The other became your sun.
The first one gave you life and the second taught you to live it.
The first gave you a need for love, the second was there to give it.
One gave you a nationality, the other gave you a name.
One gave you a talent, the other gave you aim.
One gave you emotions, the other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile, the other dried your tears.
One sought for you a home that she could not provide,
The other prayed for a child and her hope was not denied.
And now you ask me through your tears.
The age-old question, unanswered through the years.
Heredity or environment. Which are you a product of?
Neither, my darling. Neither. Just two different kinds of love.
Author Unknown - Extracted from 'A 3rd Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul', Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, Health Communications Inc., 1996
See with your mind; hear with your heart - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 02DEC2009

THE ART OF HAPPINESS
You can't pursue happiness and catch it. Happiness comes upon you unawares while you are helping others. The philosophy of happiness is pointedly expressed in the old Hindu proverb, which reads: "Help thy brother's boat across, and lo! thine own has reached the shore." Happiness is like perfume - you can't spray it on others without getting some on yourself. Happiness does not depend upon a full pocketbook, but upon a mind full of rich thoughts and a heart full of rich emotions. Happiness does not depend upon what happens outside of you but on what happens inside of you; it is measured by the spirit in which you meet the problems of life.

Happiness is a state of mind. Lincoln once said: "We are as happy as we make up our minds to be." Happiness doesn't come from doing what we like to do but from liking what we have to do. Happiness comes from putting our hearts in our work and doing it with joy and enthusiasm. Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the after-glow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best. Happiness grows out of harmonious relationships with others, based on attitudes of good will, tolerance, understanding and love.

Happiness is found in little things: a baby's smile, a letter from a friend, the song of a bird, a light in the window. Happiness comes from keeping constructively busy; creative hobbies are the keys to happy leisure hours and retirement years. The master secret of happiness is to meet the challenge of each new day with the serene faith that: "All things work together for good to them that love GOD."
Wilferd Peterson
It is more difficult to contend with oneself than with the world - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 01DEC2009

THE SCAR
A little boy invited his mother to attend his elementary school’s first teacher-parent conference. To the little boy’s dismay, she said she would go. This would be the first time that his classmates and teacher met his mother and he was embarrassed by her appearance. Although she was a beautiful woman, there was a severe scar that covered nearly the entire right side of her face. The boy never wanted to talk about why or how she got the scar. At the conference, the people were impressed by the kindness and natural beauty of his mother despite the scar, but the little boy was still embarrassed and hid himself from everyone. He did, however, get within earshot of a conversation between his mother and his teacher, and heard them speaking.

"How did you get the scar on your face?" the teacher asked. The mother replied, "When my son was a baby, he was in a room that caught on fire. Everyone was too afraid to go in because the fire was out of control, so I went in. As I was running toward his crib, I saw a beam coming down and I placed myself over him trying to shield him. I was knocked unconscious but fortunately, a fireman came in and saved both of us." She touched the burned side of her face. "This scar will be permanent, but to this day, I have never regretted doing what I did." At this point, the little boy came out running towards his mother with tears in his eyes. He hugged her and felt an overwhelming sense of the sacrifice that his mother had made for him. He held her hand tightly for the rest of the day.
By Lih Yuh Kuo - from A 4th Course of Chicken Soup for the Soul Copyright 1997 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Hanoch McCarty & Meladee McCarty
Cuando menos piensa el galgo, salta la liebre / Things often happen when you least expect them to - Spanish Proverb

Thought 30NOV2009

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE ADOPTED
Teacher Debbie Moon's first-graders were discussing a picture of a family. One little boy in the picture had different colour hair than the other family members.

One child suggested that he was adopted and a little girl named Jocelyn Jay said, "I know all about adoptions because I'm adopted."

"What does it mean to be adopted?" asked another child.

"It means," said Jocelyn, "that you grew in your mother's heart instead of her tummy."
George Dolan - Extracted from 'A 3rd Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul', Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, Health Communications Inc., 1996
El saber no ocupa lugar / One can never know too much - Spanish Proverb

Thought 26NOV2009

ON FAILURE
I'd rather be a failure at something I'm in love with than a success at something I hate. Fortunately, I'm doing well in a business I love. I've always been in love with show business, and I still am. I love it today as much as I did for the 20 years I flopped in it.
George Burns (1896-1996), Entertainer - Cited in BITS & PIECES
Better a calf of one's own than a jointly owned cow - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 25NOV2009

DEVELOP YOUR COMPASSION
Nothing helps us build our perspective more than developing compassion for others. Compassion is a sympathetic feeling. It involves the willingness to put yourself in someone else's shoes, to take focus off yourself and to imagine what it's like to be in someone else's predicament and simultaneously, to feel love for that person. It's the recognition that other people's problems, their pain and frustrations , are every bit as real as our own - often far worse. In recognizing this fact and trying to offer some assistance, we open our own hearts and greatly enhance our sense of gratitude.

Compassion is something you can develop with practice. It involves two things: intention and action. Intention simply means you remember to open your heart to others; you expand what and who matters, from yourself to other people. Action is simply the "what you do about it." You might donate a little money or time (or both) on a regular basis to a cause near to your heart. Or perhaps you'll offer a beautiful smile and genuine "hello" to the people you meet on the street. It's not so important what you do, just that you do something. As Mother Teresa reminds us, "We cannot do great things on this earth. We can only do small things with great love."

Compassion develops your sense of gratitude by taking your attention off all the little things that most of us have learned to take too seriously. When you take time, often, to reflect on the miracle of life - the miracle that you are even able to read this - the gift of sight, of love and all the rest, it can help to remind you that many of the things that you think of as "big stuff" are really just "small stuff" that you are turning into big stuff.
Richard Carlson, PhD - Extracted from his book "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff ... and it's all small stuff", Hyperion, 1997
Nunca dejes camino por vereda / camino viejo por camino nuevo / We would be better off to have than to have coming - Spanish Proverb

Thought 24NOV2009

SPECIAL ORDERS
Horror gripped the heart of the World War I soldier as he saw his life-long friend fall in battle. Caught in a trench with continuous gunfire whizzing over his head, the soldier asked his lieutenant if he might go out into the "No Man's Land" between the trenches to bring his fallen comrade back. "You can go." said the Lieutenant, "but I don't think it will be worth it. Your friend is probably dead and you may throw your own life away." The Lieutenant's words didn't matter and the soldier went anyway.

Miraculously he managed to reach his friend, hoist him onto his shoulder and bring him back to their company's trench. As the two of them tumbled in together to the bottom of the trench, the officer checked the wounded soldier, then looked kindly at his friend. "I told you it wouldn't be worth it," he said. "Your friend is dead and you are mortally wounded." "It was worth it though, sir," the soldier said. "How do you mean, 'worth it'?" responded the Lieutenant. "Your friend is dead!"

"Yes sir," the private answered. "But it was worth it because when I got to him, he was still alive and I had the satisfaction of hearing him say, 'Jim, I knew you'd come."
From This Little Light of Mine - extracted from 'A cup of chicken soup for the soul', Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Barry Spilchuk, Health Communications, Inc., 1996
Haz el bien sin mirar a quien / y no acates / mires a quien / Do what is right, come what may - Spanish Proverb

Thought 23NOV2009

I LIKE MYSELF NOW
I had a great feeling of relief when I began to understand that a youngster needs more than just subject matter. I know mathematics well and I teach it well. I used to think that was all I need to do. Now I teach children, not math. I accept that fact that I can only succeed partially with some of them. When I don't have to know all the answers, I seemed to have more answers than when I tried to be the expert. The youngsters who really made me understand this was Eddie. I asked him one day why he thought he was doing so much better than last year. He gave meaning to my whole new orientation. "It's because I like myself now when I'm with you," he said.
A teacher; quoted by Everett Shostrom in Man, The Manipulator - extracted from "Chicken Soup for the Soul', Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen, Health Communications, Inc., 1993.
Murmurador a la oreja, antes place que molesta / Where there's whispering, there's lying - Spanish Proverb

Thought 20NOV2009

JUST THE WAY YOU ARE
My friend Mark Tucker produces and delivers multi-media slide presentations to audience across the country. One night, following one of shows on the East Coast, a woman came up to him and said, "You know, you really should be using my son's music in your show." So Mark started to give her the usual rap. First, her son should make a demo tape. It didn't have to be professional, he explained. In fact, her son could just go into his bedroom and play some simple chords on his guitar - just enough to give Mark an idea of the type of music he played. After he had explained the whole process, the woman gave him a funny look and said, "Well, my son is Billy Joel."

As soon as he had recovered from the shock, Mark quickly assured her that her son would not need to send a demo tape! He then listened as this woman urged him to consider using one particular song her son had written. She felt it contained a positive message about self-worth that would fit Mark's work beautifully. And she went on to describe how the seeds of that song had been planted in early childhood. As a young boy, she explained, Billy Joel often wanted to be someone else, someone different from who he was. It seems he was teased a lot because he was shorter than the rest of the kids. It was common for him to come home from school or play and complain that he wasn't good enough. And he truly believed that if he could be just a little taller, then he'd be okay.

His mother, of course, never believed for a minute that her son was anything less than perfect. So every time he expressed something negative about himself, she said to him, "Don't worry - it doesn't matter. You don't have to be like anyone else because you're already perfect. We're all unique, we're all different. And you, too, have something wonderful to share with the world. I love you just the way you are." Remember that old expression about words coming back to haunt you? In this case the words of a mother who unconditionally loved her son came back many years later in the form of a song. You see, Billy Joel grew up, he learned who he was and he found his dream of creating music for the world. And millions of people got to hear with their hearts, as his mother did, the words of his Grammy Award-winning song : Don't go changin'... to try and please me ... I love you just the way you are
Jennifer Read Hawtrhorne - extracted from 'Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul', Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne & Marci Shimoff, Health Communications, Inc., 1996
Quien hace la ley hace la trampa / Every law has its loophole - Spanish Proverb

Thought 19NOV2009

SECRETS OF BEING VERY HAPPY (3 of 3)
(14) The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.
(15) Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched and those who have tried. For only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives.
(16) The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past, you can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
(17) When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling - live your life so that when you die, you're smiling and everyone around you is crying.
Source Unknown - Got this from Puan Norazlina Amran of AFFIN Bank, many many many moons ago
No hay dos sin tres / Misfortunes always come in threes - Spanish Proverb

Thought 18NOV2009

SECRETS OF BEING VERY HAPPY (2 of 3)
(7) It takes a minute to have a crush on someone, an hour to like someone and a day to love someone - but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.
(8) Don't go for looks; it can deceive; don't go for wealth - even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile coz' only a smile makes a dark day seem bright. Hope you find that person.
(9) Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be cuz you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want in life.
(10) May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to make you happy.
(11) Always put yourself in other's shoes. if you feel that it hurts you, it probably does hurt the person, too.
(12) A careless word may kindle strife; a cruel word may wreck a life; a timely word may level stress; a loving word may heal and bless.
(13) The beginning of friendship is to let those we consider friend be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them with our own image - otherwise, we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.
Source Unknown - Got this from Puan Norazlina Amran of AFFIN Bank, many many many moons ago
Consejo no pedido, consejo mal oido / Never give advice unasked - Spanish Proverb

Thought 17NOV2009

SECRETS OF BEING VERY HAPPY (1 of 3)
(1) Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the right one so that when we finally meet the right person, we should know how to be grateful for that gift.
(2) A sad thing about life is that when you meet someone who means a lot to you only to find out in the end that it was never bound to be and you just have to let go.
(3) When one door of happiness closes, another opens but often we look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one which has been opened for us.
(4) The best kind of friend is the one you could sit on a porch, swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like that was the best conversation you've had.
(5) Its' true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.
(6) Never say goodbye when you still want to try - never give up when you still feel you can take it.
Source Unknown - Got this from Puan Norazlina Amran of AFFIN Bank, many many many moons ago
El mayor aborrecimiento, en el amor tiene su cimiento / The greatest hate springs from the greatest love - Spanish Proverb

Thought 16NOV2009

EXCELLENCE
Some people may have greatness thrust upon them. Very few have excellence thrust upon them. They achieve it. They do not achieve it unwittingly, by doing what comes naturally and they don't stumble into it in the course of amusing themselves. All excellence involves discipline and tenacity of purpose.
John Gardner - Extracted from 'Speaker's Sourcebook II', Glen Van Ekeren, Prentice Hall, 1994.
La verdad a medias es mentira verdadera / Half the truth is often a whole lie - Spanish Proverb

Thought 12NOV2009

CHOOSING CHOICES CAREFULLY
We are who we are today because of the choices we made yesterday. Likewise, tomorrow will become the result of today's choices. Mary Crowley, successful businessperson and author, says this about choices. "We are free up to the point of choice, then the choice controls the chooser."

I am told the Canadian Northlands experience only two seasons, winter and July. As the back roads begin to thaw, they become muddy and vehicles travelling through the backcountry leave deep ruts. The ground freezes hard during the winter months and the highway ruts become part of the travelling challenges. For vehicles entering this underdeveloped area during the winter, there is a sign which reads, "Driver, please choose carefully which rut you drive in, because you'll be in it for the next 20 miles."

Choose carefully the path your life takes. Once you choose, your choices will control you.
Extracted from 'Speaker's Sourcebook II', Glen Van Ekeren, Prentice Hall, 1994
La perdiz por el pico se pierde / If you talk too much you're likely to give yourself away - Spanish Proverb

Thought 11NOV2009

BEND, DON'T BREAK
One of my fondest memories as a child is going by the river and sitting idly on the bank. There I would enjoy the peace and quiet, watch the water rush downstream, and listen to the chirps of birds and the rustling of leaves in the trees. I would also watch the bamboo trees bend under pressure from the wind and watch them return gracefully to their upright or original position after the wind had died down.

When I think about the bamboo tree's ability to bounce back or return to it's original position, the word resilience comes to mind. When used in reference to a person this word means the ability to readily recover from shock, depression or any other situation that stretches the limits of a person's emotions. Have you ever felt like you are about to snap? Have you ever felt like you are at your breaking point? Thankfully, you have survived the experience to live to talk about it.

During the experience you probably felt a mix of emotions that threatened your health. You felt emotionally drained, mentally exhausted and you most likely endured unpleasant physical symptoms. Life is a mixture of good times and bad times, happy moments and unhappy moments. The next time you are experiencing one of those bad times or unhappy moments that take you close to your breaking point, bend but don't break. Try your best not to let the situation get the best of you.

A measure of hope will take you through the unpleasant ordeal. With hope for a better tomorrow or a better situation, things may not be as bad as they seem to be. The unpleasant ordeal may be easier to deal with if the end result is worth having. If the going gets tough and you are at your breaking point, show resilience. Like the bamboo tree, bend, but don't break!
Found at: Weekly Thought. Got this from Wendy A Rodrigues of AFFIN Bank (many many many moons ago)
Hay ropa tendida / Walls have ears - Spanish Proverb

Thought 10NOV2009

ON EXCELLENCE
Desire is the key to motivation, but it's the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek.
Mario Andretti - Extracted from 'Speaker's Sourcebook II', Glen Van Ekeren, Prentice Hall, 1994
El remedio puede ser peor que la enfermedad / Sometimes the remedy is worse than the disease - Spanish Proverb

Thought 09NOV2009

ON COURAGE
Courage... is nothing less than the power to overcome danger, misfortune, fear, injustice, while continuing to affirm inwardly that life with all its sorrows is good; that everything is meaningful even if in a sense beyond our understanding; and that there is always tomorrow.
Dorothy Thompson (1894 – 1961), Journalist - Cited in BITS & PIECES
Los trabajos vienen al trote y se van al paso / Mischief comes by the pound and goes away by the ounce - Spanish Proverb

Thought 06NOV2009

WINNING
Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all time thing. You don't win once in a while, you don't do things right once in a while ... you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit.

Unfortunately, so is losing. Make the most of what we have. Make winning, not losing, a habit.
Vince Lombardi
De cuerdo y loco todos tenemos un poco / We're all a little crazy in one way or another - Spanish Proverb

Thought 05NOV2009

SUCCESS !
To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Mayor dicha es dar que recibi / It's more blessed to give than to receive - Spanish Proverb

Thought 04NOV2009

SHARE IT
We really do not own anything until we begin to share it with others, and even then we are only partners in its ownership. We all own the daylight, the beauty of the earth, all the sunsets, every flower that our eyes see and admire and every song our feathered friends give forth. Where appreciation is, there is ownership. No one can long be happy with any possession that he cannot share it with others - it would soon grow dusty and useless.

It has often been said that the only things that we keep are the things that we give away. We may give away the thing, but keep the love - and love is something that spreads out, with never an end to it.
George Matthew Adams - Extracted from 'Bits & Pieces', The Economic Press, Inc., Fairfield New Jersey. From the Library of Puan Hajah Zaihani Abdul Hamid
Excusa no pedida, la culpa manifiesta / He who excuses himself accuses himself - Spanish Proverb

Thought 03NOV2009

BEING HAPPY
Being happy can be hard work sometimes. It is like maintaining a nice home - you’ve got to hang on to your treasures and throw out the garbage. Being happy requires looking for the good things. One person sees the beautiful view and the other sees the dirty window. Choose what you see and what you think.
Extracted from 'Being Happy' by Andrew Matthews
Mas puede la pluma que la espada / The pen is mightier than the sword - Spanish Proverb

Thought 02NOV2009

ADVANTAGES AND PERKS OF LIVING AFTER 50 (2 of 2)
(11) You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.
(12) You quit trying to hold your stomach in no matter who walks into the room.
(13) You sing along with elevator music.
(14) Your eyes won't get much worse.
(15) Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.
(16) Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.
(17) Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.
(18) Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.
(19) You can't remember who sent you this list.
(20) And you notice these are all in Big Print for your convenience.
Source Unknown - Got this from Mohd Zaini Yusof (my KRTU Golf Kaki)
Empty words will not fill an empty stomach - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 30OCT2009

ADVANTAGES AND PERKS OF LIVING AFTER 50 (1 of 2)
(1) Kidnappers are not very interested in you.
(2) In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.
(3) No one expects you to run anywhere.
(4) People call at 9:00 pm and ask, "did I wake you?"
(5) People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.
(6) There is nothing left to learn the hard way.
(7) Things you buy now won't wear out.
(8) You can eat supper at 4 pm.
(9) You can live without sex but not your glasses.
(10) You get into heated arguments about pension plans.
Source Unknown - Got this from Mohd Zaini Yusof (my KRTU Golf Kaki)
La ira es locura, el tiempo que dura / Anger is a short madness - Spanish Proverb

Thought 29OCT2009

MISTAKES - WHAT THEY ACTUALLY MEAN
If a Barber makes a mistake - it is a "New Style"
If a Driver makes a mistake - it is a "New Path"
If an Engineer makes a mistake - it is "New Venture"
If Parents makes a mistake - it is a "New Generation"
If a Politician makes a mistake - it is a "New Law"
If a Scientist makes a mistake - it is a 'New Invention"
If a Tailor makes a mistake, it is a "New Fashion"
If a Boss makes a mistake, it is a 'New Idea"
If an Employee makes a mistake, it is a "Mistake"
Source Unknown - Got this from Salmah of APIT
Zgur il-mewt / Only death is certain - Maltese Proverb

Thought 28OCT2009

LEADERS' ENERGIZED
The world of the '90s and beyond will not belong to managers or those who make the numbers dance, as we used to say, or those who are conversant with all the business and jargon we use to sound smart. The world will belong to passionate, driven leaders - people who not only have an enormous amount of energy but who can energize those whom they lead.
Jack Welch - Chairman and CEO of General Electric - extracted from 'Speaker's Sourcebook II, Glen Van Ekeren, Prentice Hall, 1994
Mas sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo / There's no substitute for experience - Spanish Proverb

Thought 27OCT2009

THE SCAR
A little boy invited his mother to attend his elementary school’s first teacher-parent conference. To the little boy’s dismay, she said she would go. This would be the first time that his classmates and teacher met his mother and he was embarrassed by her appearance. Although she was a beautiful woman, there was a severe scar that covered nearly the entire right side of her face. The boy never wanted to talk about why or how she got the scar. At the conference, the people were impressed by the kindness and natural beauty of his mother despite the scar, but the little boy was still embarrassed and hid himself from everyone. He did, however, get within earshot of a conversation between his mother and his teacher, and heard them speaking.

"How did you get the scar on your face?" the teacher asked. The mother replied, "When my son was a baby, he was in a room that caught on fire. Everyone was too afraid to go in because the fire was out of control, so I went in. As I was running toward his crib, I saw a beam coming down and I placed myself over him trying to shield him. I was knocked unconscious but fortunately, a fireman came in and saved both of us." She touched the burned side of her face. "This scar will be permanent, but to this day, I have never regretted doing what I did." At this point, the little boy came out running towards his mother with tears in his eyes. He hugged her and felt an overwhelming sense of the sacrifice that his mother had made for him. He held her hand tightly for the rest of the day.
By Lih Yuh Kuo - from A 4th Course of Chicken Soup for the Soul Copyright 1997 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Hanoch McCarty & Meladee McCarty
Palos porque bogas, palos porque no bogas / You can't win them all - Spanish Proverb

Proverbs 26OCT2009

Listen a hundred times; ponder a thousand times; speak once - Kurdish Proverb
Ahjar xih u gharef milli zaghzugh u ibleh / Better (marry) an old but wise man than a young but foolish man - Maltese proverb
A person is a person because of other persons - South Sotho Proverb
Con el tiempo y la paciencia se adquiere la ciencia / Patience, time, and money accommodate all things - Spanish Proverb

Thought 23OCT2009

WHY DOES HAIR TURN GRAY?
Despite what your parents may have told you, it's very unlikely that you caused their gray hairs. Severe trauma or some medical conditions have been known to "put snow on the roof", but scientists have yet to link rotten children to the phenomenon. In most cases, the real culprit is Father Time.

"Melanocyte" cells are the magic ingredients that give hair its wide range of color - from lightest blonde to darkest brown. But by our mid-twenties, the melanocytes become less active. Hairs begin to emerge from follicles with less pigmentation, causing them to look gray. When melanocytes stop working altogether, the hair grows with no pigmentation, just the white color of its original protein.
Source: WHY IN THE WORLD? Reader's Digest
Kind words will unlock an iron door - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 22OCT2009

How did blue jeans get to be "blue jeans"?
Jeans may be as American as apple pie, but the name comes to us from the land of pasta, via the land of croissants. The cotton cloth once used in work clothes was made in Genoa, a place that French weavers called 'Genes.' The name stuck to the pants, and all that was lacking was a designer label.

During the nineteenth century California Gold Rush - before Calvin Klein or The GAP - a young tailor named Levi Strauss sold his jeans to miners. (He made them from a French cloth called serge de Nimes, from which we get "denim") Straussdied the jeans blue so that dirt wouldn't easily show on them. All this so you would have something comfortable yet stylish to wear to school or after work.
Source: Panati's Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things
Patience is bitter, but it bears sweet fruit - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 21OCT2009

RULES FOR WHICH REASONS ARE NOT KNOWN
however, always Work ...
Lorenz's Law of Mechanical Repair : After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch.
Anthony's Law of the Workshop : Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.
Kovac's Conundrum : When you dial a wrong number, you never get an engaged one.
Cannon's Karmic Law : If you use the excuse that you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the next morning you will actually have a flat tire.
O'brien's Variation Law : If you change queues, the one you have left will start to move faster than the one you are in now.
Bell's Theorem : As soon as the body is immersed fully in the bathtub, the telephone will ring.
Rubys Principle of Close Encounters : The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are in a situation where you do not want to be seen by anybody.
Willoughby's Law : When you try to prove to the repairman that a machine doesn't work, it will.
Zadra's Law of Biomechanics : The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reachability of the area.
Breda's Rule : At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last.
Owen's Law : As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.
Wooly's law : When you are working late, the boss will never be around. When you are surfing the net the boss will always drop by
Source Unknown - Got this from Salmah Yunus of APIT
Whoever speaks evil to you of others will speak evil of you to others - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 20OCT2009

ON CONFIDENCE
Our son Greg was always a shy child, especially around girls he liked. He had like Karen since Kindergarten and now in 6th grade they were "going together". This would be the first Christmas that he had ever wanted to buy a girl a gift. He asked me to go with him, and we picked out a lovely bracelet with which he was very happy. He could hardly wait to give it to her. Christmas came and Greg gave Karen the gift. He was so excited that he could say, "Karen is my girlfriend!" After Christmas break, and returning to school, Greg came in one day with a great sadness wrapped around him. I learned not to ask too many questions, so I merely made an observation about the look on his face. "You look so very sad, Greg."

He continued walking through the room, but shortly returned to the kitchen where I was preparing dinner, stating, "Karen broke up with me today." I could tell by his face that he was devastated. With a heavy heart for him, I turned to face him and merely said, "Oh my, what a loss for her." He looked at me strangely and left the room, saying nothing. I felt terrible that I did not have the words to ease my son's pain, knowing full well that there were none. But a mother is a mother! About fifteen minutes passed and Greg came back into the room with a "smirk" on his face and said, "You know, it is her loss." And off he went to make a phone call, never seeming to look back. It was at that moment that I realized that it only takes a few choice words to build the confidence needed for our children to deal with most of their trials growing up.
Georgia Delbridge, Virginia, U.S.A. Bits & Pieces: Home Delivery - Quotes from the magazine Bits & Pieces
If you wish to do a good deed, consult no one - Chinese Proverb

Thought 19OCT2009

NO MISTAKES
The Controversy over the closing of military bases throughout the United States brings to mind a story about Robert McNamara. When McNamara was secretary of defense during John F Kennedy's administration, he was unpopular because of the way he and his group of "Whiz Kids" shunned advice. McNamara was once summoned to appear before the House Armed Services Committee to explain why he had ordered the closing of 672 Army bases.

"Could you have made a mistake in the case of one or two of these bases?" asked Congressman Edward Hebert. "No," McNamara replied emphatically. An exasperated Hebert shot back with, "Six hundred and seventy-two decisions and not a single mistake! You're better than Jesus Christ! When he was selecting his apostles, he only had twelve decisions to make and he blew one of them!"
Extracted from Bits & Pieces, The Economics Press, Inc., Fairfield, New Jersey, USA. From the Library of Puan Hajah Zaihani Abdul Hamid
For every wise man there is one still wiser - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 16OCT2009

ON LISTENING
It's a mistake to think we listen only with our ears. It's much more important to listen with the mind, the eyes, the body, and the heart. Unless you truly want to understand the other person, you'll never be able to listen.
Mark Herndon, Writer - Cited in BITS & PIECES
Fear an ignorant man more than a lion - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 15OCT2009

THE JOURNEY BEGINS
Most people return from Las Vegas with winnings or souvenirs. My wife came back with a baby. After loading Gina's suitcases into our van at the airport, my wife handed me a small package. Thinking it would be a wonderfully tacky souvenir, I ripped through the paper only to find myself face-to-face with a positive pregnancy test. Now, my wife and I had been trying to have another baby for quite some time. So, when I saw the test, my first thought was, "What the heck is this?" Not very poetic, unfortunately, but very much the truth. So, I immediately looked up to find my wife smiling. "But how?" I mumbled, knowing exactly how but not when or where.

"I was sicker than you'll ever know in Vegas," Gina whispered, so as not to let on yet to our boys in the backseat. "So, my mom took me to a doctor. And, with all the other tests, they wanted to make sure I wasn't pregnant. But, I guess I am." Another baby. A third boy? A first girl? A swarm of thoughts and feelings went through my skull and down my arteries. I'm happy. And scared. And worried that I won't be a good enough dad. And proud of "big brother" Jeremy. And nervous that Gina and I'll now be outnumbered. And sad for Matthew that he'll no longer be the baby. And hoping we'll be able to make them all feel special. And, most of all, so in awe of my wife who once again will show how a woman is a miracle, how she brings forth life and beauty and peace into a world so dearly in need of all three. I write about the meaning in moments. There aren't many to top hearing that there's a baby on the way. The journey begins...again.
from Chicken Soup for the Expectant Mother's Soul - Copyright 2000 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
Every "bad" has its "worse - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 14OCT2009

Did You Know That Right Now
Somebody is thinking of you. Somebody is caring about you. Somebody misses you. Somebody wants to talk to you. Somebody wants to be with you. Somebody hopes you aren't in trouble. Someone is thankful for the support that you have provided. Somebody wants to hold your hand. Somebody hopes everything turns out all right. Somebody wants you to be happy. Somebody wants you to find him/her. Somebody is celebrating your successes. Somebody wants to give you a gift. Somebody thinks that you ARE a gift. Somebody hopes you're not too cold, or too hot. Somebody wants to hug you. Somebody loves you. Somebody admires your strength. Somebody is thinking of you and smiling. Somebody wants to be your shoulder to cry on. Somebody wants to go out with you and have a lot of fun. Somebody thinks the world of you. Somebody wants to protect you. Somebody would do anything for you. Somebody wants to be forgiven. Somebody is grateful for your forgiveness. Somebody wants to laugh with you.

Somebody remembers you and wishes that you were there. Somebody is praising God for you. Somebody needs to know that your love is unconditional. Somebody values your advice. Somebody wants to tell you how much they care. Somebody wants to share their dreams with you. Somebody wants to hold you in their arms. Somebody wants YOU to hold them in your arms. Somebody treasures your spirit. Somebody wishes they could STOP time because of you. Somebody praises God for your friendship and love. Somebody can't wait to see you. Somebody loves you for who you are. Somebody loves the way you make them feel. Somebody wants to be with you. Somebody wants you to know they are there for you. Somebody's glad that you're his/her friend. Somebody wants to be your friend.
Charlie Musco, Jr
Eat and drink with your friends but do not trade with them - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 13OCT2009

Anti-Stress Kit
Rubber Band : To remind you to stretch your new ideas and your mind to new limits so you will continue to grow and reach your potential.
Tissue : To remind you to see the tears and needs of others, including those of yourself and your peers.
Candy Kiss : To remind you that everyone needs a hug, kiss, or a word of encouragement every day.
Life Saver : To remind you to think of your peers as your "life savers." Care about each other and help each other through the stressful times that occur in life.
Penny : To remind you the value of your thoughts - BIG ones and little ones! Share them with others.
Eraser : To remind you that we all make mistakes and with an eraser they can be erased, as can our human mistakes be overcome.
Toothpick : To remind you to "pick out" the good qualities in others and yourself and to be tolerant and accepting of the differences of others.
Paper Clip : It's important to "keep it all together." Find the balance in your physical, professional, and spiritual life. Explore the resources and programs available to you in the community.
Source Unknown
Do what your teacher says but not what he does - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 12OCT2009

Trust Even the Dark Moments
While on our journey, life can sometimes get bleak. Dark passages may envelop us. Expect these moment. Often they come at the deepest period of working things out. It can be a time of despair, frustration, dead ends, anguish and angst. Sometimes these moments are brief, sometimes they last a long time. But usually they are necessary. Plan on these moments. They are not the end of the journey. They are the passageway through the tunnel and into the light. In just a little while, you will feel, see and know the purpose of why you're going through. Soon it will become clear. You will move out of the darkness and into the light. Trust even the bleak times When you reach the end of the tunnel, then you will know why this all had to be.
Source Unknown
Beauty passes; wisdom remains - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 09OCT2009

THE CAT LADY
I have lived in my neighborhood for twenty years. It seems to me that I've spent at least ten of those years looking for a lost pet, either mine or one I'd seen listed in the newspaper's lost-pet column. Recently, I was at it again, going door-to-door looking for one of my own lost kitties, a little black cat named Nicholas who'd slipped out the door before I could stop him. I made my rounds, visiting with all the neighbors, describing Nicholas. Familiar with this routine, everyone promised to keep an eye out and call me if they spotted him. Two blocks from my house, I noticed a gentleman raking leaves in the yard of a home that had recently been sold. I introduced myself and presented my new neighbour with the plight of the missing Nicholas, asking if he had seen him.

"No," he replied, "I've not seen a little black kitty around here." He thought for a moment, looked at me and said, "But I know who you should ask. Several of my neighbors have told me that there's a woman in the neighborhood who's crazy about cats. They say she knows every cat around here, probably has dozens herself. They call her 'The Cat Lady.' Be sure to check with her." "Oh, thank you," I said eagerly. "Do you know where she lives?" He pointed a finger down the street, "It's that one." I followed his finger and started to laugh. He was pointing at my house!
By Patti Thompson - from Chicken Soup for the Cat & Dog Lover's Soul, Copyright 1999 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
At table keep short hand; in company keep a short tongue - Kurdish Proverb