My Lamppost

Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my
thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy
and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and
hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let
petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams
be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my
companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a
difference.

I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time
is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to
be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day
with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each
minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone
forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I
will make a difference.

I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred
with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I
will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No
failure is fatal. It’s OK to stumble… . I will get up. It’s OK to fail…
. I will rise again. Today I will make a difference.

I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family.
A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own
nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at
least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five
quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Five
undiluted minutes with my mate, children, and friends.

Today I will make a difference.

Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage
through my trash heap of failure. I will admit them. I will correct
them. I will press on.

From On the Anvil
Copyright 1985 Max Lucado
http://maxlucado.com/shop/detail.php?pid=B101H

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A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a
glass of water and asked, “how heavy is this glass of water?” Answers
called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, “The
absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.”
“If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour,
I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have
to call an ambulance. “In each case, it’s the same weight, but the
longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” He continued, “And that’s
the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the
time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be
able to carry on.” “As with the glass of water, you have to put it
down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we
can carry on with the burden.” “So, before you return home tonight,
put the burden of work down. Don’t carry it home. You can pick it up
tomorrow. Whatever burdens you’re carrying now, let them down for a
moment if you can.” “Relax; pick them up later after you’ve rested.
Life is short. Enjoy it! And then he shared some ways of dealing with the
burdens of life:
* 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.
* 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 won’t have a leg to
stand on.
* Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.
* Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
* The second mouse gets the cheese.
* 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.
* 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.
* We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some
have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
* A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

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