Lifestyle

[There are] ... direct ties between lifestyle and sickness.

(Thomas Moore, Dark Nights Of The Soul, p. 282)

I must be completely honest with myself in uncovering the faults which hamper my spiritual growth. One by one, watchfully and painstakingly I will replace them with constructive attitudes.

(One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 6 October)

A person's good habits as well as their poor choices - the addictions, bad attitudes, and wrong mindsets - are all passed down.

(Joel Osteen, Become A Better You, p. 59)

30 April 2014

Get It While You Can

For some people, buying certain things has become a little too easy, resulting in debts and/or clutter. This is not just a problem of the affluent, as even the impoverished may go overboard at yard sales and thrift shops.
(Cindy Glovinsky, Making Peace With The Things In Your Life, p. 26-27)

Giving yourself ... permission to try out new experiences, to take risks and, most importantly, to do the things which you feel are significant, regardless of how others view them, will give you more and more meaning in your everyday life.
(Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, The Sky's The Limit, p. 324)
29 April 2014

Answers

Although I may know some answers to many questions, they may not be the only or the best answers.
I may not truly believe someone's idea is better than mine, but I'm willing to concede that it might be.
Their answer might be as worthy of applying as my own.
When I don't know the answer, that's okay, too, because I don't need to know everything.
(Al-Anon Family Groups, Hope For Today, 26 April)
28 April 2014

Mine

(From a funny scene in the movie - Finding Nemo)

... all these possessions and honors are awfully flimsy; even more, they are oppressive, because a person never has them without anxiety and fear. A person's happiness is not having many possessions; indeed, a modest share is enough.
(Thomas 'a Kempis, The Imitation Of Christ, Book 1, Chapter 22)
27 April 2014

Comfort Zone

So it is a necessary part of success to be willing and courageous enough to step outside of your comfort zone.
(Layne Beachley in Hero by Rhonda Byrne, p. 100)
26 April 2014

Turn Around

Everywhere we turn, or so it seems, we are confronted by a mind-numbing assortment of distractions, temptations, obligations, and frustrations.
(100 Days Of Prayer For Women, p. 85)
25 April 2014

Pleasant Music

Harping on your troubles doesn't produce pleasant music.
(Richard E. Henthorn after One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 16 March 2014)
24 April 2014

Friends

Friends

I could not imagine who I would have been without them, nor can I imagine it to this day because they are in so many ways a part of me still.
(Frederick Buechner, [Remembering people who have been part of his life.], Listening To Your Life, p. 290)
23 April 2014

The More You Know

Earth Day 2014

The more you know and the better you know it, the greater is your responsibility for using your knowledge wisely.
(Thomas 'a Kempis, The Imitation Of Christ, Book 1, Chapter 2)

******

Yesterday we worked in the yard for several hours.  I bought a gallon of gas for the lawn mower.  I got lucky, the mower started after two or three pulls. I trimmed around the edges and mowed the front and back yard. This year we are required to put the yard waste into brown paper bags. I'll need to get used to that. It's not as easy as dumping the grass into a plastic bag. Sometimes part of the grass fell on the ground and once I ripped the top of the bag. Melva and I dug up some of the day lilies and lily of the valley plants in the flowerbed near the kitchen window.  We plan to plant tomato plants there this year. Because we no longer can use the plastic bags that mulch comes in for yard waste I took all of those bags to the front curb for recycle pick up on Tuesday. This will free up lots of space in the shed, maybe I'll be able to spot a bag of grass fertilizer and gain access to the spreader.

Mr. Dickie

22 April 2014

Responsibility

The most important thing people need to do is take responsibility for their actions.
(Michael Acton Smith in Hero by Rhonda Byrne, p. 32)
21 April 2014

Thy Will Be Done

Thy will be done this day!

Today is a day of completion; I give thanks for this perfect day, miracle shall follow miracle and wonders shall never cease!
(Florence Scovel Shinn in The Color Of Light by Perry Tilleraas, 15 March)
20 April 2014

Relationships

To be free of the past and completely experience the present, we need to heal all our relationships, including those with our parents. Relationships that still fester when we think of them keep us tied to the past; they keep us from living in the present.
(Perry Tilleraas, The Color Of Light, 19 December)
19 April 2014

Ungodly Values

Is it time for you to get involved in combating systems or programs that uphold ungodly values?
(Harry & Emily Griffith, This Love We Share, 28 August)
18 April 2014

Burning Bridges

We should think seriously before we slam doors, before we burn bridges, before we saw off the limb on which  we find ourselves sitting.
(Richard L. Evans in Night Light by Amy E. Dean)
17 April 2014

Sit Quietly

Simply sit quietly, take a few breathes, and focus your awareness within - to the wise being within you who is in touch with the wisdom of the universe.
(Shakti Gawain in The Color Of Light by Perry Tilleraas, 7 October)

[Note: This is the 2000th post to Mr. Dickie's Blog.]
16 April 2014

Boundaries

Setting boundaries can be an important step in simplifying your life, and it does not require an explanation.
(The Twelve Steps For Christians, p. 7)
15 April 2014

Addiction

Addiction is an inability to stop a repeated and compulsive use of an activity, behavior, or substance in spite of negative consequences.

Addiction becomes apparent when a person doesn't acknowledge the negative consequences, explains it away, or acknowledges it and yet is unable to stop.

The hallmark of all addictions is that the person has lost control and is experiencing negative consequences as a result.
(Cloud & Townsend, God Will Make A Way, p. 220-1)
14 April 2014

Peace Of Mind

When something robs you of your peace of mind, ask yourself if it is worth the energy you are expending on it. If not, then put it out of your mind in an act of discipline. Every time the thought of it returns, refuse it.
(Kay Arthur in 100 Days Of Prayer For Women)
13 April 2014

Unhappiness

I have discovered that all the unhappiness of men arises from one single fact, that they cannot stay quietly in their own chamber.

(Blaise Pascal in Excuses Begone! by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, p. 246)
12 April 2014

Choices

No matter how many books you read, no matter how many schools you attend, you're never really wise until you start making wise choices.
(100 Days Of Prayer For Women, p. 241)
11 April 2014

Be Content

Melva's quilt backing - photo by Mr. Dickie

Be content with little; be happy with what is simple; and do not grumble if things seem to take a different turn from what you expected.
(Thomas 'a Kempis, The Imitation Of Christ, Book 3, Chapter 11)
10 April 2014

Take Your Medicine

The best antidote I know for worry is work.
The best medicine for despair is service.
The best cure for weariness is the challenge of helping someone who is even more tired.
(Gordon B. Hinckley, Stand A Little Taller, 1 April)
9 April 2014

There's A Problem

[When other people tell you about their problems, remember:]

1. It's not your issue.
2. Don't get stuck in other people's stuff.
3. When people get tired of suffering and struggling they stop.

(Iyanla Vanzant, Faith In The Valley, p. 157)
8 April 2014

There's Work To Be Done

There is a great deal to be done. At present, overproduction and over-consumption of nonessential Things, especially in the West, is leading to the destruction of the world's resources and habitats. Meanwhile, both between and within cultures, enormous material inequalities exist, resulting in conflicts in [and between] many countries. If we are to begin to change the Thing habits that have created these problems, we must first change our attitudes about Things, especially about the ownership of excess Things.
(Cindy Glovinsky, Making Peace With The Things In Your Life, p. 261)
7 April 2014

Acceptance

Melva's Quilt - photo by Mr. Dickie

Sometimes, we must accept life on its terms, not our own. Life has a way of unfolding, not as we will, but as it will. And sometimes, there is precious little we can do to change things.

When events transpire that are beyond our control, we have a choice: we can either learn the art of acceptance, or we can make ourselves miserable as we struggle to change the unchangeable.
(100 Days Of Prayer For Women, p., 282)
6 April 2014

Truth

Truths about this or that are a dime a dozen, including religious truths. The truth is what Pilate was after: the truth about who we are and who God is, if there is a God, the truth about life, the truth about death, the truth about truth itself. That is the truth we are all of us after.
(Frederick Buechner, Listening To Your Life, p. 307)
5 April 2014

Peace Of Mind

When something robs you of your peace of mind, ask yourself if it is worth the energy you are expending on it. If not, then put it out of your mind in an act of discipline. Every time the thought of it returns, refuse it.
(Kay Arthur in 100 Days Of Prayer For Women, p. 96)
4 April 2014

Angry Words

Angry words are dangerous to your emotional and spiritual health, not to mention your relationships. So treat anger as an uninvited guest, and usher it away as quickly, and gently -- as possible.
(100 Days Of Prayer For Women, p. 96)
3 April 2014

Credibility

One of Melva's bags - photo by Mr. Dickie

Credibility precedes great communication. Believe in what you say. Then, live what you say. There is no greater credibility than conviction in action.
(John C. Maxwell, Leadership, 19 August)
2 April 2014

Storytelling

Storytelling is an excellent way of caring for the soul. It helps us see the themes that circle in our lives, the deep themes that tell the myths we live.
(Thomas Moore, Care Of The Soul, p. 13)
1 April 2014