Today is a gift.

“Time is more valuable than money.
You can get more money, but you cannot get more time.” - Jim Rohn

Someone said, "Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present." And yet, many don't really know how to appreciate it until it is gone.

If you don't have a plan for your life, you can't manage your time. Just ask yourself this question: "If all my days are like today, what will be my future?" and ponder over it. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.

Below are more questions for us to realize the value of time...

To realize the value of one year:
- Ask a student who has failed a final exam.
To realize the value of one month:
- Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of one day:
- Ask a daily wage laborer with kids to feed.
To realize the value of one hour:
- Ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of one minute:
- Ask the person who has missed the train, bus or plane.
To realize the value of one second:
- Ask a person who has survived an accident.
To realize the value of one millisecond:
- Ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics.

"Time is equal to life; therefore, waste your time and waste of your life, or master your time and master your life." - Alan Lakein

Our time is indeed precious and limited. Plan your life well because lost time is never found again. Let us take all the necessary action now. May we have the wisdom to employ our time wisely.

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Happy New Year 2008

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.”

"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."

As a new year cascades forward with new beginnings....

May all of us be blessed with Happiness and Well being to last throughout the year

H ours of happy times with friends and family

A bundant time for relaxation

P rosperity

P lenty of love when you need it the most

Y outhful excitement at lifes simple pleasures

N ights of restful slumber

E verything you need

W ishing you love and light

Y ears and years of good health

E njoyment and mirth

A ll your tomorrows are bright

R emembrances of happy years!

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Knowing What Matters Most

(Adapted from FL Sam's post; Original Author: Unknown)

The Long Wait
A man came home from work late again, tired and irritated, to find his 5 years old son waiting for him at the door.

"Daddy, may I ask you a question?" "Yeah, sure, what is it?" replied the man. "Daddy, how much do you make an hour?" "That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily. "I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?" pleaded the little boy. "If you must know, I make $20 an hour." "Oh," the little boy replied, with his head down, looking up, he said, "Dad, may I please borrow $10?"

Angry Reaction
The father was furious, "If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I work hard everyday and don't have time for this childish behavior."

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.

The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?

React Differently On Second Thought
After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10 and he really didn't ask for money very often.

The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.

"Are you asleep, son?" He asked. "No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy. "I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier" said the man. "It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $10 you asked for."

The little boy sat straight up, smiling. "Oh, thank you daddy!" He yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills.

Angry Again
The man seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father.

"Why do you want more money if you already have some?" the father grumbled. "Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied.

"Daddy, I have $20 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you."

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness.

Understand The Message From This Story
This is just a reminder to all of us who are working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent sometime with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. Do remember to share that $20 worth of your time with someone you love.

If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family and friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.

Photo 1 by free2bjcphotos taken from this source
Photo 2 by Unhindered by Talent taken from this source
Photo 3 by absolutwade taken from this source

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Invest Your Time Wisely

“The Past is behind, Learn from it.
The Future is ahead, Prepare for it.
The Present is here, Live it.”
- Thomas S. Monson

With every rising of the sun, think of your life as just begun. When you truly appreciate life, you'll find that you have more of it.

"Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much can be done if we are always doing." - Thomas Jefferson

"A man who dares to waste one hour of life has not discovered the value of life." - Charles Darwin

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot." - Michael Altshuler

Do value your time! It is sad to say, until you know how precious your life is, you will not value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it. Do you agree?

Photo by EarthCare taken from this source

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The Challenges that lie ahead

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” - Alan Kay

When I was a young boy, I was a huge fan of both TV series “The Six Million Dollar Man” and “The Bionic Woman”. What we can imagine we can create and indeed it has become a reality and this technology is now available. That's the Power of Imagination.

A power-line technician, Mitchell who lost both arms to a severe electric shock was the first person that gets a bionic arm.

Take a look at the presentation below where the author believes that Shift Happens.

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

“The only way to predict the future is to have power to shape the future.” - Eric Hoffer

“The wise man must remember that while he is a descendant of the past, he is a parent of the future.” - Herbert Spencer

Each of us has a role that requires us to change and become more responsible for shaping our own future. What do you think? Do you agree that Shift happens as set forth by the slide presentation?

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When is the right time to sharpen the axe?

Nowadays, due to tight schedule, many even have to bring home their work. To make sure what you do is worthwhile, you ought to learn to pause and reflect on what you're doing and why.

"If something is not worth doing at all, it is not worth doing well." - Warren Buffett

Have you asked yourself this question: How much time have I spent improving my skills?

Abraham Lincoln says "If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend the first four sharpening the axe"

Richard C Miller says "Even if at first you do succeed, you still have to work hard to stay there."

Let's take a look at this story that illustrate this point:

Once upon a time, there was a very strong woodcutter. He asked for a job from a timber merchant, and he got it. The pay was really good and so were the work conditions. For that reason the woodcutter was determined to do his best. His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to work.

The first day, the woodcutter brought down 18 trees. The Boss was very much impressed and said, "Congratulations keep it up!" Very motivated by the words of the boss, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he only could bring down 15 trees. The third day he tried even harder, but he only could bring down 10 trees.

Day after day he was bringing down less and less trees. "I must be losing my strength", the woodcutter thought to himself. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on.

"When was the last time you sharpened your Axe?" the boss asked. "Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my Axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees."

The moral of the story:

Our lives are like that. We sometimes get so busy that we don't take time to sharpen the axe. In today's world, it seems that everyone is busier than ever, but less happy than ever. Why is that? Could it be that we have forgotten how to stay sharp?

There is nothing wrong with activity and hard work. But we should not get so busy that we neglect the truly important things in life, like our personal life, taking time to care for others, taking time to read, etc.

We all need time to relax, to think and meditate, to learn and grow. If we don't take time to sharpen the axe, we will become dull and lose our effectiveness.

So starting from today, think about the ways by which you could do your job more effectively and add more value to it.

(Source of this story: Internet; Author Unknown)

Photo by Robot Apocalypse taken from this source

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It is never too late if you do something

"If a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it."

“Everything comes too late for those who only wait.” - Elbert Hubbard

“The time for action is now. It's never too late to do something.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

“Better late than never, but never late is better.”

“So what do we do? Anything. Something. So long as we just don't sit there. If we screw it up, start over. Try something else. If we wait until we've satisfied all the uncertainties, it may be too late.” - Lee Iacocca

“Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late” - Benjamin Franklin

“Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, grace and power in it.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"Every difficulty postponed becomes greater later. Each victory makes the next one easier."

If you're too old now to learn, you always were. It's seldom too late to become what we might have been. Many are doing it after 60. Thousands over 50 are starting projects that fellows under 40 put off and neglected because they were too old to finish. A son said to his father: "If I start medical school now, I'll be 37 in 1945 when I finish." Father: "And how old will you be in 1945 if you don't start now?"

Have you yet found yourself and a worthy goal? If not, it's later than you think.

If you have a dream, you have everything that matters. If you have no dream, it's later than you think. Better get one.

Photo by shainelee taken from this source

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The future is NOW!

"For yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow only a vision. But today, well-lived, makes every yesterday, a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope and joy. Look well then to this day."

"Today is the future I created yesterday."

“Make the best of today, for there is no tomorrow until after today.”

"Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow" - Robert Kiyosaki

"The best preparation for tomorrow is to do today's work supremely well."

"The poor, the unsuccessful, the unhappy, the unhealthy are the ones who use the word tomorrow the most" - Robert Kiyosaki

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Be comforted

This is my post to pay tribute to all family members and friends of the victims of Virginia Tech.

In Matthew 5:4 (NKJV), Jesus said.. "Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted"

“Sorrow comes to all... Perfect relief is not possible, except with time. You cannot now realize that you will ever feel better and yet you are sure to be happy again.” - Abraham Lincoln

“Tears are words the heart can't express”

“We should feel sorrow, but not sink under its oppression.” - Confucius

“God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.”

Photo by deborah lattimore taken from this source

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Secure your future

"We should all be concerned about the future because we will have to spend the rest of our lives there." - Charles F. Kettering

“Losers live in the past. Winners learn from the past and enjoy working in the present toward the future.” - Denis Waitley

"Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later." - Og Mandino

"The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine." - Mike Murdock

“You are the same today that you are going to be in five years from now except for two things: the people with whom you associate and the books you read.” - Charles Jones

"Your environment largely shapes your future. Take the time to select one that will shape the kind you'd like to have."

"If all your days are like today, what will be your future?"

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Be prepared

"Man must be prepared for every event of life, for there is nothing that is durable." - Menander

The bible in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 tell us that

"To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, And a time to die;
A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill, And a time to heal;
A time to break down, And a time to build up;
A time to weep, And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain, And a time to lose;
A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
A time to tear, And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
A time to love, And a time to hate;
A time of war, And a time of peace."

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You can become valuable - Find out how!

A bar of iron is worth $5. If made into horseshoes, it's worth $15. If into needles, $100; if into watch springs, $1000. This is also true of you and me.

"You don't get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour." - Jim Rohn

“Until you value yourself, you won't value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.” - M. Scott Peck

You determine what you are worth. You create your value.

“The real measure of your wealth is how much you'd be worth if you lost all your money.”

“Through self-doubt, we lose our sense of self-worth.”

"Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value." - Albert Einstein

Photo by StarrGazr taken from this source

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Use it or lose it

"Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it you can never get it back.” - Harvey MacKay

"Yesterday's the past and tomorrow's the future. Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present." - Spencer Johnson

"Every morning you are handed twenty-four golden hours. They are one of the few things in this world you get free of charge. If you had all the money in the world, you couldn't buy an extra hour."

“Don’t count every hour in the day, make every hour in the day count.”

“Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time.” - Jim Rohn

What will you do with this priceless treasure?

Photo by Reggiesgirl taken from this source

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Don't procrastinate

"Procrastination is the thief of time." - Edward Young

"Procrastination is like a credit card: it's a lot of fun until you get the bill." - Christopher Parker

"Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion." - Parkinson's Law

"Putting off an easy thing makes it hard. Putting off a hard thing makes it impossible." - George Claude Lorimer

"Waiting is a trap. There will always be reasons to wait... The truth is, there are only two things in life, reasons and results, and reasons simply don't count." - Robert Anthony

The best way to get something done is to begin.

Never wait for the proper mood to start a thing, nor until the spirit moves you. Make your own mood. Move your own spirit. How? ACT. Do something - anything. Inspiration seldom generates action. Action always creates inspiration.

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Be Improvement-Conscious

Every one of us has the potential of greatness, waiting to be developed.

"Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not." - Walter Bagehot

Don't be yourself. Improve yourself.

No one ever finds time for self-improvement. Serious ones make time. They decide on priorities. Without priorities of time, no one reaches his potential.

People seldom improve unless they have models greater than themselves. Adopt a few.

Every morning say: "I will improve something today." Every successful man is improvement-conscious.

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A Good Ending

Great beginnings are not as important as the way one finishes.

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning.

We rate ability in men by what they finish, not by what they attempt.

“A hard beginning maketh a good ending.” - John Heywood

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” - Maria Robinson

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Parenting Tips

Simply having children does not make mothers. - John A. Shedd

The best thing to spend on your children is your time. "Your children need your presence more than your presents." - Jesse Jackson

Correcting children and employees helps. Complimenting them helps more. "If you want your children to improve, let them overhear the nice things you say about them to others." - Haim Ginott

Children are natural mimics who act like their parents despite every effort to teach them good manners.

"Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you." - Robert Fulghum

Photo by Jordan Brock taken from this source

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Don't waste your money or time

Many could live on what they waste.

Beware of small needless expenses. Small leaks sink big ships - and big men - and big businesses - and big nations.

People don't waste time. They just spend it on things they don't need to do.

“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” - Marcus Aurelius

Waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both. Without industry and frugality, nothing will do, and with them everything. - Benjamin Franklin

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Is it time to make your own decision?

"If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much." - Jim Rohn

A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.

"Successful leaders have the courage to take action while others hesitate." - John C. Maxwell

"It's in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped." - Anthony Robbins

If you put off everything till you're sure of it, you'll get nothing done.

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Your Precious Time

“Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

A life is Too Precious to Waste - To spend on Anything But the Best.

“Wisdom doesn't automatically come with old age. Nothing does - except wrinkles. It's true, some wines improve with age. But only if the grapes were good in the first place.”

Spend your time wisely!

Photo by S Ryo taken from this source

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