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Volume 33, # 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 2018 |
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![inspiration, motivation, Apple Seeds, [Apple]](AppleSeeds-1c.jpg)
![inspiration, motivation, Apple Seeds, [Apple]](AppleSeeds-2c.jpg)
Plant these "seeds" well and water often. Enjoy!
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Expectation is Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zig Ziglar
"The key is expectation. When we read a book, take a class, or attend a seminar, we must have high expectations for what we can discover and learn.…‘What you put into a key learning experience determines what you get out.’"
Wisdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Arthur Ward
"Wisdom is the marriage of common sense and uncommon courage – of sound judgment and right action."
On Opportunity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Benjamin Disraeli
"The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes."
Lincoln’s Storytelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lincoln on Leadership, p. 158
"After Lincoln became president, he mostly used his skill in telling stories for a purpose rather than for amusement.…He realized the persuasive affects that stories had on people and once said as much during a conversation: ‘They say I tell a great many stories. I reckon I do; but I have learned from long experience that plain people…are more easily influenced through the medium of a broad and humorous illustration than in any other way.…’"
Spiritual Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W
EAVINGS, Sept.-Oct.’88"Spiritual reading is the discipline through which we enter the company of the saints in order to glean
their wisdom and to receive their guidance toward spiritual maturity. Yet spiritual reading of scripture or other texts does not follow the ‘strip-mining method’ we so often apply to written material. The aim in spiritual reading is not to scour the pages for valuable nuggets of insight with which we can turn a spiritual profit. Rather, spiritual reading is a form of dwelling in the words, listening attentively for what God is saying to us in the unique circumstances of our life."
Act Now!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman in the World
"Scroll 9: "I will act Now."
"My dreams are worthless, my plans are dust, my goals are impossible. All are of no value unless they are followed by action.
"Action, alone, is the tinder which ignites…my dreams, my plans, my goals, into a living force.
"I know that to conquer fear I must always act without hesitation and the flutters in my heart will vanish. Now I know that action reduces the lion of terror to an ant of equanimity.
"With these words I can condition my mind to meet every challenge which failure avoids."
The Olympic Creed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baron Pierre de Coubertin
"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."
Olympic Motto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . U.S. Olympic Committee
The Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius is Latin for "Faster, Higher, Braver," but is universally accepted to mean "Swifter, Higher, Stronger."
Enthusiasm Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mary Kay Ash
"We all know the powerful effect enthusiasm has on groups, but most of our dealings with people are one-to-one relationships. Here the amount of enthusiasm we are able to generate is a measure of our powers of persuasion. It may be expressed in many ways: body language, facial expression, a nonverbal gesture, a twinkle in the eye, an ‘ear-to-ear’ grin, or the tone of voice. Nothing is so persuasive as one-to-one enthusiasm."
Adopt New Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln in reply to Horace Greeley, publisher of the NY Tribune, said "I shall try to correct when shown to be errors and I shall adopt new views as fast as they shall appear to be true views" (8/19/1862).
Awareness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anthony De Mello, SJ
"Spirituality means waking up. Most people, even though they don’t know it are asleep. They are born asleep, they live asleep,…they die in their sleep without ever waking up.
Francis Stroud said, ‘[De Mello’s] work was all about waking people up to the reality of their greatness.…proclaiming the message of awareness, seeing the light we are to ourselves and to others, recognizing we are better than we know.’"
Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bennis & Nanus, p. 46
"[P]ositioning is the set of actions necessary to implement the vision of the leader.…the leader must be the epitome not only of clarity…but of constancy, of reliability. Through establishing the position – and more important staying the course – leadership establishes trust."
Good Deeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F.W. Faber
"Remember that if the opportunities for great deeds should never come, the opportunities for good deeds are renewed day by day. The thing for us to long for is the goodness, not the glory."
World is Moved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Helen Keller
"The world is moved not only by the mighty shoves of the heroes, but also, by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker."
The Fifth Loaf . . . . . . . . . . . . Pastor Dolman, Springs in the Valley, p. 357
"Andrew, I have only five barley loaves and a couple of fishes," replied the young boy, "but the Master shall have most of it. Here are three loaves, four – but one loaf I should like to keep. You know, Andrew, it is a long way home, but the four loaves and the fishes I will give to Him."
Andrew explained that the Master would like to have all, a struggle goes on in the boy’s heart. He looks repeatedly, first at the fifth loaf, then at the Master. "Andrew, take all," the boy exclaims joyously. "Take all five loaves, and the fishes, too."
So, what is the fifth loaf that you have not yet handed over? Andrew pleads with you to let the Master have all.
Polly & Paul’s Wedding, . . . . . . . . . . . David K. Reynolds, Ph.D., Even In Summer The Ice Doesn’t Melt, p. 118
Once upon a time two molecular compounds planned to be married. Miss Poly Amine, called Polly, was engaged to Mr. E. Poxy Resin, called Paul. They were very happy planning the wedding, but like all couples they had last-minute jitters.
Polly wondered, "Will he recognize my individuality, my needs?"
Paul, too, wondered, "Will she care about my time, my dreams?"
Both wondered, "Will I still be myself?"
Being molecular compounds of principle they accepted their reservations and focused on their love and trust and made a commitment to unite themselves into a larger marital compound. There were still times after the marriage when they thought about their individual identities, but more often they remarked to each other with amazed wonder at how terrific it is to be part of something bigger and more important than the individual parts.
It turned out to be worth giving up some of the self for this greater purpose. In fact, it was downright exhilarating and so self-expanding to do so.
As you guessed, Polly and Paul Resin became epoxy glue when they united their molecules. That means that not only did they stick to each other, they were used to hold other parts of the world together. What a very special task that is for them and for you.
Apple images are from ClickArt Incredible Image Pak 65,000 Broderbund, Inc.
Graphics used with permission from ChurchArt Online. They are not to be copied or downloaded.