How’s this for a feel good story to start the day with!
In late 2008, a couple from South Africa crossed the Atlantic aboard the beautiful Queen Mary 2 and alongside the Queen Elizabeth 2, during the latter’s final voyage across the pond. While taking pictures of the QE2’s historic crossing, their camera slipped and disappeared into the deep blue sea.
In January of this year, fifteen months after the camera was lost, a fisherman trawling the ocean floor found the camera in his fishing net. The camera was inoperable but the memory card and photos were intact.
The fisherman viewed the photos, which included a picture of a woman standing on the deck of a ship with the QE2 at sea in the background. The fisherman contacted the BBC, where a correspondent determined that the passengers had been aboard the QM2.
Cunard was notified and the company was able to identify and locate the couple and reunite them with their photos, plucked from the bottom of the sea. Vacations to Go
Many years ago, I lost a camera in a taxi in Guangzhou. I still hope that somehow the pictures will get back to me, because they are irreplaceable. This was before I had a digital camera. It’s possible! If a camera, pictures intact, can be plucked from the sea, then anything is possible!
Sometimes you hear that still, small voice, but you don’t realize it. The day I lost the camera, when I removed everything from the taxi, the thought came to me to double check, but I didn’t follow through. I thought I had all my bags. That was a hard lesson, but one I hope not to repeat. I had my bags, but the camera had slipped out. The memories of that precious day are engraved in my heart, even if I don’t have the photos.
Have you ever had a lost item found in an unusual way or after an unusual amount of time?
Sometimes I think the best way is not to look for the item past a certain point, but wait for it to surface. I’ve found things in places I would never think to look. And I’ve also been able to replace an item several years later, after I wasn’t actively looking for it or a replacement. So where is the latest item that has gone missing! Perhaps in the same place that individual socks go.
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This came across my computer from Insight of the Day today:
I believe people should study a little bit every day. It should become habitual, like brushing your teeth, combing your hair, having a shower or getting dressed. Study the mind, the laws of the universe and paradigms. There’s enough information on those subjects to keep a person studying forever. Bob Proctor
Because I like to learn about new things, I don’t think of it as a habit. I laugh and say once I’ve learned one new thing each day, I can go to sleep.
Recently I read the book Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment. He teaches a very popular class in this. One of his interesting points is to make anything you like, that makes you happy, a habit, schedule it in. Evidently making something a habit means it actually gets into your life on a regular basis. And it takes upwards of a month to make something new a habit.
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Recently I had the privilege to hear renowned pianist Brooks Aehron. If you ever get a chance to see him, you will have a good time, whether you like piano music particularly or not. He is quite a showman. He makes music fun!
One thing he asked the audience at one of his three concerts was: what is a pianist’s greatest fear? His answer was not forgetting the music, but the loss of a hand. Then he played an entire piece using just his left hand. You can imagine how difficult that is, especially if you are right handed.
This story of Hee Ah Lee takes it even farther. Born with serious birth defects, she has mastered piano with the use of only 4 fingers, some of which do not function as normal fingers. It makes many difficulties most of us might face seem very small in comparison.
It moved me to tears. I was also moved that her mother resisted family pressure to abandon her to adoption to Canada or the West. To her mother, Hee Ah Lee has always been beautiful and perfect.
She has given more than 200 concerts and loves to perform. If you watch the second video to the very end, you can see that she knows how to interact with the audience.
Here’s a short piece played by her:
And a longer story:
You can find other videos featuring her also.
The lesson here, to me, is find a way. If something seems impossible, yet our talents are leading us to do it, find a way.
There is a unique way for each of us to accomplish most anything, if we truly desire it, work toward it, and have our own vision that we keep in sight. It also helps to surround ourselves with others who will help forward our vision or even lead us to it. Eliminate naysayers! Work towards the end we are trying to achieve.
The world needs our music, whether we are playing music or living the music of our lives. Each of us is needed.
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If kvetching is second nature to you, I heard today of rubber bracelets to be worn to help you stop complaining. I guess even Oprah talked about it on her show. I’m behind in finding out about things.
It is worn on one wrist, until you complain, then you move it to the other wrist and begin to count again. The hope is to get to 21 days without changing wrists. Thankfully, it doesn’t register complaints in your mind, only spoken complaints.
And I don’t think it counts for legitimate complaints (though we should be honest with ourselves which are and which aren’t, LOL)
It’s spreading around the world. So far, more than 3.5 million have been ordered, going to 78 countries. If you want to read a story about it, go here; or to order bracelets and read more about it, go here.
See my later post on this here. I added pictures from this post below:
My bracelet
I thought about making a bracelet with the words No complaint, but for me, I wanted a positive reminder of what I hope to bring.
I was playing around with alphabet beads to see what letters I had to work with. It isn’t necessary to put much money into making a bracelet like these. I made two bracelets that I alternate wearing. If I find I really enjoy them, I will remake them in silver beads. I added crystals and carved beads to make them more interesting.
Create-Imagine-Appreciate
Bring Joy-Love-Pax
What do you do if you find yourself chronically complaining? What do you want to bring to situations? How do you keep resentments and complaints from sizzling?
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Just when it seems like a bit of good news would be exceedingly welcomed, comes this true story (I’ve checked it with Snopes) about a woman hand feeding hummingbirds.
Isn’t it great that with the Internet we have a way to easily share these experiences that we might never hear about otherwise?!
Thanks to Cathy for sharing with me in the first place!
It’s a reminder to me that “God’s in his heaven; all’s right with the world.”
from “Pippa Passes”
The year’s at the spring
And day’s at the morn;
Morning’s at seven;
The hill-side’s dew-pearled
The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn;
God’s in his Heaven -
All’s right with the world!
Robert Browning (1812-1889)
Is it possible that in these difficult times we could trust more deeply that God will feed and clothe us, as he does the birds and the lilies? Whether we are literally in need of food, shelter, clothing, water, health, employment or any of a myriad of other needs, the most basic need is for the ideas that will lead us in the right direction and out of limitation.
Ideas are always limitless! (This goes along with the short movie I posted earlier.)
Not too long ago while pondering how I should schedule my day, though my first inclination the night before had been to get on down the road and back home, I felt it was all right to meander a bit. In doing so, I had a number of interesting conversations with strangers, some welcome time with a friend, and a bit of fashion enjoyment, including some time with perfumes.
After I’d been back on the highway for a while, an electronic sign informed me of an accident 26 miles down the road. One lane was closed. (I learned later that it had only cleared about an hour before I got there.) If I had hurried my way home, I would have been stuck for hours while they cleared the road. I was able to get past it without any lost time.
Sometimes we do not know what we or others are protected from, but this time it was apparent. And it could have been far worse, but thankfully wasn’t. On this busy stretch of road, many more could have been involved in this accident but were not.
That’s just a small example of how ideas will clear our day for us. Expect ideas today and always that will help you!
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Sometimes I think the harder we look for happiness, the more elusive it can be. It’s like searching for Mr. Goodbar. But if we just sit quietly, appreciating and in the moment, it sneaks up on us.
That’s not to say that we don’t have to work at it or take charge of our own happiness. Like Cathy writes below in the comments section, I often say that I fight for my happiness!
I’ve learned through the years that I need to bring happiness into my moments, if I expect to experience it. I remind myself to do those small things for myself that secure my happiness, to be good to myself, to take time to enjoy the moments that run through our fingers.
I’ve talked with a number of folks over the years and in recent weeks whose concerns are ratcheting up. They are looking to establish (more) joy in their lives in the face of negative reports and a general malaise. Concerns about the world; their finances; life in general; their health, their work, their marriage; retirement funds — anything you can think of — are stealing their peace and occupying their thoughts.
Over the years I’ve looked into happiness, read a number of books, worked on it for myself, and tried to discern what, exactly, is happiness? I don’t know that it is possible to be happy every moment, but even in the midst of problems, it is possible to be a happy person, or at least to experience joy at some level and in some moments. So happiness isn’t determined by whether a person is happy every single moment, but whether it is an attitude of heart and mind.
An analogy that came to me a number of years ago that I’ve often shared with others is this:
Every incident of goodness; every moment of joy; every good thought or deed; every kind word experienced or given; every beautiful thing we notice; every bit of gratitude we express; every note of music we hear or play; every time we appreciate something around us; every time we give or receive a compliment; every time we take time to take time is like a pearl we are stringing in our lives.
The knots in the string are life’s problems.
When we look at a strand of pearls, yes, we see the knots, but we don’t focus on them. They only serve to make the strand more beautiful. What we see is the complete strand with the individual pearls. The knots hold the pearls securely, as well as set them apart from each other so that we may better see and appreciate the individual pearls.
That seemed like enough, and for years that is what I strove to understand and share.
But this past week, when talking to someone, it occurred to me to think out loud as we were talking: What is the string?
And in an instant I listened to the idea come out of my mouth that I hadn’t yet had:
The string is happiness.
I loved the idea that there is a string of happiness moving through our lives and that we are stringing together moments of love, joy, goodness, peace — the loveliness of life — on it.
May you be blessed by this idea, as much as I was to receive it, and may today and every day be filled with many beautiful and precious blessings.
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Somebody passed this to me today, and I thought it was worthwhile to pass on.
Have you ever had a day when it just started out wrong and got worse? Or maybe it started out OK and went downhill from there. Yes, it’s a truism that we take ourselves with us wherever we go — and maybe we do contribute to the over-all sense of life we are experiencing.
But what if…what if…we could see what others are going through…what if…
Got it?
What if that made our day…what if when we reach out, our day changes and so does theirs.
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Here’s another heartwarming story of a dad and son. I’m so glad they have the videos of Patrick Henry Hughes as a very young child! From an early age he showed musical ability which his father fostered.
Patrick Henry Hughes was born blind but plays in the University of Louisville pep band thanks to the aid of his father.
Patrick says that he feels blindness is not a disability, but being able to see is. He is not hampered, he says, by anyone’s appearance, their clothes or hair style. He’s sees the inner person. There are many videos of him on youtube. I have only shown a few of them here. I was unable to find one of him playing Amazing Grace at the Crystal Cathedral.
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I saw this movie today, and it was surprisingly funny. I hadn’t particularly wanted to go, but I was glad I did.
The entire audience laughed a lot. There were only a few really dumb things, and one character I could have written out, but the main character is so delightful and watchable and innocently kind that she is a pleasure to watch. And she holds many lessons.
There are a couple of questionable things for very young children and some bad language, but not a lot. My girls would love it, at 10 and 12. I think they can handle it.
Shelley (Anna Farris is charming in the part and makes the movie) is living the life of her dreams at the Playboy Mansion. She feels the mansion has given her the home she never had before. (The movie begins with a short montage of her early childhood spent in an orphanage, until she finally found acceptance and a sense of family. This is not dwelt upon, but you might need to be aware of it.)
Hugh Hefner plays himself in several cameos in the movie. It’s good to see his health has improved. I hadn’t realized he was in it.
When Hugh goes off for a time, immediately after Shelley’s 27th birthday party, she is presented with a letter from him giving her 2 hours to leave the premises as she is now ‘too old.’ 27 is now evidently 59 in Bunny years.
How she finds herself the housemother of what likely began as Zeta (Zeta Tau Alpha) but morphed into a close cousin in name, is part of the poignancy and fun. The girls in the house need to pledge 30 girls in order not to lose their charter. How she turns them into a viable sorority is a delight.
There is a typical sorority bitch that has shown up in several movies. (And there is a Bunny bitch too.) In a way this movie is like a female version of Sydney White, but we liked it better. (The theater rated it 3 out of 5.)
It’s easy to imagine Elle Woods living this life. (Colin Hanks plays her love interest.)
She’s definitely a likeable bimbo, and you can’t help but root for her. Many scenes touched my heart.
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Finding a market for an idea — and not taking no for an answer.
I recently read an article about David Rowland and his 40/4 stackable chairs. (40 chairs stack in a 4 foot high space.) Likely you’ve even sat in one.
Never let an idea go, if you think it is inspired. Karin
He told church friends for 8 years that he was working on his chair, and they likely thought he was crazy. But in October 1964, The New York Times put his chair on the front page because it won the Gran Prix award at the Milan Triennale (an international showcase honoring emerging design quality.)
His motive was that he wanted to help provide for his parents in their elder years.
But to get to this point, he networked with others in the field who at times told him, among other things, that there was no market for it.
Ultimately he was led to see how many chairs he could fit in a small space.
My only answer was that the idea came from God…And if it came from God, then I’d better fight for it. David Rowland
He was first offered $20,000 for the rights to the chair — a lot of money even today. He was led to turn it down, instead taking a percentage for each chair. He found that some in the company were working against him. So the contract was canceled. A short time later he ran into the national sales manager for the same company and was led to offer his hand. As they spoke together, because he acted in kindness, not resentment, the man suggested another lead. When he called them, they needed 16,000 of his chairs. That paid for the manufacturing. Millions of the chairs have been sold in 43 years, even in Europe.
He was able to provide for his mother in her retirement. (His dad died before the chair was produced.) In the years since then he has also designed other chairs for mass production.
Not only did he design the chair, but he wouldn’t give up until he found a market for it. Never let an idea go, if you think it is inspired.
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I need a certain amount of quiet time to function well. If I don’t get it, life becomes too hectic, when it is busy already, or I find myself wakeful in the night, the only quiet time. Music can count as quiet time too. I’m finding as I have more of it in my day, it flows better.
I need to be replenished before I have anything to pour out.
I worried a bit with my littles being off this week for Spring Break — and the irony of it not coinciding with College Girl’s Spring Break which was a coupla’ weeks ago.
But we have survived, and more than survived. We’ve had a nice mix of fun and play with work, which is about all you could ask for.
There is work that is work and there is play that is play; there is play that is work and work that is play. And in only one of these lie happiness. Gelett Burgess
I know it’s possible, and sometimes I have done it, to have quiet time in the midst of everything going on around, a little pocket. Multi-tasking par excellence. But on a forever basis, this isn’t really the best thing. It feels too rushed.
At times it seems like the moments I’ve set aside for myself are filled with interruptions. I remember reading about a minister who began his day by praying for his interruptions because, of course, he couldn’t know what the demands on his time would be for a particular day with his congregation. This is true for ourselves in our own work too, but we don’t always realize it. Sometimes I remind myself to do this, but generally it is after a particularly hectic day or hectic few days. Then I regain a balance again. Other times, it’s a matter of teaching my children not to interrupt every 10 seconds, which they are pretty good about now, thankfully.
I laugh and say, if you want your kids to talk to you, just pretend you are on the phone! They come every time, from wherever they are with something very crucial to say.
Cherish your quiet time and make it happen. What do you do to replenish? (I don’t think gym time counts as quiet time, but it does replenish. You can prove me wrong, however.)
Karin
March 28, 2007
Your Most Vital Commitment
Finding Time For You
Within each of us there is a well of energy that must be regularly replenished. When we act as if this well is bottomless, scheduling a long list of activities that fit like puzzle pieces into every minute of every day, it becomes depleted and we feel exhausted, disconnected, and weak. Refilling this well is a matter of finding time to focus on, nurture, and care for ourselves, or “you time.” Most of us are, at different times throughout the day, a spouse, a friend, a relative, an employee, a parent, or a volunteer, which means that down time, however relaxing in nature, is not necessarily “you time.” Though some people will inevitably look upon “you time” as being selfish, it is actually the polar opposite of selfishness. We can only excel where our outer world affairs are concerned when our own spiritual, physical, and intellectual needs are fulfilled.
Recognizing the importance of “you time” is far easier than finding a place for it in an active, multifaceted lifestyle, however…. You may discover that you are energized by creative pursuits, guided meditation, relaxing activities during which your mind can wander, or modes of expression such as writing.
Even if you have achieved a functioning work-life balance, you may still be neglecting the most important part of that equation: you. “You time” prepares you for the next round of daily life, whether you are poised to immerse yourself in a professional project or chores around the home. …it ensures that you are never left without the energy to give of yourself. Daily OM
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The dailiness of life brings many challenges. Often we think there is little we can do, or that anything we might do would likely have little effect. So we end up doing nothing. Or worse, we may fall into an attitude of mad-itude, constantly aggravated over even small events, largely complaining to everyone around us, adding another annoyance to their day. We then become the challenge!
I like this little poem for the truth it offers:
What if the little rain should say,
‘So small a drop as I
Can ne’er refresh a drooping earth,
I’ll tarry in the sky.’ Unknown author.
Each of us has a voice, and it is needed.
I was struck this morning by the power of one voice — then others joining with it.
What happens when a favorite teacher is laid off?
Rather than accepting the news defeatedly, when Christina Gutierrez (better known as Miss G. to her students) was notified in mid-September that she would be laid off due to low seniority, her students at Hamilton High School in Los Angeles rallied.
The last day she worked 500 students organized a sit-in protest. They wanted to voice their disapproval of the decision.
Prior to this 4 students and friends Noemi Rodriguez, Jimmy Biblarz, David Kamins, and Maya Festinger felt there had to be something they could do about it. They teleconferenced twice a week, investigated rules and regs, and thought about the logistics. Using word of mouth (I was surprised it wasn’t texting) they publicized their plans, and the day of the protest they handed out information for all that were protesting.
I won’t be surprised if any of them become lawyers.
They lined the halls the day of Gutierrez’ departure, careful not to block any exits or disrupt traffic flow in the building. When the principal asked them to be quiet, they started to snap. By day’s end, the students had gathered 300 letters of support.
This did not prove to be a solution, however. Rather than letting it end there, the students kept forging on.
Gutierrez took a substitute teaching job at an elementary school. Meanwhile her replacement wished to work at an elementary school. The simple solution was: why not switch the two teachers?
And I ask, since she had a replacement, why was she let go in the first place!
The students prepared to present their solution at a school district board meeting.
We want to create a legitimate student representation. We don’t want to be belligerent or bludgeoning. A lot of what we are about is proposing solutions, rather than listing grievances. Maya Festinger
The result? The board members conceded and allowed Gutierrez to return to Hamilton High.
What do I conclude?
It began with Gutierrez whose voice meant something to the students.
What does it take to have a voice that others rally to support?
I suspect she respects her students and genuinely likes them. I’m sure they feel this.
In a situation such as this, it would appear that those who are powerless (in this case the students) must accept without murmur the decision of the powerful (the school board.) But in this case, the powerless showed their acumen and ultimately that they were not powerless at all.
It’s inspiring! In the midst of seeming hopelessness, we don’t have to cave! Perhaps it is only rarely that we are ever powerless. With a little heart, we can accomplish a lot.
Where can you add your voice today? Don’t be silent! Let your voice be heard.
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Even though we need people around us to encourage us, you need to find a place in your life where you can encourage yourself. Doug Gilcrease, team chaplain for Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If you want a miracle in your life, you have to participate. Be the place where a miracle may occur. Shift your thinking; believe in a bigger way. As Walt Whitman wrote, “From this hour, I ordain myself loosed of limits and imaginary lines.” What limitations have you placed on yourself? What lines have you drawn that can now be erased? Mary Manin Morrissey
The point is that nobody, not even God, can help you if you don’t help yourselves just a little. Open the window and the door so if good fortune shows up, it can get in. Carole
If you need encouragement, it is good to think of finding, i.e. making, a place in your life where you can find ways to encourage yourself. It’s a truism to make the space. Clear out the clutter that is mostly old thinking.
What is it that you need in life? Can you find a way open to it? Insofar as possible, surround yourself with people and ideas that are encouraging.
If you need more quiet time, make an effort to find it. A friend of mine found herself driving around in the car as her only quiet space. She thought that was ridiculous, but it worked. Sometimes I find myself awake in the middle of the night, because I haven’t had quiet moments in the day. Either way God sees I get it.
Find the abundant moments in your own day and live them.
I think it was Kay Kayser who made popular the phrase:
Accentuate the positive. Don’t mess with Mr. In-Between.
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What an idiot! I’m laughing here, because obviously the guy knows what he is doing. My question is why.
It’s not what you think. He isn’t mountain climbing. He’s descending the mountain at umpteen mph on roller blades and wheeled knee and arm pads. Alrighty then!
I suppose you’d call this an extreme sport, and maybe we have others like him to thank for setting aside limitations that the rest of us know would be foolhardy for us.
And maybe it is safer than risking one’s life to actually help someone in danger. But the latter seems like a ‘better’ way to risk life and limb, if there is such a thing. Or maybe, the sheer joy of this makes it completely worthy of doing. Yikes!
I kept thinking of the motorcyclist being overtaken and passed by this guy. Seems like it would be startling to see something out of James Bond hurtle towards and around you. Or one of the drivers coming up the mountain.
Does it endanger anyone else? Do we need to take other people’s fears and attitudes into account?
At any rate, it is exhilarating to watch. I, frankly, would be an idiot to even contemplate it.
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