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The paradox of our age
We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways ,but narrower viewpoints;we spend more ,but have less;we buy more ,but enjoy it less
We have bigger houses and smaller families ; more conviniences ,but less time ;we have more degrees ,but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgement ; more experts, but more problems ; more medicines ,but less wellness.
We drink too much,smoke too much , spend too recklessly , laudg too little ,drine too fast ,ge too angry ,stay up too late ,get up too tired ,read too seldom ,watch TV too much ,pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possesions ,but reduced our values ;We talk too much ,love too seldom and lie too often. We have learned how to make living ,but not a life ; We have added years to life , not life to years.
We have been all the way to the moon and back , but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbour.
We have conquered outer space ,but not inner space;we have done larger things, but not better things ; we have cleaned up the air ,but polluted the soul;we 've split the atom ,but not our prejudice ; we write more ,but learn less ;plan more ,but accomplish less.
We 've learned to rush ,but not to wait.We have higher incomes ,but lower morals ;more food but less appeasement;We build more computers to hold information,to produce more copies than ever ,but have less communication ; we 've become long on quantity, but short on quality.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion ; tall men and short character;steep profile and shallow relationships.
These are the times of world peace and domestic warfare ; more leisure and less fun ; more kinds of food and less nutrition .These are the times of quick trips , disposable diapers, throw awa morality,one-night stands,overweight bodies,and pills that do everything from cheer,to quit to kill.
It is a time when there is much in the show window , and nothing in the stockroom.
Reasons to be Happy
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 and 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 we able to go on a nice vacation,
or when we retire.
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. Happiness is the way.
So, treasure every moment that you have and
treasure it more because you shared it with
someone special, special enough to spend your time with..
and remember that time waits for no one.
So, stop waiting....
--until your car or home is paid off
--until you get a new car or home
-until your kids leave the house
--until you go back to school
--until you finish school
--until you lose 10 lbs.
--until you gain 10 lbs.
--until you get married
--until you get a divorce
--until you have kids
--until you retire
--until summer
--until spring
--until winter
--until fall
--until you die
There is no better time than right now to be happy.
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
So -- work like you don't need money,
Love like you've never been hurt,
And dance like no one's watching.
If you want to brighten someone's day,
pass this on to someone special!
-I just did
Attitude
Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a natural motivater. If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Michael replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, "Mike, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood".
I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.
"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.
"Yes, it is," Michael said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life."
I reflected on what Michael said. Soon thereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.
Several years later, I heard that Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.
I saw Michael about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied. "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.
"The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter, " Michael replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live."
"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.
Michael continued, "...The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man." I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" asked.
"Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Michael. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. "Yes, I replied." The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, "Gravity." Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead." Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
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