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WITandWISDOM(tm) - November 5, 2002 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: "To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved." - George MacDonald Source: Quotes From The Masters, http://MailRoom.DailyInbox.Com/ ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: SOMEDAY... By Les Parrott III One of the greatest saboteurs of our dreams and goals begins with one word: "someday." This word denotes idle thinking that's rarely backed up by action. And most good-intentioned people utter it on a regular basis. It's an easy way to invoke an excuse for putting off what would bring us closer to our goals. Zig Ziglar, known worldwide for his upbeat motivational messages, tells the story of the fellow who went next door to borrow his neighbor's lawnmower. The neighbor explained that he couldn't let him use the mower because all the flights had been canceled from New York to Los Angeles. The borrower asked him what canceled flights from New York to Los Angeles had to do with him borrowing his lawnmower. "It doesn't have anything to do with it," the neighbor replied. "But if I don't want to let you use my lawnmower, one excuse is as good as another." The same is true for anyone looking to put off the work that brings them closer to reaching their goals. "Someday, when I have the time or money." "Someday I'll study up on that." "Someday after the kids have moved out." "Someday..." Some people go through life, day after day, piling one excuse on top of another. They're looking for any reason at all to avoid working at their goals. If you catch yourself at the same place you were last year, pay attention to how well you manufacture excuses and how often you utter the word "someday." And maybe today is the day that someday leaves your vocabulary. Les Parrott III, Ph.D., is co-director of the Center for Relationship Development on the campus of Seattle Pacific University and the author of many best-selling books. http://www.realrelationships.com Source: Pulse Newsletter, http://www.preachingplus.com/newsletter/default.asp Submitted by Kiri Christina Hyatt ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: On October 24 I shared a piece starting with "Looking back. . ." One of our WITANDWISDOM(tm) readers adds his reminiscing to those bulleted items: Part 2 of 2 [Nov 4, 5] WE HAD NO CHILDPROOF LIDS ON MEDICINE BOTTLES, DOORS, OR CABINETS, AND WHEN WE RODE OUR BIKES WE HAD NO HELMETS. We had few medicine bottles since Dad always fought any of us going to see a doctor. Mostly we used OTC medicines and home remedies, such as, warm olive oil in the ears or Vicks Vap-O-Rub. WE DRANK WATER FROM THE GARDEN HOSE AND NOT FROM A BOTTLE. There was something special in letting the water run a little while so it would be cooler and drinking from it. I did not learn the joys of cold water until I visited humid and constantly hot Singapore. We would freeze our bottles of water at night and sip as they thawed through the day. I still do this if I am going to be out and about for a while. WE WOULD LEAVE HOME IN THE MORNING AND PLAY ALL DAY, AS LONG AS WE WERE BACK WHEN THE STREET LIGHTS CAME ON. NO ONE WAS ABLE TO REACH US ALL DAY. I had to be home by 5:00 for supper in the summer. We usually had some kind of church activity at night. I could not go off of our two-block street. WE PLAYED DODGE BALL AND SOMETIMES THE BALL WOULD REALLY HURT. Did it ever !! Most guys would laugh when I threw the ball. WE ATE CUPCAKES, BREAD AND BUTTER, AND DRANK SUGAR SODA, BUT WE WERE NEVER OVERWEIGHT; WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING. We did not drink Coca-Cola because Dad believed it would eat out the lining of the stomach. Mom made lots of weak tea and Kool-Aid. We ate lots of homemade sweets. I was thin when I went off to college. I gained a little when on the road during the summers with the college quartet. After marriage, weight became a growing problem. Dorothy was a marvelous cook and we ate all of the wrong things. LITTLE LEAGUE HAD TRYOUTS AND NOT EVERYONE MADE THE TEAM. THOSE WHO DIDN'T HAD TO LEARN TO DEAL WITH DISAPPOINTMENT. What was Little League? We had church league softball for the men. Kids played sand lot softball. Sometimes the team captains argued about who had to take me on their team. Since I was not allowed to try out for sports while in high school, I jumped into intramural sports with vigor when in college. I was one of the pitchers for my class slow-pitch softball. And I played at being the decoy halfback on my class football team and the other guard on the basketball team. I played unorganized volleyball, tennis, and ping pong. SOME STUDENTS WEREN'T AS SMART AS OTHERS OR DIDN'T WORK HARD SO THEY FAILED A GRADE AND WERE HELD BACK TO REPEAT THE SAME GRADE. I never failed a grade, but I was held back in Grade One by a West Virginia principal when we moved there from Ohio. He professed that West Virginia schools were better than those in Ohio. By AsA Sparks τΏτ mailto:asasparks@mindspring.com ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: As my wife and I were sitting on the front porch, our oldest daughter, Amy, came out of the house looking discouraged. It seems all her classmates knew their life's calling, but she didn't have a clue as to her own. "I don't know where to go to college," she moaned. "And even if I did, my grades probably aren't good enough." Her mother and I were searching for the right words of reassurance when Amy suddenly smiled and said, "I'm having a pre-life crisis!" Source: Clean Hewmor, http://associate.com/lists.shtml ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: Percent of Americans who use one prescription drug: 18 Percent who use two or more prescription drugs: 20 Percent who us five or more: 4 Percent of people with health insurance who use prescription drugs: 41 Percent of people without health insurance who use prescription drugs: 20 Source: Health, October 2002, http://www.health.com |