Love, Strength & Courage

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. ~ Lao Tzu

I don't know why I like this quote. There is something truthful about the words. I wonder if it is the same for men as it is for women. I know when I think about it, women tend to give men their strength. If it wasn't for women, I don't think men would ever do anything. I think they would sit around and do as little as possible. When women (or anyone you might care for) comes into the picture, then men want to do things for her. The man wants to give her everything he possibly can. It takes courage to do that.

When that same person loves you back, that just makes you want to do more. It becomes a cycle. She loves you. That gives you the courage to do the things that will make you successful. Loving her in return makes you strong enough to continue to do the things that make him and her successful. The cycle continues as long as they continue to love each other.

So here is what I suggest that you do. Take the time to find someone who you can love. Allow that love to give you the strength you need to build your life. When she loves you back, that will give you the courage to continue to do the things you need to do to continue to grow your life together. It will take that courage to have kids and to be the parents you want to be.

Strength, Courage and Love. Those are a fantastic combination.

Make Yourself Happy

"Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response." ~ Mildred Barthel

Have you ever thought about this? You may laugh at a joke, you may find things around you, but you choose to laugh. You have a choice to laugh. You may think that you don't, but if you put your mind to it, you can force yourself to keep a strait face instead of laughing.

The exact opposite is true as well. While you are sitting there in your seat in front of your computer or your smartphone or even your tablet reader, just start laughing. You can laugh for no reason. When you start laughing, you will find that funny and that will make you laugh. Try it. I Dare You. The laughing will make you feel good. There is something in your body, a hormone or something that is released when you laugh that makes you happy. So just laugh. Laugh when you are in your car and you just had a rough drive to work. If you laugh yourself into a good mood before you walk into the building, you will have a better day than if you walked in with the sourness from the guy who cut you off.

If you think you are a naturally pessimistic person, I am here to tell you, that is a choice you have made. Change that choice. Whenever you catch yourself being pessimistic, change your thinking. If you need to, start laughing. The people around you will wonder what happened to you.

Time to Get Even

The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you. ~John E. Southard

Can you imagine if everyone lived by this quote? No one tried to get even for the negative things that have happened in life. Instead, people were more interested in burning their energy trying to do good things for the people who have done good to them. The world would be such a nice place to live.

This quote reminds me of the movie called "Pay It Forward" The story is about a boy who has discovered the powers of multiplicity. He finds that if one person does something nice for three people without any need for repayment, and tells them to each help three people in the same way, those three people will be helping nine people. Then nine people will be helping 27 people. Then 27 people will be helping 81 people. Then 81 people will be helping 243 people and so on. That number gets large very quickly.

The world would be such a nice place to live if everyone was in the mindset that we were working for the greater good of everyone else. If we could all live in homes that were built and maintained by the other people in the city. We all have something to strive for, to make each others' lives more comfortable.I can see a world that looks more like Earth in the TV series "Star Trek: The Next Generation." The people on Earth are more interested in exploring the galaxy and the universe than they are about gaining wealth. We are working for the general good, creating things that will help everyone. Today, I want you to go out and do something for someone else. Think of a way to help someone else without them knowing who did it for them. Go pay someone's light bill, or go buy some groceries and leave them on the doorstep of someone who you know is having a hard time making ends meet. Mow someone else's yard for them. Pay the toll for the car behind you. Just do something nice without needing anything in return.