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WITandWISDOM(tm) - May 25, 2005 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: “You can’t step in the same river twice.” - Greek philosopher, Heraclitus Source: JD Wetterling, http://www.jdwetterling.com/ ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: In 1972 David Miln Smith, an adventurer, author and professional speaker, decided to spend a night alone in St. Michael's Cave on the island of Gibraltar as a test of courage. In his book HUG THE MONSTER (Kansas City: Andrews and McMeel, 1996), he tells of hearing strange sounds all around him as he lay there in the pitch-black, damp, deserted cave. Most frightening was the fact that he came to believe he was not alone! Fear became panic and he was afraid he was losing his mind. Then suddenly, as he was approaching his psychological breaking point, Smith thought to himself, "Whatever the monster looks like, I will hug it." That simple, almost silly thought brought great relief to his restless mind. He soon fell into a deep and peaceful sleep until morning. He learned that embracing his fear, literally or figuratively, allowed him to subdue it. We each have our nights of fear. We each encounter monsters of some sort. We may fear spiders or insects, heights or crowds, abandonment or loneliness, the future or death. And most of us are occasionally visited by shadows of these monsters in the dark of night. The next time you're afraid, try "hugging the monster." Face that fear head-on, whatever it is, and embrace it. You may be surprised at how quickly it slips away and at how confident you begin to feel. Like that beautiful spirit Eleanor Roosevelt said, "You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face." Do you have a monster to hug? Steve Goodier is the editor of The Life Support System, a motivational e-newsletter delivered daily to 85,000 subscribers in over 100 nations. His inspirational newsletter and books are available through his website at http://www.lifesupportsystem.com Source: Life Support System, mailto:LifeSupport-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: Warning Labels! 7 Up: Contents under pressure. Cap may blow off causing eye or other serious injury. Point away from face and people, especially when opening. Vicks Ny-Quil Gel Caps: Use of this product in conjunction with alcohol or sedatives may cause drowsiness. Jonsreds Chainsaw: Do not attempt to stop chain with hands. Windex: Do not spray in eyes. McDonald's Coffee: Warning - Contents may be hot. Bayer Aspirin: Do not take if allergic to aspirin. Liquid Plummer: Warning: Do not reuse the bottle to store beverages. Miller Lite: Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems. Komatsu Floodlight: This floodlight is capable of illuminating large areas, even in the dark. Tonyang Lighting Screwdriver: Use 3 pieces of batteries on 4. Moet White Star Champagne: Warning: Remove label before placing in microwave. Energizer AAA 4 Pack: If swallowed, promptly see doctor. Boot's Children’s Cough Medicine: Do not drive a car or run machinery. Fritos: You could be a winner! No purchase necessary. Details inside. Mr. Bubbles: Keep out of reach of children. Mark and Spencer's Bread Pudding Product will be hot after heating. Craftsman Push Mower Warning: Do not attempt to remove blade while lawnmower is running or plugged into an outlet. Sainsbury Peanuts (Read Comments) Warning: This product contains nuts. Source: Clean Laugh, http://www.cybersaltlists.org/ ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: Gladys Dunn just moved into town and decided to visit the church nearest to her new apartment. She appreciated the pretty sanctuary and the music by the choir, but the sermon went on and on. Worse, it wasn't very interesting. Glancing around, she saw many in the congregation nodding off. Finally it was over. After the service, she turned to a still sleepy looking gentleman next to her, extended her hand and said, "I'm Gladys Dunn." The man replied, "You and me both!" Submitted by AV4217 ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: Once, when he was managing the Washington Senators, baseball legend Gil Hodges discovered four of his players had broken curfew the previous night. Immediately, he called a team meeting and said, "I know who you are but I do not wish to embarrass you. You know the rules--you will each be fined $100. I have placed a cigar box on my desk. I expect the four of you who broke curfew to put your money in the box by 3:00 p.m." At the end of the day, Hodges found $700 in his cigar box! Source: Weekend Encounter, by Dick Innes, Copyright (c) ACTS International, 2004, http://www.actsweb.org/subscribe.htm