Inspirational story about happiness

The 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.

After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window. “I love it,” she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

“Mrs. Jones, you haven’t seen the room …. just wait.”

“That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” she replied. “Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged, it’s how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away, just for this time in my life.”

She went on to explain, “Old age is like a bank account, you withdraw from what you’ve put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories. Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank. I am still depositing.”

And with a smile, she said: “Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred
2. Free your mind from worries
3. Live simply
4. Give more
5. Expect less

Isn't this an inspirational story??? Read this on Facebook tonight and I knew that I wanted to share this with my audience. 

Love is a decision

There are a thousand different ways to show love to someone you care about. Whatever you choose and however you choose, be genuine and be sincere. As I get older, I find that I become more and more reflective. I reflect and ponder so many things about life and people and what I'm learning and I realize with each passing day that today is all we've got. No matter what is happening around me, I want to make today count and if I want it to count, it starts with me. I want to embrace what I have today and make the most of what I have, right here, right now because tomorrow is never promised.

Love is an action word. It's a verb meant to be demonstrative. So be demonstrative with your love because anybody can say I love you but real love, authentic love and a genuine concern for a person is about showing up and loving people the way God calls us to love. Love is about being others-oriented and self-less. 

It's easy to love someone whose company is easy, but to love someone at their worst, well that's love. You love that person because it's a decision you've made. Love I've learned really is a decision. You can decide today to love the way God calls you to love. And for many, loving people isn't easy but what I've learned is that it's easier to love others when you realize how much God loves you. When you're full of God's love, love comes pouring out of you. 

During my spiritual journey I've learned that God calls us to do two things in life: to love Him and to love people. Being a doer is what makes the difference so lets really show up and love people. Let's be a difference maker and show up and show those we love and care about with our affection today.

May the light of life shine on you always.

xx, Ruthie

Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins, it forgives and disregards the offenses of others. ~ 1 Peter 4:8

Today

Today is Friday and for most of us, it’s the end of the work week. Today as we know it, will never come again.

There's a song on the radio that commands my attention every time I hear it. And lately, they've been playing this song alot on KLOVE, the radio station I love listening to. I'm not sure who the artist is or what the name of the song is. The lyrics in the song that stand out to me the most are: "I want to live like there's no tomorrow, love like I'm on borrowed time." Wow! ... What a powerful statement. I can so relate because that's exactly how I want to live my life. I'm not always successful at living like there's no tomorrow but at the very heart of who I am, I want all my moments to count. 

The other morning as I was walking into my my office building, I ran into a colleague of mine who asked me how I was doing. And he didn't just ask in a casual manner to be polite. He really wanted to know how I was doing because he asked the question twice. As we stood there, we got to chatting for a bit before we headed over to our respective offices and during our conversation, he shared with me that as he gets older, he's realizing how important it is to appreciate what we have and to make life count. I can't tell you how refreshing it was to hear that. This colleague of mine has an extraordinary spirit. He's probably one of the most affable people I know. Everybody who knows him, loves him! He e-mails me periodically or stops by to check in on me, to make sure I'm doing okay. I love that about him. He's just a very kind man with a very caring heart for people. And I think to myself, what if we were all like him? 

I share these things with you because I want to encourage you to think and to live differently. We should all aspire to be a blessing to others, to be a friend, to encourage and to empower, not just today but every day. We should take the time to check in on our friends and our family members, taking the time to care, to love, to serve and to pray. We should make that phone call, write that letter, send that e-mail, plan that visit or host that dinner party we keep putting off. Let's do something or many things to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the people who cross our paths, the people in our communities and with our family. 

Each of us is equipped and each of us has the power to make a positive difference in life, every day. Our words and our attitudes and our actions carry extraordinary power. 

Together, let's decide today to tap into that power and to do something extra nice for someone. That someone could be a stranger, a friend or a family member. Maybe today, you'll decide that it will be many people. And if that’s what you decide, I applaud you! That’s a great attitude! After all, the day is still young, it’s not too late. It's never too late. 

When you speak to people today, slow down. Don’t be in such a hurry. Let your words breathe life into them. And when people speak to you, listen carefully and attentively. Let’s remember that people matter, people over things matter.

Let’s remember that our words have incredible power. Our words have the power to heal or to wound so let’s choose words that heal, that build people up, that promote goodness, wellness and kindness. Let’s choose words that leave people feeling blessed, loved and valued.

My friends, tomorrow is never promised. Today is all we have. What we have is right here and right now. 

So .... how are you going to spend the next 24 hours?

What kinds of things will you do and say to make a difference, not just today but every day?

Until next time, 

xx, Ruthie

p.s. I just researched the artist and the name of the song that I mentioned in this post. The artist is Jason Gray and the name of the song is called: Good to be Alive. It's a good tune and it inspires me in really good ways. :o) Hope it inspires you too. Be well ... 

May the Lord bless you and keep you and may His face shine upon you. May He be gracious to you, lift you up and bless you with His peace.  ~Numbers 24-26

When God’s face shines upon you, that’s Big Daddy smiling at you, beloved.

Slow Me Down, Lord

Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind. Steady my hurried pace. Give me, amidst the day's confusion, the calmness of the everlasting hills.

Break the tensions of my nerves and muscles with the soothing music of singing streams that live in my memory.

Help me to know the magical, restoring power of sleep. Teach me the art of taking "minute vacations"... slowing down to look at a flower, to chat with a friend, to read a few lines from a good book.

Remind me of the fable of the hare and the tortoise; that the race is not always to the swift; that there is more to life than measuring its speed.

Let me look up at the branches of the towering oak and know that it grew slowly and well. Inspire me to send my own roots down deep into the soil of life's endearing values ... that I may grow toward the stars of my greater destiny.

Slow me down, Lord.

         

{Wilferd Arlan Peterson}

The True Joy in Life

This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.

~ George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), the great Irish playwright, awarded the 1925 Nobel Prize for literature. 

YOU

Wow ... this is a powerful video delivered by a lovely young lady by the name of Amena Brown. The quality of the video from a technical stand point is not the greatest but the content is nothing short of amazing. I don't know who Amena is and I certainly don't know much about her but I can tell you with absolute certainty that she is an extraordinary individual and has an amazingly humble spirit that makes her beautiful. I remember watching this video for the first time several years ago and still remember how hair raising it was. I can't recall who originally sent the video to me but I do remember that I was glad they did because it blessed me. My response was: "Whoa!" The first time I watched this video was in my home, during the work week, in the evening and I remember that I was sitting at the dining room table. I must have watched it three or four times repeatedly because  I had never seen a video like that in my life, like ever. I thought it was so beautiful. I watched the video again tonight on a prompting and it's still incredibly powerful and incredibly beautiful. I trust that someone will be blessed by this video. Perhaps many someone's. And may it do just that, may it bless you richly and beyond measure. Blessings dear one ...

When God's story becomes your story, you hear a voice you can trust. ~Max Lucado

You are beautiful, you are loved

Well said. I heart this message. 

You don't have to listen

Powerful! Awesome! Empowering! and Inspiring!

Dangerous Women Creed

Dear God:

Please make us dangerous women.

May we be women who acknowledge our power

to change, and grow, and be radically alive for God.

May we be healers of wounds and righters of wrongs.

May we weep with those who weep and

speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.

May we cherish children, embrace the elderly,

and empower the poor.

May we pray deeply and teach wisely.

May we be strong and gentle leaders.

May we sing songs of joy and talk down fear.

May we never hesitate to let passion push us,

conviction compel us, and righteous anger energize us.

May we strike fear into all that is unjust

and evil in the world.

May we dismantle abusive systems and

silence lies with truth.

May we shine like stars in a darkened generation.

May we overflow with goodness in the name of God

and by the power of Jesus.

And in that name and by that power,

may we change the world.

Dear God, please make us dangerous women.

Excerpt from Lynne Hybel’s book: Nice Girls Don’t Change the World

Words to live by

Anyway

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

~ Mother Teresa

Face the worst in the world with the best in yourself. ~ Ruthie

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. ~ Mahata Ghandi

It takes courage to be the author of your life. ~ Nicholas Lore

Today I Will Make a Difference

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.

Written by Max Lucado

I know my blog should be about my words, but I couldn’t resist posting this today. I wanted to share this with my readers. I read this for the very first time in February 2005. Six years later, it still inspires me and I still love reading this. I hope this blesses you, and encourages you and I hope it inspires you to make a difference. Love well my friends … lets all love well. ~Ruthie

One person can make a difference and everyone should try. ~ JFK