‘To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.

• 1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

• 2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

• 3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

• 4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

• 5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

• 6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree todisagree.

• 7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than cryingalone.

• 8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

• 9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

• 10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

• 11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

• 12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

• 13. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have noidea what their journeyis all about.

• 14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’tbe in it.

• 15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. Butdon’t worry; Godnever blinks.

• 16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busyliving, or get busydying.

• 17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

• 18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

• 19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one isup to you and no one else.

• 20. When it comes to going after what you love in life,don’t take no for ananswer.

• 21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancylingerie. Don’tsave it for a special occasion. Today is special.

• 22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

• 23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wearpurple.

• 24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

• 25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

• 26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ‘In five years, will this matter?’

• 27. Always choose life.

• 28. Forgive everyone, everything.

• 29. What other people think of you is none of yourbusiness.

• 30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.

• 31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

• 32. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will.Stay in touch.

• 33. Believe in miracles.

• 34. God loves you because of who God is, not because ofanything you did ordidn’t do.

• 35. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make youstronger.

• 36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.

• 37. Your children get only one childhood. Make itmemorable.

• 38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

• 39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waitingeverywhere.

• 40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyoneelse’s, we’dgrab ours back.

• 41. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of itnow.

• 42. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful orjoyful.

• 43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

• 44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

• 45. The best is yet to come.

• 46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

• 47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

• 48. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

• 49. Yield.

• 50. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still agift.

Lessons in Life By Regina Brett

Long ago in a small, far away village, there was a place known as the House of 1000 Mirrors. A small, happy little dog learned of this place and decided to visit. When he arrived, he bounced happily up the stairs to the doorway of the house. He looked through the doorway with his ears lifted high and his tail wagging as fast as it could. To his great surprise, he found himself staring at 1000 other happy little dogs with their tails wagging just as fast as his. He smiled a great smile, and was answered with 1000 great smiles just as warm and friendly. As he left the house, he thought to himself, “This is a wonderful place. I will come back and visit it often.”

In this same village, another little dog, who was not quite as happy as the first one, decided to visit the house. He slowly climbed the stairs and hung his head low as he looked into the door. When he saw the 1000 unfriendly looking dogs staring back at him, he growled at them and was horrified to see 1000 little dogs growling back at him. As he left, he thought to himself, “That is a horrible place, and I will never go back there again.”

All the faces in the world are mirrors. What kind of reflections do you see in the faces of the people you meet?

Japanese Folktale

 ”I didn’t say it was your fault.  I said, I’m going to blame you.”  ~ Mel Wayne

I am here to chew gum and chew butt and I just ran out of gum.  (Jackie Jump’s dad says this one)

T4D subscriber Joan Smetters left this quote as a comment on the T4D blogsite…. just 5 words…. absolutely brilliant! 

“What you permit, you promote.”

Being overwhelmed is often as unproductive as doing nothing…

Lack of time is actually lack of priorities.

The quotes keep coming!  Here are some more from you guys… a couple of these really got me smiling.  ~ Kirk 

Quote from a worker in a government bureaucracy: “The secrecy of my job prevents me from knowing what I am doing”  ~-shared by Marlin Sharp

Everything is OK in the end.  If it’s not OK, it’s not the end! Dr. Paul

“An Individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity” Martin Luther King Jr

If a job is once begun, never stop until it’s done.  Be the labor, great or small, do it right or not at all.  (unsure of original origin)

From the more cynical side someone shared these….

You can do anything you set your mind to when you have vision, determination, and an endless supply of expendable labor.

Every dark cloud has a silver lining, but lightning kills hundreds of people each year who are trying to find it.

It takes 43 muscles to frown and 17 to smile, but it doesn’t take any to just sit there with a dumb look on your face.  (Hey I know some people who specialize in this look)

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everybody else.

When you earnestly believe you can compensate for a lack of skill by doubling your efforts, there’s no end to what you can’t do.

It’s amazing how much easier it is for a team to work together when no one has any idea where they’re going.

Let’s agree to respect each other’s views, no matter how wrong yours may be.

The secret to success is knowing who to blame for your failures.

That which does not kill me postpones the inevitable.

So many of you responded with your favorite quotes and thoughts on Attitude yesterday - and while I may have missed a few -below I have gathered most of them.  WOW there are some great ones in the bunch.  Thank you for sharing them with me, and with each other.  ~ Kirk

“Positive attitudes come in unlimited quantities. Everybody can have one free!” — Harvey Mackay

I wondered why somebody didn’t do something…. then I realized that  I am somebody.

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. - Maya Angelou

I like the one from your uncle Bob!…..When someone asked him how he’s doing, he would respond: “If I was any better, I’d be twins!”….When I say that, most people I know well look down, and then they look at me curiously….as if to say: we couldn’t handle two Bob’s…..LOL

“If a picture is worth a thousand words, then an action is worth a thousand pictures.”  - Chuck Schymanski

What I lack in experience, I make up for with enthusiasm.

Don’t be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so.   ~Belva Davis

Shared laughter creates a bond of friendships. When people laugh together,  they cease to be young and old, teacher and pupils, worker and boss.  They become a single group of human beings. ~W. Lee Grant

“It’s the set of the sail, not the blow of the gale that determines your course in life.” — Randy Davis

“Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.” — Maori Proverb

“Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire”Reggie Leach

“People are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they there-fore remain bound.” James Allen

“Don’t be afraid to take a big step when one is indicated. You can’t cross a chasm in two small steps.”  David Loyd George

“Some people say motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing; that’s why we recommend it daily.”  (this is why I started doing the T4D and why I continue to do it today!)

Being happy doesn’t mean everything is perfect - it just means that you choose to see beyond the imperfection. (Not sure who said it)

In climbing the latter of success, near reaching the top.  I realized It was leaned against the wrong wall.  — Joseph Campbell

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.  ~Herm Albright

Misery is optional!!

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”  ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The minute you start thinking connections are more important to advancement than brains, positive energy, and hard work, you are signing up for a bad attitude.” ~Jack and Suzy Welch

Those who say it can’t be done are usually interrupted by others doing it. - James Baldwin

Page 76 of Beyond Illusions  by Brad Barton “Life is supposed to be hard.   That’s why we are here - to experience and grow and learn and appreciate how wonderful it all is.”   Quote from the author’s 16 year old brother will, who after an accident at age 16 become a quadriplegic.  Years later said this while attending the funeral of a young family friend.

Attitude is the paintbrush with which we color our world.  ~ Anonymous

Don’t bother about genius. Don’t worry about being clever. Trust to hard work, perseverance and determination.  ~– Sir Frederick Treves (1853-1923) English Surgeon

“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe.” ~Anatole France

‘Being proactive’ may be the single most important habit change that you’ll ever achieve. By being proactive you take control, you choose what you life is about. Life is not “happening” to you anymore.- Stephen R. Covey.

 What is your favorite quote about attitude?  You can post it at www.kirkweisler.com/t4d

Whatever is expressed is impressed. Whatever you say to yourself, with emotion, generates thoughts, ideas and behaviors consistent with those words Brian Tracy

* There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. William Shakespeare

* Optimism means expecting the best, but confidence means knowing how to handle the worst. Never make a move if you are merely optimistic. The Zurich Axioms

* Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact. William James

* The real voyage of discovery consists not in making new landscapes but in having new eyes. Marcel Proust

* Begin with praise and honest appreciation. Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly. Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person. Ask questions instead of giving direct orders…Make the fault easy to correct. Make the other person happy about doing what you suggest. Dale Carnegie

* The remarkable thing we have is a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. Charles Swindoll

* Whether you think you can or think you can’t - you are right. Henry Ford

* Mental attitude is more important than mental capacity. Walter Dill Scott

Make your day a great one…and you’ll make others days greater as well. ~ Kirk

A couple weeks ago Phil Gerbyshak, friend and SUPERBLOGGER recommended a book that I want to pass along to you.

Phil writes…. “One of the most impactful books I’ve read in a while is Jon Gordon’s The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work. It’s impactful because it offers practical tips on how you can shake yourself and your team free from the negativity that grips you. Try as I might to always remain positive, I still need a booster shot now and then. This book offered more than 1 booster shot, and I can’t recommend it for you and your team strongly enough.

Gordon writes this book in a fable form, so it’s not completely factual, but it is based on an actual company that implemented this rule. Because the book is written in fable form, it is incredibly easy to read and understand. It’s also incredibly practical and easy to relate to.

My favorite part of the book is the 5 things that we can do instead of complaining.

The 5 things you can do instead of complain:

1) Practice Gratitude
2) Praise Others
3) Focus on Success
4) Let Go
5) Pray and Meditate.

Jon offers this tool, and many more including fun videos to introduce your team to this book, at CLICK HERE!

Thanks Phil….well said!!  Now let’s read what Jon has to say….

With the mortgage meltdown, floods in the Midwest, $4 a gallon for gas, food prices, the economy, famine, war in Iraq, etc., many would agree that there is a lot of negativity in the world and certainly a lot to complain about.

And yet, while traveling the country this past month, ironically for the No Complaining Rule Tour, I met a number of people who inspired me with the positive ways they were dealing with the negativity in their life. In spite of their circumstances they chose to view their situation with a positive perspective. which so often makes all the difference. Since we all could benefit from their example, here are 5 positive ways to deal with negativity.

1. Find the Gift - Richard Bach said every problem has a gift for you in its hands. One woman came up to me and said that because of the cost of gas her family is driving less and as a result they are spending more time at home and having dinner together more often. She said this “negative” situation has been very “positive” for her family. Another person said he is taking the bus to work instead of driving and as a result he has met a lot of interesting people.

2. Look at the Bright Side - One gentlemen joked that because of the cost of gas he now has a great excuse to not drive and see his negative relatives.

3. Zoom Focus - It doesn’t matter what the pundits say on television. It doesn’t matter what Joe and Sally in your office are doing. It doesn’t matter who is playing office politics. All that matters is what you do every day to grow yourself and your business. Focus on being positive and taking positive action every day. Be like the real estate agent who told me that he doesn’t focus on what the news and newspapers say. He focuses on what he can do every day to be successful. He focuses on marketing his business, taking care of his clients, and building loyal relationships. What things do you need to Zoom Focus on?

4. Focus on the Opportunity Not the Challenge - Behind every innovation and solution is a story about someone who said there has to be a better way. I bet Henry Ford was walking behind a horse when he had the idea for his automobile.  History shows us that a lot of people and a lot of companies make a lot of money during recessions. The key is to find the opportunity. Where is the market heading? What do people want and need? What will they want in the future? Now is a great time to build a positive team with great talent. Now is the time to gain market share while so many give up. Now is a
great time to determine who is on your bus and who is off your bus. Now is the time to be indispensable to your company and demonstrate how valuable you are.

5. Be a Positive Influence on Others - I received an email from Ruthanne in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She wrote:

“As you are probably aware, we were recently hit with a 500 year flood. My neighborhood was impacted the worst and most of our homes, mine included, are a total loss. People tell me I have been the most positive person they know who was directly impacted by the flood. I don’t have a lot of time today (first day back at work in 2 wks) to tell you all the positive things that have been going on in our city and in my life, but I will be writing an article when this is all over with. I did want to say though that I have not complained throughout all the devastating catastrophe because of the knowledge I learned both from your seminar, books and newsletters.”

Ruthanne could have chosen to wallow in self pity and negativity but instead she chose to deal with her negative situation by being a positive influence on others. Think about how many people she is positively impacting in her community. Now think about the positive influence you can have on people at work, in your community and at home.

Every day simply ask yourself “How can I be a positive influence where I am, right now?”

Stay Positive!

-Jon

Author Bio
Jon Gordon is a speaker, consultant, and author of the international bestseller The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Lift, Work, and Team with Positive Energy, which has inspired readers the world over. He and his books have been featured on CNN and on NBC’s Today show, and in Forbes, Fast Company, O: The Oprah Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times. Clients such as the Jacksonville Jaguars. the PGA Tour, Northwestern Mutual, JPMorgan Chase, and Publix Supermarkets also call all Jon to get their team “on the bus” and moving in the right direction. Jon also impacts
thousands of teachers and students each year through his work with schools, universities, and nonprofit organizations. He is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a master’s degree in teaching from Emory University. He lives in northeast Florida with his wife and two high-energy children.

For more information about Jon, please visit http://www.jongordon.com/ or http://www.nocomplainingrule.com/.

(thank you Robert Thompson for this great little story)

Sir Edmund Hillary was the first man to climb Mount Everest. On May 29, 1953 he scaled the highest mountain then known to man-29,000 feet straight up. He was knighted for his efforts.  He even made American Express card commercials because of it! However, until you read his book, High Adventure, you don’t understand that Hillary had to grow into this success.

You see, in 1952 he attempted to climb Mount Everest, but failed. A few weeks later a group in England asked him to address its members. Hillary walked on stage to a thunderous applause. The audience was recognizing an attempt at greatness, but Edmund Hillary saw himself as a failure. He moved away from the microphone and walked to the edge of the platform.

He made a fist and pointed at a picture of the mountain. He said in a loud voice, “Mount Everest, you beat me the first time, but I’ll beat you the next time because you’ve grown all you are going to grow… but I’m still growing!”

Are you still growing?

Dan sends this link to some fun videos indicating a potential need for conitnued growth in the LA  publich schools.  :) 

http://littlebylittlechange.blogspot.com/