Saturday, July 16, 2005

Beginning Today

TODAY'S QUOTE:
Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster. Your life will never be the same again.
Og Mandino, The Greatest Miracle in the World

Wow! What a concept too aspire to. I have not even come close this week. But I will try to keep this quote in mind in hopes that things will improve if I attempt to emulate its gentle message. Being kinder to my fellow man seems a very civilized undertaking.
I try to be kind, but some people seem to only understand or respond to negatives and those sorts of humans can get you upended in no time, no matter your good intentions. My brain tells me clearly not to feed the animals, yet at times I am guilty of serving up a feast. I get no satisfaction; agitation is not a state I enjoy, and the very notion that they might be getting a charge out of it only adds to my agony.
So either I have to ignore the urge, or avoid the people that make demands upon negatives I do not wish to possess. Silence is a much better course of action and has the benefit of bothering someone who is demanding a fight. But when I can place that quote firmly in mind I will smile and say good day before I move on to more deserving pastimes. And using that quote will be easy on all I love, since I mostly treat them that way already. A reminder will simply reinforce what is already in place, and we can all use reinforcing from time to time.

THINK ABOUT IT
LET IT GROW
THEN DECIDE