Just A Thought

I came upon the following paragraph in my scrap book. I am quite sure I didn’t write that. Yet the writer’s thoughts were surprising similar to mine – which is probably why I kept that. I remember feeling like a born-loser years and years ago. I guess all of us have our moments of insecurity. 

"In some of life's earlier moments, I was not at all sure of myself. I had, I think, a form of inferiority complex that made me feel useless and incompetent. Not many other people saw me that way, thank goodness, and now I have a more realistic appreciation of myself. But I still tend to take a secondary role if anyone else shows the desire to lead, and I don't crave the spotlight."

A Message

A poignant message for all 

              First I was dying to finish my high school and start college. And then I was dying to finish college and start working. Then I was dying to marry and have children. And then I was dying for my children to grow old enough so I could go back to work. But then I was dying to retire. And now I’m dying. And suddenly I realized I forgot to live. 

              Please don’t let this happen to you. Appreciate your current situation and enjoy each day.

- An Old Friend 

Are wrinkles worrying you? Sleep on it

              If you are considering anti-wrinkle creams or Botox injections for your face, it may be better to just sleep on the problem.

              Researches have developed a copper-oxide pillowcase to get rid of wrinkles and crow’s feet.

              Clinical trials, supervised by a dermatologist, were carried out on 57 volunteers for four weeks.

              Those using the copper-oxide pillows had fewer wrinkles, reported the Telegraph newspaper on Saturday.

               Cuptron, which makes copper medial dressings, developed the pillowcase. Said owner Jeffrey Gabbay: “The surgeon doing our wound-healing trial remarked how an increase in collagen was helping to heal wounds.

              “We wondered if it might work on fixing wrinkles and lines on the face. So, we had some copper-woven pillows made up and noticed that, over a few days of lying on a copper pillow, lines on the face started to soften.

              “It has been the most fantastic discovery. The fabric has an impact on all lines but is best at ironing out the finer lines.”

              Researchers believe moisture from the skin releases copper ions from the pillowcases. They, in turn, stimulate the production of collagen below the surface of the skin.

- The Telegraph 

Letting Go

              A master took his two students into a forest. There he took a hollow coconut with a small hole and inserted sweet rice. Then he tied it to a tree and waited with his students nearby. Soon, a monkey came along, sniffed the rice, inserted his paw, and screeched in frustration when he was unable to withdraw his paw (now a fist clenching the rice) through the narrow opening. 

               “Let go of the rice, silly! Run!” shouted the students, amazed by its obvious stupidity, but to no avail. 

               “What was the trap that caught the monkey?” asked the master. 

              “Rice,” said one student. 

              “The coconut,” said another. 

              “No,” replied the wise master, “The trap was greed - he only had to let go of his attachment to be free. Likewise, we are the ones who trap ourselves. We are always responsible. The real trap is always within, not out there. The causes of suffering are in us. External situations are only conditions.” 

              With that, he hacked the coconut open, and the unrepentant monkey ran away with a fistful of rice.

              Don’t be like the monkey. What is in your monkey fist that you still hold on to?

A Little Bull

Three bulls – a great big bull, a average bull, and a shrimp of a bull – were hoofing down a country road when they spotted a whole bunch of gorgeous cows. The big bull snorted, said farewell to his companions, and leaped over the fence to join the cows. 

A little while later, the average-sized bull saw some average-looking cows and deserted his pint-sized pal.

The little bull, with a sigh, walked on all by himself. 

Which only proves that a little bull goes a long way.

Dick and Rick Hoyt

A father’s love for his son.

An Obituary

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: 

Knowing when to come in out of the rain; why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault. 

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn), and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). 

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. 

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. 

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. 

Common Sense was preceded in death, 

by his parents, Truth and Trust 

his wife, Discretion 

his daughter, Responsibility 

his son, Reason 

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; 

I Know My Rights 

I Want It Now 

Someone Else Is To Blame 

I'm A Victim 

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

A Mother's Love

A mother’s love not only knows no bound, it knows no species.

Getting High Faster On Diet Soda Mixers

The claim: Beware of drink mixers based on diet soda.

The facts: Usually it is solely the liquor component of a cocktail – not the mixer – that determines its inebriating effects. However, some people contend that the artificial sweeteners in diet soda speed up the absorption of alcohol.

              Odd, perhaps, but research has suggested it’s true. In a 2006 study, a team of scientists recruited healthy subjects and had them consume vodka cocktails. On some occasions, it was a 20-ounce drink mixed with a sugar-sweetened beverage, and on others it was a nearly identical drink mixed instead with a diet beverage.

              In the diet-mixer conditions, the alcohol entered the bloodstream about 15 minutes faster, and their blood-alcohol concentration was higher, peaking at 0.05 percent, compared with 0.03 percent with the regular mixer.

              One theory is that the alcohol is absorbed more quickly because there is no sugar to slow it down.

           A second study last year showed that alcohol was absorbed far more quickly when mixed with carbonated beverages than with flat mixers, possible because of the effervescence. As a result, experts say it’s best to choose flat mixers like orange or cranberry juice over diet sodas or juices.

The bottom line: Compared with sugar-sweetened drinks, artificial sweeteners can speed up inebriation.

- The New York Times 

Put Down Your Burden

              The venerable raises a glass of water and said to the audience: “How heavy do you think this glass of water is? It depends on how long you hold it. If you hold it for a minute, it is Ok. If you hold it for an hour, you will have an ache in your arm. If You hold it for a day, you will have to call an ambulance. 

              “It is the exact same weight, but the longer you hold it, the heavier it becomes. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, we will not be able to carry on, the burden becoming increasingly heavier. 

               “What you have to do is to put the glass down, rest for a while before holding it up again.”

              We have to put down the burden periodically, so that we can be refreshed and are able to carry on. When you return home from work, put the burden of work down. Don’t carry it into your home. You can pick it up tomorrow. 

              Take a REST!