Chapter 1, Page 31, Book 12

Smiling is infectious
You catch it like the flu
When someone smiled at me today
I started smiling too
I walked around the corner
And someone saw me grin
When he smiled I realised
I had passed it on to him
I thought about the smile
And then realised its worth
A single smile like mine
Could travel round the earth
So if you feel a smile begin
Don't leave it undetected
Start an epidemic
And get the world infected.

It's TERRIFIC 2'S Tuesday!/ happiness and sadness are both infectious diseases! 

Researchers have provided definitive evidence that positive and negative emotional states act like infectious diseases, spreading through social circles. Also, a single instance of discontent doubles your chance of becoming unhappy, while one happy occasion increases your chances of being happy by only 11 percent. So in order to beat the moody blues, you have to experience almost five times more happy than sad.

The good news is that you don't need to catch happiness from other people, although you can, happy is more likely to occur spontaneously than sad. But don't rely on random acts. Take control of your ailment and write yourself a prescription for a booster shot of good vibes at least once a day. Don't worry, the prognosis is all good.

You’ve probably read countless articles that promise you better happiness, only to be disappointed. I know what it’s like to not get exactly what you’re looking for from an article.

Here are 5 positive steps I've found that really help when I need a boost 

Be Here, Now

Most people are stuck in either the past or the future; recalling bad memories, or imagining bad things happening in the future. The good news about the past is that it's over. And the future? Well, it isn't here yet, is it?By being in the here and now, you will be more aware of what's going on, and you will be feeling much happier as you return your awareness to your body. And yes, that means even when you’re feeling bad. It’s crucial to stay aware when you’re feeling bad

Cherish Your Relationships

Imagine going to the end of your life. If you somehow could imagine the last 24 hours of your life, think about what would be important to you at that point in time. Is it money? Is it appreciating the fact you worked 30 years at a job you despised? Or is it the people around you, and the experiences you’ve had?

Kindness

Remember an experience when either you gave something to someone or received something. It feels good, doesn’t it? It feels good to give, and it feels good to receive. Kindness can be tough at first if you haven’t practiced giving, but as you become more comfortable with giving and helping, you’ll come to like it.

Follow Your Heart

Most people are out of touch with their emotions and particularly with their hearts. We've been conditioned to be logical and to have everything make perfect sense. The only problem is that life doesn't really make sense all the time. And some of the greatest opportunities and adventures of life are not discovered by logic, but by following your gut and your intuition.

Knowledge is power, knowledge is fun—and it can help send your sadness away for good.

O, The Oprah Magazine

Doing something new to you is a good cure for the blues.  Something as simple as perfecting your grandmother's pie crust recipe to memorizing one good joke can give you just the remedy you need.

Hope you all have a TERRIFIC Tuesday!

'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 1, Page 30, Book 12

Tis the gift to be simple,

tis the gift to be free,

tis the gift to come down where you ought to be

And when we find ourselves in the place just right

It will be in the valley of love and delight

When true simplicity is gained

To bow and to bend we shan't be a shamed

To turn, turn will be our delight

Til y turning, turning we come out right

Shaker hymn by Joseph Brackett Jr.

MERRY MONDAY/ TURN AROUND

When you think about how many times we turn around in a day it's almost unbelievable.  I know that if I'm not right about something, I can turn in a new direction.  Just like the song above if we don't find ourselves where we ought to be we can turn, turn and come round right.

Impossible and unlikely events can and will happen in our life.  One of the best things we can do for ourselves is to put the past behind us.  The most important step for leaving negative stuff behind us is that first step forward.  Once we've taken it we will know it was the right step and the next one will be much easier.  When we dwell on past wrongs we give way to bitterness and no one likes a bitter person.  Their company is negative with little room for anything positive or wholesome.  We need to leave the past behind and look on today as a new beginning.  It is the only way forward and all we have to do is turn around.

So this Merry Monday I'm doing a little dance, spinning around and around till I come our right.

Hope your Monday is a Merry one!

'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 1, Page 29, Book 12

R and R Sunday/ Eating Humble Pie

To eat humble pie means to act submissively and apologetically, especially in admitting an error.   That is what I'm doing today.  You know I'm always reminding you that it is very important for us all to get some rest and relaxation on Sunday.  It is like a reward for all the hard work you've done all week and refreshes you for the week ahead.

But there is much much more to Sunday rest and relaxation than meets the eye.

That is where my humble pie comes into being.  Sunday is more than a day of physical and mental relaxation it is even more than a day on which we worship.  The Sabbath / Sunday is God's seventh day, not ours.  God took six days to create everything that goes to make up our planet.  Then He set aside the seventh day as His day of rest.  We made no contribution to creation, we only received it as a gift from God.  From Sunday to Sunday my faith is renewed.

The JOY of Sunday is one of the greatest ways we can wish each other Sunday rest.  Daily Concerns and tasks can fin their proper perspective:  the material things about which we worry give way to spiritual values.  It's the day on which man is at peace with God, with himself and with others.  Sunday become a moment when we can look upon the wonders of nature as we celebrate the Lord's day.


Sunday is the day of joy and rest precisely because it is the Lord's Day.


'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 1, Page 28, Book 12

It isn't the size of your house as such

That matters so much at all;

It's the gentle hand and its loving touch,

That make it great or small.

The friends who come

and the hour they go,

Who out of your house depart,

Will judge it notby the style you show,

But rather by the size of your heart.

It isn't your status 

in life so much,

It isn't the wealth you found,

That will make you happy —it's how you touch

The lives that are all around.

For making money is not hard —

To live life well is an art:

How people love you, how they regard,

Is all in the size of your heart

 

Author Unknown

SUPER SATURDAY/ SUPER POWERS

Believe it or not we all do possess some super powers of our own.  Some of us are super cooks, others are super moms, some are super wives.

With the Super Bowl coming up we'll all be seeing some super stars.  Those with athletic powers that outshine many others.  

My thought is that we all are super stars each one of us with our own unique super power.

We may not be able to pull a lamp out of a carpet bag like the magical Mary Poppins but we can all add a touch of magic to each and every day.

Making each ordinary day extra ordinary is a SUPER way to live life.

We are all super extraordinary people !

Have a SUPER Saturday everyone!

'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 1, Page 27, Book 12

Winter is the time of promise because there is so little to do - or because you can now and then permit yourself the luxury of thinking so.  

Stanley Crawford

FANTASTIC FRIDAY!  FANTASTIC PROMISES

Winter is about half way though with us and here at my house I've been able to endure it quite well so far. Sinclair Lewis said that Winter is not a season it is an occupation.  While I do things differently in the winter and at a different pace, I do agree that winter is an occupation.  I might think there is so little to do, but no, that is not the case at all.  Ever since Thanksgiving, which I like to think of as the beginning of the winter season, I've been very busy.  There haven't been very many days at all with little to do.  

Someone asked me recently how I spend my days.  I know a lot of you think that my days are probably less than to be desired.  Staying home, not going to work and being by myself as I am.  But let me tell you there is truly never a dull moment.  I seem to keep at doing something all the time.  It may be in baby steps with lots of breaks in between, but still busy busy.

I do a lot of things that I like to do such as reading, knitting, painting and of course blogging.  I also do the usual everyday house work and cooking then clean up that everyone does.  

This season of promise brings with it cleaning up the messes I didn't get to in the summer time too.  When it is nice out, I want to be outdoors working in the yard, sitting on my patio or spending time at the camper.  

I think the promise is that if you persevere these dark dreary days your reward will come with springtime.  

Sometimes life can seem like winter. Long cold stretches of time with very little to get excited about. The days seem dark and all too brief. We know these times are seasonal and things will improve but when? How? And then suddenly a patch of joyous green shoots out of an all but dead branch and hope springs eternal.

I hope your Friday is a FANTASTIC one!

'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 1, Page 26, Book 12

Give me a grateful heart, Lord, 

For each small favor granted,

 As years unfold, may I behold 

Life, still, through eyes enchanted. 

Let me find beauty in all things, 

Not to be blind to see 

The goodness in my fellowman, 

That he would find in me.

Grant that my ears remain attuned, 

To hear the smallest sigh, 

And may I lead a gentle touch, 

To those less sure than I. 

Let me remember lessons learned, 

To profit from the past,

And may I build a bridge of dreams, 

That shall forever last.

Let me rejoice in simple things, 

I need no wealth to buy, 

The scent of pine upon the wind,

A burnished copper sky. 

Scarlet roses on the fence,

 Sunrise through the trees 

Oh, Grant that I may not outgrow 

Affinity for these!

Give me a grateful heart, Lord;

 Let me be satisfied, 

When days are less than sunny, 

And plans lie at low tide.

 Life is an adventure, 

That will lead to who knows where, 

So, give me a grateful heart, Lord, 

That I may always care.

THANKFUL THURSDAY!

Being thankful is a blessing in its self.  It focuses my mind and is very often an attitude adjustment.  To begin each day with a grateful heart is the best way I know to assure myself of a good day.

This past week was a busy one at my house.  I knew in advance that I had company coming in.  So I am very thankful that I had the strength to get it all done.  As each year passes I find I have more time on my hands, but less strength do many of the things that used to come so easily.

I am very thankful for all the time I have as I need those extra moments.

I'm very thankful that I have a family that enjoys being together and that they love sharing what they do and schedule time to be together.  Too often people let their to do lists come before family and thankfully mine make time for quality family times together.

I'm thankful for the blessings of a mild January.  Our weather here continues to be a roller coaster with high temps in the 40's and even 50's now and then, while plummeting down into the single digits on other days.  I say it is mild here because too often it gets cold and stays that way and having days with a bit of reprieve are just wonderful.

As always I continue to be thankful for my basics of home, food and clothing but more than anything I'm thankful to be able to live each day to the fullest and enjoy the blessings that are so abundant in my life. Most days my heart is near bursting at the seams!

I hope your heart is one full of thanks today too.

'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 1, Page 25, Book 12

A wise man hears one word and understands two.

WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY/ WONDERFUL WORDS

Did you know that during the celebration of the Chinese New Year, it is customary to use certain words in print and conversation. One word is often used by itself. It is the word full, meaning abundance of and is used to wish someone material prosperity for the year ahead.

I've seen many using One Word to describe their hopes or wishes for the new year on their blogs.  

One word can make such a difference in our lives.  We really have to be careful in just what words we choose.  One word can change everything.

When I think about it, I've often say YES, when I should have said NO.  And there have been many times when I've said NO that I should have said YES.

Words can inspire us and change us.  A negative word pushes us down and a positive word lifts us up.

We all have had tough words to say and we also have had soft ones repeated to us again and again.  

Sweet words can light up a day like a ray of sunshine.  Kind words make us feel warm and cozy.  Horrible words are best not remembered.

If you could describe your life in one word, what would it be?  Wonderful, valuable, happy, sad, ordinary, fantastic?

What would we do without words.  

My word for Wednesday is WONDERFUL.  Hope you all have a wonderful day!

'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 1, Page 24, Book 12

This picture was taken Saturday evening when we were returning home to make dinner.

TERRIFIC 2'S TUESDAY / DO'S AND DON'TS

Do: 

Begin each day with a promise to respect others 

Sit down and talk quietly

Listen carefully to what others say 

Look for things to appreciate in others 

Give praise out loud for the good you see in others 

Tell others they are good, good enough, and lovable 

Tell others they are worthwhile and important to you

Speak in a quiet voice even when you disagree 

Pass up chances to insult, attack, or criticize

 Let others have responsibility for their lives while you take responsibility for yours

Don’t: 

Look for things to criticize 

Make fun or laugh at others 

Make faces or roll your eyes

Tell others how to run their lives 

Insult others 

Ignore others 

Put people down in front of others 

Act superior 

Sneer 

Tell others they’re weird or crazy 

Say others are bad, not good enough, or unlovable 

Say others don’t belong, or you wish they were dead

 Call others names like fat, ugly, stupid, or worthless

The simple things we do or don't do in our lives everyday can make a HUGE difference in our lives and the lives of others.  There are times when we don't always feel like doing things and don't take the time to do the right thing or even think about it as being the wrong thing.

It's so easy to say or do something that makes another feel bad and then we have REGRETS.

I DO try live my life without any regrets for my actions, but I'm human and it happens sometimes before I even realize what I've done.

Don't ever be afraid of admitting to defeat, it can only make you stronger in the long run.  Being aware of what you DO and DON'T do helps others as much as it helps you!

That is my two for this Tuesday!  Have a terrific day everyone!

'On Ya'-ma