Steve Goodier Inspirations

[Rhonda]

HANG ON TO EACH OTHER

Too often we feel alone. But there is always someone ready to take our
hand. There is a beautiful story of an overworked nurse who escorted a
tired, young man to her patient's bedside. Leaning over and speaking
loudly to the elderly patient, she said, "Your son is here."

With great effort, his unfocussed eyes opened, then flickered shut
again. The young man squeezed the aged hand in his and sat beside the
bed. Throughout the night he sat there, holding the old man's hand and
whispering words of comfort.

By morning's light, the patient had died. In moments, hospital staff
swarmed into the room to turn off machines and remove needles. The
nurse stepped over to the young man's side and began to offer
sympathy, but he interrupted her. "Who was that man?" he asked.

The startled nurse replied, "I thought he was your father!"

"No, he was not my father," he answered. "I never saw him before in my
life."

"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"

"I realized he needed his son and his son wasn't here," the man
explained. "And since he was too sick to recognize that I was not his
son, I knew he needed me."

Mother Teresa used to remind us that nobody should have to die alone.
Likewise, nobody should have to grieve alone or cry alone either. Or
laugh alone or celebrate alone.

We are made to travel life's journey hand in hand. There is someone
ready to grasp your hand today. And someone hoping you will take
theirs.

-- Steve Goodier

[Rhonda]

am opposed to millionaires... But it would be dangerous to offer me
the position. -- Mark Twain



It's kind of fun to do the impossible. -- Walt Disney




WORRY - THE REAL ENEMY

What does it mean to worry? The Latin concept of worry describes a
turbulent force within a person. Worry is a heart and mind in turmoil.

The ancient Greeks thought of worry as something that tears a person
in two and drags that person in opposite directions. It is like
opposing forces in deadly conflict within the very being of the
individual.

The word "worry" itself comes from an old Anglo-Saxon term meaning to
choke, or strangle, and that is exactly what it does - it chokes the
joy of living wage right out of its victim. And it chokes off the
energy to improve one's condition.

There is a place for healthy concern, but too often our concern turns
into fearful worry. And worry, more than the problem, becomes our real
enemy.

Some people have worried for so long that they have become good at it.
Just as we can become good at any attitude or behavior if we practice
it enough, we can also become good at worrying. Worry is habit - a
habitual response to life's problems.

I rather like the attitude of the late United Methodist Bishop Welch.
When he reached the age of 101, he was asked if he didn't think a lot
about dying. With a twinkle in his eye, he replied, "Not at all! When
was the last time you heard of a Methodist bishop dying at 101?" Maybe
one reason for his longevity is that he never developed the habit of
worry.

Next time you feel yourself worrying, be like the frogs - they eat
what bugs them. Decide to no longer practice needless worry and
instead practice peace. Replace your habit of fearful worry with the
habit of courageous action. As Harvey Mackey has said, "Good habits
are as addictive as bad habits and a lot more rewarding." Practice
joy. Practice faith. And practice courage. Soon your life will be too
rich and full for worry.

-- Steve Goodier
__________

P.S. CELEBRITY QUIP
Most of the time I don't have much fun. The rest of the time I don't
have any fun at all. -- Woody Allen

[Rhonda]

GET SOME ALTITUDE

I heard of a tornado that once ripped through the central part of
Oklahoma. Guy, a church pastor, and his wife, Vickie, lived directly
in the path of the on-coming storm. They took refuge in a closet in
the parsonage.

Guy belongs to a denomination (United Methodist), which is known for
moving its pastors frequently, and he was scheduled for a move to a
new parish in June. Furthermore, as a church leader, he no doubt
encountered any number of storms and conflicts among church members.
But a tornado was something else entirely, and hiding in the closet
seemed the best course of action for the
couple.

After the tornado passed, they emerged from their hiding place and
were astonished to discover that their closet was the only part of the
house left standing! Though they lost everything, they had come
through unscathed. As the couple stood in the middle of the debris
that used to be their home, Vickie's first comment was: "Wow, Guy!
This is wonderful! This will be the easiest move we've ever made!"

Here is a person who knows something about handling difficulties.
Sometimes we have to look beyond a problem before we can move forward.

If you have ever flown in a jet on a foggy or cloudy day, you probably
know something about looking beyond problems. All seems dark and
dreary on the ground. Yet every day is a sunny day if we can only get
enough altitude.

Thomas Carlyle put it like this: "What you can see, yet cannot see
over, is as good as infinite." Get some altitude and you will be able
to see beyond the problem!

-- Steve Goodier
__________


P.S. CELEBRITY QUIP
To err is human - and to blame it on a computer is even more so. --
Robert Orben

[Rhonda]

A GAME ANYONE CAN PLAY

The most miserable people live in their own little worlds of
isolation. They do little for others and rarely have much fun.

I heard of one older gentleman who was considered by the townspeople
to be both rich and thrifty. His austerity earned him the reputation
of a miser. When he died, everyone expected the authorities to find
money stashed everywhere in his home. All they found were a few gallon
cans filled with coins.

It came out that he had used most of his money to help put needy young
students through college. And the coins filled his pockets as he
walked down the streets of the business districts looking for cars
whose parking meters had expired. When he found one, he would drop in
a coin. One of his neighbors commented, "That explains why he looked
so happy and contented!"

Of course! People who go out of their way to help others will always
be happy.

I once tried the same thing with parking meters. I decided that,
whenever possible, I would look for expired meters and drop in a coin.
It became a game to see how many I could find just around my own car.

Then I learned something disturbing. I discovered it was illegal to do
that in the city where I lived. When I learned that I was breaking the
law, I quit looking for meters to feed. And I lost an extra bit of joy
I found in anonymously helping out a stranger.

I believe that now it's time to change the rules of the game. It can
be about doing something kind for somebody else - anything! - and not
getting caught. Anonymous notes or cards ... flowers on a desk ...
raking leaves in secret ... you get the idea. The trick is to remain
anonymous. Plan in secret, act in secret, and most of all, have fun.

It's a game that is guaranteed to make you smile. And best of all,
everyone is allowed to play.

-- Steve Goodier
__________


P.S. CELEBRITY QUIP
There is a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore
like an idiot. -- Steven Wright

[Rhonda]

THE POWER TO REALLY LIVE
Steve Goodier

I had just graduated from college and was about to move away to attend
graduate school. An older friend said something to me I thought was
odd at the time. She cautioned, "Don't ever lose your enthusiasm." I
was not particularly aware that I had much enthusiasm, nor was I sure
how to keep from losing it.

But since that time, I have come to realize what she meant. Over the
years, I have been assailed by discouragement and difficulties. At
times I have felt totally without energy and even disenchanted with
life around me.

I like what Mark Twain said about enthusiasm. When asked the reason
for his success, he replied, "I was born excited." I think I now know
why my friend said, "Never lose your enthusiasm." For even if one is
born excited, enthusiasm can be lost along the way. And too many of us
never find it again.

However, the happiest, most fulfilled and most successful people have
discovered the necessity of an enthusiastic approach to living. Thomas
Edison was such a person. He was known for his energy and verve. He
eventually acquired 1,093 patents for his inventions, including the
electric light bulb, phonograph and motion picture camera. He was
known to work tirelessly and joyfully. He seemed to love what he did
and pursued it with passion.

Edison eventually established Menlo Park, the first factory ever
dedicated to making nothing but inventions. It was a forerunner of the
private research laboratories now owned by many large corporations.
Edison promised that Menlo Park would turn out a minor invention every
ten days and something big every six months or so. At one point, he
was working on 47 new projects at once! Others have made more money
than Thomas Edison, but none have been more enthusiastic or
productive.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful
engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with your might. Put
your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be
active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will
accomplish your object." Enthusiasm is an engine fueled by a love for
what we do. It will power us anywhere we want to go and take us places
we would never reach without it!

--
P.S. CELEBRITY QUIP
Everything you see I owe to spaghetti. -- Sophia Loren,

[Rhonda]

WORRY - THE REAL ENEMY

What does it mean to worry? The Latin concept of worry describes a
turbulent force within a person. Worry is a heart and mind in turmoil.

The ancient Greeks thought of worry as something that tears a person
in two and drags that person in opposite directions. It is like
opposing forces in deadly conflict within the very being of the
individual.

The word "worry" itself comes from an old Anglo-Saxon term meaning to
choke, or strangle, and that is exactly what it does - it chokes the
joy of living wage right out of its victim. And it chokes off the
energy to improve one's condition.

There is a place for healthy concern, but too often our concern turns
into fearful worry. And worry, more than the problem, becomes our real
enemy.

Some people have worried for so long that they have become good at it.
Just as we can become good at any attitude or behavior if we practice
it enough, we can also become good at worrying. Worry is habit - a
habitual response to life's problems.

I rather like the attitude of the late United Methodist Bishop Welch.
When he reached the age of 101, he was asked if he didn't think a lot
about dying. With a twinkle in his eye, he replied, "Not at all! When
was the last time you heard of a Methodist bishop dying at 101?" Maybe
one reason for his longevity is that he never developed the habit of
worry.

Next time you feel yourself worrying, be like the frogs - they eat
what bugs them. Decide to no longer practice needless worry and
instead practice peace. Replace your habit of fearful worry with the
habit of courageous action. As Harvey Mackey has said, "Good habits
are as addictive as bad habits and a lot more rewarding." Practice
joy. Practice faith. And practice courage. Soon your life will be too
rich and full for worry.

-- Steve Goodier

[Rhonda]

SOMEONE TO LOOK AFTER

During my second year of college I was scouting around for a place to
live, as my roommates had dropped out of school. One Sunday after
church the pastor put his arm around me and said, "I understand you
need a room. Our daughter is in New Zealand this year as a foreign
exchange student. If you'd like to stay with us you may use her room."

To be honest, I really didn't want to stay with "the preacher's
family." I was 19 years old and on my own. But then he told me how
much rent would be -- a ridiculously low figure that included one
home-cooked meal a day. I thought about the offer for about a minute
and decided to move in.

At the end of the semester I had planned to find other living
arrangements, since the daughter was to return home. But they asked
if I wanted to stay on another term, suggesting I move across the
hall and share a room with their son. By this time I seemed to have
been adopted into their family -- her people became my people, as it
was put so beautifully in the old biblical story of Ruth. I happily
accepted the offer.

As I vacated the daughter's bedroom, I thought it might be nice to
have a little sister to look after. But when I later met my new
sister, I realized that this idea of looking after her might be more
interesting than I first imagined.

We eventually fell in love, married, and have looked after one
another for many years. There have been times that life turned out to
be more challenging than either of us could have known. But we have
always been able to go forward largely because we knew that somebody
deeply cared.

It isn't about marriage ... it's about love. It's about mothers and
fathers, sisters and brothers and special friends who are as close as
family. It's about anybody who can say, "I'll be around -- you can
count on me. I'll try to look after you and sometimes I will need
you to look after me."

Is there somebody you can depend on? And are others counting on
you? We travel the path of life best when there is somebody to look
after, and when someone is looking after us.

-- Steve Goodier
__________

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__________

P.S. CELEBRITY QUIP
I don't feel old. I don't feel anything until noon. Then it's time for
my nap. -- Bob Hope, late in life

[Rhonda]

CAN YOU PASS THE TRIPLE FILTER TEST?

When should you pass news on and when should you keep it to yourself?

A scholar in ancient Baghdad was said to be unusually wise. One day an
acquaintance met the great scholar and said, "Do you know what I just
heard about your friend?"

"Wait," the scholar replied. "Before you continue, let me ask a
question. Is what you are about to tell me the truth?"

"I don't know," the man said.

"All right," said the scholar. "You don't know if it's true. Let me
ask another question. Is what you are about to tell me good?"

"No, it isn't!" the man replied.

"Then allow me to ask a third question. Is what you are about to tell
useful to me?" asked the scholar.

"No, it is not useful," said the man.

Then the scholar said, "If it may not be true, if it is not good and
it is not useful, then why do you want to tell me at all?"

Does your news pass the triple filter test? Ask yourself these
questions before you speak: Is what I am about to say the truth? Is it
good? And is it useful? If you can answer yes to only two of these
questions, be careful about what you pass along. But if what you are
about to tell passes all three filters, then it should be told!

My friend Bob Burg has a different approach. "Play the 'Reverse
Gossip' Game," he says. "See how many nice things you can say behind
someone's back." Sounds like a game that everyone wins.

-- Steve Goodier
__________

__________


Optimism is getting married at 90 and looking for a house near a
school. -- Unknown

[Rhonda]

ENCOURAGEMENT WORKS

At one point during a game, the coach said to one of his young
players, "Do you understand what cooperation is? What a team is?" The
little boy nodded yes.

"Do you understand that what matters is whether we win together as a
team?" The little boy nodded yes.

"So," the coach continued, "when a strike is called, or you are out at
first, you don't argue or curse or attack the umpire. Do you
understand all that?" Again, the boy nodded yes.

"Good," said the coach. "Now go over there and explain it to your
mother."

What the coach wanted the boy's mother to understand is that
encouragement is vital to success. Encouragement builds teams and also
builds esteem. Encouragement works. In fact, the right kind of
encouragement, at the right time, can change a life.

Author Ron Dunn tells the story of two altar boys. One was born in
1892 in Eastern Europe. The other was born just three years later in a
small town in Illinois (USA). Though their lives were quite different,
these two boys shared a similar experience.

Each altar boy assisted his parish priest in the celebration of Mass.
While handling the chalice during Holy Eucharist, they both
accidentally spilled some of the wine on the carpet.

But this is where their stories diverge. The priest in the Eastern
European church, seeing the purple stain, slapped the altar boy across
the face and shouted, "Clumsy oaf! Leave the altar." He did. The
little boy grew up to become the atheist and communist dictator of
Yugoslavia, Josip Broz Tito.

The priest in the church in Illinois, upon seeing the wine stain,
knelt down beside the boy and looked him tenderly in the eyes and
said, "It's all right, son. You'll do better next time. You'll be a
fine priest for God someday." That little boy grew up to become the
much loved Bishop Fulton J. Sheen.

We will never know how much a kind and encouraging word from the
priest, or the lack of one, influenced these boys' lives. But kindness
and instruction are always far more valuable than anger and criticism.

Encouragement works.

-- Steve Goodier
__________

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__________

P.S. CELEBRITY QUIP
Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine. -- Elvis Presley

[Rhonda]

NO GREAT TALENT

NO GREAT TALENT

"I don't have any talent." You have cer­tainly heard those words. You
may have even said them yourself! And quite possibly, if you looked
closely enough, you might discover that you are wrong.

Mary Frye enjoyed writing poetry. She wasn't interested in publishing
her poems, and occa­sionally she passed one on to a friend who could
use a lift. "I don't figure I have any great talent," the Bal­timore,
Maryland home­maker said. But many people would disagree.
One of her poems, especially, has given hope and comfort to people who
mourn for over 50 years.

When a friend of hers lost someone close, Mary Frye jotted down a
poem, which seemed to spring from her heart, and gave it to the
grieving woman. That poem was later passed on to others, who, in turn,
passed it on until it became an Ameri­can classic. "If it helps one
person through a hard time, I am amply paid," said Mary, who has
re­ceived no remuneration for her un­copy­righted work. It has been
used in countless fu­nerals, translated and used in foreign lands and
even incorporated into television drama.

Here is her original text, which has moved so many for so long:

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am in a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain,
I am the fields of ripening grain.

I am in the morning hush,
I am in the graceful rush
Of beautiful birds in circling flight,
I am the starshine of the night.

I am in the flowers that bloom,
I am in a quiet room,
I am the birds that sing,
I am in each lovely thing.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there. I do not die.

How many people are finding strength and sol­ace from a verse jotted
by a woman who always pro­fessed she had no talent? And what if she
had kept her poetry to herself? Don't be afraid to use the tal­ents
you do possess, it has been well ad­vised. The woods would be very
silent if only the birds with the sweetest songs were heard.

-- Steve Goodier
__________