Your Goals.

If you have trouble achieving the big goals, then break them down into smaller, more manageable goals. If you have trouble getting to work on the small goals, remind yourself of the bigger goals and purposes to which they lead.

The big goals are what will drive you, motivate you, and compel you to go forward. The smaller goals are what will actually move you steadily there.

When you have a big reason to take a small step, you're much more likely to find a way to take that step no matter what. String those small steps together and they'll add up to the big, important achievements you so earnestly desire.

Any accomplishment can be broken down into steps so small as to seem trivial. But put them all together, and the results are anything but trivial.

Keep putting one foot in front of another, and you can walk a thousand miles or even more, as long as you're motivated enough to keep going. Stay focused on those big goals, while persistently working through the small, day-to-day goals, and anything is within your reach.

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POSITIVE CHANGE.

Even when the day is cold and gray,
Life can be filled with warmth and joy.
Even when trouble weighs heavily on the world,
There are very real opportunities to move positively forward.

Even in the middle of winter,
There is the ever-present promise of spring.
Even when all seems to be lost,
There are still many ways to turn the situation around
Or to move on through it anyway.

Even when there appears to be no hope,
Someone will have the audacity to be hopeful anyway.
And more times than not, that person will be right.

The greatest opportunities for positive change
Very often arise from the most difficult situations.
The most enduring strengths are always forged
Against the most stubborn challenges.

There are those who give up at the first hint of trouble,
And then there are those
Who never give up no matter what.
Those who never give up are the ones who,
Thankfully, always get us through.

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Sun Will Shine Again.

Even though the sky seems dark, believe in the future.
The storm will pass over. The clouds will roll by.
Believe in the best though it seems hidden.
Know that it will come though it's not in sight.

Your faith will take you through the darkness.
Your belief shall prove that the sun will shine again.

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Wings of a Bird

There is a fable about the way birds first got their wings. The story goes that initially they were made without them. Then God made the wings, set them down before the wingless birds, and said to them, "Take up these burdens and carry them."

The birds had sweet voices for singing, and lovely feathers that glistened in the sunshine, but they could not soar in the air. When asked to pick up the burdens that lay at their feet, they hesitated at first. Yet soon they obeyed, picked up the wings with their beaks, and set them on their shoulders to carry them. For a short time the load seemed heavy and difficult to bear, but soon, as they continued to carry the burden and to fold the wings over their hearts, the wings grew attached to their little bodies. They quickly discovered how to use them and were lifted by the wings high into the air. The weights had become wings.

This is a parable for us. We are the wingless birds, and our duties and tasks are the wings God uses to lift us up and carry us heavenward. We look at our burdens and heavy loads, and try to run from them, but if we will carry them and tie them to our hearts, they will become wings. And on them we can then rise and soar toward God.

The heavy burdens when lifted cheerfully with love in our hearts will surely become a blessing to us. God intends for our tasks to be our helpers; to refuse to bend our shoulders to carry a load is to miss the new opportunity for growth. No matter how overwhelming, any burden God has lovingly placed with His own hands on our shoulders is a blessing.

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ATTITUDE

Once there was an old and very wise man. Every day he would sit outside a gas station in his rocking chair and wait to greet motorists as they passed through his small town. On this day, his granddaughter knelt down at the foot of his chair and slowly passed the time with him.

As they sat and watched the people come and go, a tall man who surely had to be a tourist -- since they knew everyone in the town -- began looking around as if he were checking out the area for a place to live.

The stranger walked up and asked,"So what kind of town is this that we're in?"
The older gentleman slowly turned to the man and replied," Well, what kind of town are you from?"
The tourist said,"In the town I'm from everyone is very critical of each other. The neighbours all gossip about everyone, and it's a real negative place to live. I'm sure glad to be leaving. It is not a very cheerful place. "
The man in the chair looked at the stranger and said," You know, that's just how this town is."

An hour or so later a family that was also passing through stopped for gas. The car slowly turned in and rolled to a stop in front of where the older gentleman and his granddaughter were sitting. The mother jumped out with two small children and asked where the restrooms were. The man in the chair pointed to a small, bent-up sign that was barely hanging by one nail on the side of the door.

The father stepped out of the car and also asked the man,"Is this town a pretty good place to live?"
The man in the chair replied," What about the town you are from? How is it?"
The father looked at him and said,"Well, in the town I'm from everyone is very close and always willing to lend their neighbour a helping hand. There's always a hello and thank you everywhere you go. I really hate to leave. I feel almost like we are leaving family. "

The older gentlemen turned to the father and gave him a warm smile.
"You know, that's a lot like this small town."

Then the family returned to the car, said their thank yous, waved goodbye and drove away.
After the family was in the distance, the granddaughter looked up at her grandfather and asked,"Grandpa, how come when the first man came into our town you told him it was a terrible place to live and when the family came in to town you told them it was a wonderful place to live? "

The grandfather lovingly looked down at this granddaughter's wondering blue eyes and said,"No matter where you move, you take your own attitude with you and that's what makes it terrible or wonderful. "

It's your attitude, not your aptitude that determines your altitude. Happiness is not something you find, it's something you create.

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QUOTE,

"The person who gets the farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from shore."

Dale Carnegie

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20 Tips for a Positive New Year!

1. Take a 10-30 minute "Thank you" walk every day. While you walk practice
gratitude. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. Buy a TIVO, tape your late night shows and get more sleep - it's the
ultimate energizer.

4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement: My
purpose is to___________ today.

5. Live with the 3 E's. Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.

6. Read more books than you did in 2007.

7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, qigong and prayer.
They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

8. Do the "one thing" you have always wanted to do.

9. Dream more while you are awake.

10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less foods that
are manufactured in plants.

11. Mentor someone and be mentored by someone.

12. Engage in daily random acts of kindness.

13. Clear your clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new
and flowing positive energy into your life.

14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the
past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your
energy in the positive present moment.

15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply
part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the
lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid
with a maxed out charge card.

17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.

18. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:

I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished____________.

19. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

20. Enjoy the ride. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it
and enjoy it.

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HENRY FORD

If money is your hope for independence you will
never have it. The only real security that a man
will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge,
experience, and ability.

--Henry Ford

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Blossom Like A Flower.

The realization of happiness happens only after experience of pain.

If we desire to blossom like a flower in the garden of life,
Then we must learn the art of adjusting our life with the thorns!

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DESIRE.

If the things you desire are only for yourself, then what you accomplish will be empty and unfulfilling. Desire turned inward is nothing but greed, and will bring you nothing worth having. The greediest people are not those who desire too much. The greediest people are those who desire too little, who desire only for their own narrow, limited concerns.

The more outwardly your desires are focused, the more fulfilling will the fruits of those desires be. What you desire for the world beyond you, for all of life itself, will bring the most lasting, fulfilling rewards.

The person who solves his own small problems will receive some real value from his efforts. Yet when that person can make the same innovation available to others, the value that can be created is virtually unlimited.

Desire can be a powerful force, so be sure to point it in a positive direction. The more your desire is focused beyond your own concerns, the further it will take you and your world.

~

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LIFE IS PRECIOUS.

Jack took a long look at his speedometer before slowing down: 73 in a 55 zone. Fourth time in as many months. How could a guy get caught so Often?

When his car had slowed to 10 miles an hour, Jack pulled over, but only partially. Let the cop worry about the potential traffic hazard.

Maybe some other car will tweak his backside with a mirror. The cop was stepping out of his car, the big pad in hand.

Bob? Bob from Church? Jack sunk farther into his trench coat.

This was worse than the coming ticket. A cop catching a guy from his own

Church. A guy who happened to be a little eager to get home after a long day

At the office. A guy he was about to play golf with tomorrow.

Jumping out of the car, he approached a man he saw every Sunday,

A man he'd never seen in uniform.

"Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this."

"Hello, Jack." No smile.

"Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to see my wife and

Kids."

"Yeah, I guess." Bob seemed uncertain. Good.

"I've seen some long days at the office lately. I'm afraid I bent the rules a bit -just this once."

Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement. "Diane said something about roast beef and potatoes tonight. Know what I mean?" "I know what you mean. I also know that you have a reputation in our precinct ." Ouch. This Was not going in the right direction. Time to change tactics.

"What'd you clock me at?"

"Seventy. Would you sit back in your car please?"

"Now wait a minute here, Bob. I checked as soon as I saw you. I was barely nudging 65." The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket.

"Please, Jack, in the car"

Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door.

Slamming it shut, he stared at the dashboard. He was in no rush to open the

Window.

The minutes ticked by. Bob scribbled away on the pad.

Why hadn't he asked for a driver's license?

Whatever the reason, it would be a month of Sundays before Jack ever sat near this cop again. A tap on the door jerked his head to the left.

There was Bob, a folded paper in hand Jack rolled down the window a mere two

Inches, just enough room for Bob to pass him the slip.

"Thanks." Jack could not quite keep the sneer out of his voice.

Bob returned to his police car without a word. Jack watched his retreat in the mirror. Jack unfolded the sheet of paper. How much was this

One going to cost?

Wait a minute. What was this? Some kind of joke?

Certainly not a ticket. Jack began to read:

"Dear Jack, Once upon a time I had a daughter. She was six when killed by a car. You guessed it- a speeding driver. A fine and three months in jail, and the man was free. Free to hug his daughters, all three of them.

I only had one, and I'm going to have to wait until Heaven before I can ever

Hug her again.

A thousand times I've tried to forgive that man. A thousand times I thought I had. Maybe I did, but I need to do it again. Even now.

Pray for me. And be careful, Jack, my son is all I have left."

"Bob"

Jack turned around in time to see Bob's car pull away and head

Down the road. Jack watched until it disappeared. A full 15 minutes later, he too, pulled away and drove slowly home, praying for forgiveness and

Hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived.

Life is precious. Handle with care. This is an important message; please pass it along to your friends. Drive safely and carefully.

Remember, cars are not the only things recalled by their maker.

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A Rebellious Little Bird.

There was once a little bird who decided to rebel against tradition, and when it came time to fly south for the winter, he decided to stay behind. All the other birds flew south for the warmer weather, leaving the rebellious one alone.

Of course, it wasn't long before the little bird discovered he had made a terrible mistake. Winter set in and it became very cold. So, he decided that he had better take off and fly south like his friends.

He started flying, but didn't get very far before the cold north wind began to freeze his wings, and he went plummeting down, down, down ... He fell straight down from the sky, through an open hole in the rooftop of a nearby barn, and directly into a fresh pile of cow dung.

Well, the warmth thawed out his wings, and soon he was feeling fine again. But, as his little head popped out from the smelly dung, along came a cat who plucked him up and ate him.

Whenever you end up in a pile of DoDo it may not necessarily be a bad thing, and everyone that comes to pull you out of your DoDo may not necessarily be a good thing.

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YOUR TALENT.

There was a man played piano in a bar. He was a good piano player. People came out just to hear him play. But one night, a patron told him he didn't want to hear him just play anymore. He wanted him to sing a song. The man said, "I don't sing."

But the customer was persistent. He told the bartender, "I'm tired of listening to the piano. I want that guy to sing!" The bartender shouted across the room, "Hey buddy! If you want to get paid, sing a song. The patrons are asking you to sing!" So he did. He sang a song. A piano player who had never sung in public did so for the very first time. And nobody had ever heard the song Mona, Mona Lisa sung the way it was sung that night by Nat King Cole!

He had talent he was sitting on! He may have lived the rest of his life as a no-name piano player in a no-name bar, but because he had to sing, he went on to become one of the best-known entertainers in America.

You, too, have skills and abilities. You may not feel as if your "talent" is particularly great, but it may be better than you think! And with persistence, most skills can be improved. Besides, you may as well have no ability at all if you sit on whatever talent you possess!

The moral of the story is : It is not "What ability do I have that is useful?" ; But - It is rather "How will I use whatever ability I have?"

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QUOTES OF THE WEEK.

"Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to divine a purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know - that man is here for the sake of other men."
--Albert Einstein

"When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bounds. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be."
--Pantanjali

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HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008.

May the way that lies ahead be lit with sunny gleams and prove to be the road to
fulfillment of your dreams.

May it lead you to the place where lost hopes are restored, where love is true and
life is good and faith has its reward.

May the year ahead be the year for you.

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