Time To Open A New Door..

open a new door

“We all want to break our orbits, float like a satellite gone wild in space, run the risk of disintegration. We all want to take our lives in our own hands and hurl them out among the stars.”—David Bottoms—

It is time to begin with optimism, a new hope, and a bit of adventure. Reach out to touch someone new.

Open a door for the first time.
Before the day is over, laugh out loud for no apparent reason.

Share a smile
Everything is going to be all right.

John P. Schulz—“Sweetie Drives on Chemo Days.”

Enjoy Well Done Deeds…

winter landscape

 

“True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new.”—Antoine de Saint-Exupery—

Today, write a poem—it doesn’t have to be much, just two or four lines–laugh about it. Go for a walk and look at the winter landscape to enjoy the well-done deeds of nature. Make up a joke.

Find something to smile about and share it.
Everything is going to be all right

John P. Schulz—“Sweetie Drives on Chemo Days.”

Turn a Liability Into An Asset

December 7

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”—Winston Churchill—

If something is ugly, paint a picture on it.

Several years ago I visited a landscaping client and we looked at an ugly hill right behind her house. A retaining wall was needed but the site did not allow machinery and the job would be difficult and very expensive. I thought for a long time and then smiled at the lady and said, “Let’s turn a liability into an asset.” We built a beautiful waterfall which solved the problem and is a visual and aural delight.

Look at your day in this way today. Every time you run into a difficulty, try your best to figure out how to turn it into something good—maybe even something you can share with someone else that will make them feel good.

Share a smile with the sunny side
Everything is going to be all right.

John P. Schulz—“Sweetie Drives on Chemo Days.”

A Concept About Happiness…

Quotes and notes #354, October 25

"I wonder what would happen if?"...Photo by Bill Land

“I wonder what would happen if?”…Photo by Bill Land

“Awareness of universals is called conceiving, and a universal of which we are aware is called a concept.”—Bertrand Russell—

Every once in a while we “catch a concept.” Someone or something will show us a being, an idea, or an entity that we have never seen or thought of before. When we catch a concept, I like to think of it as a ball-shaped box that we can open and look inside of. And, guess what’s inside…

Questions.

Questions that we have never thought to ask before. More “what ifs” and more “what would happen if…” questions to ask of ourselves and the universe. The more we ask and answer the questions, the stronger the concept becomes. The stronger the concept becomes, the more it stands a chance of changing our lives and realizations.

Two concepts that I love to explore are happiness and optimism. They are interlaced. Happiness tells me that optimism is a pleasant way of thinking. Optimism tells us that everything is going to be all right. Examining and practicing these concepts helps them to become more familiar and pervasive in our lives.

Sharing a smile every day is a part of the happiness concept.
Realizing that you are the only you in the world is an important concept
Everything is going to be all right.

John P. Schulz—“Sweetie Drives on Chemo Days.”

Are You Up For An Adventure?

Quotes and Notes #344, October 14

Have you an awesome day.

Have you an awesome day.

“Each new day is a blank page in the diary of your life. The secret of success is in turning that diary into the best story you possibly can.”—Douglas Pagels—

“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”—Francis of Assisi—

Begin the day with optimism—remember, if you are a pessimist, the best thing that could happen is for you to be wrong. It all works out well either day.

Today, you are writing your own story—don’t make it a sad one, avoid or correct tragic burdens, and include a little bit of adventure. Just go out there and have you an awesome day.

Smile for lots of people.
Everything is going to be all right
John P. Schulz—“Sweetie Drives on Chemo Days.”

It Will Come To You

Quotes and Notes #339, October 9

waiting for you to notice me.

waiting for you to notice me.

“There are times to stay put, and what you want will come to you, and there are times to go out into the world and find such a thing for yourself.”—Lemony Snicket, “Horseradish”—

Patience, as practiced by the slowly growing, stately tree is definitely a virtue worth practicing.

Persistence, as practiced by the often-mowed grass, provides us with staying power.

Both persistence and patience are necessary for the dedicated optomistarian. With optimism, practice is also important. Remember the three “Ps”—patience, persistence, practice—they won’t let you down.

Today, persistently practice sharing a smile. Be patient.
Everything is going to be all right
John P. Schulz—“Sweetie Drives on Chemo Days.”

Prepare. Don’t Worry…

Quotes and Notes #336, October 6

Save tomorrow's bridge for tomorrow.

Save tomorrow’s bridge for tomorrow.

“It is not good to cross the bridge before you get to it.”—Judi Dench—

The month of October has been designated “Breast Cancer Awareness Month.” The beginning premise of Quotes and Notes a year ago was to provide inspiration for several friends who were going through cancer treatments.  Through these explorations, we have learned:

To do your best to prepare for tomorrow is good. To worry about the problems that may or may not appear in your life tomorrow is a blow to your feelings of optimism. Optimism may be strengthened by practice. Stress and worry are not good.

Today, share a smile with a nice lady. She may be bravely toting a heavy burden.
Everything is going to be all right
John P. Schulz—“Sweetie Drives on Chemo Days.”

Time For a Double Dose of Optimism?

Quotes and Notes #312, September 12

Give it your best.

Give it your best.

“Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.”—Kahlil Gibran—

Wishing that a result would arrive earlier—or wishing it would arrive later—or wishing that it would never arrive at all—never accomplishes anything.

If something we do will enhance the outcome of a project, then we should do it. If nothing we do will enhance the outcome, than there is absolutely no reason to worry about it, just wait and see.

The best cure for anxiety is a large dose of optimism. Give yourself the necessary injection.
Close your eyes
Breathe Deeply, and tell yourself over and over,
“Everything is going to be all right.”
This will give you a smile which will be fun to share.
John P. Schulz—“Sweetie Drives on Chemo Days.”

Find Happiness One Step At A Time…

Quotes and Notes #295, August 26

walking the steps over and over...

walking the steps over and over…

“As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind.  To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.”—Henry David Thoreau—

Optimism, attitude, caring, and happiness are not qualities that just happen to us, they take practice—lots of practice. Remember two things,
We can choose our own attitude.
Optimism becomes better with practice.

You can light the path with a bright smile
Everything is going to be all right.
John P. Schulz—“Sweetie Drives on Chemo Days.”

The Strength to Overcome Adversity

Quotes and Notes #207, June 4,

“One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity.”—Albert Schweitzer—

I’m starting to notice a common thread developing in some of the articles in the quote project.

    • One gains strength by overcoming obstacles
    • Through practice, one develops the strength to overcome adversity.
    • Our levels of optimism are raised by the practice of optimism.
    • Our sense of self-confidence is enhanced through the practice of projecting self-confidence.
    • Happiness makes us smile. Smiling increases our feelings of happiness.
    • Sharing a smile will make both you and the recipient feel good.

Everything is going to be all right.
John P. Schulz—“Sweetie Drives on Chemo Days.”

Swaddled Babies (Anguloa Uniflora)

Swaddled Babies (Anguloa Uniflora)

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