Chapter 9, Page 30, Book 19

Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.

William Feather

September 30th - hang in there

Life is a balance of hanging on and letting go in the moment, shut down the mind and let intuition give you the answer.  Have no regrets.

Matthew Donnelly

The idiom hang in there means to continue to do something despite difficulties. We encourage others not to quit and to keep on going, never to give up.  It’s a one size fits all affirmation to just dig in with all you might and overcome whatever you’re facing.  

There have been many times in my life when I’ve been ready to give up and then some kind person has given me a gentle nudge to hang in there and keep on trying.  I’m so thankful that I didn’t quit because the old adage is true.  I finally succeeded and it was truly worth hanging in there.

Remember life can be hard at times, but i’s going to be ok.  When challenges arrive it always helps to know someone’s on our side.  Hang in there is a phrase that is  full of encouragement, support and reassurance. It’s a thought that conveys an uplifting message that all troubles are temporary and you have the power to work your way through them. It emphasizes the great strides we can make as long as we keep a hopeful outlook and a positive attitude no matter what life may send your way.  

Definitely 3 little words that say a lot.  

When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.  

Author Unknown

Things are always going to get better and that’s true because nothing stays the same forever.  Change is one constant in life that we can count on.  Everything changes and often for the better.  

Change is fused with time and time stops for no man but many people set themselves up to be long term failures by failing to start in the way they intend to finish.  Life is a marathon and not a sprint. Nothing stops the hands of time as as it marches forward it drags us along with it.  Do not tie your whole being to things that are bound to change.

When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, til it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time the tide will turn. 

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Chapter 9, Page 29, Book 19

Things are seldom what they seem.

W.S. Gilbert

September 29th - Things are not as they appear.

The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances. 

Atisa

It appears that it is still summer here at my house, even though the aalendar say’s it is officially fall.  Except for the leaves falling from my neighbors tree there is no evidence of fall anywhere here at my house.  

The temps have been very warm.  Close to 90 degrees some days.  It’s like summer is no hurry to say goodbye.  She is very slow to leave us this year.  

Yes looks are very deceiving here,  It looks and feels like summer here, but it truly is fall.  I’m trying to be thankful for all these lovely summer like days and will not wish it to be otherwise.  The cooler days of fall while much anticipated are not here yet and so we wait. They say our temps are way above normal for this time of year, but we’ve got to ;enjoy and be thankful for each and every day!

.

And at the same time they were experiencing snow storms in the north west this  past weekend. It doesn’t appear that they are experiencing fall there either.

 Remember:  Every exit is an entry somewhere 

Tom Stoppard.

Chapter 9, Page 28,Book 19

You’ll never find a rainbow if you’re looking down.

Charlie Chaplin

September 28th - look up!

Look up. your answer is never going to be in the bottom of a glass.

Toni Sorenson

This is a reminder to put down your phone and look up at the people around you and smile. Smiling and laughing can have a positive effect on your well being.  In addition to  improved health, smiles can have a distinctive positive effect on other factors in all areas of your life.  When you smile and laugh, a number of physicalogial changes occurs. mostly with out you be consciously aware of it’s happening. They produce endorphins that are reponisble for making us feel happy.  They help lower stress levels .  They also act as the body’s natural pain killers.  For sufferers of chronic pain. laughing and smiling can be a very effective pain management tool.  

A good laugh can help you to release emotions..  Everything looks better after a good laugh and life can be seen from a more positive perspective.  

Neck strain and bone spurs are possible from poor posture and some experts  have no doubt that cellphones are the culprit. So remember to look up, not down. 

  The more you look up, the more things will be looking up.

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations.  I may not read the, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them and try to follow where they lead.

Louisa May Alcott

Chapter 9, Page 27, Book 19

Start living now.  Stop saving the good china for that special occasion.  Stop withholding your love until that special person materializes.  Every day you are alive is a special occasion.  

Mary Manin Morissey

September 27th - celebrate every day

Each day offers us the gift of being alive , a special occassion, if we can simply learn that it is blessing to receive with grace and a grateful heart. Today should be our most wonderful day!

Start your day as a celebration. Celebrate the fact that you are living.  Give thanks for the day that is coming your way.  When you begin your day with a sense of gratitude and celebrations, you are bound to have more joy for the rest of the day.

Start noticing all the awesome things you do on a daily basis,  it will improve our moods and self esteems.  

Start taking notice of the little things others do, and thank them .  Our gratitude will make them feel like they are appreiated and helps us to feel great too.  

The more you celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate !

Oprah Winfrey

Sometimes our celebration will be a moment of acknowledgment, while other times  we take ourselves out for a meal with friends or even a weekend get a way.  We may not have the opportunity to celebrate big all the time but it is good every now and then.

Remember, celebration is an attitude .  Let us all inspire each other to celebrate our every day lives a little more! Life is short, start using the good stuff every day. Make  an extra effort to create more special moments in life .  

Instead of carefully preserving family heirlooms, create some new memories around those treasured pieces with your family.

Life is made up of moments.  You can sit back and wait for them to happen or you can choose to create more moments of your own.  Don’t wait for a special occasions  that may or may not ever happen to use the good stuff.  Just being alive makes today special.

Celebrate who you are in your deepest heart.  Love yourselves and world will love you.  

Amy Lee Mercree

Chapter 9, Page 26, Book 19

Be the person that decided to go for it!

Author Unknown

September 26th - Don’t get stuck in a rut

Life ia for living not for being stuck in a rut of complacency where normality consists of the mundane

Steven Redhead, Life is a Dance

When we make decisions, it’s often  a matter of going forward or holding back.  I say go for it.  We have to do what is needed in order to get where we want to be.  

It’s not always easy to try new things but we get stuck in a rut when everything stays the same.  Our goal should be to keep putting one foot ahead of the other until day is done and take on new projects, and try new things.  We get stuck in a rut if we don’t.

Good intentions never change anything.  They only become a deeper and deeper rut.

Joyce Meyer

Try something new.  Whether it’s taking a new route to work, watching a new show, or signing up for a class, exploring the world around you can add zest to your life.

Having something new to look forward to is a great way to get out of a rut.  Don’t overlook the little things.  Even small daily and weekly rewards such as being able to go to your favorite place for lunch or tuning into your favorite tv show once a week are great ways to build a sense of anticipation for the future.

Don’t wait for inspiration to strike, just get going.  Take the first step and then another.  Feeling stuck in a rut can be frustrating, but with a little effort we can add a sense of novelty, adventure, and excitement back into our lives.  Continuing to move forward by doing one thing at a time.

Challenges in life don’t deteriorate our being.  They make usstronger. We grow and learn steadily over time. Sure it’s easier said than done, but who said this life was supposed to be easy.

If you have found yourself in a ditch guess what?  You can find your way out.  Scratch, crawl, strive, climb and press as if there’s no tomorrow.  Manifest the greatness inside you.

Rodney Walker

Chapter 9, Page 25, Book 19

Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone…just remember that all the people in this wold haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.

F. Scott Fiitzgerald

September 25th - I’ve led a privileged life.

Human felicity is produced not as much by great pieces of fortune that seldom happen, as by little advantages that occur daily.

Benjamin Frankin

Because I was born in America, the land of the brave and the home of the free, I have had a lot of privileges than a lot of others do not.      I’ve had advantages they haven’t.  It’s true, I should never complain about anyone else, because I’v never walked in their shoes.  I cannot compare their lives to mine in any form or fashion.

We can be anything, but we can’t be everything to everyone.  When we compare ourselves to others, we’re often comparing their best features against our average ones.  Comparisons are a recipe for unhappiness unless you are the best in the world.  At worst when we compare ourselves to others we end up focusing our energy on bringing them down instead of raising ourselves up.

There is one thing that you’re better at than other people and that is being you.  This the only game you can really win.

No longer are you focused on where you stand relative to others, instead your focus and energy are placed on what you are capable of now and how you can improve yourself.

Life becomes about being a better version of yourself.  Not worrying about what others are doing, you become happier free from comparisons and focused on the present moment.  I am privileged to be the best version of myself that I can possibly be. 

What really matters is what you think about what you do., what your standards are, what you can do today.  We only get one life, but we can each be in control of how we live it.  

Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.

Oscar Wilde 

Chapter 9, Page 24, Book 19

The state of your finances is not what determines if you are rich or poor.

Author Unknown

September 24th - the secret of happiness has nothing to do with money.

It’s good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it’s good to to check up once in awhile and make sure you haven’t lost the things that money can’t buy.

George Lorimer

I consider myself to be a wealthy woman and not any of my wealth  involves money.   The essence of daily happiness is that your happiness is a product of your thoughts. Nothing more, nothing less

Best of all , it costs nothing.  You risk nothing and nobody can sell you anything .  Happiness is an inside job.  Happiness is a state of mind.  You don’t have to be rich and you don’t have to wait until your reach some level of achievement in the future.

You can have happiness right now.  Don’t wait to become rich to figure this stuff out.  Choose happiness as the priority for the day.  Deciding to be happy is the decision to stop being unhappy.  

I can choose happiness at any given moment no matter what’s going on and for absolutely no reason other than just to be happy.  Yes I’m a wealthy woman and am happy to say, even though I don’t have much money,, because money cannot buy happiness.

My external state of being doesn’t depend on external events that I believe will make me happy at some unknown future.  Happiness is a option, just as misery is an option.  They ae both choices you can make .  I choose happiness every time.  Life is too short to be anything but happy.

We are all doing the best we can with what we know.  If others do you wrong, then have some compassion for them.

One article I read has this good advice to share.  Remember this quote .  There are three kinds of business in the world, your business, other peoples business, and God’s business.  I think of it this way.  Unhappiniess always occurs when I stray from my business,  I have no right being in God’s business because I don’t know the big picture.  Anytime I’m in other peoples business I’m in judgement which makes me unhappy.  My business is where happiness is.  Everything else creates unhappiness.  

We can cannot choose the events around us but we can choose our reaction to them.  Unhappiness does not exist in the present moment.  It only exists as a regret about the past or worry toward the future.  

Don’t take anything for granted.  Gratitude isn’t just about enjoying and appreciating, It’s a bigger idea about living in the blessing of wonder of an experience.  Happiness doesn’t mean you have more to be grateful for, it means you spend more time being grateful for what you already have.  Gratitude is a choice to become aware of the good things that are already true in any given situation and we become consciously thankful for them.

Happiness is found in the journey, not the destination.  Don’t wait,  begin to enjoy the benefits today.  

Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling.

Margaret Lee Runbeck

Chapter 9, Page 23, Book 19

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.  

Eleanor Roosevelt

September 23rd - HAPPY FALL Y'ALL

No man can taste the fruits of autumn while he is delighting his scent with the flowers of spring.

Samuel Johnson

It is still very summer like here and my flowers have never looked better.  They love the weather we’ve been having.

Still I do love the fruits of autumn.  It’s the best time of year.  Not too hot and not too cold.  It’s apple time and nothing tastes better than a fresh picked apple.  

Every day brings something new to enjoy.  Each season has it’s benefits.  The important thing is to enjoy what we have not to wish for something different.  Today is going to be a one time occurrence.  Tomorrow will be different.  We need to take advantage of each day and use the opportunity to grow and move forward.  

Every day is full of opportunity and by enjoying the journey, you might be surprised by how much more productive you can be.  If you want to be happy where you are and when you are, make an honest effort to engage in what you doing.  The best way to engage is to always have a goal for what you are doing.

If you are stuck doing yard work on a beautiful weekend, you goal might be to finishing cleaning the flower gardens by Sunday afternoon so that your next weekend is free.

Once you have a goal in front of you , time will tend to go much faster and better.  Whatever you are doing, make sure you have a goal or you will just be going through the motions.  Life is too short for that.  Make every moment count for something.  

Life is a great and wondrous mystery, and the only thing we know we have for sure is what is right here, right now.  Don’t miss it.  

Leo Buscaglia

Chapter 9, Page 22, Book 19

Summer’s Lease Hath all too short a date.

William Shakespeare

September 22nd - fairwell summer

All things are difficult before they are easy.

Thomas Fuller

It seems like fall started awhile ago with Labor Day, but today is the official last day of summer.  And summer is letting us know about it too.  This weekend has been one of the hottest that we’ve had in awhile.  It’s in the upper 80’s and the air conditioning will be on for hopefully one of the last times this summer.  August was really quite a pleasant month for the most part and September has been too. July was the hottest month with many days in the 90’s.  

It was a lazy summer for me and I really didn’t do much, but read a lot of books.  I spent a lot of time on the sunporch  and will be able to continue to use it through October.  After that it’ll get too cold to be comfortable as it isn’t heated.  I’ll miss those lazy porch days.  It’s time to get busy once again as there will be much to do with the holidays soon to come.

The grass has continued to grow, but now leaves are falling and I do leaf duty by mulching up the leaves with my lawnmower.  which is easier on the back than raking by far.  

I’ll miss summer’s longer hours of day light and will probably by in bed by the time it gets dark out.  So good by summer.  Officially it will be Autumn tomorrow even though it might still feel like summer for awhile.  I don’t mind, you can linger as long as you want.  I’m not looking forward to the cold weather at all.  I’m going to make the most of the nice days while we have them.

Don’t count the days, make the days count.

Mohammad Ali

Chapter 9, Page 21, Book 19

You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines whimpering and camplaining.You make progress by implementing ideas.

Shirley Chisholm

September 21ST - No complaints

The more we complain, the more unhappy we get

Dennis Prager

Giving up the bad habit of complaining does not mean allowing ourselves to become someone else's doormat.   When we need to get our thoughts across,  we need to convey confidence through something as simple as posture.  Stand up straight, have a firm handshake and always look people in the eye. end speak clearly , so people unerstand your point.  Be firm and express what you want clearly, but don’t complain.  

Own your own mistakes, but never the mistakes of others.  There will always be people or situations in life that will annoy you, but that is no reason to dwell on negativitiy.  Remember ’this too shall pass'.  It cannot last forever.  Sometimes we just need a little motivational boost.  Don’t let others drag you down.  It doesn’t take much to set off a negative cycle that makes it all the worse.

Focus on the positive.  Do something about what ever is bothering you and don’t complain.Taking action will do more than words could ever do.

What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it, if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.  Don’t complain.

Maya Angelou.

Trying to change the way we think, is far easier said than done, but it possible.  We just need to cultivate a positive spin on how we perceive our problems.  We need to accept that life is plain messy   No one and no situation is perfect .  Accept the situation for what it is and move forward.  When you inevitably experience set backs, move forward and remember, everyone has them.

Be grateful for what you have and stop complaining - it bores everybody else, does you no good and doesn’t solve any problems.

Zig Ziglar

Chapter 9, Page 20, Book 19

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

September 20th - today is the best day ever

Give every day the chance to become the most beautiful day of your life.

Mark Twain

Every day is a gift from God.  There’s no guartentee of tomorrow, so that tells me to see the good in this day and to make the most of it.  We can cherish or regret our yesterdays, we can dream about or fear our tomorrows, but we can only live our today’s.  The one thing we truly have control of is the moment we’re in the now.  

By living in the moment we renew our joy of life and remember to be grateful for all we have.  The here and now present truly is a present, an unexpected gift to be carefully unwrapped and savored.

Wake up to the gift of 24 hours.  When we focus on the now and enjoy the moment we enhance our physical  and emotional well being.  Doesn’t every day deserve a chance be be a good day.  An oppottunity!  Sad but true, it often takes things like sickness or death to wake us up to the truth.  

I wake up every day and I think, I’m breathing!  It’s a good day.

Eve Foster