Quote of the day

"Just remember, once you're over the hill you begin to pick up speed."

-Arthur Schopenhauer

I found this quote in the "funny quotes" section of Brainy Quote. It is meant as a joke. But if you think of it, it is actually true- It's all in how you look at it. See, if you know what you are doing you will know that after the top of the hill you will pick up speed. Gravity pulls you down and all of that. But it is true in life, too. After you get over the hard part, it is going to get better. Life will pick up speed again. Have you ever heard the term "it's all downhill from here?" That's the same idea. You have passed the very top of the hill, and it is all downhill from here. You will pick up speed. Just be careful on how you use that!

Story of the day

                     A crow was very sad that he had no friends. He met several birds and requested them to be his friends. But they sent him away, insulting him and saying that he lacked beauty, complexion and grace. He saw a dancing peacock and repeated his request. But the proud peacock laughed at him and sent him away. The peacock told him that he had no right to seek the friendship of the peacock who was the most beautiful bird and the most gifted dancer in the jungle.  He scornfully told the crow, "You are small and ugly with an offensive sound and bad behavior  You are a scavenger feeding on garbage and decaying flesh. How dare you come near me? He boastfully added, “Look at my elegant, elaborate, enormous, exquisite and exotic plumage, brilliant feathers and colorful tail. I am admired for my beauty and grace and excellent skills in dancing. Go away from me." 
                     
                     Another day, the sad crow was sitting alone on a tree. Suddenly he saw a hunter aiming his rifle at the peacock who was seated on another tree. As he was about to press the trigger, the crow dashed against the rifle and flew away to safety. Though the rifle was fired, the hunter lost his aim. The peacock was saved by the timely help of the kind crow. Later the peacock came to meet the crow and thanked him for saving his life. Hearing about this incident, all the birds and several animals accepted the crow as their intimate friend. He became their hero. They learned that a person’s merit cannot be judged by his appearance.

                     Like the poor crow in the story, everybody deserves to be recognized, respected and loved. Every person has his own value and should never be judged by his outward appearance. Prejudice, discrimination, racism and judgement by external appearances have plagued humanity for centuries. Such biased judgements do not reflect truth or reality. God does not show partiality or favoritism  God expects us to behave like Him. We must use intelligent interpretations and just judgement to arrive at sensible conclusions and wise decisions.

                     We must not treat people in different ways according to their outward appearances. Appearances can be deceptive.

The Holy Bible reminds us, "Pride leads to destruction, and arrogance to downfall. No one is respected unless he is humble; arrogant people are on the way to ruin.”

                     Fred Smith said, "Humility is not denying the power you have. It is realizing that the power comes through you, not from you."   

                    Humility is a strange quality. The moment one thinks he has it, he loses it!

Daily Quote

“When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” 

-G.K. Chesterton

In life, you must learn to be appreciative. It is a crucial skill to have. You can't go around taking things for granted... There are many in the world who would kill to get at whatever it is you are tossing aside. Take things with gratitude. Appreciate them. Treat each thing, even if it is a pebble your mom picked up on the sidewalk and gave to you, as if it was the most valuable thing in the world. Say thank you, be grateful. On this day of thanksgiving, especially. Give thanks for all you have. Celebrate. Then show your gratitude by extending the fingers of thanksgiving upon those less fortunate. Show you care, and have a happy thanksgiving!

Daily Quote

People who are thankful receive the most in the end. When you are given a gift from a friend and you don't like it, you still need to be thankful. If you are not, then they not only won't get you anything in the future, but their feelings will be hurt. They spent time, money, and effort to get you that gift. Not only that, but they spent time thinking of what to get you. Something they thought you would like. You really need to be careful with what you do. Besides, when you show you are thankful, people tend to want to get you more. Your boss may want to promote you. Your best friend may want to get you a special gift. You never know. But the most thankful people are the ones who are not only the most liked, but they get a lot more in return. Tomorrow is thanksgiving. Tomorrow is the best time to show your thanks. But anytime is the best time. Show it often, starting now.

Quote of the day

Peace begins with a smile.

-Mother Teresa 

Mother Teresa speaks the truth here. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me. Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be. These lyrics from the song Let There Be Peace On Earth say it as well. Smile, be happy. Don't wait for someone else to start the peace for you, just start it yourself! There is no one better to do it. Spread the peace in the world. Let it begin with you. Just smile. Smiling shows you mean no harm. Smiling warms the hearts of those who are willing to have their hearts warmed. Let the peace on earth begin with you.

Quote of the day

You may want to stick to your inner experiences. But expand your horizons, go out and try something new. It may surprise you. And also think of it this way- if you never try something new, you will never be willing or able to go to collage, and you will always live with your parents. They will get tired of you, and move you to the basement. Go beyond what you are comfortable with. You will never gain new experiences unless you do. Take volunteering for example. If average normal people never stepped out of their comfort zones to help the people who need it most, this world would be in a much deeper mess then it already is in. So try it. Get off of the couch today, and try something you thought you wouldn't have ever tried otherwise!

Daily Quote

Open your heart! Embrace the day. No matter if it is rain or shine, embrace the day and make the most of it. For it is a day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad of it! Go outside. Smell the roses, admire God's greatest works. He has done great things. Some are so delicate and beautiful, and we have yet to discover their inner beauty. Look closely. Up close, everything is much more astounding. Each individual hair on an animal, each little line and crevice and detail of the bark of the trees. Just go look. It is truly gorgeous! With joy in your heart, go out and spread the joy. Help someone in need. It can actually be really fun! Open the windows of your heart to every little thing in this day, for this day will only happen once.

Daily Story

A long time ago in China, a girl named Li-Li got married and went to live with her husband and mother-in-law.

In a very short time, Li-Li found that she couldn’t get along with her mother-in-law at all. Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of her mother-in-law’s habits. In addition, she criticized Li-Li constantly.

Days passed days, and weeks passed weeks. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never stopped arguing and fighting. But what made the situation even worse was that, according to ancient Chinese tradition, Li-Li had to bow to her mother-in-law and obey her every wish. All the anger and unhappiness in the house was causing the poor husband great distress.

Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law’s bad temper and dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it.

Li-Li went to see her father’s good friend, Mr. Huang, who sold herbs. She told him the situation and asked if he would give her some poison so that she could solve the problem once and for all. Mr. Huang thought for a while, and finally said, “Li-Li, I will help you solve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey what I tell you.”

Li-Li said, “Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to do.” Mr. Huang went into the back room, and returned in a few minutes with a package of herbs.

He told Li-Li, “You can’t use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become suspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly build up poison in her body. Every other day prepare some delicious meal and put a little of these herbs in her serving. Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspects you when she dies, you must be very careful to act very friendly towards her. Don’t argue with her, obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen.”

Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home to start her plot of murdering her mother-in-law.

Weeks went by, months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served the specially treated food to her mother-in-law. She remembered what Mr. Huang had said about avoiding suspicion, so she controlled her temper, obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her like her own mother. After six months had passed, the whole household had changed.

Li-Li had practiced controlling her temper so much that she found that she almost never got mad or upset. She hadn’t had an argument in six months with her mother-in-law, who now seemed much kinder and easier to get along with.

The mother-in-law’s attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling friends and relatives that Li-Li was the best daughter-in-law one could ever find. Li-Li and her mother-in-law were now treating each other like a real mother and daughter.

Li-Li’s husband was very happy to see what was happening.

One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again. She said, “Mr. Huang, please help me to stop the poison from killing my mother-in-law! She’s changed into such a nice woman, and I love her like my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison I gave her.”

Mr. Huang smiled and nodded his head. “Li-Li, there’s nothing to worry about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins to improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitude toward her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gave to her.”

Quote of the day

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."

-Winston Churchill

What we get is how we make a living. Our income that we get is so that we can pay for basic necessities. But what we give is what our life is. You can be old Ebenezer Scrooge and give nothing and do nothing for the good of others, and see how your life turns out then. But if you give back to the world, your life will be so much better. You not only will not be hated by everyone, but you will make a difference in the world.

Quote of the day

"The sun will come out tomorrow."
-Annie Little Orphan Annie

When it seems that everything is going wrong, stay calm, and know that things will get better. They always do. No matter how bad it seems, the sun will come out. Keep trying, never give up, and watch the golden sun part through the clouds!

Daily Story

As a man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg.

No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.

He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,” trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

The man was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?

Failure is part of learning; we should never give up the struggle in life.

Daily Quote

You can't teach leadership. It is something that people have to learn. You can't force someone to be a leader. It is something they have to do on their own. Leadership is special in that way, it is something that one has to realize for themselves. Whether they have it, or they don't. Either way, it can only be learned, not taught. 

Quote of the day

"Habit is a cable; we weave a thread of it each day, and at last we cannot break it."

-Horace Mann

Habits need to be broken early on. Otherwise, you will be so used to doing it that you won't be able to break them. Every time you do your habit, you strengthen it. And the stronger it is, the harder it will be to break. So break your cable now before it becomes too much to handle.

Quote of the day

"Failure is success if we learn from it."

-Malcolm Forbes

If you learn from your mistakes, then it isn't a failure. You gain the knowledge to do better in the future, and you can put that knowledge to the test for the next time. So don't give up when you 'fail.' Just do it differently the next time you get the chance to.

Daily Quote

You may think that someone doesn't deserve your kindness. They might be mean, or maybe annoying, or maybe they are just not your favorite person. But kindness is loving people more than they deserve. It is hard, I know. It's not exactly easy to be kind to the person who just punched you in the gut and knocked the wind out of you. Even with all of the things people may do, we need to stick together and be kind. The lack of kindness is what started all of those unnecessary wars and such we've had throughout history. All it takes is one mean comment or action, a mean response, and the cycle of bad begins. So stop that cycle from becoming too intense. Stop it right there in it's tracks. When someone is mean to you, be kind to them. Not only will it save you from fighting, but it will show them that you mean peace. And at the very least, the person will realize you aren't going to let yourself get picked on, so they will stop bothering you. 

Daily Story

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.

Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk.

He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe you?”

“You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness.”

He said, “Then I thank you from my heart.”

As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Year’s later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.

Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room.

Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She began to read the following words:

“Paid in full with one glass of milk”

Signed, Dr. Howard Kelly.

Quote of the day

"If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough."

-Meister Eckhart

Prayer really is simple- most of it is made up of 'thank you.' And 'thank you' is the most important part. Say your thank you's to show people that you care, and that you are actually thankful. When you aren't thankful for things, people will stop giving things to you or doing things for you. Express your gratitude. And in prayers, express your gratitude, too. If I am ever doing a prayer before going to bed, I always open it up with saying thank you's to God. No matter how bad a day it was and no matter what I am praying for. And it is hard, saying thank you. But trust me, learning to say it is rewarding. For one, you get used to it and thanking people for their actions becomes a normal part of routine. It is also great because it shows that you care. So don't forget your please and thank you next time they are needed, because these aspects to manners are incredibly important.

Quote of the day

Here is a little bit of a joke quote for you. Of course, procrastination is not good. But it is, in fact, the art of keeping up with what you didn't get done before. For those of you procrastinators out there- (don't worry, I am a bit of one myself), be sure you can still manage your workload. Just be able to keep up with what you are doing with a safe amount of time left to spare.

Just a little tip of the day and a bit of a joke too. :)

Daily Quote

It takes people years to realize this. A lifetime even. Some don't end up ever realizing this. But only you can figure out how much you are worth. I know this for a fact. I waited around my whole life waiting for someone to finally explain how much or how little I was worth, but I finally realized that I needed to determine that for myself. Everyone has worth. We are all equal in God's eyes. But the factor of yourself believing in your own worth, well that is how you figure it out. You can't always put yourself down. You need to believe and trust your worth, and it will shine out like a ray of sunshine through the clouds. After that, you will be able to direct that ray of sunshine into the hearts and minds of others to help others realize for themselves what they are truly worth.

Daily Quote

"How beautiful the leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days."

-John Burroughs

Be like the leaf, and age beautifully. Of course, appearance isn't really controllable, but age beautifully within. Don't become the cranky old man down the street or the grumpy handbag old lady you see around. Even with age, continue to shine your light onto the life of others. Think of your age more as wisdom, not old age where you aren't able to do anything. Continue to spread your light, no matter how crumbled a leaf you are. You can still make a difference. In fact, you can do more. You have the wisdom and experience to do it, so get out there and be the most beautiful multicolored leaf on the branch.

Quote of the day

"You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist."

-Indira Gandhi

This quote has a few different layers to it, so let's go ahead and dive right in. One of the layers to this quote is the matter of peace. You cannot make peace if you don't let it go. Holding on to that thought and never letting it go will make you hostile. It will also make the peace you try to make completely untruthful, a total lie. Another layer is that, with win or with loss, you must forgive. You must be a good sportsman and be positive no matter what the outcome is. If you lose, don't clench your fists and storm away in an angry puff. Just relax, shake hands, and move on. Earlier, I had thought of another layer to this- but now, I have forgotten it. Just remember to be peaceful through fairness and forgiveness and not through hostility. Because after all, you cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.

Quote of the day

"Start with what is right rather than what is acceptable."

-Franz Kafka

Everyone wants to fit in with the crowd. Everyone wants to feel accepted. And, especially in younger ages, people take things to a whole new level to be accepted. Even adults do. But teens in high school tend to do the most of trying to be accepted- even if it means doing illegal things. What they don't realize is that the best people are the people who did what was right instead of being accepted, even if it meant being the most unpopular kid in school. These are the people that turn out to be huge successes in life. So no matter where you are in life, it isn't too late to do the right thing. 

Conflicts will naturally show up. That's all part of life. But knowing how to deal with them is what distinguishes the good man from the precipitous one.

Daily Story

Please enjoy this story about a young puppy. It shows that even though the puppy may be deformed, there is always hope.
-LifeOO

It had been a very long night. Our black cocker spaniel ‘Precious’ was having a difficult delivery. I lay on the floor beside her large four-foot square cage, watching her every movement. Watching and waiting, just in case I had to rush her to the veterinarian. After six hours the puppies started to appear. The first-born was black and white. The second and third puppies were tan and brown in color. The fourth and fifth were also spotted black and white. “One, two, three, four, five,” I counted to myself as I walked down the hallway to wake my wife, Judy, and tell her that everything was fine. As we walked back down the hallway and into the spare bedroom, I noticed a sixth puppy had been born and was now laying all by itself over to the side of the cage. I picked up the small puppy and laid it on top of the large pile of puppies, who were whining and trying to nurse on the mother. Precious immediately pushed the small puppy away from rest of the group. She refused to recognize it as a member of her family. “Something’s wrong,” said Judy. I reached over and picked up the puppy. My heart sank inside my chest when I saw the little puppy had a cleft lip and palate and could not close its little mouth. I decided right there and then that if there was any way to save this animal I was going to give it my best shot. I took the puppy to the vet and was told nothing could be done unless we were willing to spend about a thousand dollars to try and correct the defect. He told us that the puppy would die mainly because it could not suckle. After returning home, Judy and I decided that we could not afford to spend that kind of money without getting some type of assurance from the vet that the puppy had a chance to live. However, that did not stop me from purchasing a syringe and feeding the puppy by hand. Which I did every day and night, every two hours, for more than ten days. The little puppy survived and learned to eat on his own as long as it was soft canned food. The fifth week I placed an ad in the newspaper, and within a week we had people interested in all of the pups, except the one with the deformity. Late one afternoon I went to the store to pick up a few groceries. Upon returning I happened to see the old retired schoolteacher, who lived across the street from us, waving at me. She had read in the paper that we had puppies and was wondering if she might get one from us for her grandson and his family. I told her all the puppies had found homes, but I would keep my eyes open for anyone else who might have an available cocker spaniel. I also mentioned that if someone should change their mind, I would let her know. Within days, all but one of the puppies had been picked up by their new families. This left me with one brown and tan cocker as well as the smaller puppy with the cleft lip and palate. Two days passed without me hearing anything from the gentleman who had been promised the tan and brown pup. I telephoned the schoolteacher and told her I had one puppy left and that she was welcome to come and look at it. She advised me that she was going to pick up her grandson and would come over at about eight o’clock that evening. That night at around seven-thirty, Judy and I were eating supper when we heard a knock on the front door. When I opened the door, the man who had wanted the tan and brown pup was standing there. We walked inside, took care of the adoption details and I handed him the puppy. Judy and I did not know what we would do or say when the teacher showed up with her grandson. At exactly eight o’clock the doorbell rang. I opened the door, and there was the schoolteacher with her grandson standing behind her. I explained to her the man had come for the puppy after all, and there were no puppies left. “I’m sorry, Jeffery. They found homes for all the puppies,” she told her grandson. Just at that moment, the small puppy left in the bedroom began to yelp. “My puppy! My puppy!” yelled the little boy as he ran out from behind his grandmother. I just about fell over when I saw that the small child also had a cleft lip and palate. The boy ran past me as fast as he could, down the hallway to where the puppy was still yelping. When the three of us made it to the bedroom, the small boy was holding the puppy in his arms. He looked up at his grandmother and said, “Look, Grandma. They found homes for all the puppies except the pretty one, and he looks just like me.” The schoolteacher turned to us, “Is this puppy available?” “Yes,” I answered. “That puppy is available.” The little boy, who was now hugging the puppy, chimed in, “My grandma told me these kind of puppies are real expensive and that I have to take real good care of it.” The lady opened her purse, but I reached over and pushed her hand back down into her purse so that she would not pull her wallet out. “How much do you think this puppy is worth?” I asked the boy. “About a dollar?” “No. This puppy is very, very expensive,” he replied. “More than a dollar?” I asked. “I’m afraid so,” said his grandmother. The boy stood there pressing the small puppy against his cheek. “We could not possibly take less than two dollars for this puppy,” Judy said, squeezing my hand. “Like you said, it’s the pretty one.” The schoolteacher took out two dollars and handed it to the young boy. “It’s your dog now, Jeffery. You pay the man.” Still holding the puppy tightly, the boy proudly handed me the money. Any worries I’d had about the puppy’s future were gone.

Daily Quote

"Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence."

-Hal Borland

Trees are patient. They slowly grow stronger and taller, patiently. They continue to grow, even when they are done with growth in height. They grow leaves every season, and they grow limbs. They are so patient that they are willing to spend up to a couple thousand years perfecting their beauty.

Grass is persistent. Even when it is chopped down, it springs right back up again and grows quickly.

So be like a tree, and be patient. Everything will turn out ok, and most things take a bit of patience. Don't worry, just keep calm and be patient. Also be like grass- when others cut you down, jump right back onto your feet, brush off your shoulders, and move on in life. Revenge never did much more then getting people dead at war. Of course, that is only major major revenge between big lands and lords, but arguments never get anyone anywhere. So just be persistent and get up again. Everything will be ok! Just remember the tree, and be patient... Then remember the grass and keep on trying.

Quote of the day

"It is not happy people who are thankful. It is thankful people who are happy."

-Unknown

People who are thankful tend to be happier. They understand what they have, and that they are fortunate because not everyone has what they do. They are more compassionate, because they know what others are going through. They understand people better because they know what others might not have. And they are thankful. For everything that they have. Even if it is nothing, they are thankful. You could be thankful and living under a bridge, but that doesn't even matter. As long as you are appreciative of the things that you do have, you can be truly happy.

Story of the day

I found this story for you. Love everyone, no matter what they look like... You never know who they really are inside. Enjoy!
-LifeOO


Hi! How are you?” The woman smiled as she took the seat beside me. She had to lower herself slowly, squeezing her ample bottom into the seat, filling all available space.

 Positioning herself comfortably, she plopped her enormous arm on our common armrest. Her immensity saturated the space around us, shrinking me and my seat into insignificance.

I cringed and reclined towards the window.

She leaned towards me and repeated her greeting in an upbeat, friendly voice. Her face towered above my head, forcing me to turn to look at her. “Hi,” I replied with obvious loathing.

I turned away to stare out the cabin window, sulking silently about the long hours of discomfort I was going to experience with this monster beside me.

She nudged me with her meaty arm. “My name is Laura. I’m from Britain. How about you? Japan?”

“Malaysia,” I barked.

“I’m so sorry! Will you accept my heartfelt apology? Come, shake my hand. If we’re going to spend six hours side-by-side on this flight, we’d better be friends, don’t you think?” A palm waved in front of my face. I shook the hand reluctantly, still silent.

Laura started a conversation with me, taking no notice of my unfriendly reactions. She talked excitedly about herself and her trip to Hong Kong to see her friends. She rattled off a list of things she was going to buy for her students in the boarding school where she was teaching.

I gave her one-word answers to her questions about me. Unperturbed by my coldness, she nodded as she made appreciative comments to my answers. Her voice was warm and caring. She was considerate and obliging when we were served drinks and meals, making sure that I had room to maneuver in my seat. “I don’t want to clobber you with my elephant size!” she said with utmost sincerity.

To my surprise, her face which repulsed me hours before, now opened into extraordinary smiles, lively and calm at the same time. I couldn’t help but let down my guard slowly.

Laura was an interesting conversationalist. She was well read in many subjects from philosophy to science. She turned a seemingly unimportant subject into something to explore and understand. Her comments were humorous and inspirational. When our topic turned to cultures, I was pleasantly surprised by her intelligent comments and well-thought-out analysis.

During our conversation, Laura managed to make every cabin crew who served us walk away laughing at her jokes.

When a flight attendant was clearing our plates, Laura cracked several jokes about her size. The flight attendant roared with laughter as she grabbed Laura’s hand, “You really make my day!”

For the next few minutes, Laura listened attentively and gave pointers to the flight attendant’s weight problem. The grateful attendant said before she rushed off, “I’ve got to work. I’ll come back later and talk to you about it.”

I asked Laura, “‘Have you ever thought about losing some weight?”

“No. I’ve worked hard to get this way. Why would I want to give it up?”

“You aren’t worried about cardiovascular diseases that come with being overweight?”

“Not at all. You only get the diseases if you’re worried about your weight all the time. You see advertisements from slimming centers that say, ‘Liberate yourself from your extra baggage so that you are free to be yourself.’ It’s rubbish! You’re liberated only if you’re comfortable about who you are, and what you look like any time of the day and anytime of the year! Why would I want to waste my time on slimming regimes when I have so many other important things to do and so many people to be friends with? I eat healthily and walk regularly; I’m this size because I am born to be big! There is more to life than worrying about weight all day long.”

She sipped at her wine. “Besides, God gives me so much happiness that I need a bigger body to hold all of it! Why would I lose weight to lose my happiness?” Taken aback by her reasoning, I chuckled.

Laura continued. “Folks often see me as a fat lady with big bosoms, big thighs and a big bottom that no man would even bother to cast a glance at. They see me as a slob. They think I’m lazy and have no willpower. They’re wrong.” She held up her glass to a passing flight attendant. “More of this magnificent wine, please.” She smiled sweetly at the attendant. “Great service from your crew. May God bless all of you.”

She turned to me, “I’m actually a slim person inside. I’m so full of energy that people won’t be able to keep up with me. This extra flesh is here to slow me down, otherwise I’ll be running everywhere chasing after men!”

“Do men chase after you?” I asked jokingly.

“Of course they do. I’m happily married but men still keep proposing to me.

“Most of them have relationship problems and they need someone to confide in. For some reason, they like to talk to me. I think I should have been a counsellor instead of a school teacher!”

Laura paused before she said thoughtfully, “You know, the relationship between men and women is so complicated. Women worship men and call them, ‘Honey’ until they find out they have been lied to, and then they turn into bitter gourds! Men love women so much that they see them as their soul mates until they look at their credit card bills, and then women become devils with tridents!”

Laura’s enthralling conversation had turned the flight into something thoroughly enjoyable. I was also fascinated by the way people were drawn to her. By the end of the flight, almost half the cabin crew was standing near the aisle by us, laughing and joking with Laura. The passengers around us joined in the merry-making too. Laura was the centre of attention, filling the cabin with delightful warmth.

When we waved goodbye to each other at the arrival lounge at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Airport, I watched her walking towards a big group of adoring adults and kids. Cheers sounded as the group hugged and kissed Laura. She turned around and winked at me.

I was stunned, as the realization set in: Laura was the most beautiful woman I had ever met in my life.

Daily Quote

"It takes a lot of things to prove you are smart, but only one thing to prove you are ignorant."

-Don Herold

Building a reputation is difficult. It is way more difficult than ruining a reputation. Humans tend to remember the bad things that happened. Most people will be able to tell you about that annoying or mean kid in elementary school. The bad things stick, which makes it so much harder to erase bad reputations. And you can be a wonderful person that everybody likes. But you do one thing and there goes your reputation! Proving you are smart versus ignorant is the same. You have to do a lot to show that you are smart. You can't just have one lucky test grade and people think you are smart. You have to repetitively do smart things to give yourself a smart reputation. But it doesn't take much to show signs of ignorance! 

Daily Quote

"The world is always in movement."

-V. S. Naipaul

It goes on. Life will move on, don't get caught up in the little things. That argument you had with your friend- that will pass by. Apologize, and life will move on. But don't drag the burden with you. That cup you accidentally broke- well there is no need to cover that up either. Life is so much easier when you simply admit to your wrongdoings. It helps move life along so much better. But even if you don't resolve it, life will go on. So make it easier, and let things go. Patch up your friendships. Let life take you with it, because it isn't going to stop anytime soon.

Quote of the day

"Responsibility is the price of freedom."

-Elbert Hubbard

I am just going to jump directly into an example for this one. When we are little, we all live with our parents. We are not free, but we don't have as much responsibility. But when we move away, we have the responsibility of caring for ourselves 100% and earning our incomes to support ourselves to pay our taxes on our houses and for food and such. Life is harder- we have responsibility. But we must do it. Being free is a good thing to experience and learn how to deal with.

Quote of the day

"How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains!"

-John Muir

Enjoy the beauty of the earth. Our days on the earth are short, so don't spend too many of them buried in something man made, such as a computer. If you must, try it outside on a lovely day. When I read during the summer, I enjoy doing it outside. It is such a wonderful feeling- being surrounded by nature all around you!