Tuesday, May 30, 2017

2017-22 - More Smiles...

The other day, I found myself shuffling along Faneuil Hall in Boston, side-stepping the crowd that converged around a clown providing a comedy routine. I was feeling rather low this day. Maybe the bumper-to-bumper traffic had something to do with my disposition but it certainly could have been better than what I was showing. In fact, it was more of a frown than a happy face.

"Did you drop something?" a voice gushed out of the clear blue. I looked around to see who it belonged to and it happened to be the clown. I didn't know where to turn and instinctively glanced at the pavement below. The clown looked at me and said, "You dropped your smile."

I may have ignored him but since others were watching, I decided to play his game. I reached to the ground and picked up a handful of air, putting it smack dab on my face. In place of the grimace, appeared that all elusive smile. To tell you the truth, it took a clown's quip to change my mood and set me on my merry way.

Not enough people, myself included, are smiling these days. We're living in a serious world where laughter and levity are foregone conclusions these days.

So, here's the deal, folks. If a yawn can take on a contagious effect, perhaps the same is true of a smile. Maybe, just maybe, if enough people smile, perhaps it will cause a ripple effect. Not only that, but curious people will be wondering what there is to be smiling about and you can tell them this. "You're not fully dressed without a smile."

I dropped my smile that day in Boston and a clown reminded me to pick it off the ground. My disposition changed in a nanosecond and I suddenly wore a happy face.

~ Tom Vartabedian



We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.

~ Mother Teresa

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

2017-21 - True confidence...

True confidence does not come from fantasy. True confidence does not come from arrogance.

True confidence flows from a strong sense of purpose. True confidence is based on a genuine love of life and a love for the good possibilities that are always present.

To be confident, you must be honest, with yourself and with others. You must be willing to give of yourself, to do the difficult work that will create excellence.

Today's world suffers on many different levels from a lack of confidence. Too many people are too invested in sparkly, superficial things that really don’t matter.

Yet the confidence necessary to move forward is always within reach. To the extent you let go of what doesn't matter, and put energy, enthusiasm and effort into what does, you become more confident, more effective.

It is time to stop hiding from the best possibilities. Invest your time, your actions, your life in what matters, and move confidently forward, transforming your highest visions into reality.

~ Ralph Marston



Confidence comes from discipline and training.

~ Robert Kiyosaki

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

2017-20 - Faith...

In the country of Armenia, in 1988, Samuel and Danielle sent their young son, Armand, off to school. Samuel squatted before his son and looked him in the eye. "Have a good day at school, and remember, no matter what, I'll always be there for you." They hugged and the boy ran off to school.

Hours later, a powerful earthquake rocked the area. In the midst of the pandemonium, Samuel and Danielle tried to discover what happened to their son but they couldn't get any information.  On reaching the schoolyard... what Samuel saw brought tears to his eyes. Armand's school was a pile of debris. Other parents were standing around crying.

Samuel found the place where Armand's classroom used to be and began pulling a broken beam off the pile of rubble. One of the parents looking on asked, "What are you doing?" "Digging for my son," Samuel answered. The man then said, "The building is unstable," and tried to pull Samuel away from his work.

But all through the night, and into the next day, Samuel continued digging.  Parents placed flowers and pictures of their children on the ruins. But, Samuel just kept working. He picked up a beam and pushed it out of the way when he heard a faint cry. "Help! Help!"  Samuel listened but didn't hear anything again.  Then he heard a muffled voice, "Papa?"

Samuel began to dig furiously. Finally he could see his son. "Come on out, son!" he said with relief.

"No," Armand said. "Let the other kids come out first because I know you'll get me." Child after child emerged until, finally, little Armand appeared. Samuel took him in his arms and Armand said, "I told the other kids not to worry because you told me that you'd always be there for me!"

Fourteen children were saved that day because one father was faithful.

~ Author Unknown



Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.

~ Mother Teresa

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

2017-19 - A Good Citizen?

Jim Langstaff was a Canadian doctor who practised in the early 20th century. He was known for his extraordinary commitment to the welfare of his patients.

For example, upon learning that a woman who lived on an isolated farm was about to have a baby and needed medical help immediately, Dr Langstaff set off. It was a bitterly cold winter's day and the roads had become unusable. Undeterred, Dr Langstaff strapped on his skis and continued. Snowdrifts on the road made skiing difficult, so he took to the fields beside the road. At one point he tripped over a fence and became badly tangled in the wire. He freed himself, and continued on to the farm house, delivered the baby and, once the weather had cleared, returned to his car.

People who knew Dr Langstaff say that dedication of that sort was typical of the good doctor.

It came from a sense of place in the world instilled into him by his father. One day Dr Langstaff's son Walter came to his father and said "Dad, I got 99% in mathematics on my report card." His father responded, "That's great, but are you being a good citizen."

Decades later the words still challenged Jim. "I have remembered that remark for the last 45 years", he said. "Was I being a good citizen?"

~ Author Unknown



Confidence comes from hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication.

~ Roger Staubach


Tuesday, May 2, 2017

2017-18 - Respect...

A young officer was on his round when one of the riflemen did not notice him and missed saluting him.

The youngster got cheesed off and summoned the Gorkha and asked him the reason for not saluting him. The Gorkha innocently gave out the reason that he did not see "Lieutenant Huzoor".

The youngster not convinced, punished the Gorkha to a thousand salutes. The soldier immediately started saluting...

A Field Marshal who was passing by noticed this and asked the young officer as to what was happening.

The youngster said, "Sir, this soldier had the audacity of not saluting me. So I have punished him with a thousand salutes."

The Field Marshal replied, "Bloody good punishment young man... but do ensure that you return each of his salutes."

For the next two hours the unit was treated to a scene of a Gorkha saluting and the young officer returning each of his salutes.

~  Captain Mahesh Singh



Respect for ourselves guides our morals, respect for others guides our manners.

~ Laurence Sterne