Daily Mood Quote - August 26, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quote

Day 115 – August 26, 2011

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.

~Winston Churchill

Every choice you make has an end result

~Zig Ziglar

Each of us has power; not necessarily the kind of power the President may have, or the kind of power a weightlifter may display, but power none-the-less. It is our personal power, our daily power, and it comes in the form of attitude and choice. This morning I woke up feeling yucky, sore throat and body aches and I didn't feel much like exercising, so I decided “not today.” Unfortunately, that choice resulted in me getting pretty down on myself, because I was letting one rough "morning start" dictate how I was going to feel for the rest of the day. That's unacceptable. So what, if I feel tired and have some body aches, I'm pushing 50; it happens. I played sports as a child, I once was a runner, I've had children, and an appendectomy. My body has been through a lot, it should ache some. Anyway, I donned my exercise clothes and went for a walk, a 3.3 mile walk and I have to say, it was good and it changed my attitude from sour to pleasant, all because I made the “choice” to exercise.

It's amazing the power we have, we can change anything in our lives just with a choice. Say yes, instead of no, smile instead of frown, be polite instead of grumpy...the choices are endless.

When we make a choice to do something positive for ourselves, or for others, the end result is most often good for all involved. Note; I said positive, not selfish. Selfish usually provides, only a minor “bump” of perceived good, followed by a torrent of not-so-good. If you are selfish toward the world, expect the same in return. Hard lessons, but accurate ones.

In the movie Mr. Destiny, Larry Burrows (played by James Belushi) said, “How can my life change so much just because I hit one stinking baseball?” Mike the Bartender (Michael Caine) replied with, “Well, you see Larry, one's destiny is a very complicated thing. Every incident in a person's life affects everything else that follows it. Instead of missing the baseball, however, you hit it. Then you became a hero, married the prom queen, and so on, and so forth, until you find yourself exactly where you are. So you see, hitting that baseball has spun your life off in an entirely new direction.” Just like my day, I woke up sore and possibly heading for a rough day, until I changed my mind and exercised. Pretty good day so far and I suspect it will get better, because I feel better about things; change the attitude, change the day and possibly the events of your life.

What “choice” will make a big difference for you today?

Tune in tomorrow to read the daily mood quote

Thank you for reading.

Special request: Please keep those, who have made the difficult choice to stay and ride out Hurricane Irene, in your thoughts and prayers. May they be safe and protected.

Daily Mood Quote - June 7, 2011

Daily Mood Quote

Day 34 – June 7, 2011

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Over the past few weeks, I have found myself thinking about the road not traveled. I have been told by many that it is normal to wonder if your life would have been different “if” you would have changed direction , or “if” you had turned down another road, or just stayed put. Maybe, the better question might be, “Do you have regrets about the direction you have taken or the path you have traveled?” When I decided to leave home, the only decision I made was not to live the same kind of life my mother had. I wanted to be different, smarter, better. I wanted to travel, meet people, see what the world had to offer.

Well, I've done that...however, I did so without a road map. Would I have changed a few things? Well, I think everybody has 20/20 hindsight. The “would of”, “should of” and “could of's” of your life. But, like Tim McGraw sings in Red Rag Top “that'll drive ya out of your mind.”

Many years ago, I had a conversation with my father-in-law about returning to school to get my degree. My father-in-law told a story about a man, who had many opportunities in his life and because of fear, his own and those of his family, he never followed through on any of them. He missed opportunities that would have changed the direction of the family's lives. Now that man sits on a porch swing wondering “What if?” he would have said yes, instead of a lifetime of no's. Then he ask me, “Do you want to be 80 years old sitting on a swing wondering “What if?”

In the movie Mr. Destiny there is a dialogue between Destiny (played by Michael Caine) and Larry Burrows (played by Jim Belushi); it goes like this:

“Larry Burrows: How can my life change so much just because I hit one stinking baseball?

Destiny (Mike): Well, you see Larry, one's destiny is a very complicated thing. Every incident in a person's life affects everything else that follows it. Instead of missing the baseball, however, you hit it. Then you became a hero, married the prom queen, and so on, and so forth, until you find yourself exactly where you are. So you see, hitting that baseball has spun your life off in an entirely new direction.

Larry Burrows: Are you an angel or something?

Destiny (Mike): Not exactly, no.

Larry Burrows: Then what are you?

Destiny (Mike): Have you ever been faced with a decision, and you weren't sure what to do?

Larry Burrows: Yeah, sure, plenty of times.

Destiny (Mike): And then something inside you made you choose one direction over another?

Larry Burrows: Yeah. So?

Destiny (Mike): So that's me. I make the suggestions, and you make the choices. That's how destiny works, Larry - very subtly. Welcome to your new life, Larry. I hope you like it.”

Yep, another baseball reference, but in my defense it is summer. The point is that when we make choices, our paths continually change. Every choice, every day. Sometimes it's the smallest of course adjustments that make the biggest differences in our lives. That's OK, because if we hadn’t made the choices we did, then the things we love and cherish in our lives, might not be in our lives. Along with that is the inevitable cost of passage. There are bumps and scrapes, the mental and ego bruises and the hard-earned lessons. But, these lessons can be passed on, so that our children can chart their course more accurately, with less scrapes and thorns.

I have realized while writing this day's blog, I am exactly where I should be. While there have been mountains to climb and raging streams to forge, my path is the one I'm supposed to be on. And, I won't be 80 years old wondering “What if?” instead, I will have lived, and I will have learned, being exactly where I should be.

How will you chart your "path" today?

Tune in tomorrow to read the daily mood quote

Thank you for reading

Daily Mood Quote - June 4, 2011

Daily Mood Quote

Day 31 – June 4, 2011

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.

~Marcus Aurelius

What a difference a day makes, To awake listening to the birds singing outside, the soft summer sunlight filtering through the blinds and the gentle fragrance of the locust blossoms filling the air. Ahhh, the quiet of the morning... What a wonderful way to start a Saturday. Just kidding, does any day really start like this? Well for “a brief shining moment...and then that mouth” Victor Melling (played by Michael Caine) said this of Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) in the very funny Miss Congeniality. In our case, gentle little Hope began by singing her “Get up! Get up!... Hellooooo? Get up” song in her not so subtle feline vibrato and as loudly as possible. Who needs an alarm clock, we have the alarm cat!? It was time to get up I suppose. Then the dog chimed in, singing his “I've got to go outside to tinkle song”, with typical canine enthusiasm. What a musical start to the day. Just between you and me, I'd rather listen to the birds. But, on the bright side, better the cat and dog than the neighbor's lawn mower, or gas powered edger at the crack of dawn. Oh, that was last Saturday. 

 

Seriously, how rude have we become as to fill the air with that noise, so early in the day. “Hey buddy, you might be wearing headphones, but the rest of us aren't.” Anyway the sun is up. It probably heard the cat's chorus too. And the day has begun. Sooo... what precious privileges lie before us today?

Marcus Aurelius was right. It is a privilege to be alive, to rise each morning and have the chance to appreciate the subtle beauties in everyday life. You just have to carve your way through the noise and distractions to see them. Funny thing is, that very often, the noise and distraction makers are the very things we love the most. Huh, just thought of that? Even the noisy neighbor's lawn mowing, leaves the smell of fresh cut grass in the air. And what would a day be without Hope.. and Chester of course. So, bring on the noise that fills our everyday life, except this time don't listen to them as the noise makers of the world, think of them as the songs we love to listen to in life.

What “shining moment” will you find in your day today?

Tune in tomorrow to read the daily mood quote

Thank you for reading