Excuses

"Put all your excuses aside and remember this: YOU are capable."
-Zig Ziglar

"Pessimism is an excuse for not trying and a guarantee to a personal failure"
- Bill Clinton

"Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses"- George Washington Carver

"For many people, an excuse is better than an achievement because an achievement, no matter how great, leaves you having to prove yourself again in the future; but an excuse can last for life" -Eric Hoffer

"Don't make excuses, make something incredible happen in your life right now"
-Greg Hickman

Think Before You Duplicate

There is a story about the old shopkeeper on Main street who placed a grand-father clock in the front window of his store. Over the years the shopkeeper noticed that a distinguished-looking man would walk by the store everyday at noon, pause in front of the grand-father clock... pull out a pocket watch... and carefully set the time.

One day the shopkeeper's curiosity got the best of him. When the gentleman paused in front of the grandfather clock, the shopkeeper ran out of the store and asked the man why he set his watch each and everyday.

The man smiled and replied: "I am the foreman at the town mill, I blow the quitting whistle at 5:00 each day and I want to be sure it goes off exactly on time"

The old shopkeeper gave him a startled look and then burst out laughing. The man stepped back and asked indignantly, "What is so funny?"

"I am sorry," replied the shopkeeper. "I didn't mean to be rude. But I just had to laugh. You see, all these years I have been setting my grand-father clock to your 5:00 whistle!"

Moral of the story: We copy others, others copy us and all too often we assume that the people we are copying have the right answer. We assume we are copying the right people!

From: Copycat Marketing 101 by Burke Hedges

Meaningful Poem

MY LITTLE ONE

I have a son, a little son,
A boy completely fine.
When I see him it seems to me
That all the world is mine.
But seldom, seldom do I see
My child awake and bright;
I only see him when he sleeps;
I am only home at night.
It is early when I leave for work;
When I return, it is late.
Unknown to me is my own flesh,
Unknown is my child's face.
When I come home so wearily
In the darkness after day.
My pale wife exclaims to me:
"You should have seen our child play."
"He sweetly spoke, he smartly asked,
‘Oh, mama, answer me;
When will Papa come and bring
A penny, just for me?' "

I have her speak, I rush within,
Oh, yes, yes, it must be:
My father love is flaring up,
My child must look at me.
I stand beside his little bed,
I look and try to hear.
In his dream he moves his lips:
"Why isn't Papa here?”
I bend and kiss his pale blue eyes
I see them open then;
They look at me; they look at me!
Then they quickly close again.
Your papa's standing very close,
With a penny for my dear.
In his dream he moves his lips:
“Why isn't Papa here?”
I stand depressed, and all my thoughts
Are bitter and heart-sore:
"One day, when you wake, my child,
You'll not see me anymore.”

– Morris Rosenfeld

Paid the price

"Most people struggle with life balance simply because they haven't paid the price to decide what is really important to them." - Stephen Covey

Freedom

Freedom
(Lyrics)
(by Paul McCartney)

This is my right,
a right given by God
To live a free life,
to live in Freedom
We talkin' about Freedom
Talkin' bout Freedom
I will fight,
for the right
To live in Freedom
Anyone who wants to take it away
Will have to answer,
Cause this is my right
We talkin' about Freedom
Talkin' bout Freedom
I will fight for the right
To live in Freedom,
ah yeah, comon now...

You talkin' about Freedom
Were talkin' bout Freedom
I will fight,
for the right
To live in Freedom
Everybody talkin' bout Freedom
Talkin' bout Freedom
I will fight, for the right