| In
my humble opinion, one of the best ways to determine the
worth of any activity is by the way we feel afterwards.
Beforehand, when I am thinking of what to do, I may ask
myself how I will feel afterwards; it
is a big help. When I used to ask my dad's advice, he
would often respond by asking, "One hundred years
from now, who will know the difference?" Other
folks have advised me to ask, "What would Jesus
do?" When I have a decision as to whether I
should attend an event or not, I have asked myself, "What
would I do if I were in charge? "
One
time when I did this and decided to attend a particular
meeting (which was not one of my favorites) I was glad
I did so. Why? When I arrived, I found the building full
of eager listeners, and, believe it or not, they were
all waiting for me because I was the
speaker! The man in charge issued the invitation months
before, while in a crowded room, and had made no follow-up
contacts, so, I had forgotten about it! Instead of arriving
fifteen minutes early, as I usually did when giving a
talk, I arrived right on time much to the relief of those
presiding. I felt very humble and fervently prayed for
guidance. Thank goodness, I was experienced, and had sufficient
material from memory, so it turned out O.K.
I
have over 100 quotes that I enjoy; they are handy when
giving talks and making decisions. Here is one of my favorites:
"That which does the most good
for the most ~for the most people for
the most time is right. " This
has helped me many times.
Most
of our regrets stem from what we did
do; but a few may also come from what we did not
do. For example, before I married, while still living
in Los Angeles, I had an opportunity to invest in some
of the world's largest and most successful corporations,
which are still prospering today. Because of being cautious,
I turned them down and lost out on moneymaking opportunities.
Today, being of the same cautious nature, I still prefer
to invest in charitable organizations, my own business
and family, and trusted friends.
Strangely
enough, if we were to learn of other people's trials and
tribulations, we usually would not want to trade them
for our own. It is quite comforting to know we survived
harrowing times that belonged to us alone.
No
matter how enthused we are before holidays
and big events, it helps to know there will also be letdowns
after these exciting times. We can think
of large affairs in three steps: l=get ready, 2=do it,
3=finish up. Step 3 is the least popular. It can be dubbed
as "after-vacation blues," or "after-holiday-letdown."
It helps to be aware that this will happen.
Exercising,
practicing music, doing the dishes, paying bills, filing
income taxes are all step 3 activities that leave us with
good feelings afterwards. Think on it!
Plan ahead! Try to develop self-control by maintaining
the same enthusiasm for all 3 steps. Good luck!
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