All blame is a waste of time.

No matter how much fault you find with another, and

regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you. The only thing blame does is
to keep the focus off you when you are looking for external reasons to explain your
unhappiness or frustration. You may succeed in making another feel guilty about something
by blaming him, but you won't succeed in changing whatever it is about you that is making
you unhappy. - Wayne Dyer

I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important

than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. - Albert Einstein

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most
responsive to change. - Charles Darwin

You have powers you never dreamed of. You can do things you never thought you could do.
There are no limitations in what you can do except the limitations of your own mind. -
Darwin P. Kingsley
I keep the telephone of my mind open to peace, harmony, health, love and abundance. Then,
whenever doubt, anxiety or fear try to call me, they keep getting a busy signal - and soon
they'll forget my number. - Edith Armstrong

Self-distrust is the cause of most of our failures. In the assurance of strength, there is
strength, and they are the weakest, however strong, who have no faith in themselves or their
own powers. - Christian Bovee

MEDITATION: THE ROLE IT PLAYS IN TODAY'S MODERN SOCIETY

Like many people in our world today, I sometimes seem overwhelmed with the things that I
have to do in a day. Work, eat, sleep, play, exercise, read, watch TV, love, be loved, answer
questions, listen to music, learn something new, and the list goes on and on. How can we fit
everything into our crowded schedules? How can we accomplish anything? The answer to
this question is learning to let go and go with the flow. But I can't let go of some of the
things that are listed here you say. Then learn to Meditate and your path will be easier. But I
don't know how to Meditate you say. I will teach you how.

First you must find some time and a place where you can be alone in silence. That means no
T.V. or radio and no distractions. Next you must find a comfortable chair to sit in. Once
these two items are found, you can begin.

Start by closing your eyes and noticing how tense your body really is. Start to let go of these
tensions one by one by relaxing that part of your body. Focus your concentration on that part
of the body that has the most tension and let go of that tension first. Take deep breaths and
then let those breaths out slowly until the tension is gone. Once you have done this for your
entire body, then concentrate on your breathing. Notice how calm it has become.
After this initial session, you will find that you have a renewed sense of energy and you will
feel that you can accomplish anything. In fact, you will be able to get more done. This way
you can squeeze more life out of life in our Modern society. -Raymond Day

To act with common sense, according to the moment, is the best wisdom; and the best
philosophy is to do one's duties, to take the world as it comes, submit respectfully to one's
lot, and bless the goodness that has given us so much happiness with it, whatever it is. -
Horace Walpole

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more
common than successful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a
proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and
determination alone are omnipotent. - Calvin Coolidge

The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend. - Henri L. Bergson
Do your best every day and your life will gradually expand into satisfying fullness. - Horotio
W. Dresser

Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.
- Pamela Vaull Starr

THE SUCCESSFUL ATHLETE'S DICTIONARY

Successful athletes use a special dictionary. They know that the way they talk to themselves
and the way they approach sporting challenges are key factors for success. Read on to find
out what is listed, and what is not, in the successful athlete's dictionary.

IN:

Failure - If you do not meet a goal, congratulate yourself on a good effort and then look at
what can be improved. Focus on this information during your next practice. And remember,
if you were perfect, how would you know what to improve?

Toughness - Weave your goals, focus, attitude, belief, determination, and flexibility into a
strong bundle of toughness.

Practice - Use practice to hone skills and push out of your comfort zone, not just "put in
time." Be aware of technique. Stir up competition feelings. Each practice is a golden
opportunity that only comes around once.

Belief - Belief energizes and strengthens the mind and body. Belief is like a genie in a lamp:
it has the power to help make dreams come true.

OUT:

Can't - You write your future when you tell yourself "I can't." Don't rule out the possibility of
success.

Giving Up - Giving up can seem tempting when it appears that you might not reach your
goal. However, your mind and body store "give ups" which come back to haunt you next
time you try!
 What if. . . - Instead of creating negative scenarios, replace "What if. . ." with "I will. . . ."
Example: "What if I mess up?" can be replaced with "I will give my best effort, one moment
at a time." - CJ Lockman Hall, M.A

Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die. -Malachy McCourt

I shall allow no man to belittle my soul by making me hate him. - Booker T. Washington

I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with
sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing. -
Agatha Christie

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and
I wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I thought it was good to
be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I knew
that little things are special things.

When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I believed there is a God I
could always talk to.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I felt you kiss me goodnight, and I felt loved.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I
could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked and wanted to say thanks for all the things I
saw when you thought I wasn't looking.

- Unknown

Happiness, grief, gaiety, sadness, are by nature contagious. Bring your health and your
strength to the weak and sickly, and so you will be of use to them. Give them, not your
weakness, but your energy, so you will revive and lift them up. Life alone can rekindle life.

- Henri-Frederic Amiel

FEAR - Fear is like fire. If controlled it will help you; if uncontrolled, it will rise up and
destroy you. Men's actions depend to a great extent upon fear. We do things either because
we enjoy doing them or because we are afraid not to do them. - John F. Milburn
 HAPPINESS

May we never let the things we can't have, or don't have, or shouldn't have, spoil our
enjoyment of the things we do have and can have. As we value our happiness let us not
forget it, for one of the greatest lessons in life is learning to be happy without the things we
cannot or should not have.

- Richard Evans

BE YOURSELF

Cultivate your own capabilities, your own style. Appreciate the members of your family for
who they are, even though their outlook or style may be miles different from yours. Rabbits
don't fly. Eagles don't swim. Ducks look funny trying to climb. Squirrels don't have feathers.
Stop comparing. There's plenty of room in the forest. - Charles Swindoll

When it is late at night, and you are all alone, nothing to do and feel nobody else wants you
just remember there is a place for you ...

FAILURE - A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame
somebody else. - John Burroughs
 May you get a clean bill of health from your dentist, your cardiologist, your gastro-
enterologist, your urologist, your proctologist, your podiatrist, your psychiatrist, your
plumber and the IRS May your hair, your teeth, your face-lift, your abs and your stocks not
fall; and may your blood pressure, your triglycerides, your cholesterol, your white blood
count and your mortgage interest not rise.

May you find a way to travel from anywhere to anywhere in the rush hour in less than an
hour, and when you get there may you find a parking space.

May Friday evening, December 31, find you seated around the table, together with your
beloved family and cherished friends ushering in a new day. You will find the food better,
the environment quieter, the cost much cheaper, and the pleasure much more fulfilling than
anything else you might ordinarily do that night.

May you wake up on January 1st, finding that the world has not come to an end, the lights
work, the water faucets flow, and the sky has not fallen.

May you go to the bank on Monday morning, January 3rd and find your account is in order,
your money is still there and any mistakes are in your favor.

May you ponder on January 4th; How did this ultra-modern civilization of ours manage to
get itself traumatized by a possible slip of a blip on a chip made out of sand.

May we relax about the Third Millennium of the Common Era, and realize that we still have
240 years until the dawn of the Sixth Millennium of the Jewish Calendar by which time the
computer is long since obsolete and so are we.

May God give you the strength to go through a year of presidential campaigning, and may
some of the promises made be kept. May you believe at least half of what the candidates
propose, and may those elected fulfill at least half of what they promise, and the miracle of
reducing taxes and balancing budgets happen.

May you be awe struck by God's sense of humor as you wrestle with the possibility that a
professional wrestler could become president of the United States.

May what you see in the mirror delight you, and what others see in you delight them.

May someone love you enough to forgive your faults, be blind to your blemishes, and tell the
world about your virtues.
 May the telemarketers wait to make their sales calls until you finish dinner, and may your
check book and your budget balance, and may they include generous amounts for charity.

May you remember to say "I love you" at least once a day to your spouse, your child, your
parent; but not to your secretary, your nurse, your masseuse, your hairdresser or your tennis
instructor.

Getting ahead in a difficult profession requires avid faith in yourself. You must be able to
sustain yourself against staggering blows. That is why some people with mediocre talent, but
with great inner drive, go much further than people with vastly superior talent.

- Sophia Loren

As a senior citizen was driving down the freeway, his car phone rang. Answering, he heard
his wife's voice urgently warning him, "Herman, I just heard on the news that there's a car
going the wrong way on 280 Interstate. Please be careful!" "Hell," said Herman, "it's not just
one car. It's hundreds of them!"

YOU WILL GO NUTS IF YOU BELIEVE IN LUCK

Successful people are not successful because they are lucky, 'strugglers' do not struggle
because they are unlucky, even though it may seem that way. The only reason it may seem
that way is because we have been hypnotized to believe in luck... good and bad. We pick up
stuff (beliefs, superstitions, and attitudes) from others and behave as if it is true. Behavioral
scientists and psychologists call it conditioning. A classical example of highly effective
hypnotism.
ALBERT EINSTEIN said, "The most incomprehensible fact about the universe is, that is it
comprehensible." That means that nothing in the universe happens by luck or by accident.
Just because you may not know what the cause is for success or for struggle, does not mean
there is no logical cause. It just means the cause is not known... to you. Why is it that some
people are successful even in the worst economy with lousy circumstances and some people
continue to struggle even in a booming economy with the best of circumstances? Uh! Uh!
Don't say luck.

RALPH WALDO EMERSON (remember him?) said, "Circumstances do not make the man,
but rather circumstances reveals man to himself." That means that under the exact same
circumstances an open-minded, optimistic person will have a more rewarding result than a
narrow-minded, pessimistic person. Optimists are more inclined to have a creative edge over
pessimists when it comes to being successful under the same conditions that the struggle-
minded struggle...

Professionals in every field of business agree that optimistic, open-minded employees are
more creative, more productive, more valuable, more in demand, and are more inclined for
greater and more rapid advancement than pessimistic, narrow-minded bellyachers.

Attitude (positive or negative) is an electromagnetic energy that effects mental and physical
well-being.

Not everyone has an optimistic or pessimistic attitude about the same things, or the same
degree of optimism or pessimism about the same things. Isn't that interesting?

That means......UNDESIRABLE CIRCUMSTANCES AND SITUATIONS ARE NOT THE

CAUSE OF YOUR PESSIMISTIC ATTITUDES OR NARROW-MINDEDNESS, EVEN
THOUGH IT MAY SEEM THAT WAY. Otherwise, everyone would have the exact same
degree of PESSIMISM and NARROW-MINDEDNESS about the same circumstances...
AND THEY DON'T. Think about it.

That's why not everyone who is in a wheelchair, or who is sightless, or who is physically
challenged in some way considers themselves unproductive or useless. You know who they
are.

When you are pessimistic about anything, ANYTHING, you are really possessed by a
mechanism (habit) that is directing your mind to think in the limited ways that cause the
tense and stressful emotions that screw up your mental, and physical well-being, some way...
somehow.

Exhausting and frustrating yourself while looking for the 'right' opportunity that will take
you from struggle to success will be futile unless you de-hypnotize yourself from the narrow-
minded attitude that brought about struggle in the first place. Otherwise the struggle habit
continues to do its thing... whatever opportunity you choose.

ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING.

WILLIAM JAMES, father of modern day psychology, said, "The greatest discovery of the
20th Century is that our attitude of mind determines our quality of life, not circumstances."
 Get it? Attitude, negative or positive, is an energy that effects quality of life, not
circumstances. Luck? Bah! Humbug! Got it? Good!

jpg

One day an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to
drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front
of the group of high powered overachievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz."

Then he pulled out a one gallon, wide mouthed Mason jar and set it on the table in front of
him. Then he produced about a dozen fist sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a
time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he
asked, "Is this jar full?" Everyone in the class said, "Yes."

Then he said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then
he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves
down into the space between the big rocks. Then he asked the group once more, "Is the jar
full?"

By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!" he
replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the
sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once
more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?" "

No!" the class shouted. Once again he said, "Good." Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and
began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked,
"What is the point of this illustration?" One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point
is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more
things in it!" "No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point.

The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get
them in at all." What are the 'big rocks' in your life? Your children; Your loved ones; Your
education; Your dreams; A worthy cause; Teaching or mentoring others; Doing things that
you love; Time for yourself; Your health; Your significant other. Remember to put these
BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all. If you sweat the little stuff (the gravel,
the sand) then you'll fill your life with little things you worry about that don't really matter,
and you'll never have the real quality time you need to spend on the big, important stuff (the
big rocks).

So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this
question: What are the 'big rocks' in my life? Then, put those in your jar first.
Happiness... We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby,
then another.

Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they
are.

After that, we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with.

We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage.

We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together,
when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire.

The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now.

If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges.

It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.

One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D Souza. He said, "For a long time it had
seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in
the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be
served, or a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these
obstacles were my "life".

This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness.

Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because
you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time...and remember that
time waits for no one.

So, stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten
pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until
you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday
night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid
off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first
or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until
you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be
happy.
 Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

In jungles of poisonous plants strut the peacocks, Though medicine gardens of beauty lie
near. The masses of peacocks do not find gardens pleasant, But thrive on the essence of
poisonous plants.

In similar fashion, the brave Bodhisattvas Remain in the jungle of worldly concern. No
matter how joyful this world's pleasure gardens, These brave ones are never attracted to
pleasures, But thrive in the jungle of suffering and pain.

We spend our whole life in the search for enjoyment, Yet tremble with fear at the mere
thought of pain; Thus since we are cowards, we are miserable still. But the brave
Bodhisattvas accept suffering gladly And gain from their courage a true lasting joy.

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit.

All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told
the two frogs that they were as good as dead.

The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all of their
might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead.

Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell
down and died. The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd
of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made
it out.
When he got out, the other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?" The frog explained to them that
he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

This story teaches two lessons:

1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is
down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.

2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them. Be careful
of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path.

The power of words....it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go
such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in
difficult times. Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.

Be Special to others.

The other day I had the opportunity to drop by my department head's office. He's a friendly
guy and on the rare opportunities that I have to pay him a visit, we have had enjoyable
conversations. While I was in his office yesterday I asked him "Sir, What is the secret of
your success?"

He said "two words"

"And, Sir, what are they?"

"Right decisions."

"But how do you make right decisions?"

"One word." he responded.

"And, sir, What is that?"

"Experience."

"And how do you get Experience?"

"Two words"
 "And, Sir, what are they?"

"Wrong decisions"

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed
feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none
seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from
the elements, and to store his few possessions.

But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames,
the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was
stunned with grief and anger.

"God, how could you do this to me!" he cried.

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching
the island. It had come to rescue him.

"How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers.

"We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal
that summons the grace of God.
 FIVE GREAT LESSONS: The Important Things Life Teaches You...

1. Most Important Question During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave
us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I
read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this
was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-
haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the
last question blank. Before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count
toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers you will meet many
people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile
and say hello'. "I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

2. Pickup in the Rain - One night, at 11:30 PM, an older African American woman was
standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car
had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down
the next car. A young white man stopped to help her - generally unheard of in those conflict-
filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxi cab.
She seemed to be in a big hurry! She wrote down his address, thanked him and drove away.
Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console
color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so
much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes
but my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying
husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly
serving others." Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole

3. Always remember those who serve. In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less,
a 10 year old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of
water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" "Fifty cents," replied the
waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of coins in it.
"How much is a dish of plain ice cream?" he inquired. Some people were now waiting for a
table and the waitress was a bit impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she said brusquely. The little
boy again counted the coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the
ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the
cashier and departed. When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and
then swallowed hard at what she saw. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two
nickels and five pennies - her tip.

4. The Obstacle in Our Path In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway.
Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the
king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly
blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the
stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On
approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the
side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant
picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had
been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold
was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what
many others never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's
condition.
5. Giving Blood Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital, I got to
know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only
chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had
miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat
the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he
would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before
taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save Liz." As the transfusion
progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color
returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the
doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?" Being young, the
boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of
his blood.

Attitude, after all, is everything. Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never
been hurt. Dance like nobody's watching.

As you got up this morning, I watched you, and hoped you would talk to me, even if it was
just a few words, asking my opinion or thanking me for something good that happened in
your life yesterday. But I noticed you were too busy, trying to find the right outfit to wear.

When you ran around the house getting ready, I knew there would be a few minutes for you
to stop and say hello, but you were to busy. At one point you had to wait, fifteen minutes
with nothing to do except sit in a chair. Then I saw you spring to your feet. I thought you
wanted to talk to me but you ran to the phone and called a friend to get the latest gossip
instead. I watched patiently all day long. With all your activities I guess you were too busy to
say anything to me. I noticed that before lunch you looked around, maybe you felt
embarrassed to talk to me, that is why you didn't bow your head. You glanced three or four
tables over and you noticed some of your friends talking to me briefly before they ate, but
you didn't. That's okay. There is still more time left, and I hope that you will talk to me yet.

You went home and it seems as if you had lots of things to do. After a few of them were
done, you turned on the TV. I don't know if you like TV or not, just about anything goes
there and you spend a lot of time each day in front of it not thinking about anything, just
enjoying the show. I waited patiently again as you watched the TV and ate your meal, but
again you didn't talk to me. Bedtime I guess you felt too tired. After you said goodnight to
your family you plopped into bed and fell asleep in no time. That's okay because you may
not realize that I am always there for you. I've got patience, more than you will ever know. I
even want to teach you how to be patient with others as well.
 I love you so much that I wait everyday for a nod, prayer or thought or a thankful part of
your heart. It is hard to have a one-sided conversation. Well, you are getting up once again.
And once again I will wait, with nothing but love for you. Hoping that today you will give
me some time. Have a nice day! Your friend, GOD

A person asked God, "What surprises you most about mankind?"

And God answered:

"That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health.

That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live
neither for the present nor the future.

That they live as if they will never die, and they die as if they had never lived..."

Next fall when you see geese heading south for the winter flying along in a "v" formation,
you might be interested in knowing what science has discovered about why they fly that
way.

It has been learned that when a lead bird flaps its own wings, it creates an uplift for the bird
immediately following. By flying in a "v" formation, the whole flock adds at least 71%
greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. People who share common direction
and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier, because they are
traveling on the thrust of one another.
When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the draft and resistance of trying to go
it alone, and quickly gets into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird
immediately in front. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with
those who are headed the same way we are going.

When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. It
pays to take turns doing hard jobs. The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front
to keep up their speed. An encouraging word goes a long way.

Finally, when a goose gets sick, or is wounded by a gun shot and falls out, two geese fall out
of formation and follow him until he is either able to fly or until he is dead. Then they launch
out on their own or with another for formation to catch up with the group. If we have the
sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that....

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?"

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!!!!!!"