MORNING COFFEE

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EVERYTHING COUNTS

Early 20th Century African-American poet Countee Cullen spent thesummer of his eighth year in Baltimore, land. Shortly after hearrived he noticed a little white boy staring at him. Countee smiled,but the little boy did not smile back. Instead, he stuck out histongue and called him a hurtful, racial slur.

Cullen later wrote a poem that included his recollection of the summerwhen he was eight. In it, he says this:

"I saw the whole of Baltimorefrom May until September.Of everything that happened therethat's all I can remember."

The white child likely soon forgot the episode. And he probably neverwas aware of the pain he inflicted on the young stranger. But thetruth is... everything counts. EVERYTHING. Everything we do andeverything we say. Everything helps or hurts; everything adds to ortakes away from someone else.

Educator and writer Leo Buscaglia put it like this: "The majority ofus lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass through this world. Therewill most likely be no tickertape parades for us, no monuments createdin our honor. But that does not lessen our possible impact, for thereare scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along;people who will appreciate our compassion, our encouragement, who willneed our unique talents. Someone who will live a happier life merelybecause we took the time to share what we had to give. Too often weunderestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listeningear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of whichhave the potential to turn a life around. It's overwhelming toconsider the continuous opportunities there are to make our lovefelt."

How truly amazing life can be when we know that... EVERYTHING COUNTS.

Steve Goodier

If you don't have direction, you have nothing to aim for. Without a target, you are shooting blanksinto the wind. Real desires are solid, not nebulous and vague. How can you hope to achieve if you have nothing to shoot for?

Be definite! Set well-defined goals. As you do, you will discover a map to a better life. It doesn't matter ifthese goals are small, at first. They are still goals, andwhen you achieve them, you can move onto the next one with a sense of confidence.

Set an achievable goal, today, and relish journeyingtoward your destination!

Real happiness does not come from the fulfillment of every desire. You can chase an endless chain of wishes and desires, and still manage to be unhappy. So how and when does happiness come? It comes, quite simply, when you allow it. Though your life may be filled with challenges and difficulties, still you can be genuinely happy. Whether you are close to reaching your goals, or far away, or already beyond them, real happiness is always close at hand. The world and its culture may convince you that you need this or that in order to find happiness. Yet in truth, you need nothing other than to let it be. Instead of waiting or longing or searching for a reason to be happy, create for yourself a way to be happy. Something as simple as a smile can get you started, and that's something you can do right now. Let go of the notion that you must grasp for or struggle to attain happiness, and simply let it be. That can instantly make all the difference in the world. Ralph Marston

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