I thought there might be some of you who’d appreciate a lush green golf course as the star of today’s Wordless Wednesday. This picture was taken last summer at the golf course at Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park. If you ever get a chance to go, don’t hesitate for a second. And, whatever you do, you have to try the catfish in the lodge’s restaurant.
Great, now I’ve worked myself into a catfish craving…
When I am happy, I see the happiness in others. When I am depressed, I notice that people’s eyes look sad. When I am weary, I see the world as boring and unattractive. – Steve Chandler
They say we look at the world through a window, but as the today’s quote so eloquently illustrates, very often this window is more of a mirror. It can reflect back to us what’s inside of us, so much so that it’s often impossible to tell if we’re looking into a mirror or a window.
If you find that suddenly the world (and the majority of its people) begin to look overwhelmingly negative, I don’t have to tell you the first place you need to look – but it begins with an in and ends with a ward.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. – Martin Luther King Jr.
I guess it’s because we recently celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on top of the fact that today’s Muhammad Ali’s birthday, but I’ve been thinking a lot about bravery, boldness, and guts. By contrast, I’ve been thinking about cowardliness and meekness. The two aforementioned me epitomized bravery and redefined boldness.
Whether every single person agreed with them or not wasn’t the issue – everyone knew where they stood. Everyone knew what they stood for, they didn’t have to guess or read between the lines.
I’d rather an individual have ZERO beliefs than to have beliefs and keep them under wraps for fear of what others will say or think. People like this are cowards and are a disgrace to the causes or beliefs they supposedly hold.
Take Tim Tebow, for example. Whether people agree with him or not, everyone knows Who he believes in and Who he has dedicated his life to.
Personally, I think it takes a borderline nitwit to have a problem with that. Seriously? With all the disgusting sport’s stories we read about, people are going to say negative things about a young man who’s a devout Christian? One who spends so much time with sick kids? One who does nothing AT ALL to bring disgrace to his team, his sport, or his family?
I once heard that, very often, the people we choose to hate has more to do with US than THEM. Whew, I’m glad I don’t hate Tim Tebow, I wouldn’t want to know what that said about me.
This post may be a little all over the place (not even halfway into it, I”ve gone from a civil rights leader to a boxing legend, to a quarterback), and I apologize for that.
Basically, what I’m trying to say is this: We have a lot of ills in our society that need to be taken care of. From Alzheimer’s Disease to child abuse, there are countless diseases and social issues that, to borrow from the Marines, need a few good men. Naturally, in this instance, I mean men and women.
If everyone keeps pussyfooting around, scared to death of stepping on anyone’s toes – nothing’s going to get done. Cowards accomplish nothing.
Don’t be a coward, for crying out loud. Don’t refer to God as “a higher power” or “the universe.” Here’s the thing with people who do that:
Wouldn’t they be better off just using the old fallback Karma?
A nation or civilization that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual death on an installment plan. - Martin Luther King Jr.
Yes, as a matter of fact, I am being a little nasty. But when you’ve been reading (like I have) a lot about Martin Luther King, Jr. you lose zero tolerance for fence sitters. At a time when there was so much bigotry, prejudice, and racial tension in our country, this black man didn’t sit on his hands, hoping someone else would take care of the problem. He didn’t think, “Uh Oh, if I say something, what will people think?” He stood up. He spoke out. He rocked the world. The hatred that killed him didn’t have the last word. What would his haters have thought if someone had told them that one day this man would have his own holiday?! That little boys and girls would learn about him alongside other heroes and heroines in history class?
I’ve never kept my own beliefs a secret from anyone – but I’d be willing to fight for anyone else to have the freedom to express their beliefs, whether or not they line up with mine.
The majority of this post has dealt with religion and Spiritual beliefs, but boldness actually entails other areas as well. Boldness is being able to stand up and do the right thing, in the right way. It’s believing in yourself, enough to know that what you feel is important. What you say matters because you matter. Throw timidity and cowardice aside and boldly be who you are and say what you feel. Make this the year you come out of your shell and crush the shell fragments under your feet. Grind them into the ground!
If everyone boldly stood up for their beliefs, then the one’s who actually DO wouldn’t be so rare. They wouldn’t be like beacons of light in darkness, they’d just be beautiful lights in a sea of other beautiful lights.
In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. – Martin Luther King Jr. (more Martin Luther King Jr Quotes)
Photo Credit: The image is Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Speaking at Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom. It’s available as an art print on Allposters.com
It ain’t what they call you, it’s what you answer to.
The inspirational story by Walt Disney reminded me of a great poster I saw once. I searched for the miniature super hero and – ta da! – found him. Sometimes we have people in our lives who tell us we can’t do something or, worse, they’ll make fun of us for something we ARE doing. Fortunately, I’ve ran into that only a few times in my life. Being an only child usually involves people telling you that you surpass all of the wonders of the world and that you could move mountains if you so desired.
Oh, and that you’re just the cutest thing….
However, like everyone, I’ve had opportunities to doubt myself – usually because of what someone has said. The first time I encountered this sort of thing, I was floored. I nearly gave up everything I was attempting to do at the time. Fortunately, after I cooled down, I realized that (like the little boy above) what I know I can do is what counts…. not what doubters think I can’t do.
Believe in yourself enough for you and 10 other people. Sometimes we’re all we have! The next time someone tells you that you can’t do something or infers that you’re a fool to even try, remind yourself that it ain’t what they call you, it’s what you answer to.
Then look them in the eye and tell them, “You know, you’re not just wrong. You’re damn wrong. I can do anything I put my mind to. Grab a seat and watch.”
Confidence? Yeah, it’s like that.
Sometimes I wonder if “common sense” isn’t another way of saying “fear.” And “fear” too often spells failure. – Walt Disney
In the lexicon of youth… there is no such word as fail! – Edward Bulwer-Lytton
I wonder how many times these sturdy old words have been used in graduation speeches each year. Tehy take me back to my own high-school days, when I had my first pair of white flannel trousers and the world ahead held no heartbreak or fear.
Certainly we have all had this confidence at one time in our lives, though most of us lose it as we grow older. Perhaps, because of my work, I’ve been lucky enough to retain a shred of this youthful quality. But sometimes, as I look back on how tough things were, I wonder if I’d go through it again. I hope I would.
When I was about twenty-one, I went broke for the first time. I slept on chair cushions in my “studio” in Kansas City and ate cold beans out of a can. But I took another look at my dream and set out for Hollywood.
Foolish? Not to a youngster. An older person might have had too much “common sense” to do it. Sometimes I wonder if “common sense” isn’t another way of saying “fear.” And “fear” too often spells failure.
In the lexicon of youth there is no such word as “fail.” Remember the story about the boy who wanted to march in the circus parade? When the show came to town, the bandmaster needed a trombonist, so the boy signed up. He hadn’t marched a block before the fearful noises from his horn caused two old ladies to faint and a horse to run away. The bandmaster demanded, “Why didn’t you tell me you couldn’t play the trombone?” And the boy said, “How did I know? I never tried before!”
Many years ago, I might have done just what that boy did. Now I”m a grandfather and have a good many gray hairs and what a lot of people would call common sense. But if I’m not longer young in age, I hope I stay young enough in spirit never to fear failure – young enough still to take a chance and march in the parade. – Walt Disney
Do you know what over 45,000,000 people search for on GOOGLE monthly? Four words: How to be happy. 45,000,000 people. And that’s just on the main search engine. As amazing as the number is, something struck me (after I picked my jaw off the ground): This number could potentially be tripled if you take into consideration that happiness seekers might word the phrase differently. Some may search for ways to be happy or how to be happier. Others may take a different approach and look for ways to snap out of a bad mood or how to overcome the blues.
As part of my web publishing business, I spend at least one day each month researching what people are researching. It feels as though I”m looking over the shoulders of scads of people as they sit down at their computer and search for answers, solutions, tips, and…. ultimately, happiness. In addition to contact forms, e-mail, and comments, this gives me a better idea of what people are actually looking for and what they’re actually interested in reading about.
Good stuff for a writer to know, right?
Given its importance, I’m infusing a lot more articles about happiness into the website. I’ve created a whole new blog category called How to Be Happy. A goal is to have over 100 articles, posts, inspirational stories, and happiness quotes under this category by the end of the year.
Why are so many people searching for the secret to happiness?
I can sum up the answer to that question with four phrases:
Starting with number 4 (because I’m in a backwards mood today), Google – and the internet, in general – has made it so blissfully easy to find what we need, when we need it. The information is amazing when you think about it! If we have something on our mind, BAM, we’re just a couple of clicks from advice, tips, suggestions, and much needed inspiration and motivation. So, Baby Boomers and their children head right for the most popular website destination of them all: Google! The trusty little box awaits their deepest concerns and in mere seconds, there are lists of answers waiting for them.
The economy, is blamed for just about every ill in the world right now. The problem is, people have had a deep-down yearning for happiness long before the recent economic roller coaster. It’s an inborn desire. We all want to be happy – happy feels good! Before I come across as the PR agent for the economy, let me admit that it adds to people’s list of woes. We aren’t able to buy anything and everything we want (again, at the risk of sounding like a PR department, I”m not sure I’ve ever been able to do that). Tragically, many people ARE struggling. I read about people losing their jobs as well as their homes. It’s heartbreaking and it’s also easy to see why a lot of families are having trouble staying together. I guess it’s tough to stay together when you’re struggling just to keep it together.
Life’s tough. Amen and amen. How often do things happen to us and one of the first things we think of is, “I thought this only happened to other people.” When I got a call that my sister-in-law had been killed in an accident, it was as though life froze for a minute as my brain tried to process it. Is this really happening? This is like something you read about in the newspaper. When the story in the newspaper (there was one, of course) hits close to home, it’s almost surreal. This woman had fought cancer and survived and she loses her life in an accident?
Loved ones die, they get sick, they do things we wish they wouldn’t and sometimes it seems they’ve completely lost their minds. We often have to watch as bills pile up as money refuses to keep up (talk about an epic fail in supply and demand). Many people had to watch, with tear-filled eyes, as people they loved headed off to fight in a war they hated. Throw in perennial hot topics such as loneliness, coping with an empty nest, self image problems, rocky relationships, and struggles with bad habits and addictions and is it any wonder 45,000,000 people are searching for answers?
As I said earlier, my goal is to have over 100 articles, posts, inspirational stories, and happiness quotes under the new How to Be Happy category by the end of the year. As one egg said to the other, I’d better get cracking. (Sorry, I hadn’t met my corny joke quotient for the week. I have now. Much love.)
See the too-cool-for-school tabbed box in the middle of the post above? That would be me playing with an AWESOME new plugin we bought, Shortcode Kid. I’m completely in love with this mind-boggling plugin. So many possibilities! If you have a WordPress blog, click through to check it out for yourself.
I recently read, then wrote a review for, a great book called Make the Bread, Buy the Butter: What You Should and Shouldn’t Cook from Scratch — Over 120 Recipes for the Best Homemade Foods . Click the link for my review of this fun and informative book – the post includes a recipe from the book for Homemade Baked Beans! OR, click the book and read more on Amazon.
When Jennifer Reese lost her job, she was overcome by an impulse common among the recently unemployed: to economize by doing for herself what she had previously paid for. She had never before considered making her own peanut butter and pita bread, let alone curing her own prosciutto or raising turkeys. And though it sounded logical that “doing it yourself” would cost less, she had her doubts. So Reese began a series of kitchen-related experiments, taking into account the competing demands of everyday contemporary American family life as she answers some timely questions: When is homemade better? Cheaper? Are backyard eggs a more ethical choice than store-bought? Will grinding and stuffing your own sausage ruin your week? Is it possible to make an edible maraschino cherry? Some of Reese’s discoveries will surprise you: Although you should make your hot dog buns, guacamole, and yogurt, you should probably buy your hamburger buns, potato chips, and rice pudding. Tired? Buy your mayonnaise. Inspired? Make it.With its fresh voice and delightful humor, Make the Bread, Buy the Butter gives 120 recipes with eminently practical yet deliciously fun “Make or buy” recommendations. Reese is relentlessly entertaining as she relates her food and animal husbandry adventures, which amuse and perplex as well as nourish and sustain her family. Her tales include living with a backyard full of cheerful chickens, muttering ducks, and adorable baby goats; countertops laden with lacto-fermenting pickles; and closets full of mellowing cheeses. Here’s the full picture of what is involved in a truly homemade life—with the good news that you shouldn’t try to make everything yourself—and how to get the most out of your time in the kitchen.
Wear sunglasses (fashionably, like my daughter Stephany!) to protect your eyes – even in the winter.
It’s not even 10:00 am yet and my eyes have already given me a full day’s worth of enjoyment. I’ve seen my daughter Brittany, my husband, our cats, coffee, a piece of Dove Chocolate candy, blue jays, woodpeckers, more coffee, sparrows, cardinals, e-mail messages, tweets, more coffee… Stop for a second and think about all of the beautiful things your eyes have seen – just in the past 12 hours even! It may sound like the front of a Hallmark card, but our eyes really are our windows to the world.
The problem is, as we age, these windows can potentially become impaired. Fortunately, there are plenty of things we can do to keep that from happening – allowing us the beautiful, unobstructed view we have today for years and years and years to come.
Below are tips for eye health, including foods that are excellent for your eyes. Shouldn’t we be as mindful of our eyes as we are our waists and minds? Absolutely!
Whenever I do research for a particular disease or situation, I’m always amazed at how many foods, drinks, and activities overlap. We’d be wise to simply EAT WHAT WE KNOW WE SHOULD EAT, DRINK MORE WATER THAN WE’RE DRINKING, MOVE MORE, GET PLENTY OF REST, and USE COMMON SENSE WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY. I’m in. You?
Anger, tears, and sadness are only for those who have given up. – Katie Gill
The last time I was feeling, as my mom used to say, down in the dumps, I threw myself across my bed and started reading through one of my quote collections. I have millions of trusty quotes pretty much within reach at all times. Notebooks, computer, ipod, books, memory…
One of the first quotes I came to was the one above. It was an immediate, and most welcome, kick in the backside.
I honestly cannot even remember what led me to drape across my bed that day (couldn’t have been too bad) but I do remember how I felt after reading the quote. The old fighting spirit kicked in and the same body that flung itself down sprang back up again, ready for action. It was just the motivation and inspiration I needed at that time. In fact, I’ve saved it on my memory’s hard drive for the next time I need a little jolt.
One of the things I pride myself on the most is the fact that I am not a quitter. I’ve been blessed with a life that has, quite often actually, felt closer to a roller coaster than a Merry-go-round. If anyone questions my choice of the word blessed, I’d simply ask them which ride they’d rather ride at the state fair! Life’s ups, downs, and unexpected dives are the places we learn to fight. These are the times we learn if we are quitters or if the very word quit repulses us.
I’m horrified by the concept of “giving up,” so this quote holds a lot of magic for me – that and a swift little kick.
Are you feeling a little down in the dumps or disappointed about something? If so, read the words again and see if they have the same effect on your backside. Anger, tears, and sadness are only for those who have given up.
Cats are onto something: Naps are as healthy as they are enjoyable.
A recent article on WebMd dealt with things that can help us live longer lives. Some of the tips were kind of expected. After all we all know that eating right, not smoking, and making healthy choices are important to longevity. However, I got a kick out of a unexpected healthy habit that made the list: Taking Daily Naps. A recent study with 24,000 participants suggests that regular nappers are 37% less likely to die from heart disease than occasional nappers.
Not only are naps a perfect, delicious way to catch up on sleep, experts believe they keep stress hormones down, which is a great benefit to your heart’s health – to say nothing of your disposition!
The next time you want to catch a few zzzz’s, just tell everyone you’re only doing it for your heart. 
