The Keys to Good Living...

Fear of Aging? How to Get Over It
Eight ways to see growing older as full of possibilities and adventure.
By Dr. Stephen Ruppenthal

1. Cultivate your relationships
2. Connect with your spirituality
3. Make a difference
4. Protect your health
5. Exercise your intellect
6. Nurture your creativity
7. Rejoice in nature
8. Build your legacy

Age matters less when we pour ourselves into people and things that will in their own way continue us.

From the Quote of the Week Files; November 26, 2007

"Understanding and Love are not two separate things, but just one. To develop understanding, you have to practice looking at all living beings with the eyes of compassion. When you understand, you cannot help but love. And when you love, you naturally act in a way that can relieve the suffering of people."

Thich Nhat Hanh

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A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...

Your vision will become clear only
when you look into your heart.
Who looks outside, dreams.
Who looks inside, awakens.

Carl Jung

The Keys to Good Living...

The advice below was given to me by 3 charming elderly ladies on a commuter train from NYC, where they spent the day at the theater. When asked, "What do they believe are the Keys to Good Living?, this is what they came up with...

Take your time.
Do the things you want to do.
Do it with your own money.
Don't listen to the good advice of others; follow your own heart.
When someone offers to take you to dinner, say YES!
Don't read the newspapers ~ there is too much bad news in them! Well, maybe do the puzzles and read the comics!

Some good keys to think about!

From the Quote of the Week Files; November 19, 2007

"Give honest and sincere appreciation."

Dale Carnegie's 2nd Human Relation Principle

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In the U.S., this week marks our Thanksgiving holiday. In spite of all the pre-holiday sales, anticipation of the arrival of Santa, traveling, eating Turkey, drinking and watching football, the center of this holiday is thankfulness.
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"The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving."

H.U. Westermayer

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I don't think Dale Carnegie thought that one should wait for Thanksgiving to "Give honest and sincere appreciation", but that it should be done on a daily/weekly basis. If you have gotten away from this practice (like I have), this Thanksgiving could be the perfect time to start up again!

My challenge for myself is to not only think about those who have helped me, caught me, taught me, believed in me, re framed things for me, showed me, etc. but to take the time and "Give honest and sincere appreciation!" Anybody care to join me in this challenge?
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"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."

Thornton Wilder

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Thinking the best for you and your family this Thanksgiving!

From the Quote of the Week Files; November 12, 2007

1. Don't criticize, condemn, or complain.
2. Give honest and sincere appreciation
3. Arouse in the other person an eager want.
4. Become genuinely interested in other people.
5. Smile.
6. Remember that a man's name is to him the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
7. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
8. Talk in terms of the other man's interests.
9. Make the other person feel important — and do it sincerely.

Dale Carnegie

The above list comes from Dale Carnegie book, How to Win Friends and InfIuence People. They are his first nine Human Relations Principles. It is basically about how to deal with social situations, nothing more, nothing less.

My challenge for myself this week is to follow principle # 1 and to stop complaining, condemning or criticizing. Anybody care to join me in this challenge?