Friends (how many of us have them)
Many people will walk in and out of your life,
But only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.
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 is his fault;
If he betrays you twice, it is your fault.
Great minds discuss ideas;
Average minds discuss events;
Small minds discuss people.
He who loses money, loses much;
He who loses a friend, loses much more;
He who loses faith, loses all
Beautiful young people are accidents 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.
Friends, you and me....
You brought another friend....
And then there were 3....
We started our group....
Our circle of friends....
And like that circle....
There is no beginning or end....
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is mystery.
Today is a gift.
That's why it's called the Present!!
Friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.

Things that make you go mmm..........
The highest aim in life - To know God and do His will!
The most enriching good habit - Complimenting others
The most destructive bad habit - Worry
The greatest joy - Giving
The greatest loss - Loss of self-respect
The most satisfying work- Helping others
The ugliest personality trait - Selfishness
The most endangered species - Dedicated leaders
Our greatest natural resource - Our youth
The ugliest look - A frown
The greatest "shot in the arm" - Encouragement
The greatest problem to overcome - Fear
The most effective sleeping pill - Peace of mind
The most crippling failure disease - Excuses
The surest way to limit God - Unbelief
The most powerful forces in life - Love
The most dangerous piranha - A gossiper
The Greatest Life-Giver - The Creator
The worlds most incredible computer - The brain
The worst thing to be without - Hope
The deadliest weapon - The tongue
The two most power-filled words - "I Can"
The greatest asset - Faith
The most worthless emotion - Self-pity
The most beautiful attire - A SMILE!
The most prized possession - Self esteem
The most powerful channel of communication - Prayer
The most contagious spirit - Enthusiasm
The most urgent need - SALVATION
The GREATEST - GOD

The best things in life are FREE !!!
1. Falling in love.
2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.
3. A hot shower.
4. No lines at the supermarket
5. A special glance.
6. Getting mail.
7. Taking a drive on a pretty road.
8. Hearing your favourite song on the radio.
9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.
10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.
11. Finding the sweater you want is on sale for half price.
12. Chocolate milkshake. (or vanilla!) (or strawberry)
13. A long distance phone call.
14. A bubble bath.
15. Giggling.
16. A good conversation.
17. The beach.
18. Finding a 20 note in your coat from last winter.
19. Laughing at yourself.
20. Midnight phone calls that last for hours.
21. Running through sprinklers.
22. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.
23. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.
24. Laughing at an inside joke.
25. Friends.
26. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
27. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.
28. Your first kiss (either the very first or with a new partner).
29. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.
30. Playing with a new puppy.
31. Having someone play with your hair.
32. Sweet dreams.
33. Hot chocolate.
34. Road trips with friends.
35. Swinging on swings.
36. Wrapping presents under the Christmas tree while eating cookies and drinking your favourite tipple.
37. Song lyrics printed inside your new CD so you can sing along without feeling stupid.
38. Going to a really good concert.
39. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.
40. Winning a really competitive game.
41. Making chocolate chip cookies.
42. Having your friends send you home-made cookies.
43. Spending time with close friends.
44. Seeing smiles and hearing laughter from your friends.
45. Holding hands with someone you care about.
46. Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.
47. Riding the best roller coasters over and over.
48. Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much desired present from you.
49. Watching the sunrise.
50. Getting out of bed every morning and thanking God for another beautiful day.

Lessons from Geese
Principles of Collective Wisdom
'Lessons from Geese' is based on the work of Milton Olson.

Fact 1.
As each goose flaps its wings it creates an "uplift" for the birds that follow.
By flying in a V-formation, the whole flock adds 72% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.
Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of another.

Fact 2.
When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone.
It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go.
We are willing to accept their help and give out help to others.

Fact 3.
When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position.
Lesson: It pays to take turns going the hard tasks and sharing leadership.
As with geese, people are interdependent on each other's skills, capabilities, and unique arrangements of gifts, talents, and resources.

Fact 4.
The geese flying formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
Lesson: We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement, the production is greater.
The power of encouragement (to stand by one's heart or core values and encourage the heart and core of others) is the quality of honking we seek.

Fact 5.
When a goose gets sick, wounded, or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it.
They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then, they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.
Lesson: If we had as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.

Fact 6.
Geese fly South for the winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
Lesson: It is a reminder to take a break from the cold of winter and take a vacation to some place warm & sunny to rejuvenate ourselves.

The Alphabets
A lthough things are not perfect
B ecause of trial or pain
C ontinue in thanksgiving
D o not begin to blame
E ven when the times are hard
F ierce winds are bound to blow
G od is forever able
H old on to what you know
I magine life without His love
J oy would cease to be
K eep thanking Him for all the things
L ove imparts to thee
M ove out of "Camp Complaining"
N o weapon that is known
O n earth can yield the power
P raise can do alone
Q uit looking at the future
R edeem the time at hand
S tart every day with worship
T o "thank" is a command
U ntil we see Him coming
V ictorious in the sky
W e'll run the race with gratitude
X alting God most high
Y es, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but
Z ion waits in glory ... where none are ever sad!

What i've learned

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 regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first,
the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

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 your family won't always be there for you.
It may seem funny, but people you aren't related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren't biological.

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 have 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 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 the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

Life...
"Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '97: Wear sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.

The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own. Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room. Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly. Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on.

Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth. But trust me on the sunscreen."

ESPN SportsCenter anchor Stuart Scott delivered the commencement speech at the University of North Carolina.

Here's part of the text of his speech.

.....it's one of the most important lessons you learn here at UNC. Different is cool -- always has been here -- it's thebeauty of diversity. And you've probably had more diversity here than you will as you move on. I know all of you want to do more than "get a job." I know you want to "make a difference." Keep this in mind as you do that. Remember the different walks of life you've seen here on campus, all colors, all races, all religions, all sexual make-ups, athletes, scholars, hippies, frat boys, sorority girls. I hope you've accepted whatever is different from you as simply what it is -- just different.

We all know the "majority" in this world decides "who" is the "other." Discrimination wears a lot more masks than just "white" and "black." There's age. Most discrimination cases are age-related. There's discrimination because of physical abilities. "Aw, dog. He can't play no ball." Because of "mental" abilities. "I'm magna cum lauda." Uh well, "I graduated 'thank you lawdy'. "

All those levels, and we make meaning from them. When you put those differences up on a wall, some you can see, others you can't. It's like a cube. You can see some of the sides. Others have more depth. Some, you can see parts of. Others, you can't see at all. People making a difference need to be aware of that paradigm. Also be aware of stereotypical tendencies. We value height. Sometimes we equate it with influence. Not always true. Making a difference means taking prejudices we have, understand them, then figuring out how to check myself.

Say I had a 3.8 GPA -- I didn't but if I did ... If I don't know how to talk to people, how to reach across the sphere and connect, my GPA, it's just for GP.

Given the way the world is changing, you absolutely cannot depend on stereotypes. Do that and you might lose money. Lose a customer. Lose constituents. Lose the faith of a child. Or worse: Have a child lose faith in you. Every time you speak, you're making someone else's reality. Especially in relationships.

Your words have power. Remember this, and this is important. When you get a girlfriend and/or a fianceé and/or a wife. Know this: We communicate differently. And guys, I know you're going to hate it because you're going to think, "I don't get her," "She doesn't make sense," and you're gonna try to talk to her like you talk to your boys. And when she doesn't understand you, you're gonna complain. You are in a relationship with a woman. You're not in a relationship with a man who looks like a woman.

Do you want to be right, or do you want to get your point across? Do you want to be right, or do you really want to communicate? Ladies, I'm talking to you, too. If you're talking to your boss or colleague or neighbour or child or spouse or potential spouse, use language that they understand. Don't force them to understand you. Right now, my wife is probably thinking, "Who is that man up there speaking?" -- I'm not good at it myself.

There is power in communication. Don't be afraid to use it. There's power of communicating to a diverse group of people or diverse groups. Don't be afraid to use it. Whether you're reaching out to five kids at a summer camp or whether you're addressing Congress.

There's also power in humility. One of the toughest things to do is saying, "I'm sorry." Either we don't say it or we say, "I'm sorry, but ..." "But" takes the authority out of a true apology. If you mess up, look whoever in the eye and say, "I'm sorry." There's nothing else, really, they can say. You own the strength in that.

Thinking like that and actually doing it. Two different things. To learn how to gain inner strength, you have to first have enlightenment. How do you maintain that? Several ways. Keep friends who keep you honest about what you're going to do when you say you're going to do it. Just having friends who will always agree with you can be divisive. Keep yourself grounded about reality and not just your own reality. You might think you look fine in that Spandex dress or those flat-fronted polyester pants. But, uh, you might want to run it across one of your more truthful friends before you go to the club.

If you're going to make a difference, if you're going to grow, be honest with yourself -- about yourself. And that's hard. Come out of your comfort zone, which means talking to people you might not normally talk to. Someone new in your office or neighbourhood. Talk with someone who intimidates you just by looking at them. Somebody you've got nothing in common with.

Being honest with yourself also means self-reflection. Whether it's chillin' out with that Jill Scott CD, reading, keeping a journal, praying or just being in silence. It's funny. We often equate being alone with being lonely. It's not even close to being the same. Some of the times I've been loneliest is when there's a ton of people around.

When I first heard about the opposition to my speaking here, I was in my office with about four people. Talk about lonely. It was weird because I wasn't angry or even hurt. I felt alone because I felt like, "Here we go again -- I gotta prove something, prove that I'm a journalist and not just an entertainer." Then I realized something that didn't hit me. Fourteen years ago, when a TV news director saw my résumé tape and told me, "You suck. You'll never make it in this business" -- and, yes, those were the words he used -- back then I felt I had to prove something to him.

Which is in part what fueled my drive, what continued to fuel it every time some magazine or newspaper critic slammed me. Because he or she didn't understand me, didn't know what I was talking about when I said, "Playa hatin'." What continued to fuel it when one of my colleagues gave me a hard time about making an Alpha Phi Alpha-Omega Psi Phi reference, saying I should have used an "Animal House" reference if I was going to talk about fraternities. I felt like, I gotta stand up on top of a mountain and shout "Hey. Your view of reality, your world, is not 'the' world. Diversity means understanding. How you were raised, where you were raised, what shapes you is only a small slice of the pie. You don't have to understand or like every slice. You just have to accept there are more slices than you've known."

Somewhere down the line, I realized I never have to prove anything to anyone but myself. And I'm secure in the knowledge that I do that every day. So, about 10 minutes after I heard about the opposition to my speaking here -- about the quote, "Is this entertainment or commencement" -- it didn't bother me anymore. I can't prove to anyone I am deserving of this honor. I'll just get up there. Give them who I am and if that's good enough, fine.

If not, I still got my two little girls to go home to. The thing is, one of the professors who came out, publicly, against me speaking -- we ended up talking, and she explained it wasn't a personal thing. It was just some issues with the university and the athletic department. And she really was looking forward to me coming. It all works out. For the record, I also agree with one Raleigh radio DJ. He said, "I'd rather go hear Stuart than some politician. Now if it's J-Lo, I'd rather go see J-Lo." Dog, I'm witcha.

When you get to be 35 years old, you start appreciating things you woulda thought were silly or "soft" in college. And I might have my "macho-testosterone" card taken away from me for this, but I ran across some things that a guy named Paul Harvey suggested. Sort of like lessons for life. He said, "Learn humility by being humiliated," "Learn honesty by being cheated," "Get a black eye fighting for something you believe in," "See puppies being born" and "See your old dog put to sleep." It's all about perspective and appreciating your own perspective.

Here's something else I believe in, and it comes with being a parent. Teach your kids how to pray. Teach them to look both ways before they cross the street. Teach them not to talk to strangers. And then, you pray. You won't get it perfect. But you will get it.

The best thing about diversity, thinking about it, trying to learn from it, trying to grow from it, understanding how so many different people come together to create this world that you are about to walk head first into. You will make a difference, not in that "Hallmark card" way of making a difference but in the real way. With your kids or with somebody else's kids. Some clichés are true. Just as your parents and uncles and aunts raised you to shape the world, and you are about to, you will help raise the next generation to take over where you left off.

For those of you who don't know, by far (and there is no close second), the best thing about life are your kids. And their honesty. Somewhere along the way, people lose their greatest gift as they get older. As I said before, the ability to be honest with yourself, and by extension, others.

Two stories about my 6-year-old, then I'll get outta your hair. My wife and I were at a restaurant with an old couple across from us. And you know how old people like seeing the family unit. So the lady comes up and says, "You have such a nice family and such beautiful little girls." I said to my "then" 5-year-old, "Taelor, what do you say'" And Taelor is staring at her husband, who's probably 80, with some red discolorating his head. And she turns to the lady and says matter-of-factly, "You might want to take him to the doctor to see what that mark is on his head." My wife was mortified. I was doubled over in laughter. Love the honesty.

She even got me. I was working out of town on her fifth birthday. So I called that morning, and I was talking to her on the phone, feeling real emotional. She said, "Daddy, I'm eating breakfast. Can I talk to you later'" And I said, "Taelor, just give me a minute. I just want you to know that you and your sister, Sydni, are the most precious gifts God has ever given to me. I love you more than anything." I'm getting all choked up, and she interrupts me and says, "Daddy." I'm thinking, she's gonna say her usual: "I love you, too." Nope. She says, "Daddy, has it been a minute yet?"

I said yes. So before you ask me the same question -- "Has it been a minute?" -- I'll close. But before I do, second best thing other than kids and family: friends. Unconditional friends.

Someone once said of "friendship" -- a friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it to you when you've forgotten the words. Someone else once said "Everyone hears what you say. Friends listen to what you say. Best friends listen to what you don't say." Love your friends. Understand the power in your words. Be aware, and embrace the world's diversity. Make a difference.

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

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 comes 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, treasure every moment that you have.
And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with...
and remember that time waits for no one.

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 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 the dole, until the first or fifteenth,
until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up,
until you die
To decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy.

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

Carry your chin in and the crown of your head high..

Whenever you go out, draw the chin in, carry the crown of the head high,
and fill the lungs to the utmost; drink in the sunshine; greet your friends with a smile, and put soul into every handclasp.

Do not fear being misunderstood and do not waste a minute thinking about your fears. Try to fix firmly in your mind what you would like to do; and then, without veering off direction, you will move straight to the goal.

Keep your mind on the great and splendid things you would like to do, and then, as the days go gliding away, you will find yourself unconsciously seizing upon the opportunities that are required for the fulfilment of your desire, just as the coral insect takes from the running tide the element it needs.
Picture in your mind the able, earnest, useful person you desire to be, and the thought you hold is hourly transforming you into that particular individual.

Thought is supreme. Preserve a right mental attitude – the attitude of courage, frankness, and good cheer. To think rightly is to create. All things come through desire and every sincere prayer is answered. We become like that on which our hearts are fixed. Carry your chin in and the crown of your head high.

We are gods in the chrysalis.

  - Elbert Hubbard