Value is Worth and Worth is Value

- Author Unknown (received via email)

 A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill.  In the room of 200, he asked, Who would like this $20 bill?  Hands started going up.  He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you, but first, let me do this".  He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill.  He then asked, "Who still wants it?"  Still the hands were up in the air. 

Well, he replied, "What if I do this?"  And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.  He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty.  “Now, who still wants it?"  Still the hands went into the air. 

My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson.  No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it, because it did not decrease in value.  It was still worth $20. 

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.  We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value.  Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who DO LOVE YOU. 

The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE.  You are special - "Don't ever forget it."  Count your blessings, not your problems.  And remember:  Amateurs built the ark, and professionals built the Titanic.

Strength & Courage

- Author unknown

It takes strength to be certain,

It takes courage to have doubts.

It takes strength to fit in,

It takes courage to stand out.

It takes strength to share a friend’s pain,

It takes courage to feel your own pain.

It takes strength to hide your own pain,

It takes courage to show it and deal with it.

It takes strength to stand guard,

It takes courage to let down your guard.

It takes strength to conquer,

It takes courage to surrender.

It takes strength to endure abuses,

It takes courage to stop them.

It takes strength to stand alone,

It takes courage to lean on a friend.

It takes strength to love,

It takes courage to be loved.

It takes strength to survive,

It takes courage to live.

 May you find strength and courage

In everything you do,

And may your life be filled with

Friendship and Love!

Wise Words from Mother Theresa

- Mother Theresa

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; be honest and frank anyway. 

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; be happy anyway. 

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; do good anyway. 

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

Deep Peace - A Gaelic Blessing

Deep Peace

of the running wave to you

Deep Peace

of the flowing air to you

Deep Peace

of the quiet earth to you

Deep Peace

of the shining stars to you

Deep Peace

of the gentle night to you

Moon and stars

pour their healing light on you

Deep peace to you

The Wave

(Excerpt from Tuesday’s with Morrie)

This is a story about a little wave, bobbing along in the ocean, having a grand old time.  He’s enjoying the wind and the fresh air until he notices the other waves in front of him, crashing against the shore. 

‘My God, this is terrible’, the wave says.  ‘Look what’s going to happen to me!’

Then along comes another wave.  It sees the first wave, looking grim, and it says to him, ‘Why do you look so sad?’

The first wave says, ‘you don’t understand!  We’re all going to crash!  All of us waves are going to be nothing!  Isn’t it terrible?’

The second wave says, ‘No you don’t understand.  You’re not a wave, you’re part of the ocean.’