Tag: inspiration

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TEN THINGS I LEARNED ON THE WAY TO GROWING OLDER

Chuck Lee

LIFE MOVES AT A FAST PACE It’s tempting to pursue life with such breathless haste that you risk missing all the good stuff there is to enjoy.  And here’s the thing, most of the good stuff is free.  It doesn’t cost you to enjoy it.  So, as you journey through the years, take the time to soak in all that life offers and avoid having regrets later because you missed them. LIFE HAS HURDLES Hurdles in life happen to everyone.  It’s what you do with them that determines your character and whether or not you will succeed.  Every hurdle is … Continue reading TEN THINGS I LEARNED ON THE WAY TO GROWING OLDER

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LEAVE THEM SOME GOOD MEMORIES

Chuck Lee

I’ve heard people say, ”At least she lived a full life.” or ”He’s fortunate.  He had a full life.” Hmmm….it makes me wonder…. What in the world is a FULL LIFE? Some say it’s achieving everything you dreamed of, or…. helping others achieve what they dreamed of, or… having no regrets on your deathbed, or… leaving the world a little better than you found it. A global survey by Abbott asked 2 million people around the world what ONE THING made them feel MOST FULFILLED IN LIFE. Their answers, in order of preference, were… FAMILY, SUCCESS, and HEALTH. Interestingly, SPIRITUALITY … Continue reading LEAVE THEM SOME GOOD MEMORIES

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DOESN’T EVERYONE NEED A LITTLE NOSTALGIA?

Chuck Lee

Nostalgia,noun: ”A bittersweet longing for things, persons, or situations of the past; a twinge in the heart more powerful than memory alone; a feeling of a place where we ache to go again.” Yes….nostalgia….I love it. I love creeping into the recesses of my mind…. traveling back to the days that once were…. pulling out slices of my life to enjoy…. nothing more….just enjoy…. simply remembering things that warm my heart. On this day I remember the  old pump  out by the barn. Oh, the twinges I feel when I recall grasping that long iron handle and pumping water for … Continue reading DOESN’T EVERYONE NEED A LITTLE NOSTALGIA?

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THE ART OF BENDING WITHOUT BREAKING

Chuck Lee

I have an orange tree in my yard. It’s a lesson in life to behold. I watch the miracle of blossoms give birth to oranges. And then I watch the oranges grow larger and larger, heavier and heavier, causing the branches to bend under the increasing weight. Storms come and the winds blow, the boughs swing and sway, the boughs bend and bounce, but the boughs do not break. Those tiny branches have been created to somehow have enough strength to withstand the storms that come and the weight of the oranges and make it through to face another day. … Continue reading THE ART OF BENDING WITHOUT BREAKING

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OH THE JOY THE BLACK-EYED SUSANS BRING

Chuck Lee

My black-eyed susans took a lot of care all summer, cultivating, nurturing, watering, pruning— a lot of work for me, the gardener— whose old knees don’t bend so easily anymore. But oh such JOY those black-eyed susan’s brought me all summer long — their bright yellow faces and dark brown eyes made me smile each time I was in their presence. But now as Autumn creeps in I look at these once beautiful flowers and see that they are fast fading and will soon be gone. As I sit on my garden bench, I ponder. I could easily focus on … Continue reading OH THE JOY THE BLACK-EYED SUSANS BRING

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THE FIVE-FOLD PHILOSOPHY OF THE ANT

Chuck Lee

Ants are fascinating creatures. We can learn a lot by studying their FIVE-FOLD PHOLOSOPHY: Carry your share of the work; Know where you’re going; Stay positive and never give up; Work as a team; Love where you live. Carry your share of the work. Every ant works, no exceptions. Each one knows what to do and does it. No shirking of duty, no laziness. Know where you’re going. Every day ants have purpose. They know where they need to go and they go. They accomplish something every day. Stay positive and never give up. When things go wrong, ants keep … Continue reading THE FIVE-FOLD PHILOSOPHY OF THE ANT

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HOW A LITTLE LADY’S ACT OF KINDNESS CHANGED MY OUTLOOK

Chuck Lee

One morning my wife and I had breakfast at a local restaurant. For some reason, we were both a little down. As we were eating I noticed a small, older lady sitting alone. Once in a while she would look over and smile. What a sweet lady, I thought, and probably lonely. She finished eating before we did, and when she walked past us she smiled again. I wondered about her. Did she have children who lived nearby or did they live far away? Did she have grandchildren and did they come to visit her? Did she have any  friends? … Continue reading HOW A LITTLE LADY’S ACT OF KINDNESS CHANGED MY OUTLOOK

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A SMILE IS WORTH MORE THAN A THOUSAND WORDS

Chuck Lee

There’s so much to know about smiles. A study by a French neurologist concluded that there are two kinds of smiles, smiling with the mouth and smiling with the eyes. Some people can do both, some can’t. I wonder which I do. A famous study of yearbooks discovered that women who had the biggest smiles went on to lead happier lives. Hurry and go look at your old yearbook photo. And what about the guys? Well….a famous study of baseball cards found a connection between how big a player’s smile was to how long he would eventually live. The players … Continue reading A SMILE IS WORTH MORE THAN A THOUSAND WORDS

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IMAGINATION IS A GIFT TO CHERISH AND USE

Chuck Lee

Have you ever imagined you were someone you weren’t? I have. I was once a singing cowboy and rode with Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. And when I was Tarzan in the deep jungle I rescued Jane and Boy many times. As Superman I saved people from harm. I won the batting championship as a Major League Baseball player and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize as a famous writer three times. As an astronaut I floated through space and was speechless at how beautiful the world really is. Perhaps my greatest moment was winning the Nobel Peace Prize for my … Continue reading IMAGINATION IS A GIFT TO CHERISH AND USE

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I LOVE MEMORIES

Chuck Lee

I love memories. I pick them like flowers and choose the ones with a sweet fragrance and take a deep breath and inhale the aroma of days gone by. But as I get older, the images of yesterday tend to fade, and the fragrance is less intense. This concerns me, of course, because memories add so much to my life. They are treasures that I cherish. And memories of some individuals are all that I have left of them. However, I’ll be happy as long as I do have memories and can recall them, though faded and less fragrant. I … Continue reading I LOVE MEMORIES