You Are

You are strong...
when you take your grief and teach it to smile.

You are brave...
when you overcome your fear and help others to do the same.

You are happy...
when you see a flower and are thankful for the blessing.

You are loving...
when your own pain does not blind you to the pain of others.

You are wise...
when you know the limits of your wisdom.

You are true...
when you admit there are times you fool yourself.

You are alive...
when tomorrow's hope means more to you than yesterday's mistake.

You are growing...
when you know what you are but not what you will become.

You are free...
when you are in control of yourself and do not wish to control others.

You are honorable...
when you find your honor is to honor others.

You are generous...
when you can take as sweetly as you can give.

You are humble...
when you do not know how humble you are.

You are thoughtful...
when you see me just as I am and treat me just as you are.

You are merciful...
when you forgive in others the faults you condemn in yourself.

You are beautiful...
when you don't need a mirror to tell you.

You are rich...
when you never need more than what you have.

You are you...
when you are at peace with who you are not.

Work Harder

Can you honestly, in your heart-of-hearts, say that you deserve a pay rise
every year

It probably wouldn't surprise you to find that most people would say
'yes'.but if you were to ask their bosses they almost certainly would say
'no'.

Why

Well.in the workplace at least.we always tend to overestimate our
contribution. I know.I used to. I spent about five years thinking that I
was
indispensable.until I had to suddenly take a couple of months off.and found
out that I wasn't.

You KNOW if you are getting in a little late.or taking a long lunch
break.or
surfing the Internet instead of working. We all do it. But.it's how much
you
do it that has an impact on your future.

Laziness is a habit that is contagious. The more you do it.the easier it is
to do it even more.

Action Point

In what little ways might you be letting yourself down

Sure.you won't get any thanks for working your best or for turning up that
little bit earlier, but in the minds of those in charge.you will set
yourself apart from everyone else who doesn't do exactly that!

Plus.it gets you into the habit of working at your best.which is an
amazingly useful habit to have if you want to make more of yourself!

The Power of God

Have you ever been down and out and nobody seems to be around for you to
talk to...
THAT'S GOD...he wants you to talk to him.

Have you ever been just sitting there and all of a sudden you feel like
doing something nice for someone you care for...
THAT'S GOD...he talks to you through the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever been thinking about somebody that you haven't seen in a long
time and then next thing you know you see them or receive a phone call from
them...
THAT'S GOD...there is no such thing as coincidence.

Have you ever received something wonderful that you didn't even ask for,
like money in the mail, a debt that had mysteriously been cleared, or a
coupon to a department store where you had just seen something you wanted,
but couldn't afford...
THAT'S GOD...he knows the desires of your heart...

Have you ever been in a situation and you had no clue how it is going to
get better, but now you look back on it...
THAT'S GOD... he passes us through tribulation to see a brighter day..

One Day I Decided to Quit

One day I decided to quit...I quit my job, my relationship, my Spirituality... I wanted to quit my life.I went to the woods to have one last talk with God. God, I said. Can you give me one good reason not to quit His answer surprised me...

Look around, He said. Do you see the fern and the bamboo

Yes, I replied.

When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. He said.

In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would not quit. He said.

Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant...But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle. He said to me.

Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots

I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you.

Don't compare yourself to others. He said. The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful.

Your time will come, God said to me. You will rise high

How high should I rise I asked.

How high will the bamboo rise He asked in return.

As high as it can I questioned

Yes. He said, Give me glory by rising as high as you can.

I left the forest and bring back this story. I hope these words can help you
see that God will never give up on you.

He will never give up on you!

Our Quest For Happiness and Fulfillment

Nearly all of us - regardless of social status, wealth, age, gender,
race, culture, et cetera - tell ourselves that I could be really happy
if only... What is it Health Money Power Intelligence Spirituality Will
these things really make you happy You've heard it before but I'm
telling you again - nothing will bring you happiness if you're not
already happy. Sounds like a load of hooey and in some respects, it is.
But almost always what we consider a solution to our unhappiness is only
a quick fix. The problem is still there. The person that wins the
lottery is elated but soon goes back into debt (nearly one third of
lottery winners eventually file for bankruptcy - New York Post, 1997).
The person that loses 50 pounds on a fad diet soon regains the weight.
The person that rises in power loses friends and finds happiness only in
self-delusion. There's exceptions, of course, and maybe you're one of
those exceptions. Or maybe not.

What is it you most desire Why are you in such need Consider a desire
for money. Are you living within your means Are you using credit cards
to pay bills or buy food Those are problems that might persist even if
you suddenly fell into a fortune. Are you doing fulfilling work Is there
something you desire that requires a great deal of money, like travel or
a house Those are legitimate reasons to want a lot of money but what are
you doing about it Have you researched inexpensive travel, like stand-by
or courier services Have you pursued your dream job

When you think of your needs, what do you do Make wishes to an invisible
genie Light candles and cast spells Wish upon a star Pray Scream out to
the aliens Consider the 6 billion people that live on earth. What makes
you more deserving of a free ride that any of them Why do you plead to
the sky but take no action Chances are, you're over-whelmed and
confused. Your problems seem insurmountable and inaction feels better
than the thought of taking action. The hardest thing is MOTIVATION

Think about what you want and why you want it. Ask yourself how it will
benefit you, benefit others, what harm it might do, and how much effort
it will take. Prioritize your goals according to the most rewarding and
get busy achieving them. With time, dedication, and motivation, you can
be healthier, smarter, wealthier.

We look at great people - people who have, through merits of
intelligence, creativity and talent, made a mark on history and our
lives - and we marvel. Some of us shrug, accepting our lot in life as an
unfortunate accident of birth. Others aspire but give up too soon,
comparing themselves to their heroes and finding themselves far from
being as great. It's true that we can't all be Einsteins but we can be
more than what we are. We can be stronger, faster, achieve a greater
aesthetic ideal, richer, more confident, and, yes, even smarter. Few of
us use our brains to its full potential. We live our lives as if in a
dream. But we can wake up. You only need to want it enough to make an
effort.

Enjoy Making A Difference

Give yourself something of real value today. Give yourself the gift of
enjoyment.

Decide today to find enjoyment and fulfillment in whatever you happen to be
doing. Decide to simply and honestly enjoy the real person you are.

Look beyond the mere fleeting pleasures and set your sights on real,
substantive enjoyment. Enjoy yourself in a way that says yes to life and to
those things that are deeply important to you.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking that you must feel guilty about
enjoying each moment. For the more you truly enjoy and find real fulfillment
in what you're doing, the more you will contribute value and goodness to the
world around you.

The most consistently enjoyable and fulfilling activities are those that
make a positive difference. The more earnestly you seek real enjoyment, the
more you'll find that you're giving of yourself.

Though the world has many problems, so too does life offer boundless
possibilities for true enjoyment. Enjoy being a part of it all, and in so
doing you'll make it all that much better.