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As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

Deborah, at one time several years ago, I was not going to post anymore on knowledge and attitude, as a few older adjusters accused me of living in a flower world instead reality. I got an e-mal from an individual telling me how much they enjoyed reading my script and quotes and that it helped them  through a rough time in their lives. I then decided that I was living in a realistic world that has allowed many to fall into questioning life and who they are. I therefore decided that the other adjusters or individuals who felt I was living in a flower world, could go to he**.  One problem society has, in my humble opinion, is a poor attituded about themselves and their circumstances, so uplifting quotes and script can hopefully, help.

I certainly hope your daughter is doing fine and recovering. Flowers to her and a speedy recovery.

Tom,

I don't think living in a "Flower World" is such a bad thing.  If I had to choose between a "Flower World" and one filled with only grim reality, I'd choose the flowers every time!  I agree with Deb, you may never be aware of how the words you share may mean the world to someone, as I shared with you the other day regarding your Emerson quote.  None of us really know what's behind the scenes in another's life, and walking through life in a "Flower World" and sharing the same can generate untold blessings upon another. 

Our words and actions always have results.  Like the ripples generated in a pond from tossing in a pebble, those ripples reach the far shore, whether we realize it or not.  A seeming insignificant act as tossing in the pebble affects everything in that pond in one way or the other, regardless if we can see it.  Just like the wind, we may not see it, but we all can certainly see the results. 

Thanks for sharing your words of wisdom, kindness and tips about how to live a life with joy, kindness and humanity! 

~M~

Tom I agree with Deb and Meg that what you are doing is a great thing. At the age of 56 I am convinced all people carry a lot of pain be it personal and/or professional in nature. Within the last couple weeks one of your posts really helped me when I read it. We color our world with our thoughts is my personal experience. Some people see weeds and some people see flowers when looking at the same thing.

When you prepare yourself properly, it’s amazing how many occasions come where you can realize your dreams, but few take advantage of it. When you come up with a thought or dream, write it down initially. Don't say, boy that’s going to take years, and it’s going to cost a lot of money. That action alone sets you up as an optimistic, expectant person of success. Don't let your dreams and thoughts slide. Take advantage of them and make every attempt to achieve your goals in life.

I talked to a gentleman here in the Escondido area that said he had always dreamed of flying and having his pilots license. I asked why he had not tried to fulfill this dream and of course the usual reply was spoken, "I just don't have the time" . I told him that every minute of time that he wastes is lost and can never be regained and suggested he take control of his life and time and make every attempt to fulfill all of his dreams and wishes prior to his losing all his time, ie, death. In my life, I have fulfilled every dream I have ever had about what I wanted to do in life and have fulfilled every one of them. The man has decided to take flying lessons and fulfill that dream.

I took off three months of my life and toured 38 states on a Honda Gold wing, meeting all kind of interesting and informed people. I have flown for over 6,000 hours as a  pilot in command. I have climbed mountains, snorkeled, scuba diving, boating, and have made over 300 parachute dives. The list could go on, but I won't bore you with it. What I am saying is that, if you have a dream, pursue it, as it will set you apart from from the norm and make you know that on your death bed, you have accomplished in life all that you have wished for and dreamed about. My last dream was finally fultilled when I met my soulmate, Janice. After having several failed marriages, I had given up on having my dream partner, until I met that lady. We have done so many things together and have been partners 24 hours a day. Yes, it has had a few ups and downs, but 99% of the time it has been up. I owe part of my existance to this lady and will always love and appreciate who she is and what she has done to fulfill my dreams in life. Life throws you curve balls, but, they can be homeruns too, if you want to make them homeruns. Let no one convince you that you cannot do something.

I suggest you watch this story and then throw yourself a pity party. If this young man can do what he has done, you can accomplish anything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qTiYA1WiY8

When you have a life that is directed and not happenstance, you have direction as to where you want your life to go. So many people are content with getting in kind of a rut where every day is a carbon copy of the day before…they wait for things to happen.

Make things happen by establishing what you want out of life, what you want to contribute. You should not want to just make a living. You should  want to have a significant life where, by developing and growing, your better equipped to give back.

This one really got to me. I am not a religous person, but I do believe in miracles, such as, the miracle of life itself, and what it represents. Having a genuine friend could be a miracle, to mention a few. My own miracle has a name, Janice.

"The Price of a Miracle"

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass
jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet.

She poured the change out on the floor and counted
it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be
exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes.

Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting
on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made
her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big
red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her
some attention, but he was too busy at this moment.
Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise.
Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most
disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally
she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the
glass counter. That did it!

"And what do you want?" the pharmacist asked in an
annoyed tone of voice. I'm talking to my brother from
Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages," he said without
aiting for a reply to his question.

"Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess
answered back in the same annoyed tone. "He's
really, really sick...and I want to buy a miracle."

"I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist.

"His name is Andrew and he has something bad
growing inside his head and my Daddy says only
a miracle can save him now. So how much does
a miracle cost?"

"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry
but I can't help you," the pharmacist said, softening
a little.

"Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't
enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how
much it costs."

The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man.
He stooped down and asked the little girl, "What
kind of a miracle does your brother need?"

" I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up.
I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he
needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it,
so I want to use my money."

"How much do you have?" asked the man from
Chicago.

"One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered
barely audibly.

"And it's all the money I have, but I can get some
more if I need to."

"Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A
dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a
miracle for little brothers. "

He took her money in one hand and with the other
hand he grasped her mitten and said "Take me to
where you live. I want to see your brother and meet
your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need."

That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong,
a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The
operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't
long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain
of events that had led them to this place.

"That surgery," her Mom whispered. "was a real
miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?"

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a
miracle cost...one dollar and eleven cents....
plus the faith of a little child.

In our lives, we never know how many miracles
we will need.

A miracle is not the suspension of natural law,
but the operation of a higher law.

We all have ability.  The difference is how we use it.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL.

Happy Thanksgiving. I hope all of you enjoyed your families and friends.

A young man named Carl received a parrot as a gift.

The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious, and laced with profanity.

Carl tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music, and anything else he could think of to "clean up" the bird's vocabulary.

Finally, Carl was fed up, and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back.

Carl shook the parrot, and the parrot got angrier and even ruder. Carl, in desperation, threw up his hands, grabbed the bird, and put him in the freezer.

For a few minutes, the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute.

Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, Carl quickly opened the door to the freezer.

The parrot calmly stepped out onto Carl's outstretched arms and said to John, "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior."

Carl was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude.

Just as he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird continued, "May I ask what the turkey did?"

You can run from your dreams in fear or run to your dreams with faith.

Think about it. Never allow fear of the unknown to control you. Understand your fear, study it, then proceed with your life.

I love these two quotes:

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved. - William Jennings Bryan

The Ivory and Gold Tablecloth

By Howard C. Schade

At Christmas time, men and women everywhere gather in their churches to wonder anew at the greatest miracle the world has ever known. But the story I like best to recall was not a huge miracle -- not exactly.

It happened to a pastor who was very young. His church was very old. Once, long ago, it had flourished. Famous men had preached from its pulpit, prayed before its altar. Rich and poor alike had worshipped there and built it beautifully. Now, the good days had passed from the section of town where it stood. But the pastor and his young wife believed in their run-down church. They felt that with hard work and lots of faith they could get it in shape. Together they went to work.

But, late in December, a severe storm whipped through the river valley, and the worst blow fell on the church -- a huge chunk of rain-soaked plaster fell out of the inside wall just behind the altar. Sorrowfully the pastor and his wife swept away the mess, but they couldn't hide the ragged hole.

The pastor looked at it and had to remind himself quickly, "Thy will be done!" But his wife wept, "Christmas is only two days away!"

That afternoon the dispirited couple attended the auction held for the benefit of a youth group. The auctioneer opened a box and shook out of its folds a gloriously beautiful, very ornately sewn, gold and ivory lace tablecloth.

It was a magnificent item, nearly 15 feet long. But it, too, dated from a long vanished era. Who, today, had any use for such a thing? There were a few halfhearted bids. Then the pastor was seized with what he thought was a great idea.

He bid it in for $6.50.

He carried the glorious gold and ivory lace cloth back to the church and very carefully put it up on the wall behind the altar. It completely hid the hole! And the extraordinary beauty of its shimmering handwork cast a fine, holiday glow over the chancel. It was a great triumph. Happily he went back to preparing his Christmas sermon.

Just before noon on the day of Christmas Eve, as the pastor was opening the church, he noticed a woman standing in the cold at the bus stop. "The bus won't be here for 40 minutes!" he called, and invited her into the church to get warm.

She told him that she had come from the city that morning to be interviewed for a job as governess to the children of one of the wealthy families in town but she had been turned down. A Jewish war refugee, her English was imperfect.

The woman sat down in a pew and chafed her hands and rested. After a while she dropped her head and prayed. She looked up and saw the great gold and ivory cloth. She rose suddenly and walked up the steps of the chancel.

She looked at the beautiful tablecloth with remembering eyes.

The pastor smiled and started to tell her about the storm damage, but she didn't seem to listen. She took up a fold of the cloth and lovingly rubbed it between her fingers, tears welled in her kind eyes. But they were happy tears of recognition.

"It is mine!" she said. "It is my banquet cloth!" She lifted up a corner and showed the surprised pastor that there were initials monogrammed on it. "My husband had the cloth made especially for me in Brussels! There could not be another like it."

For the next few minutes the woman and the pastor talked excitedly together. She explained that she was Viennese; that being Jews, she and her husband wanted to flee from the Nazis. They were advised to go separately. Her husband put her on a train for Switzerland. They planned that he would join her as soon as he could arrange to ship their household goods across the border. She never saw him again. Later she heard that he had died in a concentration camp.

"I have always felt that it was my fault -- to leave without him," she said. "Perhaps these years of wandering have been my punishment!" The pastor tried to comfort her and urged her to take the beautiful cloth with her. But she refused saying, "no, no, the cloth has found it's way to you. You need it. It has a purpose here. I want you to have it. I am happy knowing you have it."

She gazed lovingly up at the magnificent gold and ivory lace cloth, then quietly went away.

As the church began to fill on Christmas Eve, it was clear that the magnificent cloth was going to be a great success. It had been skillfully designed to look its best by candlelight.

The glorious gold and ivory lace cloth actually glowed in the candlelight! It cast lovely fine designs on the walls and ceiling of the church. Everyone looked around in wonderment, and a tranquil ambiance was cast over all.

After the service, the pastor stood at the doorway. Many people told him that the church looked more beautiful than ever before.

From the generous donations that were given, a few days later the pastor had the local jeweler who was also the clock-and-watch repairman come to repair the church chimes.

The repairman's gentle middle-aged face drew into a look of great astonishment! As if in a trance he walked right up to the beautiful cloth and looked intently!

"It is strange," he said in his soft accent. "Many years ago my wife - God rest her -- and I owned such a cloth. My wife put it on the table" -- and here he gave a big smiled -- "for holidays and when the Rabbi came to dinner."

The pastor suddenly became very excited. He told the jeweler about the woman who had been in church to get warm, saw the cloth, and recognized it to be hers! The startled jeweler clutched the pastor's arm. "Can it be?" he said through desperate tears.

Together the two got in touch with the family who had interviewed the women for the governess position, got her address, then they both drove to the city.

The jeweler knocked on the heavy, weathered, door. As it opened, there stood his beloved wife. The many years of separation were immediately washed away by their blissfully tears, as they held each other in loving embraces, never to be parted again. True love seems to find a way.

To all who hear this story, the joyful purpose of the storm was to knocked a hole in the wall of the church.

So Dear Ones, the next time something knocks a hole in your dreams, your goals - Just remember to have enough faith, enough belief in those dreams and goals, to lovingly and creatively hang your own brilliant lace cloth over the temporary mar. Then watch the miracles come.

Good habits are as easy to form as bad ones.

It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out--it's the grain of sand in your shoe. Take off your shoe, dump the sand, and set out for a positive path.

In overcoming a genuinely serious problem in life, when you accept it and work through it, you’re much stronger than if you had just ridden along through life without any major problems. Life throws major problems at us and how we approach and resolve that problem is who we become. Adjusting is a major problem right now, as there is no work, or very little work. Should we just throw up our hands and say, to hell with it. Of course not, we must set some goals and strive to fulfill those goals. Is there a secret formula for doing this. of course not. Determination and the willingness to "git er done" is all we should have to make our lives much fuller.

I have found that writing down the negatives and trying to resolve them with a list of positives, always works best for me. My wife, Janice, is a positive person and always tries to look for the good in people. Even though she is seven years younger than I, she is filled with knowledge and the desire to know that there is good in everything and I have learned to listen to her, even though I am her senior. Life is full of crap, you just don't have to step in it. You can walk around it and find the rose bush.

There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other. Which one are you, or are you both. Dreamers and doers are the one's that succeed in their lives. Stay away from naysayers, they just tear down your attitude and willingness.