NOTE: Emerson takes away all excuses. It’s up to us to decide who we want to be. There is a huge difference in choosing between what I want to be and who I want to be. What I want to be is a choice of careers. We pursue the what. Often in pursuit of the what our what changes. Who I want to be refers to something much deeper and intrinsic to our being. Only those close to us and our self know the who I am. Other people see us in terms of what I am. Do I choose to listen to the voices demanding I become more of what I am? Or, do I listen to the internal voice that says, “Who are you? And, who are you becoming?” Take time to reflect on those questions. What would those who are closest to you say?
NOTE: Every person I’ve known has experienced dark nights. The darkness, at times, can seem to be devoid of any semblance of light. We wander through the darkness with our arms outstretched trying to find our way through. Suddenly, a flicker of light instills in us a great hope that the darkness will end. Where does the flicker of light come from? It comes from each of us when we become aware of a friend, a family member or another walking in the darkness. Each of us has the power to be a new dawn in someone’s life. We can make the day brighter. I am grateful for those who gave me sparks of light during my dark night journies.
Joe: “My girlfriend took driver license test and got 8 out 10.”
Pete: “That’s great. What did she miss?”
Joe: “The two guys on the sidewalk.”
Eating sugary pastries can contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes through several mechanisms:
It’s important to note that while eating sugary pastries can increase the risk, type 2 diabetes is a complex condition influenced by a variety of factors, including genetics, lifestyle, and overall diet. Moderation and a balanced diet, alongside regular physical activity, are key in reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
When Christmas bells are swinging above the fields of snow,
We hear sweet voices ringing from lands of long ago.
And etched on vacant places,
Are half forgotten faces
Of friends we used to cherish, and loves we used to know –
When Christmas bells are swinging above the fields of snow.
Uprising from the ocean of the present surging near,
We see, with strange emotion that is not free from fear,
That continent Elysian
Long vanished from our vision,
Youth’s lovely lost Atlantis, so mourned for and so dear,
Uprising from the ocean of the present surging near.
When gloomy gray Decembers are roused to Christmas mirth,
The dullest life remembers there once was joy on earth,
And draws from youth’s recesses
Some memory it possesses,
And, gazing through the lens of time, exaggerates its worth,
When gloomy gray December is roused to Christmas mirth.
When hanging up the holly or mistletoe, I wis
Each heart recalls some folly that lit the world with bliss.
Not all the seers and sages
With wisdom of the ages
Can give the mind such pleasure as memories of that kiss
When hanging up the holly or mistletoe, I wis.
For life was made for loving, and love alone repays,
As passing years are proving for all of Time’s sad ways.
There lies a sting in pleasure,
And fame gives shallow measure,
And wealth is but a phantom that mocks the restless days,
For life was made for loving, and only loving pays.
When Christmas bells are pelting the air with silver chimes,
And silences are melting to soft, melodious rhymes,
Let Love, the worlds beginning,
End fear and hate and sinning;
Let Love, the God Eternal, be worshipped in all climes
When Christmas bells are pelting the air with silver chimes.
“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
NOTE: The beauty of life is all around us. Each evening after dinner I head out for a walk just as the sun is setting. The sunsets are strikingly beautiful. Each one is different. Each one fills me with awe. By the time I return home the evening stars are making their appearance. I don’t look down, I look up. My heart takes the photos my iPhone is not capable of taking. Become one with the beauty surrounding you. It makes a difference.
Joe: “My friend Jack is really obese, you should see his driver’s license.”
Pete: “What’s so special about his driver’s license?”
Joe: “His driver license photo is continued on the other side.”
