"THOUGHTS OF THE DAY"
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"A hurdle that is overcome in life, if taken positively, can strengthen the soul. The only challenge with this, in some cases, is we sometimes misunderstand strength for hardness; thus resulting in bitterness."
--- Copyright © 2001 Daniel Salce



"Always remember, the sun is always shining.
It's just sometimes the clouds hide the warmth."
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Dan Frank --- Washington



"With optimism and will power a man may not always succeed in his endeavour; he may even fail miserably...but that wouldn't stop him from trying. Those very acts of trying to achieve would be his greatest satisfaction, apart from success, if he does succeed."
--- Copyright © 2001 Gurudath Rao

( I was inspired to write this after seeing the launch of the space shuttle ENDEAVOUR for a rendezvous with the International Space Station. The tragedy of Sept 11 has not deterred the Americans and the Russians as they joined hands, yet again, to boldly go to space. Their spirits are worth admiring and every individual, regardless of nationality, ought to be inspired and proud of their achievements. I wish those brave astronauts and scientists, on ground, the very best of luck. )



I suggest three such signals that, if heeded, will help us guide through the storms of life:

CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS WITH CAUTION- associate with those who, like you, are planning for the things that matters most. Not only will your circle of friends greatly influence your thinking and behavior; but you will also influence theirs.

PLAN YOUR FUTURE WITH PURPOSE- remember, however, that our business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves. To break our own record, to out ship our yesterdays by today, to bear our trials more beautifully than we ever dreamed we could, to give as we never have given, to do our work with more force and finer finish than ever - this is our true objective.

FRAME YOUR LIFE WITH FAITH- when you have an abiding faith, when your outward actions reflect your inner convictions, you have the composite strength of exposed and hidden virtues. They combine to give safe passage through whatever rough seas might arise.
--- Thomas S. Monson --- Submitted by Ana Paula --- Argentina



"Art is the science of the soul."
--- Copyright © 2001 Amanda Sutt



"I don't want a lot of love,
I want a steady supply."
--- Copyright © 2001 Usman Khan



"Work will win when wishy washy wishing won't."
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Conrad Bills --- Ohio
--- Quoted by my mother, Clara Jean Bills, quoting her mother, Emma Nelson



The Meaning Of A Word

I've often questioned the purpose, of the meaning of just a word
Those spoken often and frequently, and those so rarely heard

For what are words but verbs and nouns, and what do they really mean?
An adjective to sound good, a conjunction to connect the seams.

We speak of work, place and position, as if these mean so much
But do we spend the time to care, and stop talking and simply touch?

So in short what I've discovered, in speaking and the written word,
Is the best we can do is act out kind words, through 'love' so rarely heard.
--- Copyright © 2001 Brian G. Jett



"Life is like a complicated math problem. No one knows the answer to it, no one can solve it, and no matter how many times you try to make it work, it never does."
--- Anonymous --- Submitted by S.H. --- Kansas



"If you have no dreams your life will only be a nightmare."
--- Copyright © 2001 Wanda Goff



"There are no enemies, only other human beings."
--- Copyright © 2001 Robert Dible



"Self pity is a luxury that I cannot afford."
--- Copyright © 2001 Jerri Wherry



"The immature mind hops from one thing to another;
The mature mind seeks to follow through."
--- Harry A. Overstreet --- Submitted by Martha Varzaly --- Pennsylvania



"If you keep your hands in your pockets and your tongue in your mouth,
You will get by in life without too much trouble."
--- My Dad --- Submitted by Laurie Dunn --- NSW, Australia



"Think independently, for he does not becomes vulnerable to conformity."
--- Copyright © 2001 Anastasia Mendoza



"The business of the world is best minded by minding your own."
--- Copyright © 1999 Malcolm Hein



"Make yourself a better person and know who you are
Before you try and know someone else and expect them to know you."
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Gary Harrington --- Michigan



The Woman in the Mirror

When I look in the mirror, what do I see?
Who is that woman looking back at me?
Do I reflect the qualities of a child of the king,
Or am I self-centered about everything?

Am I a servant to my family, do I love my neighbor?
Do I do my work with love, or is it labor?
Do I watch the words I speak?
Am I strong in character, or morally weak?
Does my mirror reflect a woman with inner glow;
Am I the kind of woman others want to know?
When I look in the mirror, what do I see?
Who is that woman looking back at me?
--- Copyright © 1989 Mary Achee'



"Life is like landscaping;
You don't know what to do until you ask the expert."
--- Copyright © 2001 William F. Young III



"In the concert of life, nobody holds a program."
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Rachel King --- Australia



"There are no ordinary moments!"
--- Dan Millman (The Peaceful Warrior) --- Submitted by Steven Jager --- Arizona



"A relationship is like a muscle on your body. When you work it out, you'll need strength and determination because there will be pain. But in the end, you'll sit back, look at the results and see how well worth it all was."
Copyright © 2001 L. R. Gonzales






"Persistence:
When a tree falls, no one asks how many chops it took."
--- Copyright © 2001 Stephen Myles Brennan



"I would rather be a talentless person with heart
Than a heartless person with talent."
--- Copyright © 2001 Michael Tran



"If you depend on others to make you happy,
You'll be endlessly disappointed."
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by M.N. --- Washington



"If life gives you a chance, take it.
If it changes your life, let it."
--- Written in 2001 by Tarin M.



"There is a difference between being alert and being intimidated."
--- George Bush --- Submitted by Chen Fawn Meng --- Malaysia



"Children need your presence more then your presents."
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by J.K. --- Pennsylvania



"The excitement of life is directly proportionate to the lack of control that we have, over the situations that surround our daily lives."
--- Copyright © 1998 Brian McVicker



"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
--- George Santayana --- Submitted by Katie F., Age 12 --- Georgia
--- Author's name provided by Paula --- Argentina --- 9/20/02


"Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind."
--- John F. Kennedy --- Submitted by Scott Johnson --- Florida



"The freedom of choice is hindered by the fear of consequence."
--- Copyright © 2001 Bobby E. Robinette



"Happy are those that dream and are willing to pay the price to see them come true."
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Frank Connors --- Arkansas



"It is difficult to say anything is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow."
--- Robert H. Goddard --- Submitted by Gurudath Rao --- Karnataka, India



"We must use time as a tool, not as a crutch."
--- John F. Kennedy --- Submitted by Amanda Hardie --- North Carolina



"This moment only happens once."
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by M. Mincone --- Massachusetts



"Some are born to be great,
Some are great to be born
But the greatest greatness
Is to become great"
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Partinder pal Singh --- Punjab, India



"Don't turn your back to others;
That's not the natural location your heart is."
--- Copyright © 2001 Robert F. Pietersz



"FAITH: facts accepted in the heart.
LUCK: labor under correct knowledge."
--- Dexter Yager --- Submitted by P. Hinely --- Georgia



"With Age comes wisdom;
But to some, Age comes alone."
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Tichaona Katsande --- Harare, Zimbabwe



"When you look back on your life wondering why you chose not to cross the bridge, will you also wonder what would have happened if you did?"
--- Copyright © 2001 Kedma Block



"If you want to be happier and to like yourself more, here are five suggestions that may help you:

CHANGE BAD BEHAVIOR - it is hard to like ourselves if we are doing things that we know to be wrong. In your quest to define yourselves, do not get caught up in comparisons with role models or body types that may seem to be macho or chic.

FORGIVE OURSELVES AND OTHERS - forgiveness is an important part of putting bad behavior behind us. We need to forgive ourselves. But we may also need to forgive others. Feeling joy and peace, we will know who we are and act accordingly.

GAIN CONFIDENCE BY MAKING GOOD CHOICES - you are now beginning to make important choices. Choices have consequences. Remember that fame and fortune do not necessarily mean happiness. It is far better to have confidence in yourself and to be comfortable in your own skin. It is also important to be able to excel in some field. We grow and develop by making good choices.

GIVE SERVICE - if we really want to feel better about ourselves, we should do deeds of kindness. Great satisfaction can come in helping the poor, the sick, the elderly, or others who have special needs. Look around you, there are all kinds of opportunities.

CHOOSE HAPPINESS - the most fundamental of all human searches is for happiness. We each choose our own happiness. "Laughter is the best medicine". Smiling is good for the soul. I recommend friendliness because so many people are shy or lonely and need a kind of word or smile. Lifting others expands our inner selves. As we reach to others, our happiness hormones are stimulated and we find our true selves."
--- James E. Faust --- Submitted by Ana Paula --- Argentina



"The world is what we change it to be."
--- Copyright © 1996 Tony Saxon



"What is success? To evaluate, to empower, to enhance another's life.
The return, enriching your own."
--- Copyright © 2001 Diana Sim



"To be aware, is to be alive."
--- Copyright © 1997 Christopher Virzi



"Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is like expecting a bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian."
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Bianca T. --- Victoria, Australia



"Pride is odorless, colorless, and tasteless;
Yet, it is the hardest thing to swallow."
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Chad Shead --- Texas



"We all have our disabilities; some are more visible than others. Remember, you are only one accident away from becoming a person with a disability."
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by MJ Azraps --- California



"Negativity breeds failure."
--- V.K. --- Maharastra, India



"I carry a little timer in the shape of a tomato. I set it for five minutes and think about the things that didn't turn out correctly that day. When the bell goes off, I move on with my life."
--- Richard Simmons --- Submitted by Valorie Checque --- Pennsylvania



"If we only do what is of interest to us
We will never be of interest to others."
--- Copyright © 2001 Linda Kaiser



"Sometimes when you stand on a ledge overlooking water you only see what's on the surface. You don't know how deep it really is till you put yourself into it."
--- Copyright © 2001 Courtney Howard



"The country we live in, is not the world we live in."
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by I.W. --- Ontario, Canada



"With Knowledge comes Awareness,
With Awareness comes Wisdom,
With Wisdom comes Harmony,
With Harmony comes Peace,
With Peace comes All Things."
--- Copyright © 2001 Steven Jager



"Only after the last tree has been felled, the last river poisoned, and the last fish caught, man will know, that he cannot eat money."
--- Old Indian Chief --- Submitted by M.C. --- California



"Why does it take an external enemy to increase patriotism?"
--- Brandon B. --- Massachusetts



"Today I have given the best.
For what I have kept inside, I have lost forever."
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Beth K. --- Ohio



"If your life has no meaning,
Then you're the one who should put meaning into it."
--- My Philosophy Teacher --- Submitted by Eriku E. --- Cebu, Philippines



"The world is at your feet; just don't trip on it."
--- Joe Weaver --- Submitted by Christy Denovo --- Oklahoma



"I would rather be the type of person who takes the ride and gets hurt,
Than the person who takes the safe route and never feels pain."
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Melissa --- Massachusetts



"Every journey begins with but a single step. The challenge is taking it."
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Lord Nick Paldane --- Queensland, Australia



"Always wear hiking boots so your paths are not limited."
--- Copyright © 1991 Kara Adema



"You only exist in what you do."
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Nick Ho --- Singapore



"Pressure can change you into something quite precious,
Quite wonderful, quite beautiful and extremely hard."
--- Maya Angelou --- Submitted by David Johnson --- Nebraska



"There's never a right time to do a wrong thing
And there's never a wrong time to do a right thing."
--- Author Unknown ---Submitted by Vinay Kant --- New Jersey



The value of community:
"If architects want to strengthen a decrepit arch, they increase the load upon it, thereby the parts are joined more firmly together."
--- Victor Frankl --- Submitted by Philip Heisler --- New Jersey
This quote is an intriguing perspective of what the recent terrorist attacks have done to our country.



"The circumstances that surround a man's life are not important. How that man responds to those circumstances is important. His response is the ultimate determining factor between success and failure."
--- Booker T. Washington --- Submitted by David Johnson --- Nebraska



"Intelligence gives us the ability to make clever assumptions.
Wisdom helps us realize that some of our assumptions will be wrong."
--- Copyright © 2001 Peter Yates



"Some like the snow and some like the rain. Opposites are not necessarily too opposite to be combined. I hope for the sake of all humanity that the things in which we are opposite do not rip us apart."
--- Copyright © 2001 Kathryn D. Junttila



"Trouble and the grace to bear it come in the same package."
--- Anonymous --- Submitted by Pauline Co