Friday, September 20, 2013

QUALITY IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT



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This came to me in email shared by my good friend, Mr. Quote Man. To quote.....

 "When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers,  you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back,  even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it.  You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back.  For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through."  (Steve Jobs)

Unquote.

I think that does not speak alone about a job. That also works with the rest of life and living. We are not good just for show. We are good because we are good. It's not that we simply show our good side as in our photogenic side for the camera, but our good has to be rooted down in our core. That's true quality.

Be true to your self. That's all that's being asked of us. Whatever standard or measure or conditions are used on us, let's remember that those things don't matter. You can't let their standards define you. It's their standard or measure, not ours. Because the real challenge is this....  how do you measure up to your own standard of self.

My mom used to say this.... 'Know yourself. And if you see some rough spots, try to smooth them out with learning and more learning. There is always room to grow. But don't let people use their standards on you. It doesn't work that way. Challenge yourself, compete with yourself, benchmark yourself. Always be true to yourself and what you stand for.'

Steve Jobs was right.....  "For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through."

Enjoy your day, with wonderful blessings awaiting you.

Monday, September 16, 2013

A CONVERSATION YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO MISS


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A rainy morning and maybe for the rest of the day. Anyway it's still good. A thought has come to my mind. Do you know that our life is but one continuous conversation with God? Sometimes initiated by you, some other times initiated by Him. But it's not the kind of conversation we so often know or have been used to. Rather it is one which comes in a diversity of form, or ways, or manner, or perhaps a small tiny voice from within.  He preferably uses the heart as His most preferred means to communicate. Unfortunately that ability or skill is the least of our talents.

It's just that we seem to respond slow, almost always distracted, unbelieving at times, self-centered more often than not.

A conversation with God goes something like this..... ordinarily.....

God:    Good morning, child. Brought out the sun today. See the beautiful sunrise?
Man:    Uhuh..... hope it doesn't rain today.
God:    Sent a taxi over to you so that you won't be late for work this morning.
Man:    Yup... gotta rush....
God:    Child, had to inconvenience you with heavy traffic so that you would miss the vehicle accident down your usual route. It would have hit you smack hard.
Man:   Darn this traffic! I'm sooooo late!!

Now let's try that a different way.....

God:    Good morning, child. Brought out the sun today. See the beautiful sunrise?
Man:    Gosh, what a lovely sunrise! Thank you, Lord.
God:    Sent a taxi over to you so that you won't be late for work this morning.
Man:    Thank you, Father;  I needed this. Thanks!
God:    Child, had to inconvenience you with heavy traffic so that you would miss the vehicle accident down your usual route. It would have hit you hard.
Man:    (Not seeing the accident yet) - Lord, I may be late for work with this traffic but I trust in You. (On finally seeing the accident) - Thank you, God, for your protection.


It's wonderful to go through the day with such blessed assurance. Keep your conversation with God alive. He doesn't ask for much but just a simple chat with you. Let your heart lead the way.

Blessed day to you, friends! Know that God loves you.



Saturday, September 14, 2013

WHEN YOU THINK HE ISN'T -- HE IS


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No matter our brilliance, wit, or perceived independence or strength of beliefs , there is still this one simple truth which no one and nothing can ever refute ....... the presence of God in our lives. When you think He isn't -- He is. When you think He is not there -- He is. When you think that He does not matter -- He did, He does, and He always will. Because you or any of us won't last this long without Him. We owe our lives to Him... its protection, provision, continuity, healing, abundance or prosperity, justice, forgiveness, mercy, compassion, and a whole lot more we can't even imagine. That is the simple truth.

So how do we thank Him? Simple. Just say 'Thank You' and live a life with gratitude emblazoned in the heart. Be blessed and stay blessed.

Here is a simple yet magnificent piece of advise from a parent to his child. Unfortunately nobody knows who wrote this. But I think it's similar to something I once have read in the Book. Or maybe.

To quote:
My son, do not forget my teaching
But let your heart keep my commandments;
For length of days and years in life
And peace they will add to you.
Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good  repute
In the sight of God and man.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
(Anonymous)
Unquote.
Big thanks to friend Mr. Quote Man for sharing this with me in email.

May your weekend be blessed with plenty. Have fun, friends! Be blessed; stay blessed.



Wednesday, September 11, 2013

APPRECIATE TRUE SELF - THEREIN LIES OUR POWER




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Just a thought this morning (after a chat with a friend yesterday) ....

A human being is the most insecure creature ever on this planet.  He goes to all lengths to protect that, real or not, which he perceives makes him feel whole; conserve it, contain it, prolong it. Thinking that doing so will increase his value, make him worthy, and preserve his (again) perceived integrity as a person.

Why is it so hard to understand that we do not need all those unnecessary frills or some add-on to character to function or matter?   Why cling on ferociously to a high position or power when your integrity has been compromised? Why believe stubbornly on something although good but which has already gone passed its time or usefulness and has become quite irrelevant? Why keep close to your heart things or people who did nothing but take you down to losing your self-respect and dignity? Why hold on to someone you think you love when you always find yourself on its battered and bruised edge? What are the reasons you hold on so tightly and can't let go?

Admittedly we all have our reasons BUT Isn't there a bigger lesson we should be learning in this? And until we do we are ... Living our temporary lives with the sword of insecurity hanging over our heads and presenting a thousand-and-one reasons other than our inability to learn to appreciate who we truly are and deserve to be ... as Children of God, by God's design. Believe it or not, there alone lies our power.

You say 'work in progress'? I agree. Let's stay on track then.
Go through the fire if you must but come out much wiser.
As grandma would say......
'Appreciate self sans the hang-ups.. insecurities.. the frills or an ugly add-on or two.
God may be patient but Time waits for no one. Make this journey count where it should.'

God be with you with blessings a hundredfold.



LOOK FOR THE HELPERS


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I like this very much when I first saw it long ago.. and I'm bringing it here...... To quote:

Fred Rogers said:  
 “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me,   "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”                                        

(Unquote)



It is easy to be angry, terrified, devastated, horrified by all that is terribly happening in our country and in other parts of the world. Catastrophes, killings, disasters, extreme poverty and hunger, greed and lies, graft, corruption, civil and political unrest, and a whole load more of bad things, to put it mildly.

But Fred Rogers is right.... 'look for the helpers..'  They come in different shapes, form, color, creed, sizes, gender, education or the lack of it, rich or poor, but you will see them out there getting their hands dirty helping..... or disregarding threat to their lives to bring out the truth...... or using their profession to help the least of our brothers....... or generously lending their time, energies, and resources to help build, preserve, save, heal, educate, protect, or whatever else is required for the greater number and better good.

Look for the helpers --- you will see them.
So what can we do where we are with who we are and what we have? 

Simple.

Talk about them... praise them... encourage them... catch them in action with your camera... write or blog about them... tell others about them... and if you have the chance then tell them straight how you appreciate what they do... and importantly, pray for them that they persevere in their noble kind and generous deeds. And if you are able to, join them.

Look for the helpers. Seek them out. Tell the world about them..... that good is still very much alive in our midst  Blessings!



DESIGN YOUR OWN LIFE PLAN


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This is a beautiful thought. I remember falling into this trap long ago. And what it says is true. The good that came out of that unfortunate episode of my life is that I have learned what it was that Someone above wanted me to learn.

Give it a good thought, folks!  Big thanks to Jim Rohn and to Sudhir Krishnan for sharing this precious piece of wisdom. 

Blessings to you all!



Thursday, September 5, 2013

DOES THE WALKER CHOOSE THE PATH - OR THE PATH THE WALKER




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“Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?”
(Garth Nix, Sabriel)

Got this in my inbox this morning. Many thanks to Mr. Quote Man.  Good question, isn't it? Have you at some point or time in your life thought about that?

Looking back at my own journey, I can see that at times I have walked on paths I have chosen for myself. But then again at some point there, I now realize, the path had already been laid down for me and it wasn't what I would have wanted or thought was right for me.

This led me to more thinking.... The path or paths I have chosen for myself were good, some made me happy, but erred in more things than not, and then some made me unhappy to say the least. On the other hand, what was already laid down for me to walk on were stuff which took me to more challenges, struggles, frustrations, and sometimes defeat. Surely that's not the kind of life anyone would image for himself.

But as I am now.. older and I hope wiser.. I can see and have learned that my choices were almost always for personal satiety, fulfillment, but not necessarily growth. So then life steps in or some Divine Intervention (that seems to be a better name to call it)  set me out in a different direction. One with a hidden agenda and which I could not - would not understand then because it led me through the ..... fire!


To cut a long story short, did that do me any good?

You bet that it did! It achieved what it had set out to do ... make me grow.

So that quote/question above there, to my mind, is really not a question. It's simply giving us a hint that either way we can make it good. Because we (the 'walker choose the path')  can make our choices well with the focus on growth, progress, maturity, self-improvement where it should matter most.  And that which we have no control over ('the path the walker'), usually the path already laid down for us by Someone or Something, should be handled with an open mind heart and soul because you know deep inside that it is there not for nothing. The reason is always that you should grow. And that, my dear friends, is by God's design.

Choose growth;  choose to learn.

It's always a blessing to be here among friends.
Have a blessed day, everyone!