food for thot

LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

The excellence of a gift lies in its appropriateness
rather than in its value. --Charles Dudley Warner
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS

Courage is fear that has said its prayers.
--Dorothy Bernard
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION

If you are pained by external things, it is not they that disturb you,
but your own judgment of them. And it is in your power to wipe
out that judgment now. --Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

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"People are like sticks of dynamite. The power is on the inside, but nothing happens until the fuse gets lit."
~Mac Anderson
"There once was a very cautious man,
Who never laughed or cried,
He never cared, he never dared,
He never dreamed or tried.
And when one day he passed away,
His insurance was denied.
For since he never really lived,
They claimed he never died."

~Tom Mathews
Aim for the Heart

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LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

Love is but the discovery of ourselves in others,
and the delight in the recognition.
--Alexander Smith
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS

I buy when other people are selling.
--J. Paul Getty
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION

Wisdom outweighs any wealth.
--Sophocles

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Excerpt from: Living a Five Star Life,
by Betty Mahalik

In this day and age, we are surrounded by messages that virtually scream, "Your life would be perfect if..." My life would be perfect if I had a different job, a different house, car, nose, spouse, bank account (fill in the blank). Or my life would be perfect if I could be like some celebrity whose life appears so well-ordered and perfect-o. This week I encourage you to stop playing "my life would be perfect if," and start playing "my perfect life." What's the difference? Three things: being in the present, an attitude of gratitude, taking action with what's available now.

When we're caught up in the "my life would be perfect if" trap, we've lost touch with the present. And the moment we detach from the present, we can no longer practice gratitude. Think about it: it's difficult to be grateful for what you don't have...and what you don't have is always somewhere out in future-ville.

Look around you right now. Think of 10 things you're grateful for. Do you have a roof over your head and food to eat? I'm guessing the answer is yes. Do you have at least a few good friends or close relationships? Then appreciate them too, right now. Keep going, and practice being in the present and being grateful for what is here and now at least a couple times a day.

You're also probably sitting there thinking "yes but." Yes, but I want more money, a better relationship, more time to travel, to be thinner, happier or whatever. It's one of the great mysteries I'll never figure out. The minute you stop focusing on what you lack, start focusing on what you've already got, and add the "magic" ingredient of action, you actually begin to attract more of what you want. It's an amazing formula for really living your perfect life!

Let's say you want to lose weight or get in better shape, but you don't have an hour a day to spend exercising at the gym. Therefore, you've pretty well resigned yourself to not losing weight or getting in shape. What if you had five minutes though...just about everyone can find five minutes to exercise, stretch, walk around the block or walk the dog. Would you be willing to be grateful for five minutes and make the best possible use of it? Therein lies the beginning of your perfect life!

A simple formula may help you remember how to apply this principle:

The present
+ an attitude of gratitude
+ positive action
= my perfect life.
Try it for a day.

Each time you start dreaming about how perfect your life would be if...come back to this moment, give thanks for what is, and do one thing to perfect what you have and who you are right now. There's a saying that "when the student is ready, the teacher appears." If you're ready to start perfecting your life, your teachers are all around you.

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"Advance planning is like taking the deep breath before the plunge. It's the calm before the storm. And that's when it's time to prepare, while it's calm, to ensure success no matter what unexpected storms might come up. Advance planning is the first step to exceeding expectations."

~Robin Crow

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"A Parent's Note to a Teacher"
by Anonymous

I'm the voice of a grateful parent
whose child was in your class...
the one who needed help to find his way
You've been a special blessing
as you helped my child succeed
and I'm thankful for the part you had to play
You gave him so much more
than just the lessons in the books
you gave him wings...so he could learn to fly
You ignited a flame within his soul
a passion to learn and grow...
to never give up and always be willing to try
Your encouragement inspired him
and your kindness was so real
but the thing that thrills my heart the most is this...
By building his self-confidence
you changed his life this year
he believes in himself...and a brighter future is his!

IT'S UP TO ME
by Haim Ginott

I've come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It's my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized.

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LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love,
and to let it come in. +Morrie Schwartz+
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS

No matter what the tax rate is, you can
still build your personal wealth.
--Jim Rohn
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION

Do something big, bold and beautiful today that makes the world a better place,
and which moves you ever closer to the achievement of your goals.
--Gary Ryan Blair