Let's Talk About Words

     Wernher Von Braun was quoted as saying, "Everything science has taught me-and continues to teach me-strengthens my belief in the continuity of our spiritual existence after death . Nothing disappears without a trace."Yesterday was my youngest daughter's graduation . My father died in 2000 so he has missed all three of my daughter's graduations now which makes me sad. I do believe that he was there in spirit though, looking down with pride. A loved ones death may change everything, yet it doesn't end the relationships. Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"You cannot make yourself feel something you do not feel, but you can make yourself do right in spite of your feelings ." -Pearl S. Buck     We may feel anger, sadness, fear or happiness. Although we should stop and think before just react, it is important to understand what these feelings mean.  Our feelings can guide us in our response to people and situations; they are a reaction to something. Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did  nothing because he could do only a little." -Edmund Burke    Sometimes the changes that we need to make in our life seem to daunting so we do nothing . We want to have loving people in our lives; we want a career that we our passionate about; we want a home that is beautiful and peaceful. The list could go on and on, so we are overwhelmed, but then illness, divorce or unemployment comes our way and we are forced to change it. Don't wait for that to happen. Take steps towards the life that you want today. Clean up your life.    Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

    Helen Hayes said, "My mother drew a distinction between achievement and success. She said that achievement is the knowledge that you have studied and worked hard and done the best that is in you. Success is being praised by others. That is nice, but not as important or satisfying. Always aim for achievement and forget about success." I love this idea. I choose to achieve my goals.    Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

" Grief is the agony of an instant, the indulgence  of grief the blunder of a life." -Benjamin Disraeli    I would disagree that grief is the agony of an instant, but it is important that when someone you loves dies, you should not get lost in your grief . Life is not the same, yet it does go on and we need to work through our grief .    Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"I learned quickly that when I made others laugh, they liked me." -Art Buchwald    Although it is important to make others laugh, the easiest way to make friends is to like yourself first. A person that understands who they are and what they like to do is a  likable person. It is important to like yourself.    Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained." -Marie Curie Don't ever give up. Instead of being defeated, persevere.    Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"He that will have a perfect brother must resign  himself to remaining brotherless." -Italian Proverb     I think that this is a good reminder that everyone has faults, and makes mistakes. It is easy to criticize themselves and others. Remember that no one is perfect .    Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done." -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow    I often say that I wish that I was more healthy or more friendly. I want to be more kind in the future or more forgiving. I should s top saying what I want to  be more of and just be the person that I want to be .    Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

   Woodrow Wilson said, "If you think about what you ought to do for other people, your character will take care of itself. Character is a by-product, and any man who devotes himself to its cultivation in his own case will become a selfish prig." Instead of being selfish, act from a place of love .    Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"Joint understandings stand a better chance  when they benefit both sides." -Euripedes      Since I got promoted at work, I will no longer be working side by side with my co-worker Jenny which is making me reflect on what made working with her so wonderful. Even though we are similar in our views, the times that we did have different ideas, we still respected and listened to one other. In addition, we both loved what we were doing so we were rarely negative at work and could always laugh at the chaos that accompanied being an infant teacher. We were a great team because we always worked together to succeed.    Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

     Samuel Johnson was quoted as saying, "If a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances  through life, he will soon find himself left alone.  A man should keep his friendships in constant repair." I have made many  acquaintances in my life, but not many new friends. I will try, in the future, to keep making new friends .    Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"Hope for a miracle , but don't depend on one." -Talmud       I can hope and pray for something to happen, but I must also take action. Sometimes the only action needed is to ask for help from God and from others.    Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"Moderation. Small helpings. Sample a little bit of everything. These are the secrets of happiness and good health ." -Julia Child     My cholesterol recently went over 200, so my Doctor gave me one year to reduce it or to go on medicine. By lowering my caloric intake to 1350-1200 most days and walking 30 minutes or more every day, I have lost 20 pounds. I am not sure if this reduced my cholesterol, by I vow to keep healthy .    Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"As a well-spent day brings happy sleep,  so life well used brings happy death ." Leonardo da Vinci           The message at Willow Creek Community Church on Wednesday night addressed the importance of living well as well as dying well. We often plan and prepare for everything in life except our death . Even if we don't know when it will occur, death is inevitable.  Dying is too important not to plan for. ( Follow to hear WC message) . Make sure you live and die well.    Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

     Rachel Carson said, "If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder ...he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and the mystery of the world we live in." I am lucky that I have 3 children of my own as well as work with children every day. It is an amazing moment when you see a child full of wonder and excitement. Engage in play with your own children, nieces and nephews or volunteer to help a child have wonder .    Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com     

"There is nothing to make you like other human beings  so much as doing things for them." -Zora Neale Hurston      We all have lessons to learn in life. One of mine is helping others. Learn your life lessons .    Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com     

"Where I was born and where and how I have  lived is unimportant. It is what I have  done with  where I have been that should be of interest." -Georgia O'Keefe     People are often embarrassed by or they brag about where they attended college. A college or even a degree does not define you. What you do with it should be all that matters. Be more; don't just be the college that you attended.    Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"To accomplish great things, we must  dream as well as act ." -Anatole France    While it is important to dream in life, we must all take steps towards making them come true. I wrote about this previously in the post  Intentions create  as well. God will not miraculously change your life. You must dream, believe, take steps and act how you want to be to create.    Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"Things do not change ; we change." -Henry David Thoreau    I can not count the times that I have prayed for God to change another person or to change the situation that I am unhappy with. What a light bulb moment I had when I understood that I should pray for God to change me, to help me to learn and grow from whatever and whomever I am facing. Perception changes everything.     Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"A man can get discouraged many times, but he is not a failure  until he begins to blame somebody else and stops trying." -John Burroughs    This is a perfect quote for Mother's Day since it is one of the most important lessons that I try to impart on my three daughters. I have had much success in my life, yet also many "so called" failures. All of the good and bad has lead me to be the person that I am today, so nothing in my life has been a defeat. I will keep trying to reach for my goals and passions. If I do not succeed at times, I will learn from it and not blame others.     Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

     Albert Einstein once said, "True religion is real living; living with all one's soul , with all one's goodness and righteousness." It seems that  the more that I read about people who have had great success in life, the more I read quotations about God , religion and beliefs by them. One definition of religion is a particular system of faith and worship. Religion is not something that you "do" on Sunday morning; it is a manner of living. Be  religious in your life.     Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand." -St. Francis of Assisi    Often in life, we only are concerned with our thoughts and our needs. When we step outside of ourselves, we can receive much more. To be comforted, offer comfort to others.        Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"Teach us delight in simple things." -Rudyard Kipling     Sometimes in life we only look for big and exciting things to occur. Promotions, marriages, births and such are important, but small  things like a warm breeze, a bright blue sky or beautiful sunset. Every day, I look for simple pleasures.        Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"Both tears and sweat are salty, but they render a different result. Tears will get you sympathy; sweat will get you change." -Jesse Jackson    When work needs to be done, I just do it. I have always been a hard worker. I don't waste my energy making excuses.        Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"Work and play are words used to describe the same  thing under different conditions." -Mark Twain      No matter what you are doing today, enjoy your day!        Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"Treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." -Native American Proverb      If everyone adopted this idea of borrowing the earth from our children, we would take better care of it. As I said in the previous post;  This is the only world we have . We should treat our planet well.        Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity ." -Albert Einstein    I have always pondered the meaning of life; asking why we are here and what is our purpose? I was raised Catholic but made sure that I tested the church's beliefs against what felt true to me. I raised my children to question and wonder; to never blindly believe what others tell them. I want them to always think and be curious in all areas of life.        Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"Success is the ability to go from one failure   to another with no loss of enthusiasm." -Sir Winston Churchill     I can learn from my accomplishments as well as my mistakes, yet it is more difficult to see the lesson in the negative aspects of life. When I do not succeed, it is a struggle not to give up and feel sorry for myself, but I do want to learn from my failures .        Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

     "Buddha said, "You, yourself as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection. We are taught to be kind to others, but do we ever learn the importance of caring about ourselves? Include yourself in the ones that you love .        Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

" Happiness often sneaks in through a door  you didn't know you left open." -John Barrymore      The last year of my life has brought enormous changes and challenges with even more coming. Even during the turmoil and pain, life has snuck in surprises that have brought me joy . I am open to what life brings to me: I want to let life surprise me with things I could not have predicted.        Author Susan Marie Schulhof          http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com