Stick with the doers and avoid the never willers

[Ray]

“No misfortune is so bad that whining about it won’t make it worse”

Jeffrey R. Holland

It was a little depressing yesterday as I could not avoid hearing from some of the “Never Happy” folks. I really don’t mind objective observations, if we don’t see what is wrong we will never fix it. What gets me is those folks who just never fail to point out the fact that disaster is all around us and we are in imminent danger even when what they say has no foundation in fact. What is sad is when they drag other folks down into depression, again proving that misery loves company.

Somehow it seems that my life preserver which is an innate optimistic outlook seems to protect me from the worst the naysayers have to offer. In fact I have found that if they fail to get to you very often they eventually stop trying. As you and I both know, if there is a problem and it can be fixed it is best to fix it rather than complain about it, if there is a problem and it cannot be fixed we have to find a way to live with it or avoid it, and if it is just another scream that the sky is falling we don’t have to waste our time on it. As we have often shared, we are who we want to be and I know I will always chose happiness over misery. If the dark cloud folks are right and it is going to rain I’ll bring an umbrella and enjoy the feeding of the landscape.

Here is a poem by Edgar Guest I like and hope you will too.

 

The Finer Thought

How fine it is at night to say:

"I have not wronged a soul to-day.

I have not by a word or deed,

In any breast sowed anger's seed,

Or caused a fellow being pain;

Nor is there on my crest a stain

That shame has left. In honor's way,

With head erect, I've lived this day."

 

When night slips down and day departs

And rest returns to weary hearts,

How fine it is to close the book

Of records for the day, and look

Once more along the traveled mile

And find that all has been worthwhile;

To say: "In honor I have toiled;

My plume is spotless and unsoiled."

 

Yet cold and stern a man may be

Retaining his integrity;

And he may pass from day to day

A spirit dead, in living clay,

Observing strictly morals, laws,

Yet serving but a selfish cause;

So it is not enough to say:

"I have not stooped to shame to-day!"

 

It is a finer, nobler thought

When day is done and night has brought

The contemplative hours and sweet,

And rest to weary hearts and feet,

If man can stand in truth and say:

"I have been useful here to-day.

Back there is one I chanced to see

With hope newborn because of me.

 

"This day in honor I have toiled;

My shining crest is still unsoiled;

But on the mile I leave behind

Is one who says that I was kind;

And someone hums a cheerful song

Because I chanced to come along."

Sweet rest at night that man shall own

Who has not lived his day alone.

~~~

“A pessimist is a man who thinks everybody is as nasty as himself, and hates them for it.”

George Bernard Shaw

~~~

A man went to his lawyer and said, "I would like to make a will but I don't know exactly how to go about it."

The lawyer said, "No problem, leave it all to me."

The man looked somewhat upset and said, "Well, I knew you were going to take the biggest slice, but I would like to leave a little to my children too!"

~~~

"Some people grin and bear it.  Other people smile and change it."

~~~

When I was in high-school, Joel, a buddy of mine and I were discussing a girl from French class we had both befriended. Her family had recently relocated to the metro area from a farm way out in the sticks.  We both agreed that we'd never met a sweeter girl before, but she was too naive and trusting.

Joel said, "Listen, for her own good, and as her friends, we've got to teach her quickly what's right & what's wrong."

I replied, "Agreed!  You teach her what's right."

~~~

"HECK IS WHERE PEOPLE GO WHO DON'T BELIEVE IN GOSH"

~~~

She said: As a single, never-married woman in my 40's, I have been questioned endlessly about my status by friends, relatives, and co-workers.  Over the years I've noticed a subtle change in the nature of their inquiries.

In my teens, friends would ask, "Whom are you going out with this weekend?"

In my 20's, relatives would say, "Whom are you dating?"

In my 30's, co-workers might inquire, "So, are you dating anyone?"

Now people ask, "Where did you get that adorable purse?"

~~~

Of all the people I've met you're certainly one of them.

~~~

A salty Navy Chief and a crusty Marine First Sergeant are at a bar arguing about who had the tougher career.  "I did 30 years in the Recon," the Marine declared proudly, "and fought in three of my country's wars." "Fresh out of boot camp, I hit the beach at Okinawa, clawed my way up the blood-soaked sand, and eventually took out an entire enemy machine gun nest with a single grenade." "As a sergeant, I fought in Korea alongside General MacArthur. We pushed back the enemy inch by bloody inch all the way up to the Chinese border, always under a barrage of artillery and small arms fire." "Finally, as a staff sergeant, I did three consecutive combat tours in Vietnam.  We humped through the mud and razor grass for 14 hours a day, plagued by rain and mosquitoes, ducking under sniper fire all day and mortar fire at night. In a firefight, we'd shoot until our arms ached and our rifles were empty, then we'd charge the enemy with bayonets!"

Looking straight ahead, the Chief says nothing. Then after a deliberately long, slow drink, the Chief says, "Yeah, it figures... all shore duty."

~~~

“I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.”

Nelson Mandela

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

 

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

 

This daily is sent only to special people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at [e-mail]. Back issues are posted at http://raykiwsp.wordpress.com/ currently there are about 2000 readers from around the world.