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Volume 24, # 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . March, 2009 |
![inspiration, motivation, Apple Seeds, [Apple]](APPLE2.GIF)
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![inspiration, motivation, Apple Seeds, [Apple]](APPLE1.GIF)
Plant these "seeds" well and water often. Enjoy!
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The Wise Teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Khalil Gibran
"The teacher, if he is indeed wise, does not bid you to enter the house of wisdom but leads you to the threshold of your own mind."
Good to Great . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Collins, p. 209
"Indeed, the real question is not, ‘Why greatness?’ But, ‘What work makes you feel compelled to try to create greatness?’ If you have to ask the question, ‘Why should we try to make it great? Isn’t success enough?’ then you’re probably engaged in the wrong line of work."
4 Rules for Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bob Gilbert, Ph.D.
"The Four Surefire Rules for Success:
Show up.
Pay attention.
Ask questions.
Don’t quit."
Wisdom Seeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Arthur Ward
"Occasionally it’s wise to doubt our doubts, to question our questions, and to re-think our thoughts."
Celtic Spirituality . . . . . . . . . Esther de Waal, "The Extraordinary in the Ordinary," Weavings, Vol. II, #3, p. 9
"Celtic spirituality remains like some hidden spring, a source of life and renewal for us if we choose to turn to it and learn from it…rooted in the simple belief that in all the unspectacular immediacy of daily living—both in the natural world and in daily work—God is close at hand."
Have Patience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . St. Francis de Sales
"Have patience with all things but first with yourself. Never confuse your mistakes with your values as a human being.
You’re a perfectly valuable, creative, worthwhile person simply because you exist. And no amount of triumphs or tribulations can ever change that. Unconditional self-acceptance is the core of a peaceful mind."
5 Leadership Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kouses & Posner, The Leadership Challenge, p. 1
"There are five practices common to most extraordinary leadership achievements. When leaders do their best, they challenge, inspire, enable, model, and encourage."
Direction in Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William E. Bailey, Rhythms of Life
"All positions in life are temporary—
Wherever you are is fine,
Only your direction
Is critical."
Profound Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fr. John Powell, SJ, A Life-Giving Vision, p. 63
"Perhaps the most profound question asked by life is the question of significance and meaning. All of us have to find some purpose or mission in life which will confer upon us a sense of personal distinction and worth. We need to believe that our lives will make a difference for someone or for something."
Virtuous Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Benjamin Franklin,
Positive Press"It is a great mistake to think of being great without goodness; and I pronounce it as certain that there was never yet a truly great man that was not at the same time truly virtuous."
Seeds of Good Decisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Goodier, Life Support System
"A whole and healthy life–a life of character–is cultivated on the inside. It has little to do with outward appearances, or even reputations. It’s an inside job! It is groomed from within. It grows from seeds of good decisions. Like always choosing to do the right thing, even when you’re alone. Or standing up for what is good and decent, even if you run the risk of criticism.
A life of character is sometimes difficult to grow. But what else can you accomplish as worthwhile.
Nurture your life on the inside and you’ll never be disappointed with the fruit it bears."
Hold a Torch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ben Sweetland
"We cannot hold a torch to light another’s path without brightening our own."
Seasons of Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Rohn, p. 65
"Choose action, not rest. Choose truth, not fantasy. Choose a smile, not a frown. Choose love, not animosity. Choose the good in life in all things, and choose the opportunity as well as the chance to work when springtime smiles on your life. Much of the effort and opportunity of springtime rests in the depth and degree of our faith. Life provides no assurance that the planting of seeds will provide the reaping of crops. We have only the demonstrated experiences of others to draw upon. The storms of life could cancel our efforts expended in the fields of opportunity. But to expend no effort during the spring will assure no results during the fall."
Things That Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Martin L. King, Jr.
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter."
Don’t Be Average . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan Ruhe, Your Success Store
"I will do today what others will not, so that I will have tomorrow what others have not.…Feed your mind. Be the best you can be, go for greatness and ignite your passion. As I say to you now and always, don’t be average, be a champion."
Schoolin` and Learnin` . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Voicings Publ.
Business students at a large university were assigned the task of interviewing a cross-section of the local community and submit a report on the experience.
One student was less than enthusiastic about the assignment. "I considered it to be a complete waste of time," he said, "until I asked a farmer in his late 70s, ‘How much education have you had?’ He answered, ‘Well, I had six years of schoolin` and seventy-two years of learnin`.’"
Schoolin`and learnin` (acquiring knowledge and acquiring wisdom) are not the same. In our present day society, we seem to have little or no time in our busy schedules for practicing the pursuit of wisdom through serious, uninterrupted, quiet reflection on the mystery of life: who we are and what we ought to be doing with our lives. We are crippled in our search for wisdom by a society which insists on describing success as the ability to acquire knowledge and to skillfully apply that knowledge to the pursuit of personal gain.
…As we acquire knowledge at breakneck speed, are we wise enough to realize the need to slow down, and seriously reflect on how to handle it? Are we wise enough to know what to do with it? Are we wise enough to use it to uplift the human spirit and to better our human relationships? Are we wise enough to apply our learnin` to our schoolin`?
Law of the Garbage Truck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David J. Pollay
A man hopped in a taxi, and took off for the airport. They were driving in the right lane when suddenly, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of the taxi. The taxi driver slammed on the brakes, the car skidded, tires squealed, and at the very last moment the car stopped just one inch from the other car’s back-end.…The driver of the other car…whipped his head around and he started yelling words…
The taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And, he was friendly. So, the passenger asked, "Why did you just do that!? This guy could have killed us!" And this is when the taxi driver told me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck™." He explained: "Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they look for a place to dump it. And if you let them, they’ll dump it on you. So when someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.…"
So I started thinking, how often do I let garbage trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the street? The bottom line is, "Don’t let garbage trucks ruin your day."
March 8th
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