For Your Present and Future Reference.

Wow, It's fall already! 

It is my best time of the year, the weather is just perfect- not too hot, not too cold. 

For me, fall is the time for reflection about the year that is about to end and the new year that is just weeks away.

That is why I am sharing these nuggets with you now. They might seem to be for parents only, because of the few references to children, however, I think they are applicable and beneficial to all and sundry. Enjoy!

• Spend the money that should be spent, enjoy what should be enjoyed, donate what you are able to donate, but don't leave all of your hard earned wealth to your children or grandchildren, for you don't want them to become parasites who are waiting for the day you will die.

• DON'T WORRY about what will happen after you are gone, because when you return to dust, you will feel nothing about, social praises, acceptances  or criticisms. The time to enjoy the worldly life and your hard earned wealth will be over and soon like all other famous and non-famous beings, NOBODY will be bothered about you!

• DON'T WORRY too much about your children, for children will have their own destiny and should find their own way. Don't be your children's slave. Care for them, love them, give them gifts but also enjoy your money while you can. Life should have more to it than working from the cradle to the grave!!

• DON'T EXPECT too much from your children. Ask yourself how much you care about your own parents... Caring children, though caring, would be busy with their jobs and commitments to render only * additional* help.

• Uncaring children may fight over your assets even when you are still alive, and wish for your early demise so they can inherit your properties and wealth.

• Your children take for granted that they are rightful heirs to your wealth; but that you have ABSOLUTELY NO claims to their money.

• When to stop making money, and how much MONEY IS enough?...A hundred,  thousand, One million, ten million, one billion... ? Out  of thousands of hectares of good farm land, you can consume only 1/4 kg of rice daily; Out of 10  mansions, you only need 8 square meters of  space to rest at night. 

• So, as long as you have enough food and enough money to spend, that is good enough. You should live happily. Every family has its own problems.-don't trade in - your health for wealth, by working yourself to an early grave anymore. Because your money may not be able to buy your health. 

• Just DO NOT COMPETE with others for fame and social status and see whose children are doing better etc., but challenge others for happiness, health, enjoyment, quality of  life and longevity. 

• You have to create your own well-being and find your own place of happiness.As long  as you are in good mood and good health, think about happy things, do happy things daily and have fun in doing these things...  then you will pass your time happily every day.

• IF One day passes WITHOUT happiness, you will lose one day.IF One day passes WITH happiness, then you WILL gain an additional day. DON'T WORRY about things that you can't change... age, height, weight, color.....  because it doesn't help and it will additional  spoil your health to an early GRAVE. 

• In good spirit, sickness will be cured;In a happy spirit, sickness will be cured faster; in high and happy spirits, sickness will never come to you

• With good mood and  suitable amount of exercise, always out in the sun, eating a variety of foods, reasonable amounts of vitamins and minerals intake, hopefully you will live another additional 20 to 30 years of a  healthy life of fun and pleasure.

             *Author Unknown*

  *ABOVE ALL*

Learn to cherish the goodness around you.. and  the good FRIENDS you have...... They all make you feel young and "wanted"... without them you will surely feel lost!

Wishing you all the best for the years to come.

  

Reach Out And Touch!

We are all in pursuit of something. We all get caught up in our own struggles and every day routines. Unfortunately, we can become so self-absorbed that we get disconnected from people around us.

In today's world where self- dependence and competition have become our mantra, and where digital and electronic distractions abound and compete for our attention, we need to be reminded more often about the importance of community, family and friendship: of being supportive of each other, helping one another and of being present in the moment when with others.

 

An African proverb says:"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together".

*Years ago, anthropologist Margaret Mead was asked by a student what she considered to be the first sign of civilization in a culture. The student expected Mead to talk about fishhooks or clay pots or grinding stones. But no. Mead said that the first sign of civilization in an ancient culture was a femur (thigh bone) that had been broken and then healed.

Mead explained that in the animal kingdom, if you break your leg, you die. You cannot run from anger, get to the river for a drink or hunt for food. You are meat for prowling beasts. No animal survives a broken leg long enough for the bone to heal.

A broken femur that has healed is evidence that someone has taken the time to stay with the one who 
fell, has bound up the wound, has carried the person to safety and has tended the person through recovery. Helping someone else through difficulty is where 
civilization starts, Mead said.

..So, then the question that come to mind is: Is civilization more evident in today's world?

♫Reach out and touch somebody's hand, make this world a better place ♪....- Diana Ross

*Culled from a devotional.

Summer Musing....

Hello Beautiful People,
Summer is upon us officially.....schools are out, flowers are blooming, the grass is growing, and its family/vacation time! It's difficult to believe that it is the middle of the year already!

Along with the literal change in the seasons, we are in a season of change in many other arenas, globally and locally, especially within the United States. 
We are witnessing unprecedented changes in many areas, including the legalization of same-sex marriage in many countries, increasing attention to gender/race-identity questions, global conflict in many areas, as exemplified by the rise of the Islamic State. 
This year alone has seen the Affordable Healthcare Act ratified. We have seen on camera a law enforcement officer charged with protecting the lives of the citizenry, abuse his power and commit murder. We have seen tragedies and natural disasters resulting in an unimaginable toll in human suffering ( famine in some parts of Africa, earthquake in Nepal), race-based hate-crimes in South Carolina and North Carolina, and economic catastrophes in Greece. 

It is difficult if not impossible to foresee how all these changes will pan out, not to mention planning for the impact it will have on the economy, family unit, workplace, faith, and society.

One can surmise that these events will ultimately and definitely require a shift in our thinking and perspectives about how things should work, about relationships, about child rearing, money, life, etc. The question remains:
 How does one remain a good citizen  while maintaining calmness in the face of all these tsunami of change?

My personal resolve is to do the following:

• Pursuing lasting legacies instead of distractions/irrelevancies.
• Adding value rather than engaging in empty competition or self aggrandizement.
• Building others rather than destroying.
• Working and striving for peace.

As the Chinese proverb says - "May we live in interesting times".......

Simplify Your Life.

I have been musing the last couple of weeks about what really matter in life,….about what will really stand the test of time.I am sure it is not money neither is it academic achievements. I think when we  begin to prioritize the things that are important like- (family,faith,love,kindness,good health)-while we are pursuing or being pursued by whatever it is that is keeping us busy, we will begin to know true satisfaction.
Below is something I read recently that I’d like to share:


History touts Solomon, son of David and king of Israel during the tenth century BC, as the wisest man in the world at that time, and he was certainly one of the richest. If anyone could speak to the experience of having everything his heart desired, it was this guy. 
With limitless wealth at his disposal, Solomon pursued satisfaction with breathless abandon. He recorded his findings in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes—twelve chapters of bare-fisted, intellectual street fighting about what matters in this world and what does not. He records what will satisfy us and what will leave us feeling as if all we did with our lives was chase the wind.
Solomon’s kingdom ended at his death, when the nation of Israel was split in two—the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. 
We have seen seemingly indestructible empires collapse in our day as well. Who would have thought that companies like Oldsmobile, Blockbuster, and Lehman Brothers—multibillion-dollar companies—would just crumble and disappear?

Be careful where you pin your hopes and dreams. It’s not simply the risk that those things might not satisfy—that’s scary enough. It’s the risk that they might actually evaporate. Even if you succeed at building something great with your life . . . when you retire or die, then what? It could all turn to dust in a heartbeat. All your time and effort could end up blowing in the wind.

Don’t get to the end of your days and realize you spent your one and only life on distractions. Don’t arrive at the end of your life still saying (in the words of the U2 song), “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.”

Culled from the devotional “Simplify"

…..Enjoy The Ride….☀☀

I read the article below in a devotional and I thought I’d share. I am one of those people that usually , "rush to the next moment”,wants to know what is “over the horizon”,need to have things planned out way ahead(Don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with planning and aspiring)…But I have learnt and still learning to enjoy each Moment(Good or Bad), each Friendship, each Relationship, each Position, each Neighborhood, each Opportunity and Disappointment ..etc….Life, as they say, is a journey…..

JOY IN THE JOURNEY

Famous UCLA basketball coach John Wooden led one of the greatest dynasties in sports history, winning 10 NCAA Championships in 12 years. Toward the end of his life, he was asked what one day from his storied career he would choose to re-live if given the chance. His answer may surprise you.
Given his professional achievements, you’d think Coach Wooden would be eager to re-live one of his national championships, his selection into the Hall of Fame, or one of his teams’ greatest come-from-behind victories. Instead, he suggested he would conduct one more day of practice in the gym. Why? Because, he said, “each day of practice was, by far, the most fulfilling, exciting, and memorable thing I did as a coach. That’s where I taught those under my supervision how to achieve success as members of a team.”

Coach Wooden saw something we often miss. While it’s easy to believe that our deepest joy comes from the mountaintop experiences of our lives, it’s finding meaning and purpose in our day-to-day activities that brings true satisfaction. 

Culled from JimDalyBlog.com.

♬..”All we need is ♥♥…. ♬

Once upon a time…..

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them.

She said, “I don’t think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat.”

“Is the man of the house home?”, they asked.

“No”, she said. “He’s out.”

“Then we cannot come in”, they replied. In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.

“Go tell them I am home and invite them in!” The woman went out and invited the men in. “We do not go into a House together,” they replied.

“Why is that?” she wanted to know. One of the old men explained: “His name is Wealth,” he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, “He is Success, and I am Love.” Then he added, “Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home.”

The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. “How nice!!”, he said. “Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!”

His wife disagreed. “My dear, why don’t we invite Success?”

His wife disagreed. “My dear, why don’t we invite Success?”

Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: “Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!”

“Let us heed our daughter-in-law’s advice,” said the husband to his wife. “Go out and invite Love to be our guest.”

The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, “Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest.” Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: “I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?”

The old men replied together: “If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would’ve stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. 

Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!