MORNING COFFEE

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[YourMorningCoffee] MORNING COFFEE

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

Release what needs to be free. It's really hard to let go. For many of us it is instinctive to cling. Holding on to it only causes pain.

When you let go of the old things, you pave the way for new things-experiences that are perhaps more exciting, adventurous or wholesome. When you let go of the past, you free yourself. You are letting go of that which is rotting and decaying. You are then ready to embrace the fresh,unopened buds of change.

Have the courage to let go. When you relinquish the past,your future embraces you.

It's nice to relax on a regular basis. Yet a life of nothing but relaxation would be unbearably miserable. It is extremely fulfilling and energizing to put forth great effort and to make things happen. Yet if that's all you ever do, your spirit will surely become worn away. Life is best when it is balanced. Night and day, warm and cool, wet and dry, effort and rest all benefit from each other and from the natural balance that permeates all of life. Are you plagued by frustrations, or weariness, anxiety, doubt, confusion or lack of motivation? Then the chances are very good that something in your life is out of balance. Often, the best way to get something done is to stop working on it for a while. And the best way to fully enjoy the time when you're not working is to practice discipline, diligence and commitment during the times when you are working. Your life is blessed with many different aspects. Keep them all in balance, and they will all be of much greater value to you. Ralph Marston

Dear Readers, " Morning Coffee " is a labor of love and meant to be shared with others to spread encouragement and inspiration. If you share, please be kind and give credit where credit is due and copy and paste or forward with Page Header and contact information included.Thank you , " Morning Coffee"Created, and maintained by:Dizzyrizzy@... GrandmaGail2BC@...Copyright © 1996 -2008" Morning Coffee" all rights reserved. Subscribe: YourMorningCoffee-subscribe

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