Try vs Triumph

Recently a good friend of mine offered me some words of encouragement which I would like to share with others. I don’t know the original source, but the concept sure did give me a physiological boost. So here goes . . .

“The only difference between ‘try’ and ‘triumph’ is that little ‘umph’.

They are truly words to ponder when life gets you down.

Gift Wrapping Idea.

When mailing gifts, I’ve discovered that clear contact paper is a treasure to have around. Just wrap your gift as you generally would in a pretty paper of your choosing. I usually glue or tape a card (in the envelope) on the front of the wrapped package, addressed to the recipient for clarity, then cover the whole thing in the contact paper. The card will not come off of the package. In addition, the gift becomes water proof and it tends to slide over the other packages. With Christmas coming, your gift can be taken from the mailbox and tucked neatly under the tree right away. My only complaint when I send gifts in this fashion is that the recipient has trouble opening their gift. Just more proof it is a safe, secure and ‘pretty’ way to send your love.

If

Have you ever stopped to consider the power of the simple little word ‘if’? ‘If’ a different President had been elected, how might our Nation’s history have changed? ‘If’ you have children and your son had been a daughter, or your daughter a son, how might the entire course of their lives (and yours too for that matter) be changed? ‘If’ you married someone else, bought a different house, or went into a different profession, what might the impact of the differences in choices in your life have been? You get the point. The word ‘if’ goes right along with twenty-twenty hind sight sometimes. How many times have you caught yourself saying “If only I’d done this, that, or the other”? Really, these two little letters of our alphabet form a mighty big word. If you get the chance, think about it. Those ‘if’s can set the course for history. Amazing.

Seeds of Success

Sometimes despair and/or tragedy can plant the seed for success when you least expect it.  A lost job can lead to new avenues that might not have been taken under different circumstances.  Loss of a loved one might stir up emotions that lead to the writing of great literature in an effort to find closure.  A homeless man singing to sooth his soul might be heard by the right ears, leading to a career that might have never been. Sometimes rather than letting life get you down, it might be wise to reach inside and embrace your pain and let the emotions flow.  I honestly believe in each of us, there is an artist, a musician, a poet that is struggling to be noticed.   Look around yourselves and observe the rags to riches stories that came about due to some hardship that planted the seed of success.  Those are the stories that can be  a source of inspiration for us all.   For all of those people that have turned sorrow into success, I wish you the best.

11.11.11

What a cool date! Just think this is a once in a lifetime occurrence for most of us.  It will be another 100 years before the ones line up again.  Supposedly, this is a very lucky day according to the Chinese.  Let’s hope that is true.  Here’s wishing us all the very best of luck today!

Success or Failure? Which will it be?

Isn’t it amazing when you begin new ventures into the unknown how stressful it can be? Between the excitement of potential success and that little voice that says “what if I don’t succeed”, there seems to be an internal battle. The bottom line is that if you don’t try you WILL fail, so it is best to throw the dice and believe in yourself. You can’t win if you don’t play, so the saying goes.

Marcy King

up and coming author of children’s books