Positive Thoughts 14

I walk in boldness as my Creator loads me with benefits today. Bigger and better things are coming my way.

I can do anything through the power my Creator gives me (Phil. 4:13).

This is an awesome day! All people and things are aligned for today's adventures and abundant living is assured.

Diligence makes the difference. I am delighted with the dividends of doing my daily duties in a timely manner.

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! Exciting living is not an extra. Health and prosperity are essentials in walking with my Creator (III John 2).

The Spirit of the Lord goes before me and I ALWAYS: Take the right path, make the right decisions, follow the right pursuits and trust the right people.

Regardless of the opposing circumstances, I give richly and receive richly now.

I am in the process of positive change. Power, peace, and plenty are being poured out upon me.

My inner vision is always clear and focused as I trust my Creator to lead me.

I am divinely led and I am in harmony with the universe and at peace with myself.

The kingdom of Heaven is within me and I am divinely led to do and say the right things at the right time.

A new day, a new beginning and I am excited about the positive experiences that will be mine.

I will keep on course. Knowing that I empower others, keeps me kicking to win the race.

Life is a ball game. I joined the team and stepped up to the plate and started swinging. I am a big hit.

Imagination not image is who I am. What I see and what I think creates my destiny.

Gracious living is good. Giving to help others get what they need is a greater gift.

Family, friends and fun are fixtures in my movie camera. This feature film will be like me---a big success.

We must remain as close to the flowers, the grass, and the butterflies as the child is who is not yet so much taller than they are. -Friedrich Nietzsche

I don't think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains. -Anne Frank

Those who believe they can do something are probably right--and so are those who believe they can't. -Unknown

The first step is to "be," and "being" involves change. -Daniel N. Brown

Every man has three characters: that which he shows, that which he has, and that which he thinks he has. -Alphonse Karr

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as if nothing is a miracle, and the other is as if everything is a miracle. -Albert Einstein

Learn to pause ... or nothing worthwhile will catch up to you. -Doug King

One man has enthusiasm for 30 minutes, another for 30 days, but it is the man who has it for 30 years who makes a success of his life. -Edward B. Butler

Problems are only opportunities in work clothes. -Henry J. Kaiser

The true experience of bliss is without words. -Mother Meera

Confront challenges through inner strength and courage. -Barbara Ann Kipfer

The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation. -Corrie ten Boom

No my friend, darkness is not everywhere, for here and there I find faces illuminated from within; paper lanterns among the dark trees. -Carole Borges

Take yourself and your creative life seriously. Make time for self-expression. Be disciplined. This is the way to develop your unique gifts and talents. -Christiane Northrup, M.D.

There is no point at which you can say, 'Well, I'm successful now. I might as well take a nap.' -Carrie Fisher

Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties. -Erich Fromm

Beauty is about the improbable coming true suddenly. -Charles Simic

The average person has over 60,000 thoughts per day and most of those thoughts are the same thoughts they had yesterday! The only way to effect true, permanent change is to change your thought patterns and habits....This is the most effective program on the market to permanently change your thought patterns, routines and habits.
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Peace~Nanette

Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with glory. -Betty Smith

Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless. -Mother Teresa

Dance like a tree in the wind. -Barbara Ann Kipfer

You have to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather was. -Abraham Lincoln

Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. -Lucille Ball

Anyone can look for fashion in a boutique or history in a museum. The creative person looks for history in a hardware store and fashion in an airport. -Robert Wieder

Sharing is sometimes more demanding than giving. -Mary Bateson

Have compassion for your parents' childhoods. Know that you chose them because they were perfect for what you had to learn. Forgive them and set them free. -Louise L. Hay

Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died. -Erma Bombeck

Here's a task: Be the bearer of only good news today. In living out this task, note whether you find it difficult to maintain. And if so, discover why within yourself. -Caroline Myss and Peter Occhiogrosso

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. -General George S. Patton

I'd rather be a failure at something I enjoy than a success at something I hate. -George Burns

People are like stained glass windows: they sparkle and shine when the sun's out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light within. -Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses. -Confucius

See all beings as enlightened, providing you with the education you need to awaken. Thank them. -Barbara Ann Kipfer

Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art. -Garson Kanin

Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. -Lao Tzu

Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it. -Winston Churchill

On with the dance; let joy be unconfined is my motto, whether there's any dance to dance or any joy to unconfine. -Mark Twain

Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts. -Rita Mae Brown

To hold, you must first open your hand. Let go. -Tao Te Ching

Forget regret, or life is yours to miss. -Jonathan Larson

A poem is a serious joke, a truth that has learned jujitsu. -William Stafford

THE PINNACLE Issue 18

*******************************************************
WELCOME TO ANOTHER EDITION OF THE PINNACLE
Issue 18

By Lisa Diane

"Tips, Strategies & Insights for Extraordinary Living" *******************************************************
"Recalculating!"

I've been having a lot of fun recently using a GPS system during my travels. Have you seen them? Basically, you type in your destination and this great little system helps you navigate to where you want to go. It will even tell you nearby restaurants, hotels and other points of interest.

There's a computer generated female voice that calls out directions, road names and each turn to make. For me this has been a totally empowering experience-- as I am usually geographically challenged.

But even more importantly, this little system is a very close parallel to our life experience.

Let me explain...

When you know where you want to go (your destination) all you need to do is type it in and the GPS system will guide you there.

If you miss a turn, get off on the wrong road or prefer to go another way for awhile--which happens A LOT with some drivers I know (who shall remain nameless)--the system simply says, "RECALCULATING" and immediately gives you the updated directions based on where you are now.

Because here's the thing-- the GPS system only cares about two specific points: Where you are NOW and where you want to GO. It doesn't care about where you were last year, last month or even 5 minutes ago. It doesn't care about where your friends are, other places you might or might not enjoy going, where you've been in the past or where you might go in the future. It doesn't even care if you mess up and take a wrong turn or get on the wrong road altogether.

All the GPS system cares about is where you are NOW and where you want to GO. And it will ALWAYS give you a route to arrive at your destination as long as you know where you want to go--no matter how many times you mess up or get off track along the way. (Believe me, I know. I hear "recalculating" a lot!)

The great news is-- this is as true in life as it is with a GPS!

It doesn't matter where you were in the past, where your friends are or your family thinks you should be, how many times you get side-tracked, or completely off track and going in the opposite direction-- all you need to be concerned about is where you are TODAY and where you want to BE.

Because THIS MOMENT is your only point of power. Nothing else matters. Even if you've lived poor, sick, unhappy, unhealthy and generally miserable for the last 50 years of your life--everything can turn around FAST by simply being aware of these two very powerful points relativity-- WHERE YOU ARE NOW AND WHERE YOU WANT TO BE.

Your Source, Your Creator is like YOUR PERSONAL GPS system. And if you will simply focus in this moment NOW on exactly where you want to GO (forgetting all the other stuff that means nothing) you will be called along just the right path at just the right time to arrive just where you want to be.

The key, as always, is KNOWING what you want (what you want to have, do and be). If you have a clear destination and you can place your trust in that all-knowing personal GPS system right here waiting to show you the way, you'll find that your life takes on a whole new feel. Success, wealth, health, happiness, fun and great relationships are yours. All you have to do is ASK for it.

And if you mess up along the way?

No problem. Just close your eyes and hear the words, "Recalculating!"... knowing that regardless of where you are there's always a path that will lead you to where you want to be.

Spend a few minutes right now and program in your destination. Get clear on where you're headed and then focus on taking actions, dwelling on thoughts and speaking words each day that lead you closer to achieving that goal.

Forget the past and all the other junk that doesn't deserve even a moment of your attention. Use the PRESENT MOMENT (your point of power) to follow your bliss and you'll soon realize that the journey AND the destination are full of fun surprises and abundance at every turn.

To Living The Good Life,
Lisa Diane
Inspiration Point
http://tinyurl.com/oz2pq

The Wallet

As I walked home one freezing day, I stumbled on a wallet someone had lost in the street. I picked it up and looked inside to find some identification so I could call the owner. But the wallet contained only three dollars and a crumpled letter that looked as if it had been in there for years.

The envelope was worn and the only thing that was legible on it was the return address. I started to open the letter, hoping to find some clue. Then I saw the dateline--1924. The letter had been written almost sixty years ago.

It was written in a beautiful feminine handwriting on powder blue stationery with a little flower in the left-hand corner. It was a "Dear John" letter that told the recipient, whose name appeared to be Michael, that the writer could not see him any more because her mother forbade it. Even so, she wrote that she would always love him.

It was signed, Hannah.

It was a beautiful letter, but there was no way except for the name Michael, that the owner could be identified. Maybe if I called information, the operator could find a phone listing for the address on the envelope.

"Operator," I began, "this is an unusual request. I'm trying to find the owner of a wallet that I found. Is there anyway you can tell me if there is a phone number for an address that was on an envelope in the wallet?"

She suggested I speak with her supervisor, who hesitated for a moment then said, "Well, there is a phone listing at that address, but I can't give you the number." She said, as a courtesy, she would call that number, explain my story and would ask them if they wanted her to connect me. I waited a few minutes and then she was back on the line. "I have a party who will speak with you."

I asked the woman on the other end of the line if she knew anyone by the name of Hannah. She gasped, "Oh! We bought this house from a family who had a daughter named Hannah. But that was 30 years ago!"

"Would you know where that family could be located now?" I asked.

"I remember that Hannah had to place her mother in a nursing home some years ago," the woman said. "Maybe if you got in touch with them they might be able to track down the daughter."

She gave me the name of the nursing home and I called the number. They told me the old lady had passed away some years ago but they did have a phone number for where they thought the daughter might be living.

I thanked them and phoned. The woman who answered explained that Hannah herself was now living in a nursing home.

This whole thing was stupid, I thought to myself. Why was I making such a big deal over finding the owner of a wallet that had only three dollars and a letter that was almost 60 years old?

Nevertheless, I called the nursing home in which Hannah was supposed to be living and the man who answered the phone told me, "Yes, Hannah is staying with us."

Even though it was already 10 p.m., I asked if I could come by to see her. "Well," he said hesitatingly, "if you want to take a chance, she might be in the day room watching television."

I thanked him and drove over to the nursing home. The night nurse and a guard greeted me at the door. We went up to the third floor of the large building. In the day room, the nurse introduced me to Hannah.

She was a sweet, silver-haired old timer with a warm smile and a twinkle in her eye.

I told her about finding the wallet and showed her the letter. The second she saw the powder blue envelope with that little flower on the left, she took a deep breath and said, "Young man, this letter was the last contact I ever had with Michael."

She looked away for a moment deep in thought and then said Softly, "I loved him very much. But I was only 16 at the time and my mother felt I was too young. Oh, he was so handsome. He looked like Sean Connery, the actor."

"Yes," she continued. "Michael Goldstein was a wonderful person. If you should find him, tell him I think of him often. And," she hesitated for a moment, almost biting her lip, "tell him I still love him. You know," she said smiling as tears began to well up in her eyes, "I never did marry. I guess no one ever matched up to Michael..."

I thanked Hannah and said good-bye. I took the elevator to the first floor and as I stood by the door, the guard there asked, "Was the old lady able to help you?"

I told him she had given me a lead. "At least I have a last name. But I think I'll let it go for a while. I spent almost the whole day trying to find the owner of this wallet."

I had taken out the wallet, which was a simple brown leather case with red lacing on the side. When the guard saw it, he said, "Hey, wait a minute! That's Mr. Goldstein's wallet. I'd know it anywhere with that right red lacing. He's always losing that wallet. I must have found it in the halls at least three times."

"Who's Mr. Goldstein?" I asked as my hand began to shake.

"He's one of the old timers on the 8th floor. That's Mike Goldstein's wallet for sure. He must have lost it on one of his walks."

I thanked the guard and quickly ran back to the nurse's office. I told her what the guard had said. We went back to the elevator and got on. I prayed that Mr. Goldstein would be up.

On the eighth floor, the floor nurse said, "I think he's still in the day room. He likes to read at night. He's a darling old man."

We went to the only room that had any lights on and there was a man reading a book. The nurse went over to him and asked if he had lost his wallet. Mr. Goldstein looked up with surprise, put his hand in his back pocket and said, "Oh, it is missing!"

"This kind gentleman found a wallet and we wondered if it could be yours?"

I handed Mr. Goldstein the wallet and the second he saw it, he smiled with relief and said, "Yes, that's it! It must have dropped out of my pocket this afternoon. I want to give you a reward."

"No, thank you," I said. "But I have to tell you something. I read the letter in the hope of finding out who owned the wallet."

The smile on his face suddenly disappeared. "You read that letter?"

"Not only did I read it, I think I know where Hannah is."

He suddenly grew pale. "Hannah? You know where she is? How is she? Is she still as pretty as she was? Please, please tell me," he begged.

"She's fine...just as pretty as when you knew her." I said softly.

The old man smiled with anticipation and asked, "Could you tell me where she is? I want to call her tomorrow." He grabbed my hand and said, "You know something, mister, I was so in love with that girl that when that letter came, my life literally ended. I never married. I guess I've always loved her. "

"Mr. Goldstein," I said, "come with me."

We took the elevator down to the third floor. The hallways were darkened and only one or two little night-lights lit our way to the day room where Hannah was sitting alone watching the television. The nurse walked over to her.

"Hannah," she said softly, pointing to Michael, who was waiting with me in the doorway. "Do you know this man?"

She adjusted her glasses, looked for a moment, but didn't say a word. Michael said softly, almost in a whisper, "Hannah, it's Michael. Do you remember me?"

She gasped, "Michael! I don't believe it! Michael! It's you! My Michael!"

He walked slowly towards her and they embraced. The nurse and I left with tears streaming down our faces.

"See," I said. "See how the Good Lord works! If it's meant to be, it will be."

About three weeks later I got a call at my office from the nursing home. "Can you break away on Sunday to attend a wedding? Michael and Hannah are going to tie the knot!"

It was a beautiful wedding with all the people at the nursing home dressed up to join in the celebration. Hannah wore a light beige dress and looked beautiful. Michael wore a dark blue suit and stood tall. They made me their best man.

The hospital gave them their own room and if you ever wanted to see a 76-year-old bride and a 79-year-old groom acting like two teenagers, you had to see this couple.

A perfect ending for a love affair that had lasted nearly 60 years.

-- Author Unknown