Items I have received or found that may be inspiring in some way.

Two Wolves
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all.
One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."
The grandson thought about the situation for a minute...
He then asked his grandfather,
"Which wolf wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied,
"The one you feed."


If you find yourself in a hole. Stop digging.

If you're riding' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there

Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier'n puttin' it back.
 

  PRICELESS Gifts to give for FREE

1. The gift of listening...
Try giving this to someone in need.  And you must really listen.  No
interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your responses.  Just listen
 
2. The gift of signs of affection...
Be generous with your hugs, kisses and gentle squeezes of the hand.  Let these
tiny actions demonstrate the love inside of you.
 
3. The gift of a note...
It can be as simple as "I Love You" or as creative as a sonnet.  Put your
notes where they will surprise your loved ones.
 
4.  The gift of laughter...
Just cut out a cartoon, save a clever article.  Your gift will say, "I love to
laugh with you."
 
5.  The gift of compliment...
A simple "You look good in blue" or "Good supper" can be of greatest value to
those who may feel they are being taken for granted.
 
6.  The gift of a favor...
Help with the dishes, run an errand, etc.
 
7.  The gift of leaving alone...
There are times in our lives when we want nothing better than to be left
alone.  Become more sensitive to those times and give solitude.
 
8.  The gift of a cheerful disposition...
Try to be cheerful around those you love.
 
9.  The gift of a game...
Offer to play your loved one's favorite game.  Even if you lose, you'll be a
winner.
 
10.  The gift of prayer...
Pray for your loved ones and let them know you pray for them.
 

 > One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried
> piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally
> he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway,
> it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his
> neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began
> to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was
> happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted
> down. A few shovel loads
> later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what
> he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing
> something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the
> farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would
> shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the
> donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!
>
> Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to
> getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our
> troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by
> not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!

A Special Day

A friend of mine opened his wife's underwear drawer and picked up a
 silk paper wrapped package:
 "This, - he said - isn't any ordinary package."
 He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box.
 "She got this the first time we went to New York, 8 or 9 years ago.
 She has never put it on. Was saving it for a special occasion.
 Well, I guess this is it. He got near the bed and placed the gift
 box next to the other clothing he was taking to the funeral house, his
 wife had just died. He turned to me and said:
 
 "Never save something for a special occasion. Every day in your life
 is a special occasion".
 I still think those words changed my life.
 Now I read more and clean less.
 I sit on the porch without worrying about anything.
 I spend more time with my family, and less at work.
 I understood that life should be a source of experience to be lived
 up to, not survived through. I no longer keep anything. I use crystal
 glasses every day. I'll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if I
 feel like it.
 I don't save my special perfume for special occasions, I use it
 whenever I want to. The words "Someday..." and "One Day..." are fading
 away from my dictionary. If it's worth seeing, listening or doing, I want
 to see, listen or do it now. I don't know what my friend's wife would have
 done if she knew she wouldn't be there the next morning, this nobody can
 tell. I think she might have called her relatives and closest friends.
 She might call old friends to make peace over past quarrels. I'd
 like to think she would go out for Chinese, her favorite food. It's these
 small things that I would regret not doing, if I knew my time had come.
 I would regret it, because I would no longer see the friends I would
 meet, letters... letters that I wanted to write "One of this days".
 I would regret and feel sad, because I didn't say to my brothers and
 sons, not times enough at least, how much I love them.
 Now, I try not to delay, postpone or keep anything that could bring
 laughter and joy into our lives.
 And, on each morning, I say to myself that this could be a special day.
 Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.
 If you got this, it's because someone cares for you and because,
 probably, there's someone you care about.
 If you're too busy to send this out to other people and you say to
 yourself that you will send it "One of these days", remember that "One
 day" is far away... or might never come...
 

 I am thankful for.....
 

The spouse who hogs the covers every night, because
he/she is not out with someone else.

 The teenager who is not doing dishes but is watching TV, because that means he/she is at home and not on the streets.

 For the taxes that I pay, because it means that I am employed.

 For the mess to clean after a party, because it means that I have been surrounded by friends.

 For the clothes that fit a little too snug, because it means I have
enough to eat.

 For my shadow that watches me work, because it means I am out in the sunshine.

 For a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need
cleaning, and gutters that need fixing, because it means I have a home.

For all the complaining I hear about the government,
because it means that we have freedom of speech.

For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot, because it means I am capable of walking and that I have been blessed with transportation.

For my huge heating bill, because it means I am
warm.

For the lady behind me in church that sings off key,
because it means that I can hear.

For the pile of laundry and ironing, because it
means I have clothes
to wear.

For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the
day, because it
means I have been capable of working hard.

For the alarm that goes of in the early morning
hours, because it means that I am alive.

> WHY WE GET SO MANY EMAILS FORWARDED TO US:
>
> A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was
> enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that
> he was dead. He remembered dying, and that the dog walking
> beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the
> road was leading them.
>
> After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along
> one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top
> of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in
> the sunlight. When he was standing before it, he saw
> a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother of
> pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure
> gold.
>
> He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer,
> he saw a man at a desk to one side. When he was close enough,
> he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?"
>
> "This is Heaven, sir," the man answered.
>
> "Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked.
>
> "Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water
> brought right up." The man gestured, and the gate began to
> open.
>
> "Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too?"
> the traveler asked.
>
> "I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."
>
> The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road
> and continued the way he had been going with his dog.
>
> After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill,
> he came to a dirt road which led through a farm gate that
> looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As
> he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against
> a tree and reading a book.
>
> "Excuse me!" he called to the reader. "Do you have any
> water?"
>
> "Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there". The man pointed to a
> place that couldn't be seen from outside the gate. "Come on
> in."
>
> "How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog.
>
> "There should be a bowl by the pump." They went through the
> gate, and sure enough, there was an old fashioned hand pump
> with a bowl beside it. The traveler filled the bowl and took
> a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.
>
> When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the
> man who was standing by the tree waiting for them.
>
> "What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.
>
> "This is Heaven," was the answer.
>
> "Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down
> the road said that was Heaven, too."
>
> "Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly
> gates? Nope. That's Hell."
>
> "Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like
> that?"
>
> "No. I can see how you might think so, but we're just happy
> that they screen out the folks who'll leave their best
> friends behind."
>
> Sometimes, we wonder why friends keep forwarding jokes to us
> without writing a word, maybe this could explain:
>
> When you are very busy, but still want to keep in touch,
> guess what you do --you forward jokes.
>
> When you have nothing to say, but still want to keep contact,
> you forward jokes.
>
> When you have something to say, but don't know what, and
> don't know how, you forward jokes.  And to let you know that
> you are still remembered, you are still important, you are
> still loved, you are still cared for, guess what you get? A
> forwarded joke.
>
> So my friend, next time if you get a joke, don't think that
> you've been sent just another forwarded joke, but that you've
> been thought of today and your friend on the other end of
> your computer wanted to send you a smile.