Quote of the day

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

-Abraham Lincoln

I thought this was pretty interesting because of the quote I did a few days ago about testing a person's character based on how they treat people that aren't equal to them in some way or another. When I saw this quote, it struck me as interesting because it is another version of the one from the other day. So if you are looking for another way to see who people really are, take a look at this quote. Another way to test a man or a woman's character is to give them power. Most people can accept misfortune and such after a while, so if you really desperately want to test someone's character, give them power. This is basically the same thing as the one from the other day. Give them power, and see how they treat people who don't have as much power. Power weakens a person inside, but makes them appear to be stronger on the outside. It's just like bread dough. Give it the energy and heat of the oven, and it will get a harder shell and prettier appearance, but on the inside, it gets tons of holes and air pockets and it is really weak and not very durable. We get less tough on the inside, but we don't feel this. We think that those air bubbles are what's making us better, when really they're weakening us. Power makes a person do crazy things, sometimes.

Daily Quote

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."

-Albert Einstein

If you can't explain something in even the most simple terms, you probably don't know it well enough. You should be able to explain it to a really little one in vocab words to match. If you can't, and the only thing you can repeat is what you read or learned originally, you probably don't know it well enough. For example, if you were asked to explain Snell's Law, a formula used to calculate angles of refraction, to someone who doesn't know anything about science, you would have to take it slowly. You would first say the formula, n₁sinøi=n₂sinør, and then go into details about the various things inside the formula. The n stands for the index of refraction, which is basically how much the material makes the light bend when light enters it. The index of refraction for air is 1, but the index of refraction for water is 1.33. Sin is for sine, which is a trig function, but with theta i (which is just the angle measurement you are given to work with), you can plug them into the formula to get theta r which is the angle of light that will come out after being refracted. I know this formula and explanation would not be understood by a little kid or someone completely clueless about science, but do you understand what I mean? If you can't explain something easily and in detail, you probably don't understand it well enough.

Daily Quote

"If you want to see the true measure of a man, watch how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."

-J. K. Rowling

If you want to see who a person really is, look at how they treat the people lower than them. That may be socially, that may be financially, that may even be people who are lower in height. You might think that's silly, but it's actually true. I'm not the tallest person of my age, and I hear quite a few comments-- casual and not--about my height. But anyway, if you want to see who someone really is, look at how they treat people who may not be as fortunate as them in any way shape or form. If you see a rich man treating an incredibly poor man as a complete equal with absolutely no differences at all, that really tells you something about that man. Treat everyone as an equal, no matter what their status.

Quote of the day

"When you go in search of honey you must expect to be stung by bees."

-Joseph Joubert

If you go out looking for something sweet, the path to find that sweetness may be a little bit thorny. Life will throw some challenges at you. It will put obstacles in your path to test you and try you until it finally lets you have the prize. In this life, we must work for the things we want or need. We aren't going to simply be handed everything on a silver platter whenever we need it. We have to spend time, effort, resources, and other things along those lines. We may run into obstacles, road blocks, and dead ends. But when we get to the honey at the end, the bee stings don't even hurt that much. Completing a goal and receiving a well-earned award makes the pain of your travels seem to simply disappear.

Story of the day

A king used to travel in disguise to learn directly about the conditions of his countrymen. He was accompanied by a personal guard in disguise. They met three beggars seated by the side of a busy street. Seeing the two strangers, they raised their bowls and begged for alms. The king wanted to test them. He extended his hands to them and said, “We are in a poor, hungry and miserable state. Kindly give us something to sustain our life.”

One of the beggars did not respond to their request. He moved away in search of a wealthy donor. The second beggar gave a handful of rice from his bowl. But the third beggar felt pity and offered them his large bowl with its complete contents – all the grains and coins he could collect during the day.

The king received the two gifts and sent his guard to the treasurer of the palace with a written order to weigh the gifts and send through the guard, gold coins weighing as much as the two gifts. The guard returned with the gold coins which he happily presented to the second and third beggars.

The first beggar was very sorry for refusing a gift. The second beggar was sorry for limiting his gift. The third beggar was overjoyed to receive the unexpected treasure. The king appointed the kind and compassionate beggar as his personal assistant.

Daily Quote

"There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one's self."

-Benjamin Franklin

Most everyone knows that there are some extremely hard substances: steel and diamonds. There are some extremely hard tasks: climbing mount everest, becoming an olympic athlete, and more. There are so many things in this world that are hard. Something else that is incredibly hard is knowing yourself. Being able to be yourself without having to think. You should't have to plan how you are going to be to be yourself. Being unique is a good thing! Everyone is different in their own special way, and we all must accept that. Never compare someone to someone else unless it is a positive thing that will encourage them. Like if someone isn't painting your house in exactly the way your favorite painter does, don't criticize and say that they must be more like the favorite painter. Just accept that everyone is different and the way the other painter paints is fine, too. As long as the quality is still good. Since everyone is different, everything that everyone does is unique, too. Knowing yourself is hard, but not impossible. It's incredibly important, too, because there is only one you and the world needs to see it. Don't deprive the world of its healthy dosage of pure you!

Daily Quote

"Things don't have to change the world to be important."

-Steve Jobs

Sure, there are things that are incredibly important enough to change the world. But something doesn't have to change the world to be important! For example, showing acts of love are important. Giving your mom or dad a hug here and there, giving someone you love a hug here and there. Showing your gratitude, saying thank you and please and saying you are sorry. Words and actions are incredibly important, and they don't have to change the world. Basic necessities are important, and they perhaps don't have to change the world. There is so much more to important things than changing the entire world.

Quote of the day

Do you want to get ahead? Then get started! So many people these days (including myself) procrastinate. Even if we tell ourselves we aren't going to procrastinate this time, we usually end up doing it anyway. But see, the secret is to start it. Even if you tell yourself you don't have to finish, just start, then you will be surprised with your results. Many times, for me at least, I like to finish what I started, so if I start an assignment I have to make sure it is finished all the way before I stop. Even if I leave it for a day, once it is started it is so much easier to come back to and know you don't have to do the whole thing. But if I haven't started something yet, I don't tend to do it until I need to. So while it might sound crazy, the secret to getting ahead of your workload and the secret to not procrastinating  is simply to start your work so you will be motivated to finish it.

Quote of the day

I was actually just thinking about this a little bit earlier today. Whatever it is I can remember in detail is something I must be passionate about. Something I love. Something I actually want to remember. Unfortunately, this is also why I'm so bad at names and why people may have to tell me something a couple times before I actually remember. Only small things, though, like when I'm just making conversation and I ask a question to move things along, but then later (a few days later, at minimum), I ask the question seeking the answer for real, having forgotten that I even asked that before. Things that I understand are because I want to understand, and because I love that feeling when you are hitting a black brick wall in your brain and the information is just not coming through, when suddenly those bricks go flying in all directions letting you pass and suddenly everything seems to click into place and it all makes sense. I love that feeling, and that's why I can understand many things. The things we know and understand best are the things that we want to; because we love.

Daily Quote

Everything in moderation is the best way to go. Too little of something isn't that great, because too little isn't enough to get you by. Too much is also not the best. If you have too much of something, you will feel not so great when you have so much you don't know what to do, or perhaps you will want to use your too much to get more. Both of these far ends of the scale aren't exactly where you want to be. Sometimes, you don't have a choice and are simply put on one end or the other. Don't get me wrong, there's a mark between having what you need whenever you need it in whatever quantity and quality you want it in, and having way too much to handle.

Daily Quote

"Your attitude is like a box of crayons that color your world. Constantly color your picture gray, and your picture will always be bleak. Try adding some bright colors to the picture by including humor, and your picture begins to lighten up."

-Allen Klein

If you think of your attitude as a box of crayons that color the world you live in, what would you like your world to look like? Stormy dreary foggy cloudy rainy days every day? If so, you might be coloring your picture gray. If you don't want that, and you want to be a happier person, color it with happier and more lively colors. The gray crayon represents a dull mindset. A mindset where you don't really care what's going on around you. But add some colors, and it will be a pretty picture! Add a mix of lots of colors. Just drawing with only one color makes for not a very interesting picture.

Quote of the day

There really is no normal in this world. Everyone is completely different. Totally unique in their own ways. There are no two people alike. Even if they are identical twins, they are still both unique and different in ways that may seem microscopic. Or perhaps the contrast is obvious. But never think you are just another drone in a planet of ordinary robots. You are not! You are unique and special. But then again, don't think that you are the most different person out there and you just wish you could fit in with the normal people. That's not really true. You are different, yes, but so is everyone else. You are just contrasting more with some people than others. Everyone is unique. Everyone is different. Embrace your uniqueness and help others realize that they are unique gifts of God, too!

Quote of the day

"If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present."

-Lao Tzu

If you think about this, you will realize why this is true. See, when you are depressed, you are likely thinking about something that happened in the past. It may have happened just seconds ago, it may have happened years ago. But the point is, you are thinking about the past and are feeling depressed about something you have done. Thinking about the past doesn't always mean you are depressed. But when you are depressed, it is usually because of the past. If you are anxious, you are probably thinking about the future. If you are a student at school, you may be anxious because perhaps you have four tests, three quizzes, two papers and one project due in the next week. That would be quite a few things, and being anxious is understandable. Anxiety, as the dictionary puts it, is "a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome." Like the dictionary says, usually you are anxious because of something that makes you uncomfortable is approaching, or something that you don't quite know what will happen is going to happen. But when you are in a state of perfect peace, you are living in the present. You aren't clinging to the past, you aren't worrying about the future. You are living each moment as it happens, seeing what will happen in those moments. You are letting life take you along in a sweet and gentle river that only flows forward. The river may have some rocks in it, but once you get past them it's once again smooth and quiet. While you are on this river, you focus only on the part of the river you are on at that moment; watching only what's around you to look at. You aren't trying to glimpse ahead to see where the river will take you, and you aren't looking back on the part you've already past. You are living in the present, and you are at peace.

Daily Quote

The more time you take to do something carefully, the better it will be done. Taking too much time on something can be bad, but taking not enough time can be even worse. If you're working on a project, you won't do your best if you wait until last minute and then do it as fast and carelessly as you can. You won't even do it that well if you do it fast the second you get it just so you can get it over with. If you take your time and spread out your time wisely, you will very likely pay closer attention to the details and work hard to make it just right. You will do a whole lot better. This is true for most things in life. Haste makes waste, as you may have heard before.

Daily Quote

Bad weather is often associated with sorrow. In movies, when something sad happens, it starts to rain. But you don't have to act like storms are sad, you can look at them knowing there will be a rainbow in the end. When you are sad, the storms and bad weather will master you and make you even more sad. Knowing storms are often associated with sadness, when you find yourself in a storm and you are sad, you feel the need to be even sadder. But if you forget about all of that and joyously face the storm, you will feel like you are on top of the world. Feeling power over a powerful thing makes you feel absolutely full of positive power. What you do with that positive power is up to you; but hopefully you will do something really good with it!

Quote of the day

What you look at doesn't matter at all. What you see in what you look at is what matters. For example, if you look at someone less fortunate than you, what do you see? A homeless person? Someone who can't do anything in this world? Or perhaps you see them as something wonderful; a gift of God? Looking at them doesn't matter. But what you see in them is what does matter. Another example would be if you looked through a shop window and looked at a mug, what do you see? A cheap cup that's probably mass produced in China? An expensive but factory made set of mugs exclusively for that shop? Or do you notice that it looks hand painted, crafted with love? Whatever you see is fine, but what you do see is what matters. Just remember that what you look at doesn't matter, but the thoughts that go through your head that causes you to want to either look longer or quickly turn away; what you see in what you look at; that's what matters.

Quote of the day

"Measure twice, cut once."

-Proverb

This is a good rule of thumb. In a woodcutter's life, you must measure the wood twice before you cut, because once you cut you can't just click command-z or control-z on your keyboard to undo it. Once it is done, there's no going back. This is important in our everyday lives as well. In conversation, you must really think through what you want to say and make sure it isn't potentially harmful to someone's feelings, because once you say it and it hurts someone, damage is done. Even if they forgive you the damage will still be done permanently somewhere deep down. Also, you can think of anger as a glass. Drop it enough and it will smash into hundreds of tiny pieces. It will never be whole again. There will always be missing fragments. Your damage will be, again, permanent. It's important in life to think through something twice before putting it to action, because in some cases, once you cut once, it can't be fixed.

Daily Quote

"If you don't think every day is a good day, just try missing one."

-Cavett Robert

Be appreciative of every day. Even if you haven't had the best day, at least remember how wonderful it is to be alive. If you aren't thinking every day is a good day, imagine missing one! If you miss a day, you won't be able to live any more days. If you miss a day, you are dead. Then the days aren't looking so bad, are they? Just remember; even when you feel like you are having a bad day, remember how bad it would be if you weren't able to live it. Appreciation and thankfulness are key things in life.

Daily Story

A fisherman set up a stall to sell fresh fish to tourists visiting a fishing harbour. In front of his new stall, he placed a large board displaying the words, ‘FRESH FISH SOLD HERE’ to attract prospective buyers. Several customers came to buy fish from his stall.

One of his customers made a suggestion, “The board is large and readable. But it is too long. The word ‘HERE’ is unnecessary as the board is quite close to the stall. It may be deleted to make the board short and sweet.” The seller found that the suggestion was logical. So he erased the last word. Now the board read, ‘FRESH FISH SOLD’.

Later another customer gave a novel suggestion: “The word, ‘SOLD’ is not needed on the board as fishes are displayed here for sale and not for exhibition.” The seller agreed and deleted the word, ‘sold.’ Now the board read ‘FRESH FISH.’

Some time later, a new customer examined the board and gave his opinion, “The word ‘FRESH’ need not be displayed publicly as you sell only fresh fish and not rotten fish. It is an insult to other sellers in this area.” The seller readily agreed and modified the board. It now had only one word, ‘FISH.’

Another person visited the stall after sunset. He said, “The smell of your fish can be felt all around this stall. I had no difficulty to locate it though your board was not clearly visible in the dim light. It is not essential to place the board, ‘FISH’ here.” The seller accepted the suggestion and removed the last letter from the board.

The next day, his business was dull. New customers could not identify the stall easily as the board was blank. They went to other stalls in the area. The fisherman’s fate was the result of responding to every suggestion from others. People are lavish in showering advices and critical comments. We must apply our wisdom to identify the relevant, reasonable and acceptable advices.

We must have correct concepts and convictions about values and principles of life. Then nobody can mislead us.

Quote of the day

"My life is my message."

-Mahatma Gandhi

You don't have to wait for a sign to go out and do something. You shouldn't have to be told to go out and do something great. If you're waiting for a sign: this is it. Well, actually, your life is it. Let your life be your message. The life you live should tell you what you're supposed to go out and do. What kind of message your life is telling you, I don't know, but hopefully it's a great one! And even if the message is saying to go do something terrible, you can take that negative message as a reason to do something good instead. Your life is your sign. Get up and follow it!

Quote of the day

"Whether it's the best of times or the worst of times, it's the only time we've got."

-Art Buchwald

If whatever you are doing is the best of times, or maybe something terrible is happening and it's the worst of times, you need to still be careful. It's the only time we've got, so we must make the best of it! Don't waste it away in sorrow if it is the worst of times, and don't waste it away ridiculously if it's the best of times. It is the only time we have, so we need to not waste any of it. Make do with what you have, and make it the best! Time stops for no one. 

Daily Quote

"We all need each other."

-Leo Buscaglia

This is a good, simple quote. It's a nice little breather as we draw our work week to a close. This is a good short and sweet quote that, as we get impatient for the weekend to get started, we should all remember. If you've ever seen High School Musical, you may remember the line, "We're all in this together." It's very true. There is no way you can get through life completely alone. Who will teach you to do things? Who will help you when you are helpless? Who will be there to rub your back and massage your shoulders at the end of the day? We need to stick together. We need to all push through together, no matter what you're doing. If you and some office partners are working on something together, even though it might be Friday or some other special day to you, you must all stick together and finish it strong. Don't just let it hang until Monday. We all need each other to keep each other upright morally and mentally, also. If it is Friday, we need to keep each other from doing stupid things out of excitement. We also need to keep each other from practically exploding when there are 5 minutes left in that honors class you're taking and the teacher doesn't seem to realize school is supposed to get out soon. Especially as the long work week begins bringing in the Friday, we all need each other even more than we usually do.

Daily Quote

"When you have seen one ant, one bird, one tree, you have not seen them all."

-E. O. Wilson

If you've only ever seen one ant, one bird, one tree, one leaf, one something; you can't say you know what every ant, tree, leaf, bird or something looks like. You haven't seen it all. Ants, for example, come in all shapes and sizes; red, black, and sometimes brownish. Every ant is unique, no two are alike. This differentness goes down even to the tiny hairs on an ant's body. If you've seen one type of ant, you most certainly haven't seen them all. Same for birds and trees and things. Birds aren't all one single type. There are tons of variations of birds. They are all so different! A cardinal, for example, is nothing like a trumpeter swan. Even two robins don't look exactly the same. Everything in nature is so different. While they may look the same or similar, everything was created to be so unique. Seeing just one of something doesn't mean you've seen them all. Knowing this, when you look at a person, you must think the same. Everyone is different. So if you are Chinese and you see one Canadian, that doesn't mean you know what every Canadian looks like. If you are American and you saw one African, that doesn't mean you've seen every African. Everyone not only looks different, but everyone's so different on the inside, too. Never judge everything of one kind based on one single something of that kind.

Quote of the day

"If you are given a chance to be a role model, I think you should always take it because you can influence a person's life in a positive light, and that's what I want to do. That's what it's all about."

-Tiger Woods

If you are given the opportunity to be a role model, take it! Take it and make it good. If you get the chance to influence someone's life positively, take it. Be someone that someone else would look up to. Someone that, when they become your age, they can grow up to be just like. When someone gets positively influenced, they will begin to act like the influencer. This will make others around them also want to be like them, too, creating a chain reaction of positive light. If the person influenced doesn't act like the influencer but is still influenced, then at least one person has the right mindset! This is why it is so important, when you have the opportunity to influence someone, to not only take it, but to make sure you influence them positively.

Quote of the day

We are always being taught to love others unconditionally. This is true! Love others with all your heart and soul. But showing your love for others doesn't mean you have to spend all your love on others and hate yourself. No, save a little love for yourself. This doesn't mean be narcissistic. Love yourself, but love others too. Love everyone as equals. Spread the love! Many people don't realize that they can love others and themselves. Other people don't realize they can love others other than themselves. Find the balance between self love and love for others.

Daily Story

Two brothers lived in constant poverty. The elder brother was satisfied with his humble assets and led a life of peace and contentment. But the younger brother was always unhappy, ambitious and greedy. He wanted to enjoy all the pleasures of life and was envious of his wealthy neighbours. He rejected his elder brother’s views with contempt. One day they met a saintly preacher on the way. The younger brother complained about his constant poverty and God’s apparent cruelty. The preacher consoled him and advised them to pray for receiving richer resources if it is the will of God. 

They returned to their homes and resumed their prayers with greater zeal. The younger brother soon started receiving several blessings. His land gave a rich harvest and he obtained a loan to start a new business. His financial status soared steadily. But his elder brother remained poor as before. The younger brother considered his brother to be unworthy to receive the blessings of God as his prayers were not answered so far.

The saintly preacher later returned to their village and met both the brothers. He was surprised to find that the younger brother had become a successful and wealthy businessman in a short period. The preacher asked him why he did not share a part of his blessings with his elder brother who was still very poor. The rich man replied that the blessings he received were the results of his own fervent prayers and hard work and his brother did not deserve any gift because even God had disregarded his prayers and deserted him.

Then the preacher told him, “You are thoroughly mistaken, my son. God has answered all the prayers of your brother.”

“But I don’t find that he received any blessing from God. He is unworthy to get the grace of God and I don’t care for him”, the rich man replied.

The preacher corrected him, “I know what he had prayed for. He was praying to God for you. He was praying that all your prayers shall be answered and your wishes be fulfilled. He did not pray for his own prosperity. Whatever you enjoy now is the result of his intercession. You should be thankful to him forever.” 

These words transformed the rich man. He learned that the blessings we receive need not be the fruits of our own prayers or efforts alone, but can be the results of the prayers of others for us.

Let us not do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble towards one another, always considering others better than ourselves. Let us look out for one another’s interests, not just for our own.

Daily Quote

"The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others."

-Albert Schweitzer

The purpose of our lives is to help others. Show compassion, show love. Help those in need so that they might turn around and pay it forward. Imagine: If everyone in the world just got up and did one good thing for the community, what would the world be like? If everyone picked up one piece of trash, if everyone scrubbed one wall clean of graffiti, if everyone helped each other build nice houses for the people that don't have them and helped everyone with everything. If there was one global community service day, just imagine what the world would be like! It would be pretty amazing. This probably will never happen, so we as individuals need to just do our part and serve. We can do all of these things alone as well, so we can step up and be the change that would be lovely to see in this world.

Story of the day

A wild fire broke out in a dense forest. Heaps of dry leaves easily caught fire and the strong winds quickly spread the fire. The frightened animals and birds fled for their lives. Two monkeys were left behind in the burning forest. One was blind and the other was lame. They cried for help but their friends and relatives deserted them.

They heard each other. The lame monkey saw the helpless blind monkey and came near him as fast as he could. He told the blind one, “Friend, there is only one way to escape from this raging fire. You can move fast and I can see well. Let us move together.” The blind monkey readily agreed and stooped down. The lame monkey climbed on the back of the blind monkey, who moved, following the directions of the lame monkey. 

They could move fast through a narrow area where the blazing fire had not yet reached. They reached a safe spot at a great distance from the roaring fire. They embraced and thanked each other. They promised to stay together as real friends for the rest of their lives. Their friends were sorry for abandoning them during the dangerous moments and begged their pardon. They became friends again.

“A friend in need is a friend indeed.”

Quote of the day

To be humble, you don't necessarily have to put yourself down. True humility isn't thinking less of yourself, it is simply thinking of yourself less and showing off to make others feel bad less. It is considering your own needs while thinking of how to let everyone have what they want too; it is a balance between personal needs and needs for others. Humble people don't forget about themselves. They don't think they are terrible at something just to make someone else feel great at it. They know their strengths and weaknesses as much as anyone else, they just choose to keep it in. When you brag about yourself, you could be making someone feel bad that they aren't that great at whatever it is. Perhaps that's your intention: but why? Putting someone down by saying your strengths that you already know are their weaknesses is definitely not humble. So as I was saying, humble people don't forget about themselves, they just indulge themselves in thinking of others rather than indulging in personal vainity.

Daily Quote

"He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life."

-Muhammad Ali

If you don't take any risks at all, you will never learn anything new. Although the pain of the mistake is quite, well, painful, you need to make mistakes from your courageous risks in order to learn. Playing it safe all the time will never get you anywhere. You will ultimately end up as someone people push around because you don't know how to stand up for yourself. You will never get to be a high rank in a job because you will then be forced to take risks when hiring or firing people. If you never take risks, there is also the risk (ironic, isn't that?) of curiosity. This is normally a great thing, but if you are afraid to do the things you are curious about they will burn you up from the inside like glowing embers that will be hard to put out but never will get to quite become inflamed. But if you take risks, on the other hand, you may be lucky or skilled enough to make them work. It might end up being an amazing idea and now you will know. But if you take a risk and it ends up getting you into trouble, at least now you know and hopefully you've learned your lesson. So if you can work up the courage to take risks (by this I mean things that can't get you killed), even small ones, you will accomplish things in life.

Daily Quote

Sometimes, the most important thing you can do is choosing what kind of people to hang out with. What they say and do can greatly affect what you say and do, so it is a good idea to pick the people you would want to be. If you were hanging around a group of people that did nothing but criticize you and pick on you and influence you to do stupid and illegal things but you hang around them because they're cool and you want to be cool too, then likely you are not with the right people. They are going to cause you to do things you will regret later; some things may cause permanent damage to you and your reputation. Pick the people who raise you up to more than you can be. The people who are supportive and will always be there for you, and the people who bring that side of you out and help you share that side with others around you. Those are the type of people to spend your time with.

Quote of the day

"Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you."

-Oprah Winfrey

Passion ignites the soul. Focus on something that you are passionate about, and it will give you a feeling of power that can cause you to do great things. This power will not only rub off and excite you about doing things you may not like on any other day, but it will give you an overall better mood. You will be more pleasant to be around and you will be getting what you need to get done done, and best of all you will be happy and joyful! A great example of this would be a story of my own. I was introduced to a service project that involves crafts. It is for a great cause, too. How it works is I have been purchasing paracord 550 to cut into 8' strips and make into paracord "survival" bracelets. I'm doing this through Operation Gratitude, and when the bracelets are done I send them to OG for them to send to US Troops as a kind of "you're loved" care package. I love this activity, it is so much fun to make these bracelets. I am passionate enough about this activity that it has given me the energy and power to jump out of bed and get ready super super fast this morning instead of wanting to stay in bed and being super slow. Passion is truly an amazing emotion!

Sorry this is the first post in a very long time. I was gone most of the summer, and when I returned I found that my computer wasn't letting me on blogger or any blogs of any kind. So I had to get that sorted out before I could actually access it to post anything. After that was sorted out, I waited another week or so because I have been incredibly busy. I will definitely try my hardest to get a post out every day! Thank you for reading, I really appreciate it!
-LifeOO

Quote of the day

"If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we aren't really living."

-Gail Sheehy

The first half of the phrase 'growing up' is growing. Growing up is something we describe our getting older as, and obviously growing is something we can only do while living. Change is growth. Sometimes the change is simply in your height, meaning you have grown. But other times, change is something you either like or don't like, and either way it makes you stronger. It makes you grow accustomed to things not always being the same. You will grow morally. So if there is never any change, you will never grow in any type of way. And if you aren't growing, whether it be morally or anything else (with the exception of height, which stops growing after a while), you really aren't living.

Hello again!
I'm sad that, just as I finished catching up on posts, I have to stop again. This time I won't have access to internet or a computer for a whole month. I am not sure if I will be able to fill the gap like I did for my recent lack of computer, but I will see you again for sure in a month!

Thank you so much,

-LifeOO

Daily Quote

"Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all they have."

-H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Never, ever take away someone's hope. Not only is that not a nice thing to do, but it is risky because some people are in situations where hope is the only thing they have left. You could have everything and still only have hope left, so this rule applies to everyone. Hope could be for many causes. Some people may have hope because the last loved ones in their life are terminally ill, some may have hope because they feel like they have sunken so low that they need a pocket of sunshine to cheer them up. So be careful of what you say. Don't ever take away someone's hope, because it just might be the only meaningful thing they have left in their life. And that's not something you would want to deprive them of, is it?



Hello everyone!
I'm pleased to announce I finally caught up on posts from the last few weeks when I didn't have a computer! If you are reading this via email, check out the site. The gap was filled and now there is a post on every day again. Thank you so much for reading this blog, you have no idea how much it means to me!
-LifeOO

Daily Quote

"Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky."

-Rabindranath Tagore

Clouds usually come in to carry terrible weather. Sometimes we feel that way-- like suddenly clouds have rolled overhead and darkened the sky and dropped rain and lightning. But, with the right mindset, you can make those clouds simply come to decorate the sky. Look at them differently, and instead of looking at them as obstacles in your way, look at them as a new color painted on the canvas of life. This is true to many of the things "thrown" into our lives. What you usually take for an obstacle could be something simply giving your life more flavor. You just have to look at it differently.

Quote of the day

"Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad, and that's why I call you dad, because you are so special to me. You taught me the game and you taught me how to play it right."

-Wade Boggs

Happy Father's Day, everyone!

To all the dads out there: thank you for all you do. You have no idea what kinds of impressions you leave on your children, and what lessons you teach them and what they end up doing with them. Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special-- you-- to be a dad. You are so special to your children, you have no idea! And if you do have an idea, take it and multiply it by 100 and you've got how much your kids really care for you. Even if they don't act like they do, they do. More than you can imagine. You taught them the game of life and how to play it right. Safely, securely, successfully. Fathers and Mothers are two of the most important people to a kid, so embrace your awesomeness! Keep doing what you do best-- being a strong influence in the lives of your kids.

Quote of the day

"Great things are done by a series of small things brought together."

-Vincent Van Gogh

Great things are really just lots of little things that have been sewn together to make a patchwork quilt of overall greatness. I actually picked this image specifically for today. Usually, I just pick a nice picture. But today's is purposeful. Look at that rainbow garden. What makes it great is all of the individual patches of vibrant flowers, placed together in a way that makes it look like a neon rainbow garden. Great things can't just be done. They take time and effort and tons of individual pieces to the puzzle. Jigsaw puzzles are one overall great image of sorts, but it is made with sometimes a thousand tiny pieces. To accomplish anything great, you need to accomplish a series of small things and bring it all together.

Daily Quote

"When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure."

-Peter Marshall

Sometimes we all wish that our lives could be easy. That we could have everything served to us on a platinum platter. That no one or nothing would ever be a bother or struggle to us ever again. We all have wished for that easy life before, that's just a fact. But then we must remember that, without tons and tons (and by tons, I actually mean tons-- 2,000 pounds to a ton) of pressure, diamonds would simply be pieces of coal. And do you remember how strong diamonds are? Yeah, they're really strong. They got their strength under that pressure. Oaks are the same, but they get their strength from constantly being whipped around in strong winds that aren't even going the same way as each other. We all need that reminder. When you start wishing for the easy way out, remember that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. 

Daily Quote

"If you want peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies."

-Desmond Tutu

You can't establish peace between yourself and someone by talking about it with your friends. That won't make it go away, it will just make it... More talked about, I guess! To get peace, you have to go talk to the person you are not at peace with. You have to talk to them kindly with a smile on your face, and you have to apologize even if it was them that did it. Try to make that peace between you and them because, trust me, it is so much nicer feeling to be at peace with people. Otherwise, you have to work so hard to avoid them, ignore them, all that stuff. That takes so much energy! Just make peace and you will feel the peace inside of you.

Quote of the day

"Peace begins with a smile."

-Mother Teresa

You can't bring peace between you and someone else with a frown. That seems silly, doesn't it! Picture it-- you frowning while trying to have a heartfelt conversation of peace between you and an enemy. That's just not the way it works. The best way to start off peace is with a smile. Smiles establish friendliness. It's hard to be mad at someone wearing a genuine smile! That's why peace begins with a simple smile.

Quote of the day

"Wear a smile and have friends; wear a scowl and have wrinkles."

-George Eliot

This is a bit of a joke post, but it is also very true. People are naturally attracted to happy people wearing smiles on their faces. So if you smile, you get friends. Scowling, on the other hand, takes more muscles than smiling, but it also leaves wrinkles. Living in this day and age, I think it is safe to say that nobody really wants wrinkles. So smile! Aren't friends better than wrinkles any day?

Daily Quote

"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love."

-Marcus Aurelius

It's so amazing that we are in existence. Did you ever think about it? Have you seen any of those charts of human systems, with the muscles everywhere and the veins even more everywhere splayed out in complex patterns? All of the bones and joints that come together? The nerves in our bodies connected to this one central thing-- the brain, our control center? And how all of this works together to make a human which is capable of walking and talking and moving and breathing on our own? Isn't it amazing? Every morning, wake up and think how amazing it is. Be grateful for all of this, because life is short and shouldn't be wasted.

Daily Quote

"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light."

-Plato

Kids are afraid of the dark, most times. That's ok, it's normal. In fact, from a religious standpoint, it's a good thing that they're afraid of the dark. It's good that most kids are afraid of the darknesses of the world. There are so many darknesses, all controlled in the central darkness down in the eternal flames. So kids being afraid of the dark is no big deal. The bad thing is when people are afraid of the light. By light, I mean God and Heaven. The thing about Heaven is this: many people want to go there, they just don't want to die to get there! Men being afraid of the light could mean many things: Men afraid of dying, men afraid of God, men afraid of either of the above and any combination of any subcategory those may contain. Being fearful of God is a terrible tragedy... Those people are missing out.

Quote of the day

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."

-Winston Churchill

Attitude can literally change the "temperature" of the whole room. It can make a room feel really tense, or it can make a room feel light and fun. Bad attitudes create a heavy feeling where you feel like, with each breath, you're choking. Good attitudes make the room feel light, warm, friendly, and full of energy. The thing about attitudes is that they are contagious, so make sure you're spreading good attitudes!

Quote of the day

"Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life."

-Seneca

Think of every passing day as a new life. Every day we are given the opportunity to start fresh, to begin again. The choices you make are up to you, so you could be a completely different you every single day! Just remain true to who you are. If you have many personalities, then live them. If you only have one, be one person. Live every day as if it is your last, live every day like it's a lifetime. The choices you make are up to you.

Daily Quote

Another great take on happiness. This one is so true! Try not to keep reliving the past, because the past contains all of the things you've ever done wrong and all the things that have ever hurt someone emotionally or physically. It's ok to look back for a little bit to make sure you know what you've done wrong, but after that you need to simply keep going. Imagine a new, fresh start with every step you take. When you put the past behind you, you won't have to worry too much about all of the things that might make you unhappy. Let it stay behind, and rewrite your own future to be the way you want yourself to be!

Daily Quote

Happiness has been described as many things. Too many to count. But this one is one I've never heard before, but it makes sense. When you are thinking positive, happy thoughts while only saying positive, happy things and only doing positive, happy not destructive things, I could see how you would feel happy. You would have rid yourself of negative emotion, which is a good thing. In the end, you would have a good, happy feel! I for one feel happy when I do these three things at the same time, so I suggest you try it as well!

Quote of the day

"Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning."

-Bill Gates

When doing whatever you are doing, the people that aren't pleased are your greatest source of learning. From these people you can learn what they don't like about your work and you can improve from there. There will always be people who don't like your work, but their feedback is vital to successful improvement. The important thing is to make sure you don't take it the wrong way. As painful as feedback can be, to make the best use of it you really do need to accept what they're saying without letting it get to you.

Quote of the day

"You're only here for a short visit. Don't hurry, don't worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way."

-Walter Hagen

Life is short. We are all only on this earth for a short time, so don't rush through it. Don't worry too much about this that and the other, and enjoy the ride. Don't forget to stop and smell those roses along the way. By that, I mean don't forget to enjoy and take in the simple pleasures. Enjoy the ones that are given to us-- the beauties of nature you see everywhere. Don't worry too much, everything will turn out to be ok! Don't rush, or you will not have enough time to smell those flowers! Remember to make the most of your short visit here on earth before we all go home to God one day.

Daily Quote

Someone believing in you is the best thing you could ever have. When someone believes in you and you believe in yourself, you can do amazing things! Someone believing in you is a long lasting source of encouragement when you go about your life. When you feel like you are about to give up, instead of one person coming and temporarily motivating you (which is good, don't get me wrong), the remembrance of that person who believes in you will get you going again strong. Believing in someone is just like being able to motivate them at any time whenever they need it, without having to be on the scene to do it. Believe in your loved ones and they may do great things!