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Volume 33, # 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2017 |
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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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Apple Seeds® begins its thirty-third year of sowing "seeds" of inspiration and motivation. The intent of this publication is to provide quotations and short stories from eclectic sources that promote positive attitudes and personal development of holistic human potential – from tiny seeds to ripened fruit. Your favorite quotes, stories or suggestions that would enhance Apple Seeds® are appreciated.
Plant these "seeds" well and water often. Enjoy!
Desire to Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Carmody, The Progressive Pilgrim
"Surprisingly enough, when one has decided to take personal responsibility for one’s education, good people willing to help seem to spring from the bushes. Good teachers are the ones who, when presented with a genuine desire to learn, get excited and work up great steam to explain. For a few hours, one is really helping and so being helped greatly in kind."
Power of Positive You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jon Gordon
"We don’t get burned out because of what we do. We get burned out because we forget why we do it. "Having a vision for your life and knowing where you are going is powerful but it’s even more powerful when you know why you are going there. Purpose is the ultimate fuel that moves you towards your vision.…"
Sense of Humor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Arthur Ward
"A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your step as you walk the tightrope of life."
Talent & Vigor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eric Hoffer
"They who lack talent expect things to happen without effort. They ascribe failure to a lack of inspiration, or ability, or to misfortune, rather than to insufficient application. At the core of every true talent there is an awareness of the difficulties inherent in any achievement, and the confidence that by persistence and patience something worthwhile will be realized. Thus talent is a species of vigor."
Infuse Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bradley Whitford
"Infuse your life with action. Don’t wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope. Make your own love. And whatever your beliefs, honor your Creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen…yourself, right now, right down here on Earth."
Joy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Helen Keller
"Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm and our intelligence aglow."
A Little More… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bits & Pieces, March ‘85
"The line between failure and success is so fine that we scarcely know when we pass it; so fine that we often are on the line and do not know it. Many a person has given up at a time when a little more effort, a little more patience would have achieved success.…
A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed a hopeless failure may turn into a glorious success. There is no failure except in no longer trying. There is no defeat except from within, no really insurmountable barrier save our own inherent weakness of purpose."
Great People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charles de Gaulle
"Nothing great will ever be achieved without great people, and people are great only if they are determined to be so."
Loving Someone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Merle Shain
"Loving someone means helping them to be more themselves, which can be different from being what you’d like them to be, although often they turn out the same."
Be of Good Cheer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christophers, #284
"Within every situation lies a humorous facet. Just looking for it helps you discover it. If you stand back and observe life, you’ll be free of the binds that a negative situation can impose. You’ll be free to go about your day, pursue your goals and fulfill your mission in life."
Beginning Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman in the World
Scroll 4: "I am nature’s greatest miracle. All men are my brothers yet I am different from each. I am a unique creature.
But my skills, my mind, my heart, and my body will stagnate, rot and die lest I put them to good use. I have unlimited potential. Only a small portion of my brain do I employ; only a paltry amount of muscles do I flex. A hundredfold or more can I increase my accomplishments of yesterday, and this I will do, beginning today."
Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bennis & Nanus, p. 43
"Communication creates meaning for people. Or should. It’s the only way any group, small or large, can become aligned behind the overarching goals of an organization. Getting the message across unequivocally at every level is an absolute key."
Qualifications for a Good Teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Charles B. Conant
Dr. Charles B. Conant, once set down five major qualifications for a good teacher:
A good teacher must have contagious enthusiasm for the subject being taught.
A good teacher must regard teaching as a joy. A good teacher must have a passionate interest in students and their development. A good teacher must know enough about the subject being taught to stimulate the student to great effort. A good teacher must possess the teaching skills necessary to relate successfully to the student.
Purpose of Storytelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Julius Lester,
"Authenticity & Storytelling," Storytelling Magazine, Nov. ‘98, p. 16"The primary purpose of storytelling is not the transmission of information. The primary purpose of a story is one heart touching another."
The Plimsoll Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . More Sower’s Seeds, p.3
Samuel Plimsoll was a member of the British Parliament about a century ago. He was distressed because cargo ships were being loaded so heavily that they sank at sea, with much loss of life and property. So he got a law passed requiring danger lines to be painted on all cargo ships. When the weight of the cargo lowered the ship down to where the line touched the water, all loading had to stop. Seamen still call this mark the "Plimsoll line."
People also have Plimsoll lines – a point where for the sake of health, happiness and plain common sense, we should not attempt to shoulder more responsibility, however important, than we can intelligently handle.
A Smile as Warm as the Sun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beth Schoentrup,
Sower’s Seeds That Nurture Family Values, p. 10It had been a long day at work. She was the only waitress on the shift, and her customers had been particularly trying. She finally sat down to rest during a lull in business. Within seconds the door opened and in came another customer. Back to work she went.
The fellow stood 6'4", was pencil thin, and had curly white hair. "Whaddya have?" the waitress grunted.
No response. Just a steady gaze and a wide smile.
"Sir, whaddya need?" she repeated.
The customer pulled out a well-used notepad. He wrote a note, then turned the pad toward her.
"I’m deaf," was written on it, and a question about directions. She wrote a reply. He fired off another question and another and another.
The waitress found herself smiling, introducing him to the other customers, laughing and swapping stories. The last page on his pad was a "Smiley" face and the words, "Your smile is as warm as the sun."
They shook hands. He took his now filled notepad and left the diner. Her heart was overflowing when she turned back to her customers. She really started listening to them, responding to them, loving them.
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.