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Monday, May 22, 2017

Attitude Is Everything



An apocryphal story has been traveling across the Internet. You may have read or heard it:

Two shoe salesmen were given a new territory on a Pacific island. Immediately upon arrival, the first sales­man placed an urgent call to the home office: Get me out of here. No one on this island wears shoes.

The second salesman sent a request to the factory: Please put everybody on overtime. Will need as many shoes as you can manufacture. No one on this island has any shoes.

Attitude----the altitude adjuster----determines whether we fly high or low, crash or soar, glide or slide. 

  • Attitude is more significant than what has happened or what is hap­pening. 
  • Attitude is more important that what other people think about us.
  • Attitude is more significant that the past, than genetics, than education, than appearance, or talent because the correct attitude can help overcome these challenges.

A couple of weeks ago I had a pity party. I became upset with everything and everybody. Then I reminded myself:  

Anybody can have a positive attitude when things are going well. It's how we act when things are going badly that determines the strength of our character. An appropriate attitude means feeling hopeful in challenging times. Look for the good. Review blessings. Remember successes. 

I shared my insight with a friend who, later that day, gave me an adhesive label to place on my bathroom mirror. Now whenever I shave, brush my teeth, or comb my hair, I see the message: 

Attitude is Everything

Whether we are running hot, running cold, or simply running on overload, we can tidy up our point of view by remembering these aphorisms:

  • Emotional disposition outshines our social position
  • What matters is what happens in us not to us
  • Choices, not circumstances, determine how we think
  • Activity cures misery
  • The most certain way to success is to try one more time
  • Act "as if" to get positive results
  • What we think trumps what others think
  • Contentment depends on our response to events
  • Gratitude adjusts our altitude


To encourage this blogger to keep blogging, please comment. Did the blog entry bring to mind a personal story you would like to share? Any ideas you would like to contribute? Any disagreements? A partial sentence in this blog entry comes from the lyrics of a 1984 hit song. Name the song and artist. 

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Avoid Facebook Excess

To experience a balanced life AVOID FACEBOOK EXCESS. Facebook is more addicting than Oxycontin. More stimulating than cocaine. And sometimes more satisfying than chocolates and ice cream.

But it can become wasteful. 

We can spend hours on captivating, but unimportant topics such as: 
  • Puppy dogs chewing up carpets 
  • Babies out carpet eating puppy dogs 
  • Big tomatoes, bigger potatoes, biggest cucumbers 
  • Videos of people skiing off rooftops...in the summer
  • Photos of grandma's 117th birthday 
  • Reading useless factoids such as there are more than 100 US citizens who have lived to be 117
  • Photos of What-A-Great-Time-I-Had-On-My-North-Pole-Vacation-Wearing-My-Bikini
  • Solving Where Is Waldo? puzzles
  • Reading political rants, PC rants, Longhorn football rants, and Aggie jokes. 

I am not advocating avoiding Facebook altogether. Unembellished personal entries bless those who care about us and we are grateful for news and photos of our friends. 

Everything in moderation applies to most activities including Facebook.




To encourage this blogger to keep blogging, please comment. Did the blog entry bring to mind a personal story you would like to share? Any ideas you would like to contribute? Any disagreements?


Friday, May 12, 2017

Advanced Report on Reunion Memories

I am writing an essay on my 55th high school class reunion and since I haven't posted in several weeks I am concerned that I will lose my blog followers. Hang with me. The essay is long, very long. It may be too mawkish for some, too idealist for others. But the memories cannot be taken from my mind and heart. I laughed and I cried while writing the memoir. It needs some polishing and some rewriting, but should be ready to publish Monday, May15th. I hope you resonate with the descriptions and like it as much as I do.

Thursday, May 4, 2017

The Window of Time


Sometimes when we look back through the window of time we see visions of immeasurable joy. They are joys that we carry in our hearts, but to which we may never return. 

But wait! Perhaps in eternity's time God will twirl us back to those sweet memories where they will be lived forever. 

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

The Texas We Knew Then is Not the Texas We Know Now


The Texas we knew then
Is not the Texas we know now
Drifted away we don’t know when
Faded away we don’t know how

Friday night football still the game
Prettiest girls that you can name
Tho' the open range is so long gone
No more campfire sing along

Goodbye lonesome whistle blowin’
Hello bumper to bumper stop and goin’
Too many strangers on our prairie
No open place for the dead to bury

IT nerds from California
Go on home we don’t want ya
Beltway boys telling us what to do
Shut up Feds you have no clue

The Texas we knew then
Is not the Texas we know now
Drifted away we don’t know when
Faded away we don’t know how

Papa bring back our tough Texas ways
Mama bring back our lost Texas days