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Ripples of Inspiration

PASSION

Passion is powerful.
Nothing was ever achieved without it,
And nothing can take its place.
No matter what you face in life,
If your passion is great enough
You will find the strength to succeed.
Without passion, life has no meaning.
So put your heart, mind, and soul
Into even your smallest acts.
This is the essence of passion.
This is the SECRET of life!

TODAY

Today
I woke up early, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. I have responsibilities to fulfill today. My job is to choose what kind of day I will have today.
Today
I can complain because the weather is rainy or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.
Today
I can feel sad that I don't have more money or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.
Today
I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am alive.
Today
I can lament over all that my parents didn't give me when I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.
Today
I can cry because roses have thorns or I can celebrate that thorns have roses.
Today
I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships.
Today
I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.
Today
I can complain because I have to go to school or eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge.
Today
I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework or I can feel honored because the Lord has provided shelter for my body, mind and soul.
Today
stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping. What today will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have!
Have a Great Day
unless you have other plans.

--Author Unknown

Quotes and images courtesy of Touched By An Angel
"Touched By An Angel" and its sister sites are beautiful, inspirational works of art from the heart.
I was touched by the words and images and I know you will be, too.

The Sister Sites
Ten Thousand Angels Cried
MellowStars~ For Love
Angelic Love
UNITY

Things to Remember
Laughter is the best medicine for a long and happy life.
He who laughs... lasts.
Forgiveness is our greatest achievement and our highest calling.
A friend is a person who knows all about you... and still likes you.
If you can't have the best of everything, make the best of everything you have.
We are as healthy as our relationships.
Touch is a great therapy.
God help the man who won't marry, until he finds the perfect woman, and God help him still more if he finds her.
Don't marry someone you can live with.
Marry someone you cannot live without.
Life is too precious and marriage is too sweet to rush into relationships that are less than best for you.
The most important things in life aren't things.
The trouble with most people is that they stop trying in trying times.
Don't let your children become more important than your partner.
If you're happy, let your face know it and show it!
Live your life and forget about your age!
Everyone has a future... some people plan theirs.
We can't change anyone but ourselves.
One of our greatest strengths is to admit our weaknesses.
Obstacles are what you see if you take your eyes off the goal.
The greatest thing you can ever learn is to love and be loved in returned.

The Guy in the Glass
by Dale Wimbrow, (c) 1934 (1895-1954)

When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf,
And the world makes you King for a day,
Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that guy has to say.

For it isn't your Father, or Mother, or Wife,
Who judgment upon you must pass.
The feller whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the guy staring back from the glass.

He's the feller to please, never mind all the rest,
For he's with you clear to the end.
And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.

You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum,
And think you're a wonderful guy.
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you've cheated the guy in the glass.

Note: This poem was first published in American Magazine in
1934, and has been wrongly credited to other poets, and the lines,
as well as the title, have changed through the years. Thanks to
Frits Nieuwenburg for providing a link to the web site of Dale Wimbrow's
children, who in loving tribute share their father's work with us all,
and where you can see Dale Wimbrow's work as it was originally presented.

The Official Guy in the Glass Web Page

Karen's Favorite Inspirational & Motivational Quotes

Inspiration provided by Karen Shader Designs

The Value of Time

So many times we get caught up in what is going on around us that we fail to think about other people and how much we depend on each other or even what we're missing in our own lives... sometimes, we forget how grateful we should be for who, how, what, and especially, where we are in our present life.

Let's make the most of out of it. Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening it deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course!

Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow." You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success! The clock is running. Make the most of today!

To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.

To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.

To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize the value of ONE DAY, ask a daily wage laborer with kids to feed.

To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.

To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who wrongfully ended his best relationship.

To realize the value of ONE MILLI-SECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics.

Treasure every moment that you have! Treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time.

Remember that time waits for no one. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present!

A Story To Live By
by Ann Wells, Los Angeles Times

My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's bureau and lifted out a tissue-wrapped package. "This," he said, "is not a slip. This is lingerie." He discarded the tissue and handed me the slip. It was exquisite; silk, handmade and trimmed with a cobweb of lace. The price tag with an astronomical figure on it was still attached. "Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion. Well, I guess this is the occasion." He took the slip from me and put it on the bed with the other clothes we were taking to the mortician. His hands lingered on the soft material for a moment, then he slammed the drawer shut and turned to me. "Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Every day you're alive is a special occasion."

I remembered those words through the funeral and the days that followed when I helped him and my niece attend to all the sad chores that follow an unexpected death. I thought about them on the plane returning to California from the Midwestern town where my sister's family lives. I thought about all the things that she hadn't seen or heard or done. I thought about the things that she had done without realizing that they were special.

I'm still thinking about his words, and they've changed my life. I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting on the deck and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experience to savor, not endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them

I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event-such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, the first camellia blossom. I wear my good blazer to the market if I feel like it. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries without wincing. I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties; clerks in hardware stores and tellers in banks have noses that function as well as my party-going friends. "Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now.

I'm not sure what my sister would have done had she known that she wouldn't be here for the tomorrow we all take for granted. I think she would have called family members and a few close friends. She might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think she would have gone out for a Chinese dinner, her favorite food. I'm guessing-I'll never know.

It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew that my hours were limited. Angry because I put off seeing good Friends whom I was going to get in touch with-someday. Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write-one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and daughter often enough how much I truly love them. I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath truly is...a gift from God.

Five Pearls of Wisdom

Most Important Question

During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello."

I've never forgotten that lesson.

I also learned her name was Dorothy.

Say A Prayer

I was taking my usual morning walk when a garbage truck pulled up beside me. I thought the driver was going to ask for directions. Instead, he showed me a picture of a cute little five-year-old boy.

"This is my grandson, Jeremiah," he said. "He's on a life-support system at a Phoenix hospital."

Thinking he would next ask for a contribution to his hospital bills, I reached for my wallet. But he wanted something more than money.

He said, "I'm asking everybody I can to say a prayer for him. Would you say one for him, please?"

I did. And my problems didn't seem like much that day.

Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African-American woman was standing on the side of a Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.

A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in the conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxi cab. She seemed to be in a big hurry! She wrote down his address, thanked him and drove away.

Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant combination console color TV and stereo record player was delivered to his home. A special note was attached.

The note read:

Dear Mr. James:
Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes but my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat King Cole

Giving Blood

Giving blood many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liza. She was suffering from a disease and needed a blood transfusion from her five-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.

The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save Liza."

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?"

Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give her all his blood.

Two Nickels and Five Pennies

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

"How much is an ice cream sundae?"

"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of coins in it.

"How much is a dish of plain ice cream?" he inquired.

Some people were now waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she said brusquely.

The little boy again counted the coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and departed.

When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at what she saw. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies - her tip.

I found this in the September 1997 issue of Family Circle magazine. It was reprinted from The 6 Success Strategies for Winning at Life, Love and Business by Wolf J. Rinke (Health Communications, Inc.).

How To Be A Winner

a winner...

...makes time.

...says, "Let's find out."

...empowers.

...says, "If it is to be, it is up to me."

...is not afraid of losing.

...wants to.

...is part of the solution.

...does it.

...makes commitments.

...works harder than a loser.

...learns from others.

...says, "I'll plan to do that."

...says, "I'm good, but not as good as I can be."

...listens.

...catches people doing things right.

...says, "I was wrong."

...says, "There ought to be a better way."

...see opportunities.

...celebrates others.

...feels responsible for more than her job.

...translates dreams into reality.

...expects success.

a loser...

...wastes time.

...says, "Nobody knows."

...controls.

...says, "I can't help it."

...is afraid of winning.

...has to.

...is part of the problem.

...talks about it.

...makes promises.

...is always "too busy."

...resents others.

...says, "I'll try to do that."

...says, "I'm not as bad as a lot of other people."

...just waits until it's his turn to talk.

...catches people doing things wrong.

...says, "It wasn't my fault."

...says, "That's the way it's always been done."

...sees problems.

...complains about others.

...says, "I only work here."

...translates reality into dreams.

...expects failure.

Happy Birthday Wishes

I received this wonderful poem in October 1997, in a birthday card from dear friends. It touched me deeply.

The Key to Happiness

The key to happiness
belongs to everyone on earth
Who recognizes simple things
as treasures of great worth --

The changing of the seasons,
the rising of the moon,
Golden restful hours
on a lazy afternoon,
The music found in laughter,
the beauty found in truth,
The wrinkled eyes of wisdom,
the innocence of youth...

Dreams the heart has woven,
letting go of cares,
Reaching out, and helping out,
and countless answered prayers,
The loving bonds of family ties,
and understanding friends,
The chance to make a difference,
the will to make amends,
Having someone's hand to hold,
the promise each day brings --
The key to happiness is found
in very simple things.

---Emily Matthews

Inside the card: Wishing You A Lovely Birthday, Rommie & Marilee

My father sent me a wonderful birthday card in 1997 as well. I do not know to whom credit goes for this bright, positive message.

On Your Birthday

Stretch for a sunbeam --
Reach for a star --
Go for a beautiful dream.
Pick out some wishes,
No matter how far
Or how hard to reach
they may seem.
Cherish some hopes
That are dear to your heart --
And as a new year comes in view,
Treasure and keep them
And know from the start
That this year
you can make them
come true!

Inside the card: Happiness Always, Love, Dad