The Good Stuff in the Bad

A young woman was sitting at her dining table, worried about taxes to be paid, house-work to be done and to top it all, her family was coming over for Thanks giving the next day.

She was not feeling very thankful at that time.

As she turned her gaze sideways, she noticed her young daughter scribbling furiously into her notebook.

“My teacher asked us to write a paragraph on “Negative Thanks giving” for homework today.” said the daughter

“She asked us to write down things that we are thankful for, things that make us feel not so good in the beginning, but turn out to be good after all.”

With curiosity, the mother peeked into the book.

This is what her daughter wrote:

“I’m thankful for Final Exams, because that means school is almost over.

I’m thankful for bad-tasting medicine, because it helps me feel better.

I’m thankful for waking up to alarm clocks, because it means I’m still alive.”

It then dawned on the mother, that she had a lot of things to be thankful for!

She thought again…

She had to pay taxes but that meant she was fortunate to be employed.

She had house-work to do but that meant she had her own home to live in.

She had to cook for her family for Thanks giving but that meant she had a family with whom she could celebrate.

Moral:

We generally complain about the negative things in life but we fail to look at the positive side of it.

What is the positive in your negatives?

Look at the better part of life this day and make it a great day."....

The Bamboo and the Fern

One day...I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality… 
I wanted to quit my life.

I went to the woods to have one last talk with God

“God”, I asked, “Can you give me one good reason not to quit?”.

His answer surprised me…
“Look around”, He said. “Do you see the fern and the bamboo ?

“Yes”, I replied.

“When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water.The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor.Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

He said, “In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.But I would not quit.In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would not quit.” He said.

“Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern, it was seemingly small and insignificant. But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.

It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.

I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle.”

He asked me. “Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots”.

“I would not quit on the bamboo.I will never quit on you.”

“Don’t compare yourself to others.” He said.

”The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful.”

"Your time will come”, God said to me. 

“You will rise high”.

“How high should I rise?” I asked.

“How high will the bamboo rise?” He asked in return.

“As high as it can?” I questioned.

”Yes.” He said, “Give Me glory by rising as high as you can.”

I left the forest and brought back this story.

Never, Never, Never, Give up!!
"In life, each relationship will have feelings and differences. ....it's Always better to be melted in feelings than to be frozen with differences".

Nurture the Child

If your child lies to you often, it is because you over-react too harshly to their inappropriate behaviour.
If your child is not taught to confide in you about their mistakes, you've lost them.
If your child had poor self-esteem, it is because you advice them more than you encourage them.
If your child does not stand up for themselves, it is because from a young age you have disciplined them regularly in public.

If your child takes things that do not belong to them, it is because when you buy them things, you don't let them chose what they want.
If your child is cowardly, it is because you help them too quickly.
If your child does not respect other people's feelings, it is because instead of speaking to your child, you order and command them.
If your child is too quick to anger, it is because you give too much attention to misbehaviour and you give little attention to good behaviour.
If your child is excessively jealous, it is because you only congratulate them when they successfully complete something and not when they improve at something even if they don't successfully complete it.
If your child intentionally disturbs you, it is because you are not physically affectionate enough.
If your child is openly defied, it is because you openly threaten to do something but don't follow through.
If your child is secretive, it is because they don't trust that you won't blow things out of proportion.

If your child talks back to you, it is because they watch you do it to others and think its normal behaviour.
If your child doesn't listen to you but listens to others, it is because you are too quick to make decisions.
If your child rebels it is because they know you care more about what others think than what is right or wrong.

Change starts at home. 

Try a few if not all and see the sea change in the relations. Can you?

10 Daily Habits of Exceptionally Happy People

If you get decent value from making to-do lists, you'll get huge returns - in productivity, in improved relationships, and in your personal well-being - from adding these items to your not to-do list: Every day, make these commitments to yourself. I promise your day – and your life – will go a little better.

"I will not blame other people – for anything."

Employees make mistakes. Vendors don't deliver on time. Potential customers never sign. You blame them for your problems.

But you are also to blame. Maybe you didn't provide enough training, build in enough of a buffer, or asked for too much too soon. Take responsibility when things go wrong instead of blaming others -- then you focus on doing things better or smarter next time. And when you get better or smarter, you also get happier.

"I will not check my phone while I'm talking to someone."

You've looked away. You’ve done the, "Wait, let me answer this text..." thing. Maybe you didn't even say, "Wait." You just stopped talking, stopped paying attention, and did it. Want to be that person everyone loves because they make you feel, when they're talking to you, like you're the most important person in the world? Stop checking your phone. Other people will feel better about you – and you’ll feel better about yourself.

"I will not multitask during a meeting."

The easiest way to be the smartest person in the room is to be the person who pays the most attention to the room. You'll be amazed by what you can learn, both about the topic of the meeting and about the people in the meeting if you stop multitasking and start paying close attention. You'll flush out and understand hidden agendas, you'll spot opportunities to build bridges, and you'll find ways to make yourself indispensable to the people who matter.

"I will not interrupt."

Interrupting isn't just rude. When you interrupt someone what you're really saying is, "I'm not listening to you so I can understand what you're saying; I'm listening to you so I can decide what I want to say." Want people to like you? Listen to what they say. Focus on what they say. Ask questions to make sure you understand what they say. They'll love you for it -- and you'll love how that makes you feel.

"I will not waste time on people who make no difference in my life."

Trust me: The inhabitants of planet TMZ are doing fine without you. But your family, your friends, your employees -- all the people that really matter to you – are not. Give them your time and attention. They're the ones who deserve it.

"I will not be distracted by multiple notifications."

You don't need to know the instant you get an email or text or tweet or like. If something is important enough for you to do, it's important enough for you to do without interruptions. Focus totally on what you're doing. Then, on a schedule you set -- instead of a schedule you let everyone else set -- play prairie dog and pop your head up to see what's happening. Focusing on what you are doing is a lot more important than focusing on other people might be doing.

"I will not whine."

Your words have power, especially over you. Whining about your problems makes you feel worse, not better. If something is wrong, don't waste time complaining. Put that effort into making the situation better. Unless you want to whine about it forever, eventually you'll have to do that. So why waste time? Fix it now. Don't talk about what's wrong. Talk about how you'll make things better, even if that conversation is only with yourself.

"I will not let the past control my future."

Mistakes are valuable. Learn from them. Then let them go. Easier said than done? It all depends on your perspective. When something goes wrong, turn it into an opportunity to learn something you didn't know -- especially about yourself. When something goes wrong for someone else, turn it into an opportunity to be gracious, forgiving, and understanding. The past is just training. The past should definitely inform but in no way define you -- unless you let it.

"I will not wait until I'm convinced I will succeed."

You can never feel sure you will succeed at something new, but you can always feel sure you are committed to giving something your best. And you can always feel sure you will try again if you fail. Stop waiting. You have a lot less to lose than you think, and everything to gain.

"I will not talk behind another person’s back."

If only because being the focus of gossip sucks. (And so do the people who gossip.) If you've talked to more than one person about something Joe is doing, wouldn't everyone be better off if you stepped up and actually talked to Joe about it? And if it's "not your place" to talk to Joe, it's probably not your place to talk about Joe. Spend your time on productive conversations. You'll get a lot more done--and you'll gain a lot more respect.

"I will not say yes when I really mean no."

Refusing a request from colleagues, customers, or even friends is really hard. But rarely does saying no, go as badly as you expect. Most people will understand, and if they don't, should you care too much about what they think? When you say no, at least you'll only feel bad for a few moments. When you say yes to something you really don't want to do you might feel bad for a long time -- or at least as long as it takes you to do what you didn't want to do in the first place.

"I will not be afraid."

We're all afraid: of what might or might not happen, what we can't change, what we won't be able to do, or how other people might perceive us. So it's easier to hesitate... and think a little longer, do more research, or explore more alternatives. Meanwhile days, weeks, months, and even years pass us by. And so do our dreams.
Whatever you've been planning or imagining or dreaming of, get started today. Put your fears aside. Do something. Do anything. Once tomorrow comes, today is lost forever. Today is the most precious asset you own -- and is the one thing you should truly fear wasting

Celebrate Life !!

Did you notice :

As soon as you die, your identity becomes a "Body".

People use phrases like: "Bring the Body", "Lower the Body in the Grave", "Take the Body to the Grave yard", etc...

People Don't Even call you by your Name, whom you tried to Impress whole Life....

Live a Life to Impress the Creator not the Creation.

Take chances..

Tell the truth...

Learn to say "NO"...

Listen to your Heart...

Spend money on the things u love...

Laugh till ur stomach hurts...

Dance Even if u are too bad at it...

Pose stupidly for photos...

Be child-like....

Moral: 

Death is not the greatest loss in life...
Loss is when life dies inside u while u are alive...
Celebrate this journey called LIFE... 

Enjoy life...

Foot Reflexology

Massage the part of your foot that corresponds to the part of your body that hurts and it will slowly reduce and eventually get rid of pain. Helps promote blood circulation to that part of the body.

Your Happiness is in YOUR Own Hands

The New 10 Commandments of Life

Please read carefully and try to relate these 10 Commandments  with your life... 

1) Heavy rains remind us of challenges in life. Never ask for a lighter rain. Just pray for a better umbrella. That is attitude.

2) When flood comes, fish eat ants & when flood recedes, ants eat fish. Only time matters. Just hold on, God gives opportunity to everyone!

3) Life is not about finding the right person, but creating the right relationship, it's not how we care in the beginning, but how much we care till ending.

4) Some people always throw stones in your path. It depends on you what you make with them, Wall or Bridge?  Remember you are the architect of your life.

5) Every problem has (n+1) solutions, where n is the number of solutions that you have tried and 1 is that you have not tried. That’s life.

6) It is not important to hold all the good cards in life. But it’s important how well you play with the cards which you hold.

7) Often when we lose all hope & think this is the end, God smiles from above and says, `Relax dear it’s just a bend. Not the end'. Have Faith and have a successful life.

8) When you are sad, try to cheer up - just go to the mirror and say, `Damn I am really so cute` and you will overcome your sadness. But don’t make this a habit b'coz liars go to hell.

9) One of the basic  differences between God and human is, God gives, gives and forgives. But human gets, gets, gets and forgets. Be thankful in life!

10) Only two types of persons are happy in this world. First is Mad and second is Child. Be Mad to achieve what you desire and be a Child to enjoy what you have achieved.

Tale of Two Pebbles - Lesson in Lateral Thinking

Many hundreds of years ago in a small Indian village, a merchant had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to the moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the merchant’s beautiful daughter so he proposed a bargain. He said he would forgo the merchant’s debt if he could marry the daughter. Both the merchant and his daughter were horrified by the proposal.

So the cunning moneylender suggested that they let let providence decide the matter. He told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty bag. The girl would then have to pick one pebble from the bag.

(1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become the moneylender’s wife and her father’s debt would be forgiven. 

(2) If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father’s debt would still be forgiven. 

(3) But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.

They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the merchant’s garden. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick her pebble from the bag.

What would you have done if you were the girl? 

If you had to advise her, what would you have told her? 

Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.

2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the moneylender as a cheat.

3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.

The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking.

Here is what the girl did...

The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.

“Oh, how clumsy of me,” she said. “But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.” Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the moneylender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an advantageous one.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Most complex problems do have a solution, at times the solution is not so obvious and we need to think "Out of the Box"

The Best Things in Life are FREE !!

and if you consider literally...they are not "things"...

and there are some more such as
...watching the sunrise...
...a long walk with a close friend..
...watching your little one fall asleep in your arms..

I am sure you can name many more..

TANJOOBERRYMUTTS

 By the time you read through this you will understand "TANJOOBERRYMUTTS". And only then will you be ready to take on China! Believe me... you  WILL understand!!!

Here goes... The following is a telephonic exchange between  a Hotel guest & room-service in China ...

Room Service: "Morrin. Roon sirbees."

Guest: "Sorry, I thought I dialled room-service."

Room Service: "Rye, Roon sirbees... morrin! Joowish to oddor sunteen?"

Guest: "Uh... Yes, I'd like to order bacon & eggs."

Room Service: "Ow ulai den?"

Guest: " .......What?"

Room Service: "Ow ulai den?... Pryed, boyud, pochd?"

Guest: "Oh, the eggs! How do I like them? Sorry.. Scrambled, please."

Room Service: "Ow ulai dee bayken? Creepse?"

Guest: "Crisp will be fine."

Room Service: "Hokay. An sahn toes?"

Guest: "What?"

Room Service: "An toes. ulai sahn toes?"

Guest: "I.... Don't think so.."

RoomService: "No? Udo wan sahn toes?"

Guest: "I feel really bad about this, but I don't know what 'udo wan sahn toes' means."

RoomService: "Toes! Toes!... Why Uoo don wan toes?... Ow bow anglish moppin we botter?"

Guest: "Oh, English muffin!! I've got it! You were saying 'toast'... Fine...Yes, an English muffin will be fine."

RoomService: "We botter?"

Guest: "No, just put the botter on the side."

RoomService: "Wad?"

Guest: "I mean butter... Just put the butter on the side."

RoomService: "Copy?"

Guest: "Excuse me?"

Room Service: "Copy.. tea... meel?"

Guest: "Yes. Coffee, please... And that's everything."

Room Service: "One Minnie. Scramah egg, creepse bayken, Anglish moppin, we botter on sigh & copy... Rye?"

Guest: "Whatever you say."

Room Service: "Tanjooberrymutts."

Guest: "You're welcome"

Remember I did say "By the time you read through this... YOU WILL UNDERSTAND 'TANJOOBERRYMUTTS' 

Rule of 72

The rule of 72 is a handy rule used in finance to quickly estimate the number of years it takes to double a sum of capital given an annual interest rate, or to estimate the annual interest rate it takes to double a sum of money over a given number of years. The rule states that interest percentage times the number of years it takes to double a principal amount of money is approximately equal to 72.

If you divide the number 72 by the rate of interest, you get to know the number of years it will take for you to double the money 72: is sort of a magic number of personal finance, a.k.a known as the rule of 72 in personal finance parlance. All you need to do is a quick calculation (mentally if you know fifth grade math tables) and you can verify, if the cheeky agent is giving you hogwash.

Years: If you divide the number 72 by the rate of interest, you get to know the number of years it will take for you to double the money. For instance, if the rate of interest is 9%, simply divide the number 72 by 9% and the answer is eight. This is the number of years it will take to double your money if you invest it at 9% rate of interest.

Interest: This rule works in reverse order as well. Lets say, you know the number of years you want to double your money in and want to know the minimum rate of interest which you need to achieve that goal. So let's say, you have Rs 2.5 lakh today and need to fund your son's college education with Rs 5 lakh in five years. Just divide the number 72 by 5 and the answer is 14.41%. This shows that you will need to invest your money in an instrument  where you earn at least 14.4% as rate of interest, if you want to double the funds in five years.

Inflation: This rule also helps you understand a thing or two about inflation. It helps you calculate the amount of time it will take for inflation to make the real value of money half. So, lets say that the average inflation is 7%. When you divide 72 by 7, the answer is 10.28. So, if you have Rs 1 lakh in your kitty today, it would take around 10.28 year for the value of the money to be halved.

Keep in mind, that this is a rule of thumb and can be used to get a rough results on money related calculations. Now that you know a little more about the number 72 and its rule, use it while dealing with your agents for quick verification of facts.

P.S - Also note the heart beats 72 times in minute.

Bar Stool Economics

Economics for Dummies...

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100.  If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this: 

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing. 
The fifth would pay $1. 
The sixth would pay $3. 
The seventh would pay $7. 
The eighth would pay $12. 
The ninth would pay $18. 
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. He said, "Since you are all such good customers, I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20. Drinks for the ten now cost just $80." 

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes, so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men -- the paying customers? 

How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his "fair share"? They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from every body's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay! 

And so: 
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings). 
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings). 
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings). 
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings). 
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings). 
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings. "I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, "but he got $10!" 

"Yeah, that's right,' exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!" 

"That's true!!"shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only $2 ? The wealthy get all the breaks!" 

"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!" 

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, big ticket bankers and financers, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up any more. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier. 
And, where would you rather be?

Focus

A person who chases two rabbits 

– catches none.

So focus on only one thing

- at a time.

How to Keep a Wife Happy

How to keep a wife happy . . . .

It's really not difficult to make a wife happy. 
A husband only needs to be:

1. a friend 

2. a companion 
3. a lover 
4. a brother 
5. a father 
6. a man 
7. a chef 
8. an electrician 
9. a carpenter 
10. a plumber 
11. a mechanic 
12. a decorator 
13. a stylist 
15. a gynecologist 
16. a psychologist 
17. a bug exterminator
18. a psychiatrist 
19. a healer 
20. a good listener 
21. an organizer 
22. a good father 
23. Very clean 
24. Sympathetic 
25. Athletic 
26. Warm 
27. Attentive 
28. Gallant 
29. Intelligent 
30. Funny 
31. Creative 
32. Tender 
33. Strong 
34. Understanding 
35. Tolerant 
36. Prudent 
37. Ambitious 
38. Capable 
39. Courageous 
40. Determined 
41. True 
42. Dependable 
43. Passionate 
44. Compassionate

WITHOUT FORGETTING TO:

45. Give her compliments frequently
46. Love shopping 
47. Be honest 
48. Be very rich 
49. Never stress her 
50. Never look at other women!

AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU MUST ALSO:

51. Give her lots of attention, but expect little yourself
52. Give her lots of time, especially time for herself
53. Give her lots of space

VERY IMPORTANT:

54. Never to forget:
* birthdays 
* anniversaries 
* her favorite color 
* her favorite flower 
* her favorite gem 
* her favorite fragrance 
* her favorite memories 
* her favorite holidays 
* her favorite friends 
* her favorite vacation destinations
* her favorite beverage 
* her favorite food 
* her favorite restaurant 
* any arrangements she makes

HOW TO MAKE A HUSBAND HAPPY

Just leave him alone....... And he'll be Happy !!!!

The "Special" Ordinary People

Try answering the below questions...

1. Name the 5 Wealthiest People in the world
2. Name the Last 5 winners of Ms. Universe
3. Name the Last 10 People Who the Nobel prize

How Did You Do?

The Point is, None of us Remembers The Headlines of Yesterday
Even Though These People Must be the Best in Their Fields
Applause Dies, Awards Are Tarnished and Achievements Are Forgotten!!

Here's another quiz...Let's see How This Goes:

1. Name 5 Teachers Who Added to Your Journey Through School
2. Name 5 Friends Who Helped You Thru Difficult Times
3. Name 5 People Who Taught You Something Worthwhile
4. Name 5 People Who Make's You Feel Special
5. Name 5 People You Enjoy Spending Time with

Easier...right?

The People Who Make a Difference in Your Life Are NOT the ones with Most Awards...Life is Full of ordinary People Who Have Made the World a Better Place for You!

Cherish them!

Hold Them Tight!

Perhaps Sometimes its Special to be ordinary!       

Fear

14 Inspiring Stories

14 stories worth reading, feeling & sharing..

1. Fall and Rise

Today, when I slipped on the wet tile floor a boy in a wheelchair caught me before I slammed my head on the ground.  He said, “Believe it or not, that’s almost exactly how I injured my back 3 years ago .

2. A father's advice

Today, my father told me, “Just go for it and give it a try!  You don’t have to be a professional to build a successful product.  Amateurs started Google and Apple.  Professionals built the Titanic

3. The power of uniqueness.

Today, I asked my mentor – a very successful business man in his 70’s – what his top 3 tips are for success.  He smiled and said, “Read something no one else is reading, think something no one else is thinking, and do something no one else is doing.

4. Looking Back

Today, I interviewed my grandmother for part of a research paper I’m working on for my Psychology class.  When I asked her to define success in her own words, she said, “Success is when you look back at your life and the memories make you smile.

5. Try and U shall know

I am blind by birth. When I was 8 years old, I wanted to play baseball. I asked my father- "Dad, can I play baseball?" He said "You'll never know until you try." When I was a teenager, I asked him, - "Dad Can I become a surgeon?". He replied "Son, you'll never know until you try." Today I am a Surgeon, just because I tried!

6. GOODNESS & GRATITUDE

Today, after a 72 hour shift at the fire station, a woman ran up to me at the grocery store and gave me a hug.  When I tensed up, she realized I didn’t recognize her.  She let go with tears of joy in her eyes and the most sincere smile and said, “On 9-11-2001, you carried me out of the World Trade Center.” 

7. LOVE CONQUERS PAIN

Today, after I watched my dog get run over by a car, I sat on the side of the road holding him and crying.  And just before he died, he licked the tears off my face. 

8. A DOOR CLOSES TO OPEN ANOTHER

Today at 7AM, I woke up feeling ill, but decided I needed the money, so I went into work. At 3PM I got laid off. On my drive home I got a flat tire. When I went into the trunk for the spare, it was flat too. A man in a BMW pulled over, gave me a ride, we chatted, and then he offered me a job.  I start tomorrow. 

9. LOOKING BACK

Today, as my father, three brothers, and two sisters stood around my mother’s hospital bed, my mother uttered her last coherent words before she died. She simply said, “I feel so loved right now. We should have gotten together like this more often.” 

10. AFFECTION

Today, I kissed my dad on the forehead as he passed away in a small hospital bed.  About 5 seconds after he passed, I realized it was the first time I had given him a kiss since I was a little boy. 

11. INNOCENCE

Today, in the cutest voice, my 8-year-old daughter asked me to start recycling. I chuckled and asked, “Why?” She replied, “So you can help me save the planet.”  I chuckled again and asked, “And why do you want to save the planet?” “Because that’s where I keep all my stuff,” she said. 

12. JOY

Today, when I witnessed a 27-year-old breast cancer patient laughing hysterically at her 2-year-old daughter’s antics, I suddenly realized that I need to stop complaining about my life and start celebrating it again.

13. KINDNESS

Today, a boy in a wheelchair saw me desperately struggling on crutches with my broken leg and offered to carry my backpack and books for me.  He helped me all the way across campus to my class and as he was leaving he said, “I hope you feel better soon.”.

14. SHARING

Today, I was traveling in Kenya and I met a refugee from Zimbabwe.  He said he hadn't eaten anything in over 3 days and looked extremely skinny and unhealthy.  Then my friend offered him the rest of the sandwich he was eating.  The first thing the man said was, “We can share it.”