“Who hath not known ill fortune, never knew himself, or his own virtue.” - Mallett
 
How do you treat yourself and others in difficult times?

“Do your work with your whole heart, and you will succeed – there is so little competition.” - Elbert Hubbard
 
What effort are you putting toward your success?

Peace of Mind
 
 Once Buddha was walking from one town to another town with a few of his followers. This was in the initial days. While they were traveling, they happened to pass a lake. They stopped there and Buddha told one of his disciples, “I am thirsty. Do get me some water from that lake there.”
The disciple walked up to the lake. When he reached it, he noticed that some people were washing clothes in the water and, right at that moment, a bullock cart started crossing through the lake. As a result, the water became very muddy, very turbid. The disciple thought, “How can I give this muddy water to Buddha to drink!” So, he came back and told Buddha, “The water in there is very muddy. I don’t think it is fit to drink.”
After about half an hour, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back to the lake and get him some water to drink. The disciple obediently went back to the lake. This time he found that the lake had absolutely clear water in it. The mud had settled down and the water above it looked fit to be had. So, he collected some water in a pot and brought it to Buddha.
Buddha looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said, “See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be ... and the mud settled down on its own and you got clear water.” Your mind is also like that. When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a little time. It will settle down on its own. You don’t have to put in any effort to calm it down. It will happen. It is effortless.”
What did Buddha emphasize here? He said, “It is effortless.” Having 'peace of mind' is not a strenuous job; it is an effortless process. When there is peace inside you, that peace permeates to the outside. It spreads around you and in the environment, such that people around start feeling that peace and grace.
 
www.rogerdarlington.me.uk/stories.

“If you are going through hell, keep going.” - Winston Churchill
 
How do you keep going when there seems like nowhere else to go? 

“Character is a diamond that scratches every other stone.” - Bartol
 
How does character touch the qualities of your life?
 

“A superior person is modest in speech, but exceeds in action.” - Confucius
 
What do your actions reveal about your intentions? 

“Wisdom is gained not in a moment but in an endless number of moments in which choices must be made.” - Erwin Raphael McManus
 
What are you learning from the choices you are making?

“The single most important thing a person needs for success is self-awareness. This includes who you are, what you can do, what you can’t do, where your values come from, and where you need improvement.” - Alan Stein, Jr.
 
What does your self-awareness say about reaching your goals? 

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” - Benjamin Franklin
 
What does your preparation say about your success?

“You cannot build a reputation on what you are going to do.” - Henry Ford
 
What type of reputation are you building?

Courage
 
 Early in 2003 Fred Evans fell and broke his hip. Not unusual for a man of 88. However, it was the events over the next few weeks that showed the world what this man was made of.

The next day he had an operation which turned out to be a total hip replacement.

Within a few days he was sent to a Rehabilitation Hospital, with all the usual hopes for a complete recovery for a man of his age and situation: 'absolutely none,' said the medical experts and nursing staff!

Funny about that, absolutely no hope at all.

My first conversation with Dad was a few days after his admittance to the Rehab Hospital.

'A bit of pain Son,' he tells me ... 'but I'll be okay.'
 
'See all of these other old guys in here, most of them have been in here for between 3 and 6 months, with no hope of ever going home.'

'"No way will I end up like them!'
 
'I will go home to your Mom within the next few weeks!'

Because of the distance between my home and his Rehab Hospital, I didn't get to see him every day, but phoned regularly. I was able to see him each weekend.

On my next visit I stopped at reception on the way to his room. The duty nurse gave me a 'rave review' of his progress, saying that they didn't believe what they were seeing. 'Your Father is a walking miracle,' I was told.

As I entered Dad's room, I saw him getting something from the other side of his bed as he was swinging himself into a position to get up and spend some time with me.

'Thanks for coming in to see me Son, it's good to see you, come for a slow walk with me,' he said.

He proudly assured me that he was okay to do it on his own, but it would be nice if I were right there next to him as we 'walked.' Sure enough, he had been so determined to get home to his wife of 62 years, he had been training hard every day!

So we went for a stroll around the corridors of his prison, and was he proud of his ability to conquer the odds? You bet he was!

Only three weeks after being admitted to that 'depressing place,' he walked out without any assistance from anyone. Just as I had been told - a walking miracle.

He only had one motive, but a very powerful one. To get home to his beautiful wife of 62 years, my Mom Margaret ... he missed her. His determination, courage, and incredible love and devotion towards my Mother (after all that time together) was an inspiration to me that can't be overstated. I thank him for that!

Fred Evans was a gentle caring man, with the courage and inner strength of a lion, and the heart of a Saint.

I had only recently grown to appreciate that I was so lucky to have such a mentor, and to realize that I was absolutely blessed to have had that experience. It wasn't too late though. I got to tell him how much he meant to me, and to thank him for being who he was, and to share some amazing moments with him towards the end of his humble, quietly-lived life.

Over the next few months fate stepped in and other medical complications took him from us, but he left us all with memories of what it's like to spend some time with someone special. Thanks Dad.

May this inspire you to overcome some form of adversity in your own life by showing some courage - despite the odds.
 
 
Written by Phil Evans

“No one can ask honestly or hopefully to be delivered from temptation unless they honestly and firmly determine to do the best they can to keep out of it.” - Ruskin
 
What things temp you to do what is wrong?
 

The long span of the Bridge of Life is supported by countless cables called habits, attitudes, and desires. What you do in life depends on what you are and what you want. What you get from life depends upon how much you want it - how much you are willing to work and plan and cooperate and use your resources. 
The long span of the bridge of your life is supported by countless cables that you are spinning now, and that is why today is such an important day.
Make the cables strong.

By L.G. Elliot published in: Leadership...with a human touch, January 9, 2001, Pages 9-10 

“You can always tell a bigger lie, but you cannot tell a bigger truth as there is only one truth.” - Dr. Graham Turner
 
How do you stay focused on the simple truth instead of the bigger lie?