Two Wolves

http://www.all-about-wolves.com

 From a Cherokee legend:

There is a story of an old Cherokee teaching his grandson about life.  "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.
"It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves.  One is evil: he is anger, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego."

 He continued, "The other is good: he is joy, peace, love,  hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.  The same fight is going on inside you- and inside every other person too."

 The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"  
  The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed." 

On Setting Goals

A new year is upon us and the usual thing to do is set goals to improve your life.
If, this year, you're finding it a little more difficult, I encourage you to read the following article by Jenny Penton  from Planner Perfect. I couldn't have written it better!

When You Don't Feel Like Setting Goals

Here's an excerpt:

.....But what if you don't feel like setting goals; if your season in life has you, well, less than inspired? When those happy goal-setter people almost make you mad!

There is no doubt that in order to live by your dreams and goals, you need to be inspired; to dream. 

I have been in these kinds of seasons. Whether pregnancy sickness, hard relationship issues, health issues with our loved ones, or just a time where I'm off, I don't feel like being a dreamer, writing and scripting my dreams and goals. 

Let's face it. We need to be inspired, feeling good; happy.

I'm here to encourage you to understand it is a season; and to keep it a season. Your goals in this time should be to allow yourself to feel this way and then move into scripting your steps to move forward into the land of goal-setting and dreaming again. 

God can use this time for us to show us we need him. It's these times when I've learned the most for allowing myself to completely depend on God and the importance for forever surrendering to Him; giving up my control. To never depend on my natural-self again..... 

May this new year be one filled with Hope, Faith and Charity towards all.

New Year

Why Making Choices Is So Hard

In a thought-provoking article, Orson Scott Card examines the book, "The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less"  by Barry Schwartz.   

Are you a Maximizer or a Satisficer?  

You'll have to read it to find out!

 Here's an excerpt:

"Why is it that even though we live in the richest country in the world and have an enormous number of choices we can make every day, we Americans show signs of being unhappier than we were thirty or fifty years ago?
Why are so many people so much more depressed?
Why are people who have everything so dissatisfied?
In the book The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, Barry Schwartz takes a scientific and logical look at why it might be that Americans feel so oppressed in the midst of freedom, so unhappy in the midst of plenty."


I highly recommend reading the article in full Here- Why Making Choices Is So Hard

You'll be glad you did.

Great Literature

Little Britches by Ralph Moody.  Another wonderful book chock full of amazing moments and life lessons.  His father was as true a man as ever lived and his quotes alone and should be read again and again.

Here are a few:

“A man's character is like his house. If he tears boards off his house and burns them to keep himself warm and comfortable, his house soon becomes a ruin. If he tells lies to be able to do the things he shouldn't do but wants to, his character will soon become a ruin. A man with a ruined character is a shame on the face of the earth.” 

 “Always remember, Son, the best boss is one who bosses the least.  Whether it’s cattle, or horses, or men; the least government is the best government.”

 “That night while we were milking, he told me it had been a day I should remember.  He said it would be good for me, as I grew older, to know that a man always made his troubles less by going to meet them instead of waiting for them to catch up with him, or trying to run away from them.” 

 “There are only two kinds of men in the this world:  Honest men and dishonest men. There are black men and white men and yellow men and red men, but nothing counts except whether they’re honest men or dishonest men.  Some men work almost entirely with their brains; some almost entirely with their hands; though most of us have to use both.  But we all fall into one of the two classes – honest and dishonest.  Any man who says the world owes him a living is dishonest.  The same God that made you and me made this earth.  And He planned it so that it would yield every single thing that the people on it need.  But He was careful to plan it so that it would only yield up its wealth in exchange for the labor of man.  Any man who tries to share in that wealth without contributing the work of his brain or his hands is dishonest.” 

There are other great books in the Little Britches series- my favorites being 'Man of the Family'  and 'The Home Ranch.'  

Each and every book in this series teaches valuable life lessons mixed with humor and hard work.
I wish every family could read these books!