Motivational Monday ~ Explore, Dream, Discover

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore, Dream, Discover. 

–Mark Twain

Motivational Monday ~ Tomorrow Is A New Day

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. 

Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” 

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Motivational Monday ~ Return to Love

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that frightens us. We ask ourselves 'who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?'

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. 

It's not just in some of us; its in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Marianne Williamson
From her book Return To Love
 

Motivational Monday ~ Today I Chose Life

Today I choose life. Every morning when I wake up I can choose joy, happiness, negativity, pain... To feel the freedom that comes from being able to continue to make mistakes and choices - today I choose to feel life, not to deny my humanity but embrace it.

by Kevyn Aucoin

Motivational Monday ~ Just One

I cannot count the times that I have either said or heard someone else say "I am just one person." But if f we just stop and have faith and confidence in our own abilities, maybe we could see how the power of one person or one idea can make a huge difference.  I came across this poem and it truly defines how being JUST ONE can make a difference.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ MORE......

Motivational Monday ~ Life's Too Short to Be Anything But Happy

“There comes a time in your life when you have to let go of all the pointless drama and the people who create it and surround yourself with people who make you laugh so hard that you forget the bad and focus solely on the good. After all, life is too short to be anything but happy.”

 

Karl Marx (1897-1985);

Motivational Monday ~ Listening

Here are some of my favorite listening quotes.  Do you have one you would like to share?

"Listen with an open heart and an open mind to those who love you the most. You may hear a grain of truth that will later become the foundation of your entire belief system." Callie Khouri Screenwriter

 

"Great ideas...come into the world as gently as doves...if we listen attentively, we shall hear, amid the uproar...a faint flutter of wings, the gentle stirring of life and hope."
Albert Camus Author And Philosopher

"Follow your instincts. That's where true wisdom manifests itself. "
Oprah Winfrey American Television Host, Publisher  

Motivational Monday ~ Uniquely Beautiful

“My mother sat me down and said, ...you are beautiful to me but must know that you are beautiful for yourself. You should also be aware that true beauty is in the eye of the beholder, which means that how beautiful you are to other people is always going to be subjective to who is looking at you at that time, and since you will always be looking at yourself first, you should find your own beauty and feel good about who you are.” She went on to tell me that I needed to take the time to identify those things that I found to be beautiful about myself but also celebrate what I thought was weird or unusual because those were the special things that God had given to me that made me different from everybody else. I learned how to appreciate, embrace, and enhance those special things so that they would shine rather than be hidden...We learned to love and identify with what made us uniquely beautiful.”

BeNeca Ward (born 1976);
Author Of "3rd Generation Country, A Practical Guide To Raising Children With Great Values"

Motivational Monday ~ Begin it Now!

Motivational Monday ~ Life Is A Gift

Today before you think of saying an unkind word–
think of someone who can’t speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food–
think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife–
think of someone who is crying out to God for a companion.

Today before you complain about life–
think of someone who went too early to heaven.

Before you complain about your children–
think of someone who desires children but they’re barren.

Before you argue about your dirty house, someone didn’t clean or sweep–
think of the people who are living in the streets.

Before whining about the distance you drive–
think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job–
think of the unemployed, the disabled and those who wished they had your job.

But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another–
remember that not one of us are without sin and we all answer to one maker.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down–
put a smile on your face and thank God you’re alive and still around.

Life is a gift – Live it, Enjoy it, Celebrate it, and Fulfill it.

Author Unknown

Motivational Monday ~ Outlook

Outlook
By Priscilla Leonard

Forget each kindness that you do
As soon as you have done it.
Forget the praise that falls to you
The moment you have won it.
Forget the slander that you hear
Before you can repeat it.
Forget each slight, each spite, each sheer
Wherever you may meet it.
Remember every kindness done
To you, whate'er its measure.
Remember praise by others won
And pass it on with pleasure.
Remember every promise made
And keep it to the letter.
Remember those who lend you aid
And be a grateful debtor.

Remember all the happiness
That comes your way in living.
Forget each worry and distress;
Be hopeful and forgiving.
Remember good, remember truth,
Remember Heaven's above you,

And you will find, through age and youth,
True joys and hearts to love you.

Motivational Monday ~ I Have Learned

 

I Have Learned By Omer B. Washington

• I've learned-that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.
• I’ve learned-that no matter how much I care, some people just don’t care back.
• I’ve learned-that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.
• I’ve learned-that no matter how good a friend is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
• I’ve learned-that it’s not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.
• I’ve learned-that you should never ruin an apology with an excuse.
• I’ve learned-that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you’d better know something.
• I’ve learned-that you shouldn’t compare yourself to the best others can do.
• I’ve learned-that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.
• I’ve learned-that it’s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
• I’ve learned-that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
• I’ve learned-that you can keep going long after you can’t.
• I’ve learned-that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
• I’ve learned-that either you control your attitude or it controls you.
• I’ve learned-that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.
• I’ve learned-that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
• I’ve learned-that money is a lousy way of keeping score.
• I’ve learned-that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

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Motivational Monday ~ A Friend Is...

A friend is someone with whom, your thoughts,
dreams and secrets you can share.
And no matter what you say or do, you know
that they still care.

A friend is always ready to laugh
with you when you are glad.
But has shoulder for you to cry on
at those times when you are sad.

A friend always want the best for you
And they are not happy until you are too.

A friend is never jealous
of the things you may attain.
And if you are the winner you will
not hear them complain.

A friend is a person who could spend everyday
with you, from beginning to end.

When you find someone like this they are more
than a friend they are a …BEST FRIEND 
By Unknown

Motivational Monday ~ When I'm A Little Old Lady

When I'm a little old lady...

I’ll live with my children and bring them great joy

To repay all I’ve had from each girl and boy.

I shall draw on the walls and scuff up the floor…

Run in and out without closing the door.

I’ll hide frogs in the pantry, socks under my bed

Whenever they scold me, I’ll just hang my head.

I’ll run and I’ll romp, always fritter away

The time spent doing chores everyday.

I’ll pester my children when they’re on the phone

As long as they’re busy, won’t leave them alone!

Hide candy in closets and rocks in a drawer

And never pick up my clothes on the floor.

Dash off to the movies and not wash a dish

I’ll plead for allowance whenever I wish.

I’ll stuff up the plumbing and deluge the floors

As soon as they mop it up, I’ll flood it some more!

When they correct, me I’ll lie down and cry

Kicking and screaming ― not a tear in my eye.

I’ll take their pencils, their flashlights, and then

When they buy new ones, I’ll take them again!

Put toys on the table, spill jam on the floor…

I’ll break lots of dishes as though I were four.

I’ll stir up some cookies or perhaps make a cake

But I won’t clean the mess from whatever I make.

I’ll not make my bed or clean up my room

I’ll pretend I’ve never heard of vacuum or broom.

I’ll take a bath, but won’t clean the tub

I’ll just leave it ― for my children to scrub!

I shall use two or three towels and maybe some more

Then I will just drop them right on the floor.

What fun I shall have, what joy it will be...

To live with my children like they lived with me!

By Elayne Pearson

Motivational Monday ~ Care Givers

This Motivational Monday goes out to my Aunt Susan and all care givers.    Susan is a rock and my hero.  Where some would find the task tedious and consuming, she  is the example of what it is really like to have love, and patience taking care of a loved one on a daily basis.  I admire the faith and dedication of anyone who can stand by the ones they adore through thick or thin, better or worse, sickness and in health with out making them feel like a burden. Today I salute the Nurturers because without you, who else would give such love and care to someone in need of a special touch?

The Care Giver

By Erma Bombeck

Recently in my column I lamented the death of heroes. I was wrong. There isn’t a scarcity of heroes. I was just looking for them in the wrong places. I thought they hung out in sports arenas, great halls, battlefields, or between the pages of adventure books.

I should have been looking for them in pharmacies, where they are waiting to have prescriptions filled; in hospital corridors, keeping vigil or collapsing wheelchairs and storing them in the trunks of cars. They are called nurturers―the well one in the family who takes care of the one with needs.

How many times have we passed by without seeing these nameless, faceless people who roll out of bed each day to serve? Most of them live in the shadow of those who are ill. They are not used to someone asking how they feel. If it should miraculously happen, they would probably feel guilty answering, “Fine.”

Never underestimate what it takes to watch someone you have love in pain. Nurturers face each day without benefit of numbing painkillers or anesthetics. They live in a world where personal feelings and duty clash. Those who have assumed the mantle of responsibility for another human being hate the word hero. They are doing what they want to do, must do and wouldn’t want anyone else to do.

I have observed women who pay the bills, have the oil changed in the car, change furnace filters, negotiate for a new roof, turn over CDs and go crazy trying to keep pace with Medicare and Medicaid forms when their husbands are unable to do so. I have seen men who bake pies, do the marketing, address Christmas card, keep track of birthdays, water plants, scrub floors and go crazy trying to keep pace with Medicare and Medicaid forms when their wives are unable to do so.

And daily I watch grown children who run errands, make a million phone calls, take parents to appointments, drop off food, make sure their license plates are current, their lawns are cut and their walks cleared of snow and go crazy trying to keep pace with Medicare and Medicaid forms.

Today would be a good time to think about them. And when you see a nurturer, ask, “How you doin’?”

National Bubble Bath Day 1/8/2013

Since tomorrow is National Bubble Bath Day (My favorite thing EVER!) I thought I would make today's Motivational Monday about Bubble Baths.  Enjoy and Relax!

People have been enjoying warm baths for thousands of years. In Ancient Rome, bathing at a public facility was part of the daily routine for most citizens. A trip to the Roman baths might include a dip in the caldarium (hot tub), a brief break in the laconicum (sauna), and a refreshing swim in the frigidarium (cold pool).

Up until the late 1940s, the average American bathed once a week for personal hygiene. Today, a daily shower is standard, but it’s important to indulge in a luxurious soak every once in a while. A bubble bath can help open up your pores, cleanse your skin, and relax muscles.

Pick up a bottle of your favorite bubble bath product and fill your tub tonight to celebrate Bubble Bath Day! Create a calming spa atmosphere with background music, candles, and a towel to cushion your neck. Enjoy!

Roses in the bathtub and bubbles drifting high,
The soothing flow of water relaxes with a sigh.
Now, look out the window and smile at butterflies.
Laugh at all the bumblebees and swallows on the fly.

There’s nothing like a bubble bath
When life becomes a chore.
The foam hides all the ugliness
And perfume masks it more.

Be sure to wash the gloom away
Along with all the pain.
Then, rinse the whole disaster
And send it down the drain.

By Patricia McAdams

Happy New Years 2013!

  New Year’s Toast   Here’s to the new year...
May it bring more joy and success
And less grief and regret. To our dreams...
May we never stop believing in them
And taking the actions that will make them a reality. To our friends, loved ones, associates (or colleagues)...
May we take the time to let them know
How much it means to us
To have them in our lives. Let us encourage more and criticize less,
Give more and need less.
And whenever we can,
Let us create harmony and peace. To new beginnings...
Let us start fresh, right now,
To make this the very best year ever. A very Happy New Year to all of us! By Joanna Fuchs

Motivational Monday ~ When Tomorrow Starts Without Me

With the tragic events of this past Friday our hearts and prayers go out to everyone who have been affected.  I am truly saddened, no parent should ever have to bury their child.

When Tomorrow Starts Without Me

Author Unkonwn

When tomorrow starts without me,
And I’m not there to see;
If the sun should rise and find your eyes
All filled with tears for me;
I wish so much you wouldn’t cry
The way you did today,

While thinking of the many things,
We didn’t get to say.
I know how much you love me,
As much as I love you,
And each time that you think of me,
I know you’ll miss me too;

But when tomorrow starts without me,
Please try to understand,
That an angel came and called my name,
And took me by the hand,
And said my place was ready,
In heaven far above,
And that I’d have to leave behind
All those I dearly love.
But as I turned to walk away,
A tear fell from my eye,
For all my life, I’d always thought,
I didn’t want to die.
I had so much to live for,
So much yet to do,
It seemed almost impossible,
That I was leaving you.
I thought of all the yesterdays,
The good ones and the bad,
I thought of all the love we shared,
And all the fun we had.

If I could relive yesterday,
Just even for awhile,
I’d say good-bye and kiss you
And maybe see you smile.
But then I fully realized,
That this could never be
For emptiness and memories,
Would take the place of me.

And when I thought of worldly things,
I might miss come tomorrow,
I thought of you, and when I did,
My heart was filled with sorrow.
But when I walked
through heaven’s gates,
I felt so much at home.

When God looked down and smiled at me,
From His great golden throne,
He said “This is eternity,
And all I’ve promised you.”
Today for life on earth is past,
But here it starts anew.
I promise no tomorrow,
But today will always last,
And since each day’s the same way
There’s no longing for the past.
But you have been so faithful,
So trusting and so true.
Though there were times you did some things,
You knew you shouldn’t do.
But you have been forgiven
And now at last you’re free.
So won’t you take my hand
And share my life with me?

So when tomorrow starts without me,
Don’t think we’re far apart,
For every time you think of me,
I’m right here, in your heart.

Motivational Monday ~ If At First You Don't Succeed

Failure doesn’t mean – “You are a failure,”
It means – You have not succeeded.

Failure doesn’t mean – “You accomplished nothing,”
It means – You have learned something.

Failure doesn’t mean – “You have been a fool,”
It means – You had a lot of faith.

Failure doesn’t mean – “You don’t have it,”
It means – You were willing to try.

Failure doesn’t mean – “You are inferior,”
It means – You are not perfect.

Failure doesn’t mean – “You’ve wasted your life,”
It means – You have a reason to start afresh.

Failure doesn’t mean – “You should give up,”
It means – “You must try harder.

Failure doesn’t mean – “You’ll never make it,”
It means – It will take a little longer.

Failure doesn’t mean – “God has abandoned you,”
It means – God has a better way for you.

Author Unknown

Motivational Monday - To Be Thankful For

I know I have not posted in a while.  Additional Job responsibilities and family issues have kept me away from the computer.  I hope to crank it up again here very soon!

Although our Thanksgiving did not go as planned, I am still grateful for all the wonderful people that grace my life. I hope your Thanksgiving was a blessing spent with friends and family.

TO BE THANKFUL FOR:

• The mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.
• The taxes I pay because it means that I'm employed.
• The clothes that fit a little to snug because it means I have enough to eat.
• My shadow who watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine.
• A lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.
• All the complaining I hear about our government because it means we have freedom of speech.
• The space I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.
• My huge heating bill because it means I am warm.
• The lady behind me in church, who sings off key, because it means that I can hear.
• The piles of laundry and ironing because it means I have clothes to wear.
• Weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been productive.
• The alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that I'm alive.

BE THANKFUL

• Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
• Be thankful when you don't know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn.
• Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow.
• Be thankful for you limitations because they give you opportunities to improvement.
• Be thankful for each new challenge, because it will build your strength and character.
• Be thankful when you're tired and weary, because it means you've made a difference.
• It's easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks. Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings.