thoughts-learned1

Subj: Thoughts I've Learned1 (Gz)
(Includes 18 jokes and articles)

Click "Here" for Thoughts-Learned-Supp2

Also see BIRDS file   - 'Eagles in a Storm'
         BIRDS-DUCKS - 'The Laws Of Ducks'
         BUGS-ETC     - 'Lessons Learned From Worms'
         CATHOLIC file- 'Mother Teresa's Favorites'
         CHURCH file - 'Learned From Noah And The Arc'
         COLLEGE-PROF - 'Visiting Your Old Professor'
         COMPUTER-SUPP- 'Why You Forward Jokes'
         DOGS2 file   - 'Things We Can Learn From A Dog...'
         ELDERLY4 file- 'Elderly Pearls Of Wisdom'
         KIDS2 file   - 'Boy With Bad Temper Puts Nails In A Fence'
         KIDS3 file   - 'If You Love Something'
......................- 'Things I've Learned From My Children'
......................- 'Great Truths About Life From Kids'
         LISTS file   - '18 Things I've Learned By Dave Barry'
         LOVE file    - 'The Top 11 Hints For Life' in NonJokes
         MOTHERS file - 'What My Mother Taught Me'
         PRISON file - 'Friendship Quote'
         QUOTES3 file - 'Debunking Famous Quotes'
         QUOTES-COMEDN- 'I Am A BAD American By George Carlin'
         SANTA file   - 'The Four Stages Of Life:'
         SPEECHES file- 'Steve Jobs' Commencement Address At Stanford'
......................- 'Anna Quindlen's Commencement Address' in NonJokes
         THANKSGIVING - 'A Thanksgiving Thought'
......................- 'I Am Thankful For...'
         THOUGHTS-KIDS- 'The Failure List'
......................- 'Ice Cream-Good For The Soul'
......................- (the whole file)
         THOUGHTS-QUTS- 'Charles Schultz's Philosophy'
......................- 'Why Are Things The Way They Are?'
......................- 'Instructions for a Good Life'
......................- 'Life Is Like Juggling Five Balls'
......................- 'Rush Limbaugh's 35 Undeniable Truths'
         THOUGHTS-SLLY- 'Words To Live By - Humorous'
         THOUGHTS-TIME- 'Going Back Home For a Neighbors Funeral'
......................- 'How To Stay Young By Anon'
......................- '1000 Marbles'
......................- 'Thoughts On Time Management'
......................- 'More Thoughts On Time'
......................- 'Slow Dancing'
         THOUGHTS-WARM- 'Thoughts Of Eleanor Roosevelt'
......................- 'Strength And Courage'
.........THO-WARM-SUPP- 'Seven Wonders Of The World II'
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Subj:     A Thought On Happiness (S470b)
          From: LABLaughsRiddles
          on 1/30/2006

Source: http://www.lablaughs.com/clean_toon.php?id=C19970722

You can view this cute cartoon and thought at the source
above, or on my web site by clicking 'HERE'.

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Subj:     Daffodils (S255)
          From: RFSlick on 12/20/2001

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother,
you must come see the daffodils before they are over." I
wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to
Lake Arrowhead. "I will come next Tuesday, "I promised, a
little reluctantly, on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised,
and so I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's
house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, I said,
"Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in
the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except
you and these children that I want to see bad enough to
drive another inch!"

My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in this all
the time, Mother." "Well, you won't get me back on the
road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!" I
assured her. "I was hoping you'd take me over to the
garage to pick up my car." "How far will we have to
drive?" "Just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive.
I'm used to this." After several minutes, I had to ask,
"Where are we going? This isn't the way to the garage!"
"We're going to my garage the long way," Carolyn smiled,
"by way of the daffodils." "Carolyn," I said sternly,
"please turn around." "It's all right, Mother, I promise.
You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."

After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel
road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the
church, I saw a hand-lettered sign that read, "Daffodil
Garden."

We got out of the car and each took a child's hand, and I
followed Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a corner
of the path, and I looked up and gasped. Before me lay
the most glorious sight.

It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold
and poured it down over the mountain peak and slopes. The
flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great
ribbons and swath of deep orange, white, lemon yellow,
salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow. Each different
colored variety was planted as a group so that it swirled
and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue.
There were five acres of flowers.

"But who has done this?" I asked Carolyn. "It's just one
woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property.
That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well kept A-frame
house that looked small and modest in the midst of all
that glory. We walked up to the house.

On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions
I Know You Are Asking" was the headline. The first answer
was a simple one.

"50,000 bulbs," it read.
The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman.
Two hands, two feet, and very little brain."
The third answer was, "Began in 1958."

There it was, The Daffodil Principle. For me, that moment
was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman
whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before,
had begun-one bulb at a time-to bring her vision of beauty
and joy to an obscure mountain top.

Still, just planting one bulb at a time, year after year,
had changed the world. This unknown woman had forever
changed the world in which she lived. She had created
something of ineffable (indescribable) magnificence,
beauty, and inspiration.

The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the
greatest principles of celebration. That is, learning to
move toward our goals and desires one step at a time-often
just one baby-step at a time-and learning to love the doing,
learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply
tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort,
we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We
can change the world.

"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What
might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful
goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at
it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years. Just
think what I might have been able to achieve!"

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual
direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.

It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays.
The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead
of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this
to use today?"

Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you
have and treasure it more because you shared it with some-
one special, special enough to spend your time with . .
and remember that time waits for no one.

So, stop waiting . . .
Until your car or home is paid off
Until you get a new car or home
Until your kids leave the house
Until you go back to school
Until you finish school
Until you lose 10 lb..
Until you gain 10 lb..
Until you get married
Until you get a divorce
Until you have kids
Until you retire
Until summer
Until spring
Until winter
Until fall
Until you die

There is no better time than right now to be happy.
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

So work like you don't need money,
Love like you've never been hurt,
And dance like no one's watching.

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Subj:     Things to Remember (S365)
..........From: Grampsboyd on 1/23/2004

1. No man or woman is worth your tears, and the one who is,
won't make you cry.

2. Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want
them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

3. A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and
touches your heart.

4. The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside
them knowing you can't have them.

5. Never frown, even when you are sad, because you never know
who is falling in love with your smile.

6. To the world you may be one person, but to one person you
may be the world.

7. Don't waste your time on a man/woman, who isn't willing to
waste their time on you.

8. Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before
meeting the right one, so that when we finally meet
the person, we will know how to be grateful.

9. Don't cry because it is over, smile because it happened.

10. There's always going to be people that hurt you so what
you have to do is keep on trusting and just be more careful
about who you trust next time around.

11. Make yourself a better person and know who you are before
you try and know someone else and expect them to know you.

12. Don't try so hard, the best things come when you
least expect them to.

REMEMBER: WHATEVER HAPPENS, HAPPENS FOR A REASON

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Subj:     Words Of Wisdom (S180, S567c)
          From: RFSlick on 7/10/00 and 11/24/2003
      and From: darrellvip on 12/4/2007
          (See 'More Andy Rooney' in QUOYES_COMEDIANS)

They're written by Andy Rooney, a man who has the gift of
saying so much with so few words. Enjoy.......

I've learned that the best classroom in the world is at the
feet of an elderly person.

I've learned that when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned that just one person saying to me, "You've made
my day!" makes my day.

I've learned that having a child fall asleep in your arms is
one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I've learned that being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned that you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned that I can always pray for someone when I don't
have the strength to help him in some other way.

I've learned that no matter how serious your life requires
you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned that sometimes all a person needs is a hand to
hold and a heart to understand.

I've learned that simple walks with my father around the block on
summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned that life is like a roll of toilet paper. The
closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned that we should be glad God doesn't give us
everything we ask for.

I've learned that money doesn't buy class.

I've learned that it's those small daily happenings that make
life so spectacular.

I've learned that under everyone's hard shell is someone who
wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned that the Lord didn't do it all in one day. What
makes me think I can?

I've learned that to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I've learned that when you plan to get even with someone, you
are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned that love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned that the easiest way for me to grow as a person is
to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned that everyone you meet deserves to be greeted
with a smile.

I've learned that there's nothing sweeter than sleeping with
your babies and feeling their breath on your cheeks.

I've learned that no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned that life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned that opportunities are never lost; someone will take
the ones you miss.

I've learned that when you harbor bitterness, happiness will
dock elsewhere.

I've learned that I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her
one more time before she passed away.

I've learned that one should keep his words both soft and tender,
because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned that a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I've learned that I can't choose how I feel, but I can choose what
I do about it.

I've learned that when your newly born grandchild holds your little
finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.

I've learned that everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but
all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've learned that it is best to give advice in only two circumstances;
when it is requested and when it is a life-threatening situation.

I've learned that the less time I have to work with, the more things
I get done.

~Andy Rooney~

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Subj:     Words To Live By (S328)
          From: tadams96 on 5/9/2003
          See 'Words To Live By - Humorous' in THOUGHTS-SILLY)

Accept that some days you're the pigeon,
and some days you're the statue.

Always keep your words soft and sweet,
just in case you have to eat them.

Always read stuff that will make you look
good if you die in the middle of it.

Drive carefully. It's not only cars that
can be recalled by their maker.

Eat a live toad in the morning and nothing
worse will happen to you for the rest of the day.

If you can't be kind, at least have the
decency to be vague.

If you lend someone $20, and never see
that person again, it was probably worth it.

It may be that your sole purpose in life
is simply to serve as a warning to others.

Never buy a car you can't push.

Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time,
because then you don't have a leg to stand on.

Nobody cares if you can't dance well.
Just get up and dance.

The early worm gets eaten by the bird, so sleep late.

When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

Birthdays are good for you; the more you have,
the longer you live.

Ever notice that the people who are late are often
much jollier than the people who have to wait for them?

If ignorance is bliss, why aren't more people happy?

You may be only one person in the world,
but you may also be the world to one person.

Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened.

We could learn a lot from crayons:
some are sharp,
some are pretty,
some are dull,
some have weird names,
and all are different colors
but they all have to learn to
live in the same box.

A truly happy person is one who can enjoy
the scenery on a detour.

Happiness comes through doors you didn't even know
you left open.

Thomas A. Adams, CSTE, CPC

People will forget what you said...
People will forget what you did...
But people will never forget how you made them feel.

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Subj:     Lessons Throughout A Lifetime (S42, S394b)
          From: KMacinty on 6/1/99
      and From: Imogenelumen on 8/17/2004

I've learned that I like my teacher because she cries
when we sing "Silent Night"..........Age 6

I've learned that you can't hide a piece of broccoli
in a glass of milk.........Age 7

I've learned that when I wave to people in the country,
they stop what they are doing and wave back..........Age 9

I've learned that just when I get my room the way I like it,
Mom makes me clean it up..........Age 13

I've learned that if you want to cheer yourself up, you
should try cheering someone else up..........Age 14

I've learned that although it's hard to admit it, I'm
secretly glad my parents are strict with me..........Age 15

I've learned that silent company is often more healing
than words of advice..........Age 24

I've learned that brushing my child's hair is
one of life's great pleasures..........Age 26

I've learned that wherever I go, the world's worst drivers
have followed me there..........Age 29

I've learned that if someone says something unkind about me,
I must live so that no one will believe it..........Age 39

I've learned that there are people who love you dearly
but just don't know how to show it..........Age 41

I've learned that you can make some one's day by simply
sending them a little card..........Age 44

I've learned that the greater a person's sense of guilt, the
greater his need to cast blame on others..........Age 46

I've learned that children and grandparents are
natural allies. .......Age 47

I've learned that singing "Amazing Grace" can
lift my spirits for hours..........Age 49

I've learned that motel mattresses are better on the
side away from the phone..........Age 50

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a man by the way
he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage,
and tangled Christmas tree lights ..........Age 51

I've learned that keeping a vegetable garden is worth
a medicine cabinet full of pills..........Age 52

I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your
parents, you miss them terribly after they die......Age 53

I've learned that making a living is not the same
thing as making a life..........Age 58

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.....Age 59

I've learned that if you want to do something positive for
your children, try to improve your marriage ........Age 61

I've learned that life sometimes gives you
a second chance. .........Age 62

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with
a catchers mitt on both hands. You need to be able
to throw something back. ........Age 64

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you.
    But if you focus on your family, the needs of others, your
    work, meeting new people, and doing the very best you can,
    happiness will find you..........Age 65

I've learned that whenever I decide something with kindness,
I usually make the right decision..........Age 66

I've learned that everyone can use a prayer..........Age 72

I've learned that it pays to believe in miracles. And to
tell the truth, I've seen several..........Age 73

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't
have to be one..........Age 82

I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch
someone. People love that human touch-holding hands, a
warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.......Age 85

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.........Age 92

I've learned that people love a warm hug,
or just a friendly pat on the back.................Age 93

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.........Age 100

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Subj:     What I've Learned I (S120)
          From: DrRibeiro on 5/18/99
          (Also see 'Lessons Throughout A Lifetime'
                and '25 Things I Have Learned In 50 Years' in this file)

I've learned-
that you cannot make someone love you.
All you can do is be someone who can be loved.
The rest is up to them.

I've learned-
that no matter how much I care,
some people just don't care back.

I've learned-
that it takes years to build up trust,
and only seconds to destroy it.

I've learned-
that it's not what you have in your life
but who you have in your life that counts.

I've learned-
that you can get by on charm for about
fifteen minutes.
After that, you'd better know something.

I've learned-
that you shouldn't compare
yourself to the best others can do.

I've learned-
that you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life.

I've learned-
that it's taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be.

I've learned-
that you should always leave loved ones
with loving words. It may be the last
time you see them.

I've learned-
that you can keep going long after you can't.

I've learned-
that we are responsible for what we do,
no matter how we feel.

I've learned-
that either you control your attitude
or it controls you.

I've learned-
that heroes are the people who do what has to be done
when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.

I've learned-
that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I've learned-
that my best friend and I can do anything
or nothing and have the best time.

I've learned-
that sometimes the people you expect
to kick you when you're down
will be the ones to help you get back up.

I've learned-
that sometimes when I'm angry
I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I've learned-
that true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.

I've learned-
that just because someone doesn't love
you the way you want them to doesn't
mean they don't love you with all they have.

I've learned-
that maturity has more to do with
what types of experiences you've had
and what you've learned from them
and less to do with how many
birthdays you've celebrated.

I've learned-
that you should never tell a child
their dreams are unlikely or outlandish.
Few things are more humiliating, and what
a tragedy it would be if they believed it.

I've learned-
that no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.

I've learned-
that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes you are to learn to forgive yourself.

I've learned-
that no matter how bad your heart is broken
the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I've learned-
that our background and circumstances
may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.

I've learned-
that just because two people argue,
it doesn't mean they don't love each other
And just because they don't argue,
it doesn't mean they do.

I've learned-
that we don't have to change friends
if we understand that friends change.

I've learned-
that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a
secret. It could change your life forever.

I've learned-
that two people can look at the exact same thing
and see something totally different.

I've learned-
that no matter how you try to protect your
children, they will eventually get hurt and
you will hurt in the process.

I've learned-
that your life can be changed in a matter of
hours by people who don't even know you.

I've learned-
that even when you think you have no more
to give, when a friend cries out to you,
you will find the strength to help.

I've learned-
that credentials on the wall
do not make you a decent human being.

I've learned-
that it's hard to determine where to draw
the line between being nice and not hurting
people's feelings and standing up for what you believe.

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Subj:     What I Have Learned II (S173, S386b)
          From: icohen on 5/22/00
      and From: Imogenelumen on 6/22/2004

I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you
can do is stalk them and hope they panic and give in.

I've learned that regardless of how hot and steamy a relation-
ship is at first, the passion fades, and there had better be a
lot of money to take its place.

I've learned that no matter how you try to protect your children,
they will eventually get arrested and end up in the local paper.

I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people are
just assholes.

I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and it only
takes suspicion, not proof, to destroy it.

I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to others -
they are more fucked up than you think.

I've learned that you can keep puking long after you think you
are finished.

I've learned that we are responsible for what we do, unless we
are celebrities.

I've learned that you can get by on charm for about fifteen
minutes. After that, you'd better have a big dick or huge tits.

I've learned that sometimes the people you expect to kick you
when you're down will be the ones who do.

I've learned that we don't have to ditch bad friends, because
their dysfunction makes us feel better about ourselves.

I've learned that the people you care most about in life are
taken from you too soon and all the less important ones just
never go away.

I've learned to say "Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke"
in 6 languages.

Pass this along to 5 friends... trust me, they'll appreciate it.
Who knows, maybe something good will happen. If not ... tough
shit.

From: pns@adelphia.net on 12/6/2000

I've learned that brain cells come and go,
but fat cells are forever.

From: Imogenelumen on 6/22/2004

I've learned that one good turn gets most of the blankets.

I've learned that whatever hits the fan will not be evenly
distributed.

I've learned that depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

I've learned that it is not what you wear;
it is how you take it off.

I've learned that ex's are like fungus..They keep coming back.

I've learned age is a very high price to pay for maturity.

I've learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it.

I've learned that artificial intelligence is no match for
natural stupidity.

I've learned that 99% of the time when something isn't working
in your house, one of your kids did it.

I've learned that there is a fine line between genius
and insanity.

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Subj:     The GIF - Dog On The Highway
          From: LABLaughsClean on 4/18/2005
Source: http://www.lablaughs.com/clean_toon.php?id=C20050418

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Subj:     25 Things I Have Learned In 50 Years (S99)
          by Dave Barry
          From: humorlist-digest V2 #285 on 98-12-04

1. The badness of a movie is directly proportional to the
number of helicopters in it.

2. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear
and compelling reason why we observe daylight-saving time.

3. People who feel the need to tell you that they have an
excellent sense of humor are telling you that they have
no sense of humor.

4. The most valuable function performed by the federal
government is entertainment.

5. You should never say anything to a woman that even
remotely suggests you think she's pregnant unless you
can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

6. A penny saved is worthless.

7. They can hold all the peace talks they want, but there
     will never be peace in the Middle East. Billions of
     years from now, when Earth is hurtling toward the Sun
     and there is nothing left alive on the planet except a
     few microorganisms, the microorganisms living in the
     Middle East will be bitter enemies.

8. The most powerful force in the universe is gossip.

9. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless
     of age, gender, religion, economic status, or ethnic
     background, is that, deep down inside, we all believe
     that we are above-average drivers.

10. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other
people to make a big deal about your birthday. That
time is age 11.

11. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and
"mental illness."

12. People who want to share their religious views with you
almost never want you to share yours with them.

13. There apparently exists, somewhere in Los Angeles, a
     computer that generates concepts for television sitcoms.
     When TV executives need a new concept, they turn on this
     computer; after sorting through millions of possible
     plot premises, it spits out, "THREE QUIRKY BUT
     ATTRACTIVE YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING IN AN APARTMENT," and
     the executives turn this concept into a show. The next
     time they need an idea, the computer spits out, "SIX
     QUIRKY BUT ATTRACTIVE YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING IN AN APARTMENT."
     Then the next time, it spits out, "FOUR QUIRKY BUT
     ATTRACTIVE YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING IN AN APARTMENT." And so
     on. We need to locate this computer and destroy it with
     hammers.

14. Nobody is normal.

15. At least once per year, some group of scientists will
     become very excited and announce that * The universe
     is even bigger than they thought! * There are even
     more subatomic particles than they thought! *
     Whatever they announced last year about global warming
     is wrong.

16. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the
human race has not achieved, and never will achieve,
its full potential, that word would be "meetings."

17. The main accomplishment of almost all organized protests
is to annoy people who are not in them.

18. The value of advertising is that it tells you the exact
opposite of what the advertiser actually thinks. For
example:

*If the advertisement says "This is not your father's
Oldsmobile," the advertiser is desperately concerned that
this Oldsmobile, like all other Oldsmobiles, appeals
primarily to old farts like your father.

*If Coke and Pepsi spend billions of dollars to convince
you that there are significant differences between these
two products, both companies realize that Pepsi and Coke
are virtually identical.

*If the advertisement strongly suggests that Nike shoes
enable athletes to perform amazing feats, Nike wants you
to disregard the fact that shoe brand is unrelated to
athletic ability.

*If Budweiser runs an elaborate advertising campaign
stressing the critical importance of a beer's "born-on"
date, Budweiser knows this factor has virtually nothing
to do with how good a beer tastes.

19. If there really is a God who created the entire
universe with all of its glories, and He decides to
deliver a message to humanity, He will not use, as His
messenger, a person on cable TV with a bad hairstyle.

20. You should not confuse your career with your life.

21. A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter,
is not a nice person.

22. No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to
take it too seriously.

23. When trouble arises and things look bad, there is
     always one individual who perceives a solution and
     is willing to take command. Very often, that
     individual is crazy.

24. Your friends love you anyway.

25. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

                            \\\//
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Subj:     Things I've Learned (S42)
          From: Octagon999 on 97-11-14
          (Also see 'What I've Learned'
                and '25 Things I Have Learned In 50 Years' in this file)

Better organized in 'Lessons Throughout A Lifetime' in this file.
I originally had two copies of the same file.

                            \\\//
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Subj:     Great Truths About Life, That Adults Have Learned (S267, S475b)
          From: RFSlick on 3/10/2002
      and From: cappucinid on 2/21/2006

1. Raising teenagers is like nailing Jell-O to a tree.
2. Wrinkles don't hurt.
3. Families are like fudge. . . mostly sweet,
    with a few nuts.
4. Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut
    that held its ground.
5. Laughing is good exercise. It's like jogging on the inside.
6. Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the
    fiber -- not the joy.

                            \\\//
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Subj:     Promise Yourself
          From: RFSlick on 98-05-13

To speak of health, happiness and prosperity to every
person that you meet.

To make all your friends aware of the special qualities
within them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and let your
optimism work to make your dreams come true.

To think, work for and expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.

To forget past mistakes and press on towards a
greater future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times, as a smile
radiates warmth and love.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that
you have no time left to criticize others.

To be far too wise for worry, too tolerant for anger,
and too courageous for fear.

To be happy.

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Subj:     Rules To Live By (S67, S534c)
          From: RFSlick on 98-05-08
     and From: darrell94590 on 4/14/2007

1. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
2. Memorize your favorite poem.
3. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have
     or sleep all you want.
4. When you say, "I love you", mean it.
5. When you say, "I'm sorry", look the person in the eye.
6. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
7. Believe in love at first sight.
8. Never laugh at anyone's dreams.
9. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt
     but it's the only way to live life completely.
10. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
11. Don't judge people by their relatives.
12. Talk slowly but think quickly.
13. When someone asks you a question you don't want to
     answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?".
14. Remember that great love and great achievements
     involve great risk.
15. Call your mom.
16. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
17. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
18. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for
     others; Responsibility for all your actions.
19. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
20. When you realize you've made a mistake,
     take immediate steps to correct it.
21. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will
     hear it in your voice.
22. Marry a man you love to talk to. As you get older,
     his conversational skills will be as important
     as any other.
23. Spend some time alone.
24. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
25. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
26. Read more books and watch less TV.
27. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older
     and think back, you'll get to enjoy it a second time.
28. Trust in God but lock your car.
29. A loving atmosphere in your home is so important.
     Do all you can to create a tranquil harmonious home.
30. In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the
     current situation. Don't bring up the past.
31. Read between the lines.
32. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
33. Be gentle with the earth.
34. Pray; there's immeasurable power in it.
35. Never interrupt when you are being flattered.
36. Mind your own business.
37. Don't trust a man who doesn't close his eyes
     when you kiss him.
38. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
39. If you make a lot of money, put it to use helping
     others while you are living. That is wealth's
     greatest satisfaction.
40. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes
     a stroke of luck.
41. Learn the rules then break some.
42. Remember that the best relationship is one where
     your love for each other is greater than your
     need for each other.
43. Judge your success by what you had to give up
     in order to get it.
44. Remember that your character is your destiny.
45. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon

                            \\\//
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Subj:     Eighteen Random Rules of Life (S491b)
          From: LABLaughsClean on 6/6/2006

I love maxims – those concise capsules of worldly wisdom. I
collect them and write them and, of course, love to share
them. Here are 18 random rules of life worth posting on
your mirror or, better yet, why not use them as dinner-
time discussion starters?

1. Find the lesson in every failure, and you`ll never
     fail.
2. The likelihood you`re right is not increased by the
     intensity of your conviction.
3. Real friends help you feel worthy and make you want
     to be better.
4. When you`re in a hole, stop digging.
5. Don’t confuse fun with fulfillment, or pleasure
     with happiness.
6. Refusing to let go of a grudge is refusing to use
     the key that will set you free.
7. Hating hurts you more than the person you hate.
8. Counting on luck is counting on random chance; your
     odds are much better when you plan and work.
9. It`s better to be kind than clever.
10. Don`t underestimate the power of persistence.
11. The easy way is rarely the best way.
12. It`s much easier to burst someone else`s bubble
     than blow up your own.
13. You can`t avoid pain, but you can avoid suffering.
14. Self-pity is a losing strategy; it repels others
     and weakens you.
15. Short cuts usually produce short success.
16. Control your attitude or it will control you.
17. It`s more important to be significant than
     successful.
18. The world is waiting for you to heal it.

                            \\\//
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Subj:     Happiness
          From: Tom_Adams on 98-05-19

I read the following article in the June 1998 issue of
Reader's Digestand felt it was worth sharing with all of
you that may still be waiting for "it" or know someone
who is. I hope you'll take the few minutes it will
take to read this. If no time at work, print it and take
it home to read and share with family and friends.

                 A Simple Truth About
                   H A P P I N E S S
   If you're waiting for it, you've missed the point
                    By Dennis Prager
         From"Happiness Is a Serious Problem"

After I gave a talk on the subject of happiness, a woman
in the audience stood up and said, "I wish my husband had
come." As much as she loved him, she explained, it wasn't
easy being married to someone so unhappy.

This woman enabled me to put into words what I had been
searching for -- the altruistic, as well as the personal,
reasons for taking happiness seriously. I told her that
each of us owes it to our spouse, our children, our friends
to be as happy as we can be. And if you don't believe me,
ask a child what it's like to grow up with an unhappy
parent, or ask parents what pain they suffer if they have
an unhappy child.

I was not a particularly happy child, and like most teen-
agers, I reveled in my angst. One day, however, it
occurred to me that I was taking the easy way out. Anyone
could be unhappy; it took no courage or effort. True
achievement lay in struggling to be happy.

The notion that we have to work at happiness comes as news
to many people. We assume it's a feeling that comes as a
result of good things that just happen to us, things over
which we have little or no control.

But the opposite is true: happiness is largely under our
control. It is a battle to be waged and not a feeling to
be awaited.

To achieve a happier life, it's necessary to overcome some
stumbling blocks, three of which are:

Comparison With Others.

Most of us compare ourselves with anyone we think is
happier -- a relative, an acquaintance, or often, someone
we barely know. I once met a young man who struck me as
particularly successful and happy. He spoke of his love
for his beautiful wife and their daughter, and of his joy
at being a radio talk-show host in a city he loved. I
remember thinking that he was one of those lucky few for
whom everything goes effortlessly right.

Then we started talking about the Internet. He blessed
its existence, he told me, because he could look up
information on multiple sclerosis -- the terrible disease
afflicting his wife. I felt like a fool for assuming
nothing unhappy existed in his life.

Images of Perfection.

Almost all of us have images of how life should be. The
problem, of course, is that only rarely do people's jobs,
spouses and children live up to these imagined ideals.

Here's a personal example: No one in my family had ever
divorced. I assumed that marriage was for life. So when
my wife and I divorced after five years of marriage and
three years after the birth of our son, my world caved in.
I was a failure in my own eyes.

I later remarried but confided to my wife, Fran, that I
couldn't shake the feeling that my family life had failed.
She asked me what was wrong with our family now (which
included her daughter from a previous marriage and my son).
I had to admit that, aside from the pain of being with my
son only half the time (my ex-wife and I shared custody),
our family life was wonderful.

"Then why don't you celebrate it?" she asked.

That's what I decided to do. But first I had to get rid
of the image of a "perfect" family.

"Missing Tile" Syndrome.

One effective way of sabotaging happiness is to look at
something and fixate on even the smallest flaw. It's like
looking up at a tiled ceiling and concentrating on the
space where one tile is missing. As a bald man told me,
"Whenever I enter a room, all I see is hair."

Once you've determined what you're missing tile is, explore
whether acquiring it will really make you happy. Then do
one of three things: get it, replace it with a different
tile, or forget about it and focus on the tiles in your
life that are not missing.

I've spent years studying happiness, and one of the most
significant conclusions I've drawn is this: there is little
correlation between the circumstances of people's lives and
how happy they are. A moment's reflection should make this
obvious. We all know people who have had a relatively easy
life yet are essentially unhappy. An we know people who
have suffered a great deal but generally remain happy.

The first secret is gratitude. All happy people are
grateful. Ungrateful people cannot be happy. We tend to
think that being unhappy leads people to complain, but it's
truer to say that complaining leads to people becoming
unhappy.

The second secret is realizing that happiness is a
byproduct of something else. The most obvious sources are
those pursuits that give our lives purpose -- anything from
studying insects to playing baseball. The more passions we
have, the more happiness we're likely to experience.

Finally, the belief that something permanent transcends us
and that our existence has some larger meaning can help us
be happier. We need a spiritual or religious faith, or a
philosophy of life.

Whatever your philosophy, it should encompass this truism:
if you choose to find the positive in virtually every
situation, you will be blessed, and if you choose to find
the awful, you will be cursed. As with happiness itself,
this is largely your decision to make.

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Subj:     More Thoughts On Happiness
          From: auntieg on 98-11-21
          (See 'Quotes On Happiness ? Life' in THOU-LEARN-SUPP)

Life is now or never

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get
married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated
that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content
when they are. After that we're frustrated that we have
teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when
they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our
life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act
together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice
vacation, when we retire.

The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right
now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled
with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and
decide to be happy anyway. One of my favorite quotes come
from Alfred D Souza. He said, "For a long time it had
seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life.
But there was always some obstacle in the way, something
to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time
still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would
begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were
my life".

This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way
to happiness. Happiness is the way. So, reassure every
moment that you have. And treasure it more because you
shared it with someone special, special enough to spend
your time...and remember that time waits for no one...
So stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back
to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten
pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the
house, until you start work, until you retire, until you
get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night,
until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home,
until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until
summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare,
until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on,
until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until
you die, until you are born again to decide that there is
no better time than right now to be happy...Happiness is a
journey, not a destination.

Thought for the day:
            Work like you don't need money,
            Love like you've never been hurt,
            And dance like no one's watching.

                            \\\//
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Subj:     General Principles To Live By (S116)
          From: smiles on 4/14/99

Tell the truth. Honesty really is the best policy.

Perfect your ability to love. It's the most powerful force
in the world.

Pay attention to two-year-olds and puppies. They know
what's important.

Look at sunsets; smell the flowers; listen to the birds;
touch the people you care about; taste life. Everything
you need is there for you.

Take responsibility for meeting your own needs, but don't
do it in ways that keep others from meeting theirs.

Forgive yourself and others. We're all doing the best we
can to find our way.

Live by your own values. Others may think they know best
for you, but you're the one who has to live with the
consequences of your actions.

Listen to your body and take care of it. It's the best
teacher you have now.

Laugh often and long. It really does help.

Hang out with people you like and admire. We tend to
imitate those around us whether we want to or not.

Follow your dream. Life is exciting when you're pursuing
your own goals-and you can do and have most anything
you really want.

Learn from your failures and don't be afraid to fail often.

Life isn't fair, but it isn't unfair either. When things
don't seem to be working for you, do something. Movement
is the key to change and life itself.

Be nice to prunes. You may be one someday.

                            \\\//
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Subj:     Great Quotes From Roger (S90)
          From: RFSlick on 98-10-17

To handle yourself, use your head;
To handle others, use your heart.

Anger is only one letter short of danger.

If someone betrays you once, it's his fault;
if he betrays you twice, it's your fault.

Great minds discuss ideas;
Average minds discuss events;
Small minds discuss people.

God gives every bird it's food,
But He does not throw it into it's nest.

He who loses money, loses much;
He who loses a friend, loses more;
He who loses faith, loses all.

Beautiful young people are acts of nature,
But beautiful old people are works of art.

Learn from the mistakes of others.
You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.

The tongue weighs practically nothing,
But so few people can hold it.

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A smiley waking up from
Smiley_Central

.