Book Review

Peaks and Valleys: Making Good And Bad Times Work For You--At Work And In Life
by Spencer Johnson

Editorial Review
Making Good And Bad Times Work For You -- At Work And In Life
Peaks and Valleys is a story of a young man who lives unhappily in a valley until he meets an old man who lives on a peak, and it changes his work and life forever.
Initially, the young man does not realize he is talking with one of the most peaceful and successful people in the world. However, through a series of conversations and experiences that occur up on peaks and down in valleys, the young man comes to make some startling discoveries.
Eventually, he comes to understand how he can use the old man's remarkable principles and practical tools in good and bad times and becomes more calm and successful himself.
Now you can take a similar journey through the story and use what you find to your advantage in your own work and life.

FROG...

I was told a story about a lady in the hospital who was near death when an area chaplain came to visit her. This chaplain was a very young female with long blond hair. She listened to the lady who was ill and left her a small gift for comfort. It was a tiny ceramic frog.

The next day one of the people from the ladies church came to visit. The lady told her friend about the beautiful young chaplain who had come to visit her.

The friend was so impressed with the way the lady had improved and felt the need to talk to the young chaplain. In her search to find the young gal, she was repeatedly reassured that the chaplains are never very young and that there was never a gal that fit the description given.

Upon returning to the lady in the hospital, a visiting nurse entered the room and noticed the ceramic frog. The nurse made the comment "I see you have a guardian angel with you," as she held the little frog.

We asked why she made the comment and we were informed that the frog stood for:

F = Fully

R = Rely

O = On

G = God

To the world you might be one person; but to one person you might be the world.

Faith vs. Doubt

Doubt sees the obstacles. Faith sees the way.
Doubt sees the darkest night. Faith sees the day.
Doubt dreads to take a step. Faith soars on high.
Doubt questions "Who believes"?Faith answers "I".
--- Author Unknown

Today's quote

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
- Frank Outlaw

Sayings of Mother Teresa

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.

Peace begins with a smile.

Let us more and more insist on raising funds of love, of kindness, of understanding, of peace. Money will come if we seek first the Kingdom of God - the rest will be given.

I was once asked why I don't participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I'll be there.

All works of love are works of peace.

Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of peace of the world.

Please choose the way of peace.. In the short term there may be winners and losers in this war that we all dread. But that never can, nor never will justify the suffering, pain and loss of life your weapons will cause.

A sacrifice to be real must cost, must hurt, must empty ourselves. The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, the fruit of service is peace.

Make us worthy, Lord, to serve those people throughout the world who live and die in poverty and hunger. Give them through our hands, this day, their daily bread, and by our understanding love, give them peace and joy.

If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends, you talk to your enemies.

What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.

Story time again

My grandfather took me to the fish pond on the farm when I was about seven, and he told me to throw a stone into the water. He told me to watch the circles created by the stone. Then he asked me to think of myself as that stone person.

"You may create lots of splashes in your life but the waves that come from those splashes will disturb the peace of all your fellow creatures," he said.

"Remember that you are responsible for what you put in your circle and that circle will also touch many other circles. You will need to live in a way that allows the good that comes from your circle to send the peace of that goodness to others. The splash that comes from anger or jealousy will send those feelings to other circles. You are responsible for both."

That was the first time I realized each person creates the inner peace or discord that flows out into the world. We cannot create world peace if we are riddled with inner conflict, hatred, doubt, or anger. We radiate the feelings and thoughts that we hold inside, whether we speak them or not. Whatever is splashing around inside of us is spilling out into the world, creating beauty or discord with all other circles of life.

Remember the eternal wisdom:WHATEVER YOU FOCUS ON EXPANDS...

Picture Quote

Be glad of life, because it gives you the chance

to live and to work and to play

and to look up at the stars. - Henry Van Dyke

Book Review

Napoleon Hill's Keys to Success: The 17 Principles of Personal Achievement
by Napoleon Hill

Editorial Review
Achieve success in anything you do-this program shows you how to do it!World-renowned motivational author Napoleon Hill summed up his philosophy of success in Think and Grow Rich®, one of the bestselling inspirational business books of all time. In Napoleon Hill's Keys to Success, Hill's seventeen essential principles of personal achievement are expanded on in detail, with concrete advice on their use and implementation.

In these richly rewarding, full context tapes, you will learn the secrets of:

- filling your life with purpose and direction

- perfecting your personality

- fanning your creative spark

- building self

-discipline

- profiting from the Golden Rule

- budgeting time and money

- discovering and preserving the source of all wealth

In this invaluable audiobook, anyone seeking personal and financial improvement will find a wealth of straightforward advice, powerful encouragement, mental exercises, and self-analysis techniques that produce results. In addition to Hill's many personal true-life stories of the seventeen principles in action, dynamos like Bill Gates, Peter Lynch , and Donna Karan serve as contemporary examples of what can be achieved.Napoleon Hill's Keys to Success is an inspiring motivational audiobook that tells people how to fulfill their ambitions and achieve success.

Which frog U R ?

One day, two frogs were enjoying the day in the barn when they accidently fell into the farmer's bucket of cream, and they couldn't get out. The two frogs kept swimming around to keep from drowning, and every once in a while they would try to climb out, but this was becoming very tiring.

One frog kept saying, "This is useless, we should just give up." But the other frog just ignored the comment and kept swimming.

Finally, the pessimistic frog gave up and drowned. The other frog was sad at the loss of his friend, but he wasn't going to give up. He kept swimming and swimming, and, finally, the cream turned into butter and the frog simply climbed out.

This story shows that even if we stumble and others try to pull us down, we've got to keep on swimming because, eventually, the cream will turn into butter and we'll make it out of the pail.

10 Most Important Things...Author Unknown - extract from web

LOVE: The Special Feeling That Makes You FeelAll Warm And Wonderful.
RESPECT: Treating Others As Well As You Would Like To Be Treated.
APPRECIATION: To Be Grateful For All The Good Things Life Has To Offer.
HAPPINESS: The Full Enjoyment Of Each Moment. A Smiling Face.
FORGIVENESS: The Ability To Let Things Be Without Anger.
SHARING: The Joy Of Giving Without Thought Of Receiving.
HONESTY: The Quality Of Always Telling The Truth.
INTEGRITY: The Purity Of Doing What's Right, No Matter What.
COMPASSION: The Essence Of Feeling Another's Pain, While Easing Their Hurt.
PEACE: The Reward For Living The 10 Most Important Things.

Inspirational Quotes

SUCCESS IS THE ABILITY TO GO FROM ONE FAILURE TO ANOTHER WITH NO LOSS OF ENTHUSIASM.
WINNERS DON'T DO DIFFERENT THINGS,THEY DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
KNOWLEDGE IS A TREASURE THAT FOLLOWS ITS OWNER EVERYWHERE.
THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN THE BEAUTY OF THEIR DREAMS. LUCK FAVOURS THOSE WHO ARE PREPARED.
THERE IS NEVER A WRONG TIME TO DO RIGHT THINGS.
FOR ONE MINUTE OF ANGER YOU LOSE ONE HOUR OF JOY.
BETTER TO FAIL WITH HONOR THAN SUCCEED BY FRAUD.
NO LEGACY IS SO RICH AS HONESTY.
THE FLOWER THAT BLOOMS IN ADVERSITY IS THE MOST RARE AND BEAUTIFUL OF ALL.

Seven success secrets which your room tells u

ROOF said: Aim high.

FAN said: Be cool.

CLOCK said: Every minute is precious

MIRROR said: Reflect before you act.

WINDOW said: See the world.

CALENDAR said: Be up to date.

DOOR said: Push hard to achieve your goal

Grandpa's Table - story

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. However, the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess.

"We must do something about Grandfather," said the son. " I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor." Therefore, the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in, when I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work. The parents were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening, the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days, he ate every meal with the family. Moreover, for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth became soiled.

Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes observe, ears listen, and minds process the messages they absorb. If they see us patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives.

The wise parent realizes that every day the building blocks are being laid for the child's future. Therefore, let's be wise builders and role models!

--- Author Unknown

Today's Thought

Always look at what you have left.

Never look at what you have lost.

Robert H. Schuller

Book Review

How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie

Editorial Review
Learn how to break the worry habit -- Now and forever!
With Dale Carnegie's timeless advice in hand, more than six million people have learned how to eliminate debilitating fear and worry from their lives and to embrace a worry-free future. In this classic work, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, Carnegie offers a set of practical formulas that you can put to work today. It is a book packed with lessons that will last a lifetime and make that lifetime happier!
DISCOVER HOW TO:
Eliminate fifty percent of business worries immediately
Reduce financial worries
Avoid fatigue -- and keep looking young
Add one hour a day to your waking life
Find yourself and be yourself -- remember there is no one else on earth like you!
Fascinating to read and easy to apply, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living deals with fundamental emotions and life-changing ideas. There's no need to live with worry and anxiety that keep you from enjoying a full, active life! -- extract from web

Provoking thoughts

The good you find in others, is in you too.
The faults you find in others,are your faults as well.

After all, to recognize something you must know it.
The possibilities you see in others,Are possible for you as well.

The beauty you see around you, is your beauty.
The world around you is a reflection,
A mirror showing you the person you are.

To change your world, you must change yourself.
To blame and complain will only make matters worse.
Whatever you care about, is your responsibility.
What you see in others, shows you yourself.

See the best in others, and you will be your best.
Give to others, and you give to yourself.
Appreciate beauty, and you will be beautiful.
Admire creativity, and you will be creative.

Love, and you will be loved.
Seek to understand, and you will be understood.
Listen, and your voice will be heard.
Teach, and you will learn.

Show your best face to the mirror,
And you'll be happy with the face looking back at you.

--- Author Unknown

Some Perfection Quotes - extract from a webpage

William Law: Be intent on the perfection of the present day.
Robert Schuller: Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly.
Wayne W. Dyer: Everything is perfect in the universe, even your desire to improve it.
William Ellery Channing: Fix your eyes on perfection and you make almost everything speed towards it.
Mikhail Baryshnikov: I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.

Quotable Quotes

If you shut your door to all errors, truth will be shut out. - Tagore

Thinking is progress. Non-thinking is stagnation of the individual, organisation and the country. Thinking leads to action. Knowledge without action is useless and irrelevant. Knowledge with action, converts adversity into prosperity. - Dr. Abdul Kalam.

Quotes on genius

“Thousands of geniuses live and die undiscovered -- either by themselves or by others.”~ Mark Twain quotes

"The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success."~ Bruce Feirstein

"There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line."~ Oscar Levant

"Society develops wit, but its contemplation alone forms genius."~ Madame de Stael

"Genius means little more than the faculty of perceiving in an unhabitual way."~ William James

Nice one.. just read it...!

SECRET WORTH SHARING

If there is someone who you look up to and admire, tell him or her. It's very important. It may be really easy for you to tell this person, or it could be very hard. I know from personal experience that even if you talk to this person all of the time and feel very comfortable with this person, it can be very hard to tell them that they've been your role model. But no matter how hard it is or how nervous and uncomfortable it can be, it is totally worth it.

I recently told my role model how much I looked up to her and admired her. I hadn't ever told anyone. I was the only one who knew what an incredible difference she had made in my life. I didn't think that it would be very hard for me to tell her, because I talk to her all of the time and consider her not only my role model, but also my friend.

I knew that sometimes when I try to tell a person something important, I often stumble through my words and end up leaving something out. This was so important to me that I wanted to have a back-up plan; so I wrote her a letter. I went to her house to tell her, but didn't anticipate having to use the letter. I tried to talk, but the words just wouldn't come out, so I handed her the letter and told her I hoped that it explained what I was trying to say.

It did, but while she was reading it I was sitting there in her living room, watching the clock tick and staring at the walls. I was really nervous about what she'd say. It was a very long and awkward five minutes. When she got through reading it, she thanked me and told me that she'd never had any idea that I felt that way. Before I left, she gave me a big hug and thanked me again.

No matter how hard it was for me to tell her, I've not regretted it for a second. I am so glad that I finally told her how I felt. I actually feel a lot more relaxed and comfortable around her now. And I also feel like I can be more open with her about my feelings and that I can go to her if I ever have a problem that I need to talk about.

So, if there is someone who you admire and look up to, tell him or her. If you put it off, then you never know when "later" may turn out to be too late. It is so rewarding to tell them how much they mean to you. And I can almost guarantee you that it will be as, if not more, rewarding to them to know that they've made a difference in your life. But if you don't tell them, they may never know that they were such an influence to you. One of the worst things to live your life wondering is, "What if?"
--- Copyright © 2000 Amanda Coble