SUCCESS REQUIRES NO APOLOGIES.
      FAILURE PERMITS NO ALIBIS.


           http://aronbestsellers.com

"Give us this day our daily bread."

                                                   Matthew 6:11  

          http://aronbestsellers.com

"The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself."
                                                                                                    – Anna Quindlen

             http://aronbestsellers.com

   Today is my 70th Birthday and I am in awe of what a great life God has given me. 
   Happy Birthday to everyone everywhere who has August 18 as their birthday. No matter what the number of years might be, it's a great life.
   My friends at Unity Village Missouri sent me the perfect spiritual message for this happy day. I accept it completely with the joy that it obviously conveys. Here it is -  

 

Today's Daily Word - Tuesday, August 18, 2009

                         Let Go, Let God

   I release, accept, and receive.

   At times I may need to repeat an affirmation several times before it takes hold in mind and heart. For instance, I may have been carrying a heavy burden for days or weeks, and finally I understand: I've been trying to do this all on my own. I stop struggling and affirm: I let go and let God. I repeat this affirmation until I release all to God.

   The One Power and Presence never lets me down. I release any worry or struggle and accept the comfort, inspiration, and abundance of God. I receive all that I need, and more.

   I release, accept, and receive. With ease and grace, the gifts of God flow to me and through me to accomplish good.

"The Noah rule: Predicting rain doesn't count; building arks does."
                                                                                           – Warren Buffett

        

"Dreams come true. Without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them."
                                                                      – John Updike

About John Updike

John Updike, the Pulitzer Prize–winning American novelist known for his careful craftsmanship and small-town settings, has published more than 60 books to date. He was born in 1932 in Pennsylvania. As a child he suffered from stammering and was encouraged by his mother to write. After college, he joined The New Yorker as a regular contributor. He is best known for his series of novels about a fictional alter ego, including Rabbit, Run and Rabbit at Rest. He lives in Massachusetts.

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
                                                                     –Theodore Seuss Giesel (Dr. Seuss)

                http://aronbestsellers.com

     THE PATRON SAINT OF WRITERS

When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time."
–                                                                          St. Francis De Sales

About St. Francis De Sales

St. Francis de Sales (1567–1622), known as the Gentle Saint, was bishop of Geneva. His motto was, "He who preaches with love preaches effectively," and his religious texts, including Introduction to the Devout Life, have resonated with many non-Catholics. Pope Pius IX proclaimed him a patron saint of writers. Some consider him a patron saint of the deaf; he invented a form of sign language to teach a young deaf man how to communicate.

With Respect & Gratitude,
                Tom
       http://aronbestsellers.com

This Was Helpful To Me: 
    http://www.wimp.com/thegovernment/

This website/video looks and sounds like simple high school "book learning," but it made clear to me some important things about my good life in the USA.

http://www.wimp.com/thegovernment/

   It reduces the emphasis on "Liberals" and "Conservatives." It challenges the myths spread by some TV commentators and debunks the promises made by the gang of "We'll Take Care Of You" politicians.
   In laying out the basics, it serves as a warning to me that our country's system might be quietly changing. Based on other histories of the world, this could become very troublesome.
   I appreciate my friend who sent this to me. It awoke me from my unconcerned, day-to-day existence. I now remember that I have a duty to become more active in my community affairs.

             http://aronbestsellers.com

PEACE BE WITH YOU

              It Is Too Great Of A Day
      To Have Only One Good Thought.
                     Thought #2
                            For
            Tuesday, August 4, 2009:

"I have no right to say or do anything that diminishes a man in his own eyes. What matters is not what I think of him, but what he thinks of himself. Hurting a man in his dignity is a crime."
                      Antoine de Saint-Exupery as quoted in
                            How to Win Friends & Influence People, 
                                           by Dale Carnegie, p 226


      

               Failure seldom stops me.

              What frequently stops me

                   is the fear of failure.
       http://aronbestsellers.com

             Another version of "One Day At A Time"

"Victory is won not in miles but in inches. Win a little now, hold your ground, and later, win a little more."
                                                     – Louis L'Amour, the famous writer
                                                                            of pulp westerns

            http://aronbestsellers.com

      "Who looks outside, dreams.
        Who looks inside, awakens."
                                        Carl Jung
        "Dream big dreams,
          then put on your overalls."
                                         Trigger Bill

                  http://aronbestsellers.com

                   Upon Awakening 
               My First Thought Was ...
                        GO FOR IT!

Then I read:
"You miss 100% of the shots you never take."
                                                                                         – Wayne Gretsky

     I have the feeling this will be a fantastic Friday!

                      http://aronbestsellers.com

                                         FISHING

"Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish."
                                                                              – Ovid
                                                               The Roman Poet  

   Years ago I was fly casting for trout in a high mountain lake. I had waded out from the shore to get a better chance to catch something. As I made my backcast in preparation to fling the fly way out there, I felt my line pull up tight.
   Thinking I was snagged on a weed or limb, I pulled hard but to no avail. Then the snag began to move! A good sized trout had been cruising the shoreline and had grabbed the fly.
   I try to remember that experience, especially when I think I know what I'm doing in life.

             http://aronbestsellers.com

         My Philosophy About Writing
           (If someone earlier created this thought,
                        then I stole it with ESP)

         "Ideas for sale. Words are free."


                    http://aronbestsellers.com

                         Interesting Moral Question

   You are driving down the road in your car on a wild, stormy night when you pass by a bus stop and you see three people waiting for the bus:

1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.

2. An old friend who once saved your life.

3. The perfect partner you have been dreaming about.
 
   Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car? Think before you continue reading.
   This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application. You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first. Or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back. However, you may never be able to find your
perfect mate again. What do you do?
   The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his answer. He simply answered:
    'I would give the car keys to my old friend and ask him take the old lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the partner of my dreams.'

                   http://aronbestsellers.com

                   Gobbledygook
                       From The
                   Business World

"Information wants to be free, but it also wants to be expensive."
                                   -- Stewart Brand

     "Often wrong. Never in doubt."
                                    -- Marc Andreessen


       http://aronbestsellers.com

                 I CAN BE GREAT
Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you too can become great.
                                                                                        -- Mark Twain


                 http://aronbestsellers.com