Smile!

"Life is what you make it. Always has been, always will be. " — Eleanor Roosevelt

Gotta’ love Eleanor.

I find this to be true…how you feel, what happens to you, and your happiness can all be controlled by you. Yes, controlled. I hear all the time (in my metrics work) that “we don’t have control” over this or that.”

I don’t buy it.

We may not be able to orchestrate and control external events, like catastrophes (the earthquake that hit Haiti) or small events like snow falling. But…we have total control over how we react to them. How we choose to deal with the things that come our way. Granted, it would take the greatest Zen master to deal well with much of what is happening in our world…but the point is, we CAN do it…it’s just difficult.

So, lately, I’m having a great life. My book is published and I’m playing with ways to get the word out. I founded a consortium for IT Standards – you can call me “Mr. President.” Our youth group is growing – from 4 to 5 and hopefully many more. We have two beautiful young children (3 and 4 yrs old) and our older children are doing well. My older daughter is once again on the Dean’s list and is excelling in her art. Life in general is good.

Of course, life could be bad. Haiti. Struggles with our newest family member (4 years of non-Kristine upbringing to overcome). Sickness (Kristine, Molly and Grace). Deaths of friends. Economics (bills and unexpected expenses).

What do you choose to dwell on? I find dealing with my own mind the most difficult part of staying away from sin. Can I choose to focus on the good and not dwell on the bad? Can I keep from being distracted from my God, family, and friends? Can I avoid the addictions of sin?
Tough things…but what great rewards for success! A happier existence!

Back to quotes. I find it amazing how we become the “owners” of words – or phrases. Shakespeare may be the greatest person when it comes to sheer volume of quotes, but that may be misleading. Most of his quotes are from his plays…not actually quotes from his conversations or speeches. I am currently reading my two books on Einstein (as per my goals) and one of them is “The New Quotable Einstein” by Alice Calaprice. It is interesting to see how small snippets of speech can carry such value and weight. Part of it is the source – the fact that Albert Einstein (AE) said it, makes it more weighty. As I believe any quote of a heroine would have on us. Part of it is the wisdom in the quote.

I don’t find every quote valuable…I pick and choose. I highlight the ones I find meaningful…the ones that touch me. They are tools for helping me focus my energies. They keep me from getting distracted. They also are really cool to put on the bottoms of emails or to quote at the right time in a conversation or debate. It’s nice to be able to call on AE or Eleanor or Magic Johnson when needed for support of our position. Of course (Saint) Paul, (Saint) Peter, Mary, Jesus, and God (“People see God every day, they just don’t recognize Him” – Pearl Bailey) are great sources for quotes too. If you want to totally kiss up to your boss – quote him/her. “Mimicry is the greatest form of flattery” (unknown).

Check out some favorite quote generators (in no particular order):

• Eleanor Roosevelt
• Albert Einstein
• Pearl Bailey
• Yogi Bera
• Mae West
• Aristotle
• Plato
• Saints (Augustine, Paul, Peter, Mary, etc.)
• Jesus / God (use quotes from Bible)
• Martin Luther King
• Padre Pio
• Fr. Hesburgh
• Mother Teresa
  

Look up any of your personal heroes/heroines. http://www.100000quotes.com/categories/Miscellaneous this is just one of thousands of websites dedicated to quotes of famous (and not so famous) people. The internet makes this exercise extremely easy.

So, to end – “Keep smiling - it makes people wonder what you've been up to.” Author Unknown

• Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day. ~Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
• A smile confuses an approaching frown. ~Author Unknown
• People seldom notice old clothes if you wear a big smile. ~Lee Mildon
• Start every day with a smile and get it over with. ~W.C. Fields
• Before you put on a frown, make absolutely sure there are no smiles available. ~Jim Beggs
• A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks. ~Charles Gordy (I’d change that to, “A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.”)
• Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been. ~Mark Twain, Following the Equator
• If you smile when no one else is around, you really mean it. ~Andy Rooney
• If you smile at someone, they might smile back. ~Author Unknown
• Always remember to be happy because you never know who's falling in love with your smile. ~Author Unknown
• Everyone smiles in the same language. ~Author Unknown
• If you don't have a smile, I'll give you one of mine. ~Author Unknown
• I've never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful. ~Author Unknown
• Wear a smile and have friends; wear a scowl and have wrinkles. ~George Eliot
• The shortest distance between two people is a smile. ~Author Unknown
• Wear a smile - one size fits all. ~Author Unknown
• Every day you spend without a smile, is a lost day. ~Author Unknown
• Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. ~Mother Teresa
• Beauty is power; a smile is its sword. ~Charles Reade
• A smile is the universal welcome. ~Max Eastman
• Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important. ~Janet Lane
• All the statistics in the world can't measure the warmth of a smile. ~Chris Hart
• If you would like to spoil the day for a grouch, give him a smile. ~Author Unknown
• Smile - it increases your face value. ~Author Unknown
• Peace begins with a smile. ~Mother Teresa
• A smile is a powerful weapon; you can even break ice with it. ~Author Unknown

OK…now to really end I’ll quote a favorite, “Too much of a good thing is wonderful.” (Mae West)