How To Be Happy

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that, we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire. The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when?

Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D. Souza. He said, "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin—real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life".

This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time...and remember that time waits for no one.

So...stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until you die, or until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy.

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

Stages of Friendship

In kindergarten your idea of a good friend was the person who let you have the red crayon when all that was left was the ugly black one.

In first grade your idea of a good friend was the person who went to the bathroom with you and held your hand as you walked through the scary halls.

In second grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you stand up to the class bully.

In third grade your idea of a good friend was the person who shared their lunch with you when you forgot yours on the bus.

In fourth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who was willing to switch square dancing partners in gym so you wouldn't have to be stuck do-si-do-ing with the dork of the class.

In fifth grade your idea of a friend was the person who saved a seat on the back of the bus for you.

In sixth grade your idea of a friend was the person who went up to your new crush, and asked them to dance with you, so that if they said no you wouldn't have to be embarrassed.

In seventh grade your idea of a friend was the person who let you copy the social studies homework from the night before that you had forgotten about.

In eighth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you pack up your stuffed animals and old baseball cards so that your room would be a "high schooler's" room, but didn't laugh at you when you finished and broke out into tears.

In ninth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who went with you to that "cool" party thrown by a senior so you wouldn't wind up being the only freshman there.

In tenth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who changed their schedule so you would have someone to sit with at lunch.

In eleventh grade your idea of a good friend was the person who
gave you rides in their new car,
convinced your parents that you shouldn't be grounded,
consoled you when you broke up with your significant other
and found you a date to the prom.

In twelfth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who
helped you pick out a college,
assured you that you would get into that college,
helped you deal with your parents who were having a hard time adjusting to the idea of letting you go.

At graduation your idea of a good friend was the person who was crying on the inside but managed the biggest smile one could give as they congratulated you.

The summer after twelfth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who
Helped you clean up from that party.
Helped you sneak out of the house when you just couldn't deal with your parents.
Assured you that now that your significant other were back together, you could make it through anything.
Helped you pack up for college and just silently hugged you as you looked through blurry eyes at 18 years of memories you were leaving behind.
And finally on those last days of childhood, went out of their way to come over and send you off with a hug, a lot of memories and reassurance that you would make it in college as well as you had these past 18 years.
But most importantly sent you off to college knowing you were loved.

Now, your idea of a good friend is still the person who
Gives you the better of the two choices.
Holds your hand when you're scared.
Helps you fight off those who try to take advantage of you.
Thinks of you at times when you are not there.
Reminds you of what you have forgotten.
Helps you put the past behind you but understands when you need to hold on to it a little longer.
Stays with you so that you have confidence.
Goes out of their way to make time for you.
Helps you clear up your mistakes.
Helps you deal with pressure from others.
Smiles for you when they are sad.
Helps you become a better person.
However most importantly loves you!

The Treasure of Time

Imagine there is a bank which credits your account each morning with $86,400.

It carries over no balance from day to day, allows you to keep no such balance, and every evening cancels whatever part of the amount you had failed to use during the day.

What would you do?

Draw out every cent, of course! Well, everyone has such a bank.

Its name is TIME.

Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds.


Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose.


It carries over no balance.


It allows no overdraft.


Each day it opens a new account for you.


Each night it burns the remains of the day.


If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours.


There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow."


You must live in the present on today's deposits.


Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success.


The clock is running. Make the most of Today.


To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who has failed a grade.


To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who has given birth to a pre-mature baby.


To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.


To realize the value of ONE DAY, ask a daily wage laborer who has kids to feed.


To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.


To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who has missed the train.


To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who has avoided an accident.


To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics.




Treasure every moment that you have!
And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special,
special enough to spend your time ...
remember that Time waits for No One .....




Yesterday is History ...

Tomorrow a Mystery ...

Today is a Gift.

That is why it is called the Present

DEFINING FRIENDSHIP

And after all had been created and was neatly arranged,
He looked down upon the people of the earth and said;
"I cannot be there to comfort them in their sorrow,
I can't be there to wrap my arms around them.

I am here and yes, they will feel my presence but they'll need something more."
He paused for a moment and then said:
"I will create for them someone they can see and touch,
I will make this person understanding and compassionate, thoughtful and caring.

She won't need to be overly intelligent, just sensitive to others needs.
She will have a warm heart and gentle hands and all the time in the world, or so it will seem to those she comforts.
Time will mean very little to her it will never be too late nor too early.
She will be a very blessed individual and many will love her and come to her door often.

She will have to be something very special to take my place because I love my children very much.
I want them to have only the best for they will have many trials and will need a strong shoulder."
And so he created this individual after much thought and time.
Then he said, "I must give her a name," he paused for a moment more and then said:

"One of my greatest creations, I shall call her a Friend."

SIZE OF YOUR HEART

It isn't the size of your house as such

That matters so much at all. 

It's the gentle hand and its loving touch, 

That make it great or small. 

The friends who come and the hour they 

Who out of your house depart, 

Will judge it not by the style you show, 

But rather by the size of your heart. 

It isn't the size of your head so much, 

It isn't the wealth you found. 

That will make you happy -- it's how you touch 

The lives that are all around. 

For making money is not hard -- 

To live life well is an art: 

How people love you, how they regard, 

Is all in the size of your heart.