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Inspire Me (November 2003)True stories, quotes and information on inspiration, leadership and kindness to provide hope and direction in your life.
Thoughts
for the Month Don't spend major time with minor people. If there are people in your life who continually disappoint you, break promises, stomp on your dreams, are too judgmental, have different values and don't have your back during difficult times...that is not friendship. To have a friend, be a friend. Sometimes in life as you grow, your friends will either grow or go. Surround yourself with people who reflect values, goals interests and lifestyles. When I think of any of my successes, I am thankful to God from whom all blessings flow, and to my family and friends who enrich my life. Over the years my phone book has changed because I changed, for the better. At first, you think you're going to be alone, but after awhile, new people show up in your life that make it so much sweeter and easier to endure. Remember
what your elders used to say, "Birds of a feather flock together. If you're
an eagle, don't hang around chickens: Chickens can't fly!” "Search
for the things that you are good at. Work at them until you are the BEST. You
are guaranteed to succeed." "Do
not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." "What
would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail?" Success
usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it." "Success
is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out." "Success
is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what
you are doing, you will be successful." "Do
a little more each day than you think you possibly can." "Count
your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going
for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play,
and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you
with grace, strength, courage, and confidence." "Reflect
upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes
of which all men have some." "Nine-tenths
of wisdom is appreciation. Go find somebody's hand and squeeze it... while there
is still time." "Once
we discover how to appreciate the timeless values in our daily experiences, we
can enjoy the best things in life." "Cherish
your human connections: your relationships with friends and family." Positive
Press for the Month Remember in high school how the athletes, the geeks, and all the other cliques hung out in separate groups, while the special Ed kids were pretty much ignored, or worse? Well, not at these high schools: In completely different places and circumstances, and with the help of other students, two 19 year old seniors with Down Syndrome have their moment in the sun. Matt
Louden likes to dance, and he’ll be the king of swing at homecoming with
four cheerleaders and 4 other dates. He’s also quite popular among the football
players. The
Seattle Times Story And
in Houston, with a little help from her sister, Shannon Jones achieves her dream
of becoming homecoming queen. The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being. She said, "Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?" I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave me a giant squeeze. "Why
are you in college at such a young, innocent age? "I asked. She jokingly
replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, have a couple of
kids.." After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine" as she shared her wisdom and experience with me. Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up. At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, "I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know." As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, "We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it! There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets." She concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose." She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be. REMEMBER,
GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL. The
Rose by Bette Midler Some say love , it is a razor that leaves your soul to bleed. Some say love , it is a hunger, an endless aching need. I say love , it is a flower , and you it's only seed. It's the heart , afraid of breaking , that never learns to dance. It's the dream , afraid of waking , that never takes a chance. It's the one who won't be taken , who cannot seem to give. And the soul , afraid of dyin' , that never learns to live. When the night has been too lonely, and the road has been too long, And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong, Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows, Lies
the seed, that with the sun's love, in the spring becomes The
In Phoenix, Arizona, a 26-year-old mother stared down at her 6 year old son, who was dying of terminal leukemia. Although her heart was filled with sadness, she also had a strong feeling of determination. Like any parent, she wanted her son to grow up and fulfill all his dreams. Now that was no longer possible. The leukemia would see to that. But she still wanted her son's dreams to come true. She took her son's hand and asked, "Billy, did you ever think about what you wanted to be once you grew up? Did you ever dream and wish what you would do with your life?" Mommy, "I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up." Mom smiled back and said, "Let's see if we can make your wish come true." Later that day she went to her local fire department in Phoenix, Arizona, where she met Fireman Bob, who had a heart as big as Phoenix. She explained her son's final wish and asked if it might be possible to give her six-year-old son a ride around the block on a fire engine. Fireman Bob said, "Look, we can do better than that. If you'll have your son ready at seven o'clock Wednesday morning, we'll make him an honorary fireman for the whole day. He can come down to the fire station, eat with us, go out on all the fire calls, the whole nine yards! And if you'll give us his sizes, we'll get a real fire uniform for him, with a real fire hat-not a toy one-with the emblem of the Phoenix Fire Department on it, a yellow slicker like we wear and rubber boots. They're all manufactured right here in Phoenix, so we can get them fast" Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Billy, dressed him in his fire uniform and escorted him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and ladder truck. Billy got to sit on the back of the truck and help steer it back to the fire station. He was in heaven. There were three fire calls in Phoenix that day and Billy got to go out on all three calls. He rode in the different fire engines, the paramedic's van, and even the fire chief's car. He was also videotaped for the local news program. Having his dream come true, with all the love and attention that was lavished upon him, so deeply touched Billy that he lived three months longer than any doctor thought possible. One night all of his vital signs began to drop dramatically and the head nurse, who believed in the hospice concept that no one should die alone, began to call the family members to the hospital. Then she remembered the day Billy had spent as a fireman, so she called the Fire Chief and asked if it would be possible to send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Billy as he made his transition. The chief replied, "We can do better than that. We'll be there in five minutes. Will you please do me a favor? When you hear the sirens screaming and see the lights flashing,will you announce over the PA system that there is not a fire? It's just the fire department coming to see one of its finest members one more time. And will you open the window to his room?" About five minutes later a hook and ladder truck arrived at the hospital and extended its ladder up to Billy's third floor open window. 16 firefighters climbed up the ladder into Billy's room. With his mother's permission, they hugged him and held him and told him how much they loved him. With his dying breath, Billy looked up at the fire chief and said,"Chief, am I really a fireman now?" "Yes Billy, you are, the chief said. With
those words, Billy smiled and closed his eyes one last time. |
