March 6, 2013 - The Gift of Responsibility

The Gift of Responsibility

"Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him, and to let him know that you trust him."

     ~Booker T. Washington~

      Ultimately, we learn by doing, not by reading a manual. It can be nerve-racking to let children do the dishes for the first time (What if a dish gets broken?) or stay home alone for the first time (What if something happens?). But children will never learn to do the dishes or develop independence without taking that first step on their own.

     It can be hard to give up responsibility. We may fear that others won't be as competent as we are. But unless we want to keep doing everything ourselves, eventually we have to be willing to trust others.

Instead of saying, "Oh, thanks, but I'll do it myself," I will trust someone else to take on the responsibility.

March 5, 2013 - Joy In Living

Joy In Living

"When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself."

     ~Chief Tecumseh~

     Starting the day with a positive thought sets the tone for everything that follows. Instead of focusing on our trobules and worries, we can think about our blessings - how lucky we are to have a warm, dry place to sleep; good food to eat; nice clothes to wear; a job to go to; family and friends to support us; a new day to enjoy; fresh air to breathe. And, most of all, how lucky we are just to be alive.

I wil take a few minutes when I first wake up to think about the many good things in my life.

March 4, 2013 - Having Faith

Having Faith

"Not truth, but faith it is that keeps the world alive."

     ~Edna St. Vincent Millay~

     We search for truth throughout our lives, but for many of the things most important to us, we simply have to have faith. We have faith that our relationships with others will work out. We have faith that our best efforts will be rewarded with success. We have faith that others will treat us as we deserve to be treated.

     This kind of faith is tested, just as spiritual faith may be tested; but our lives are happier for having such faith.

I need to value truth, but I realize that not everything important can be measured against truth.

March 3, 2013 - Nurturing Creativity

Nurturing Creativity

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."

     ~Pablo Picasso~

     When a child gives us a picture, we ooh and aah and put the picture on the refrigerator, regardless of how expertly the picture was rendered. The child's delight in creating something is celebrated and reinforced without needless criticism.

     It would be wonderful if we were just as eager to nurture creativity in ourselves as adults, celebrating the creative act for itself, separately from any judgments about its value or quality.

I will compliment others for their creativity instead of trying to come up with reasons why their ideas aren't as good as they might be.

March 2, 2013 - Self-Confidence

Self-Confidence

"Did you ever see an unhappy horse? Did you ever see a bird that had the blues? One reason why birds and horses are not unhappy is because they are not trying to impress other birds and horses."

     ~Dale Carnegie~

     Our gut is sticking out. Are we wearing the right clothes? The car looks pretty battered. Is it time to get a new one? We said a witty thing at work. Did our coworkers notice?

     Some days we act as if we're on a stage, performing for an audience. Even when we think we're doing well, we can't be happy until we know what our audience thinks of our performance. The problem is, we can never know for sure before - or even after the fact - what other people are really thinking.

What others think of me matters, but it should not matter as much as what I think of myself.

Stay positive!

Life is short.
Be happy! :D

March 1, 2013 - Keeping It Positive

Keeping It Positive

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."

     ~Herm Albright~

     People with negative attitudes are easily annoyed by people with positive attitudes. This may be because they see positivity as an implicit indictment-as if they were being charged with weakness, cowardice, or self-indulgence for giving in to their negativity.

     On the other hand, people with positive attitudes rarely seem annoyed by people with negative attitudes. This may be because negative people are such easy targets-there's not much sport in taking them on.

Even with some of the crabbiest people I know-maybe especially with the crabbiest people I know-I'm going to stay positive today. It will be interesting to see how they react.