WINNERS VS LOSERS

The Winner is always part of the answer,
The Loser is always part of the problem.

The Winner always has a program,
The Loser always has an excuse.

The Winner says, "Let me do it for you",
The Loser says; "That is not my job."

The Winner sees an answer for every problem,
The Loser sees a problem for every answer.

The Winner says, "It may be difficult but it is possible",
The Loser says, "It may be possible but it is too difficult."

When a Winner makes a mistake, he says, "I was wrong",
When a Loser makes a mistake, he says, "It wasn't my fault."

A Winner makes commitments,
A Loser makes promises.

Winners say, "I must do something",
Losers say, "Something must be done."

Winners are a part of the team,
Losers are apart from the team.

Winners see the gain,
Losers see the pain.

Winners see the potential,
Losers see the past.

Winners choose what they say,
Losers say what they choose.

Winners follow the philosophy of empathy:
"Don't do to others what you don't want them to do to you",
Losers follow the philosophy:
"Do it to others before they do it to you."

Winners make it happen,
Losers let it happen.

- Unknown Author

CRABBIT OLD WOMAN

What do you see, nurses, what do you see?
Are you thinking, when you're looking at me-
A crabbit old woman, not very wise,
Uncertain of habit, with far-away eyes,
Who dribbles her food and makes no reply,
When you say in a loud voice,
"I do wish you'd try."
Who seems not to notice the things that you do
And forever is losing a stocking or shoe.
Who, quite unresisting, lets you do as you will
With bathing and feeding the long day is fill.
Is that what you're thinking,
Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes,
Nurses, you're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am, as I sit here so still,
As I move at your bidding, as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of ten with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters, who loved one another.
A young girl of 16 with wings on her feet,
Dreaming that soon now a lover she'll meet,
A bride soon at 20- my heart gives a leap,
Remembering the vows that I promised to keep.

At 25 now I have young of my own,
Who need me to build a secure happy home;
A woman of 30, my young now grow fast,
Bound to each other with ties that should last;
At 40, my young sons have grown and are gone,
But my man's beside me to see I don't mourn;
At 50 once more babies play around my knee,
Again we know children, my loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me, my husband is dead,
I look at the future, I shudder with dread,
For my young are all rearing young of their own.
And I think of the years and the love that I've known;

I'm an old woman now and nature is cruel-
'Tis her jest to make old age look like a fool.
The body is crumbled, grace and vigor depart,
There is now a stone where I once had a heart,
But inside this old carcass, a young girl still dwells,
And now and again my battered heart swells,
I remember the joy, I remember the pain,
And I'm loving and living life over again.
I think of the years all too few- gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact that nothing can last-
So open your eyes, nurses, open and see,
Not a crabbit old woman, look closer-
See ME.

-When an old lady died in the geriatric ward of a hospital in England, it appeared she had left nothing of value. The nurse, packing up her possessions, found this poem. The quality impressed the staff that copies were distributed to all the nurses in the hospital.

A FISHERMAN'S LIFE

The rich industrialist from the North was horrified to find the southern fisherman lying lazily behind his boat, smoking a pipe.

"Why aren't you out fishing?" said the industrialist.

"Because I have caught enough fish for the day," said the fisherman.

"Why don't you catch somemore?"

"What would I do with them?"

"You could earn more money," was the industrialist's reply. "With that you could have a motor fixed to your boat and go into deeper waters and catch more fish. Then you would make enough to buy nylon nets. These would bring you more fish and more money. Soon you will have enough money to own two boats, maybe even a fleet of boats. Then you will be a rich man like me."

"What would I do then?" asked the fisherman.

"Then you could really enjoy life."

"What do you think I am doing right now?"

- Anthony De Mello
extracted from Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work

THE FUNNIEST LANGUAGE

We'll begin with a box and the plural is boxes.
But the plural of ox should be oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a whole set of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses not hice.
If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
If I speak of a foot and you show me your feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole are teeth,
Why should not the plural of booth be called beeth?
Then one may be that and three may be those,
Yet hat in the plural wouldn't be hose,
And the plural of cat is not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say Methren,
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine she, shis and shim,
So English, I fancy you will all agree,
Is the funniest language you ever did see.

- The Star, MOE

JUST FOR TODAY

1. Just for today I will be happy. This assumes that what Abraham Lincoln says is true, that "most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Happiness is from within; it is not a matter of externals.
   
   
2. Just for today I will try to adjust myself to what is, and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my family, business, and my luck as they come and fit myself to them.
   
   
3. Just for today I will take care of my body. I will exercise it, care for it, nourish it, not abuse it nor neglect it, so that it will be a perfect machine for my bidding.
   
   
4. Just for today I will try to strenghten my mind. I will learn something useful. I will not be a mental loafer. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration.
   
   
5. Just for today I will exercise my soul in three ways; I will do somebody a good turn and not get found out. I will do at least two things I don't want to do just for exercise.
   
   
6. Just for today I will be agreeable. I will look as well as I can, dress as becomingly as possible, talk low, act courteously, be liberal with praise, criticize not at all, nor find fault with anything and not try to regulate nor improve anyone.
   
   
7. Just for today I will try to live through this day only, not to tackle my whole life problem at once. I can do things for twelve hours that would appall me if I had to keep them up for a lifetime.
   
   
8. Just for today I will have a program. I will write down what I expect to do every hour. I may not follow it exactly. but I will have it. It will eliminate two pests, hurrying and indecision.
   
   
9. Just for today I will have a quiet half-hour all by myself and relax. In this half-hour sometimes I will think of God, so as to get a little more perspective into my life.
   
   
10. Just for today I will be unafraid, especially I will not be afraid to be happy, to enjoy what is beautiful, to love, and to believe those I love, love me.
    

- Sibyl F. Partridge