May You Always Feel Loved

May you find serenity and tranquility
in a world you may not always understand.

May the pain you have known
and the conflict you have experienced
give you the strength to walk through life
facing each new situation with optimism
and courage.

Always know that there are those
whose love and understanding will always
be there, even when you feel most alone.

May you discover enough goodness in others
to believe in a world of peace.

May a kind word, a reassuring touch,
a warm smile be yours every day of your life,
and may you give these gifts as well
as receive them.

Remember the sunshine when the storm
seems unending.

Teach love to those who know hate, and let
that love embrace you as you go into the world.

May the teaching of those you admire become
part of you, so that you may call upon them.

Remember, those whose lives you have touched
and who have touched yours are always a part
of you, even if the encounters were less than
you would have wished.

May you not become too concerned with
material matters, but instead place immeasurable
value on the goodness in your heart.

Find time in each day to see the beauty
and love in the world around you.

Realize that each person has limitless abilities,
but each of us is different in our own way.

What you may feel you lack in one regard
may be more than compensated for in another.

What you feel you lack in the present
may become one of your strengths in the future.

May you see your future
as one filled with promise and possibility.

Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience.

May you find enough inner strength
to determine your own worth by yourself,
and not be dependent on another's judgments
of your accomplishments.

May you Always Feel Loved!

Never Stop

Frogs

There once was a bunch of tiny frogs...

... who arranged a running competition.

The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower.

A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the
race and cheer on the contestants...
The race began...
Honestly:
No one in crowd really believed that the tiny frogs
would reach the top of the tower.
You heard statements such as: "Oh, WAY too difficult!!"
"They will NEVER make it to the top."
or:
"Not a chance that they will succeed. The tower is too high!"
The tiny frogs began collapsing. One by one...
... Except for those, who in a fresh tempo, were climbing
higher and higher...
The crowd continued to yell,
"It is too difficult!!! No one will make it!"
More tiny frogs got tired and gave up...
...But ONE continued higher and higher and higher...
This one wouldn't give up!
At the end everyone else had given up climbing the tower.
Except for the one tiny frog who, after a big effort,
was the only one who reached the top!
THEN all of the other tiny frogs naturally wanted to
know how this one frog managed to do it?
A contestant asked the tiny frog how he had found
the strength to succeed and reach the goal?

It turned out... That the winner was DEAF!!!!

The wisdom of this story is:

Never listen to other people's tendencies to be
negative or pessimistic...
...because they take your most wonderful dreams
and wishes away from you -- the ones you have in your heart!
Always think of the power words have.
Because everything you hear and read will affect your actions!
Therefore:
ALWAYS be...
POSITIVE!
And above all:

Be DEAF when people tell YOU that you
cannot fulfil your dreams!

Always

How To Be Happy

1. Make up your mind to be happy.
Learn to find pleasure in simple things.

2. Make the best of your circumstances.
No one has everything, and everyone has something
of sorrow intermingled with gladness of life.
The trick is to make the laughter outweigh the
tears.

3. Don't take yourself too seriously.
Don't think that somehow you should be protected
from misfortune that befalls other people.

4. You can't please everybody.
Don't let criticism worry you.

5. Don't let your neighbor set your standards.
Be yourself.

6. Do the things you enjoy doing but stay out of debt.

7. Never borrow trouble.
Imaginary things are harder to bear than real ones.

8. Since hate poisons the soul, do not cherish jealousy,
enmity,grudges.
Avoid people who make you unhappy.

9. Have many interests.
If you can't travel, read about new places.

10. Don't hold postmortems.
Don't spend your time brooding over sorrows or mistakes.
Don't be one who never gets over things.

11. Do what you can for those less fortunate than yourself.

12. Keep busy at something. A busy person never
has time to be unhappy.

Robert Louis Stevenson

Just You

LET IT GO

There are people who can walk away from you and hear
me when I tell you this! When people can walk away
from you let them walk.

I don't want you to try to talk another person into
staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring
about you, coming to see you, staying attached
to you. I mean hang up the phone.

When people can walk away from you let them walk.
Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.
The bible said that, they came out from us that
it might be made manifest that they were not for us.

For had they been of us, no doubt they would have
continued with us. [1 John 219]

People leave you because they are not joined to you.
If they are not joined to you, you can get super glue
and you can't make them stay. Let them go. It doesn't
mean that they are a bad person it just means that their
part in the story is over. You've got to know when people's
part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to
raise the dead. You've got to know when it's dead.

You've got to know when it's over. Let me tell you something.
I've got the gift of good bye. It's the tenth spiritual gift, I
believe in good bye. It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm
faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have
He'll give it to me.

Stop begging people to stay. LET IT GO !!

If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong
to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to.....
LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains....
LET IT GO!!!

If someone can't treat you right, love you back,
and see your worth....
LET IT GO!!!

If someone has angered you.....
LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge....
LET IT GO!!!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction.....
LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets
your needs or talents.....
LET IT GO!!!

If you have a bad attitude......
LET IT GO!!!

If you keep judging others to make yourself
feel better.....
LET IT GO!!!

If you're stuck in the past and God is trying
to take you to a new level in Him......
LET IT GO!!!

If you are struggling with the healing of a
broken relationship....
LET IT GO!!!

If you keep trying to help someone who
won't even try to help themselves.....
LET IT GO!!!

If you're feeling depressed and stressed.......
LET IT GO!!!

If there is a particular situation that you are
so used to handling yourself and God is saying
"take your hands off of it," then you need to......
LET IT GO!!!

Unknown

If You Don't Want

The Ten Other Commandments

1. Thou shall not worry needlessly about mistakes.
You aren't unworthy or incapable just because you
made some mistakes. Remember that mistakes are
necessary for growth.

2. Thou shall not control things.
Your way is not always the best way. Remain
open-minded, and don't worry if things don't go as expected.

3. Thou shall not blame others.
Don't make others responsible for your happiness.
You are in control of your happiness, and you can
choose to make the day a positive one.

4. Thou shall not worry.
Don't worry about the things that you can't change
or have no control over. Have faith that storms never
last long and tomorrow will be brighter.

5. Thou shall never surrender.
You must try to climb that hill even when it seems
too steep. No matter how difficult the task seems,
it's better to try than to wonder if you could have succeeded.

6. Thou shall grow.
Never think that you have to stay where you are in life.
Every new day offers an opportunity for change.

7. Thou shall not judge others harshly.
Try to accept other people for who they are.
Just because someone is different from you,
doesn't mean they are inferior.
Everyone was created in God's image.

8. Thou shall not fret over other's opinions.
Not everyone will like you, and some people
will criticize you, but you must not feel unworthy.
You need no one's approval to be you.

9. Thou shall not doubt your ability.
You should always have faith in yourself.
Refuse to give the negative voice in your head
an audience.

10. Thou shall not fix the world.
It's good to help others, but remember that you
can't fix everyone's problems.

Promise Yourself

Garden Of Your Mind

Garden Of Your Mind

Your mind is like a garden:
Whatever you plant will grow.
Your thoughts are seeds you're planting:
They produce, each after its kind.

And you, just like a gardener,
Can choose which seeds you'll plant.
And by the choice of seeds you sow,
You choose the harvest you will reap.

So don't plant seeds of lack or fear,
Disease, discord, or doubt.
Plant, instead, the seeds you want;
Then things you want will sprout.
This gift of choice is given to all,
And not to just a few.
The harvest, friend, is in your hands:
The crop depends on you.

So take this power which you've been given,
And use it every day,
To gain from life the good you want,
For you have found the way.

Nothing Should

Leaving The City of Regret

I had not really planned on taking a trip this time of year, and
yet I found myself packing rather hurriedly. This trip was
going to be unpleasant, and I knew in advance that no real good
would come of it. I'm talking about my annual "Guilt Trip."

I got tickets to fly there on Wish I Had airlines.
It was an extremely short flight.

I got my baggage, which I could not check. I chose to carry it
myself all the way. It was weighted down with a thousand
memories of what might have been.

No one greeted me as I entered the terminal to the Regret City
International Airport. I say international because people from
all over the world come to this dismal town.

As I checked into the Last Resort Hotel, I noticed that they
would be hosting the year's most important event, the Annual
Pity Party. I wasn't going to miss that great social occasion.
Many of the town's leading citizens would be there.

First, there would be the Done family, you know,
Should Have,
Would Have
and Could Have.

Then came the I Had family.
You probably know ol' Wish and his clan.

Of course, the Opportunities would be present, Missed and Lost.

The biggest family would be the Yesterday's. There are far too
many of them to count, but each one would have a very sad story
to share.

Then Shattered Dreams would surely make an appearance. And It's
Their Fault would regale us with stories (excuses) about how
things had failed in his life, and each story would be loudly
applauded by Don't Blame Me and I Couldn't Help It.

Well, to make a long story short, I went to this depressing
party knowing that there would be no real benefit in doing so.
And, as usual, I became very depressed.

But as I thought about all of the stories of failures brought
back from the past, it occurred to me that all of this trip and
subsequent "pity party" could be cancelled by ME!

I started to truly realize that I did not have to be there.
I didn't have to be depressed. One thing kept going through my
mind, I CAN'T CHANGE YESTERDAY, BUT I DO HAVE
THE POWER TO MAKE TODAY A WONDERFUL DAY.

I can be happy, joyous, fulfilled, encouraged, as well as
encouraging. Knowing this, I left the City of Regret
immediately and left no forwarding address.

Am I sorry for mistakes I've made in the past? YES!
But there is no physical way to undo them.

So, if you're planning a trip back to the City of Regret, please
cancel all your reservations now.

Instead, take a trip to a place called, Starting Again. I liked
it so much that I have now taken up permanent residence there.

My neighbors, the I Forgive Myselfs and the New Starts are so
very helpful. By the way, you don't have to carry around heavy
baggage because the load is lifted from your shoulders upon arrival.

Please look me up. I live on I Can Do It street.

Belive Alive

I SHALL ALLOW

I shall allow myself to feel capable
-- so that I may seek excellence.

I shall allow myself to feel sadness
-- so that joy may return.

I shall allow myself to feel happy
-- so that I may be revitalised.

I shall allow myself to feel afraid
-- so that I may find courage.

I shall allow myself to feel alone
-- so that I may know me.

I shall allow myself to feel beautiful
-- so that I may feel free.

I shall allow myself to feel loveable
-- so that the loving may seek me.

I shall allow myself to feel pain
-- so that I may heal.

I shall allow myself to feel worthy
-- so that I may fulfil my purpose.

When I am centred, I see the
perfection in the world,
myself and others.

When I find the world to be imperfect, I will take
responsibility for painting it that way. I will look into
the heart of a rose, or the eyes of a
new-born baby and again know perfection.

I take responsibility for creating
my own life story through
the choices I have made
-- to blame others is to give away my personal power.
Who will I allow to write the next chapter of my life?
I shall make a small difference on this planet through the
work I do -- when I leave I will have done my share. I shall
live, love, laugh, and learn on my journey ...

The Important Things

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help you figure out who you are or who you want to become.

You never know who these people may be - a roommate, a neighbor, a professor, a friend, a lover, or even a complete stranger - but when you lock eyes with them, you know at that very moment they will affect your life in some profound way.

Sometimes things happen to you that may seem horrible, painful, and unfair at first, but in reflection you find that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength, willpower, or heart.

Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness, and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, whatever they may be, life would be like a smoothly paved straight flat road to nowhere. It would be safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless.

The people you meet who affect your life, and the success and downfalls you experience, help to create who you are and who you become. Even the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are sometimes the most important ones.

If someone loves you, give love back to them in whatever way you can, not only because they love you, but because in a way, they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things.

If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart.

Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people that you have never talked to before, and listen to what they have to say.

Let yourself fall in love, break free, and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, it will be hard for others to believe in you.

You can make anything you wish of your life. Create your own life and then go out and live it with absolutely no regrets.

And if you love someone tell them, for you never know what tomorrow may have in store.

Learn a lesson in life each day that you live! Today is the tomorrow you were worried about yesterday. Was it worth it?

Write Your hurts

Some People

Slow Down

Strength Verses Courage

Strength Verses Courage

It takes strength to be firm
It takes courage to be gentle

It takes strength to stand guard
It takes courage to let down your guard

It takes strength to conquer
It takes courage to surrender

It takes strength to be certain
It takes courage to have doubt

It takes strength to fit in
It takes courage to stand out

It takes strength to feel a friend's pain.
It takes courage to feel your own pain

It takes strength to hide your own pains
It takes courage to show them

It takes strength to endure abuse
It takes courage to stop it

It takes strength to stand alone
It takes courage to lean on another

It takes strength to love
It takes courage to be loved

It takes strength to survive
It takes courage to live

A Brave Penquin

Do You Know

"A Picture Of Peace"

There once was a King who offered a prize to the
artist who would paint the best picture of peace.
Many artists tried. The King looked at all the
pictures, but there were only two he really liked
and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect
mirror, for peaceful towering mountains were all around
it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds.
All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect
picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains too. But these were
rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky from which
rain fell and in which lightening played. Down the
side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall.
This did not look peaceful at all. But when the King
looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush
growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother
bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the
rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest
... perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize?

The King chose the second picture. Do you know why?
"Because," explained the King, "peace does not mean
to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble,
or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all
those things and still be calm in your heart. That
is the real meaning of peace."

--Author Unknown

It's Mine...

24 Things to Always Remember

1. Your presence is a present to the world.
2. You're unique and one of a kind.
3. Your life can be what you want it to be.
4. Take the days just one at a time.
5. Count your blessings, not your troubles.
6. You'll make it through whatever comes along.
7. Within you are so many answers.
8. Understand, have courage, be strong.
9. Don't put limits on yourself.
10. So many dreams are waiting to be realized.
11. Decisions are too important to leave to chance.
12. Reach for your peak, your goal, and your prize.
13. Nothing wastes more energy than worrying.
14. The longer one carries a problem, the heavier it gets.
15. Don't take things too seriously.
16. Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets.
17. Remember that a little love goes a long way.
18. Remember that a lot . . . goes forever.
19. Remember that friendship is a wise investment.
20. Life's treasures are people . . . together.
21. Realize that it's never too late.
22. Do ordinary things in an extraordinary way.
23. Have health and hope and happiness.
24. Take the time to wish upon a star.

My Friends Tell Me

Life's Tug of War

Life can seem ungrateful and not always kind...
Life can pull at your heartstrings and play with your mind...
Life can be blissful and happy and free...
Life can put beauty in the things that you see ...
Life can place challenges right at your feet...
Life can make good of the hardships we meet...
Life can overwhelm you and make your head spin...
Life can reward those determined to win...
Life can be hurtful and not always fair...
Life can surround you with people who care ...
Life clearly does offer its Up and its Downs...
Life's days can bring you both smiles and frowns...
Life teaches us to take the good with the bad...
Life is a mixture of happy and sad... SO...
Take the Life that you have and give it your best...
Think positive be happy let God do the rest...
Take the challenges that life has laid at your feet...
Take pride and be thankful for each one you meet...
To yourself give forgiveness if you stumble and fall...
Take each day that is dealt you and give it your all...
Take the love that you're given and return it with care...
Have faith that when needed it will always be there...
Take time to find the beauty in the things that you see...
Take life's simple pleasures let them set your heart free...
The idea here is simply to even the score
As you are met and faced with Life's Tug of War

Change

Don't Let Go of Hope

Hope gives you the strength to keep going when you feel like giving up.

Don't ever quit believing in yourself. As long as you believe you can,
you will have a reason for trying.

Don't let anyone hold your happiness in their hands; hold it in your own,
so it will always be within your reach.

Don't measure success or failure by material wealth, but by how you feel.
Our feelings determine the riches in our lives.

Don't let bad moments overcome you. Be patient,
and they will pass.

Don't hesitate to reach out for help; we all need it from time to time.

Don't runaway from Love, but towards love; because it is our deepest joy.

Don't wait for what you want to come to you.
Go after it with all that you are; knowing that life will meet you half way.

Don't feel like you've lost when plans and dreams fall short of your hopes.
Anytime you learn something new about yourself, or about life,
you have progressed.

Don't do anything that takes away from your self-respect.
Feeling good about yourself is essential to feeling good about life.

Don't ever forget how to laugh or be too proud to cry.
It is by doing both that we live life to the fullest.

Procrastination

After Awhile

After awhile you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul,

And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning and company doesn't mean security,

And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts and presents aren't promises,

And you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes open, with the grace of an adult, not the grief of a child,

And you learn to build all your roads on today because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans.

After awhile you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much.

So plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn that you really can endure...
that you really are strong, and
you really do have worth.

And you learn and you learn . . .

Veronica A. Shoffstall