A Rainy Day

  

Perhaps the rain drops that fall

Entrance instead of hinder

Radiant souls dancing in the 

Splash of the murky waters

Placed on the path

Enamored by the elements of

Change

The way we view the world

Influences the journey more than

Viewing the world

Enclosed in one focus

Don't sweat the small stuff

What does "Don't sweat the small stuff" mean?

While I worked at Disney World we had a saying: "Don't let one guest ruin the magic for everyone else." 

In other words: don't allow one customer to get under your skin and make you bitter, irritable and angry for the rest of the day. 

No one is perfect, and it's difficult to avoid letting someone get under your skin, but it is worth it in the long run. 

One way to think about this is to look at the sucessful people in the world. The writers who were turned down by many publishers until their story became a sucess. The actors who went to audition after audition, hearing harsh crictism and being told they wouldn't break into acting until they recieve an oscar. 

The truth is that if those people had sweated the small stuff, let that director's doubt get to their head, gave up on publishers after the tenth try, and allowed one small event to determine the course of their future, they wouldn't be successful. And this is how easily the way you think determines the way you live. 

I speak through personal experience, because I have let many events in my life effect the course of my future. I have allowed bad memories, harsh remarks and at times true fear decide my fate. And now I regret those decisions. Some decisions I didn't even realize I made. 

Don't sweat the small stuff. Don't let the meanest customer ruin your day. Don't let failed auditions, rejections and harsh remarks effect who you are and what you want to do. 

Don't give life the ability to control you. Instead, create your own path, despite the obstacles you will face. 

Don't let a family or friend feud ruin a vacation. Don't give the nay sayers any reason to be right about you. Don't beat yourself up over mistakes, accidents and over all failures. 

Worrying is a waste of time and energy. Dwelling on the past is pointless. 

Life is a series of moments, and we choose which moments to focus on. To focus on the negative is a waste of time. To focus on the positive is a step forward. 

The Mayonnaise Jar Lesson

The Mayonnaise Jar

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and fills it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “YES”.

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - God, family,
children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things, that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else -- the small stuff.” he said.

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are
important to you...” he told them.

“So... pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Worship with your family. Play with your children. Take your partner out to dinner. Spend time with good friends. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap. Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled and said, “I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”

Please share this with other "Golf Balls"

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I found out about this from my parents, and I decided to put this on my blog, because it's really important.

Perspective

                    "When you have a problem, don't go far. Go high."- My Girl Korean Drama

          This quote is all about putting things in perspective. I learned this when my family and I went for a drive to have a picnic for Easter in the mountains. Unfortunately, the lake was closed, but we did find this nice look out spot on our way into Colorado Springs. The view was beautiful, and it reminded me of this quote. Standing there, and watching the tiny dots of cars drive on a road no wider than my thumb gave me some perspective on my worries and problems. My Dad always tells me that my problems aren't always as important or stressful as I make them. Sometimes it takes a moment like this to show me that it's true. When you are on top of the world, and the entire landscape is stretching out around you, you forget your problems for a while and just enjoy the view.