101 Simple Truths We Often Forget

Courtesy of: Marc and Angel

It‘s not where we stand but in what direction we are moving.

Sometimes we find ourselves running in place, struggling to get ahead simply because we forget to address some of the simple truths that govern our potential to make progress.  So here’s a quick reminder:

1. The acquisition of knowledge doesn’t mean you’re growing.  Growing happens when what you know changes how you live.
2. You can’t have good ideas unless you’re willing to generate a lot of bad ones.
3. A good idea without action is worth nothing.
4. Change is often resisted when it is needed the most.
5. Discipline is choosing what you want most over what you want right now. Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
6. People seldom do things to the best of their ability.  They do things to the best of their willingness.
7. You can’t change other people; you can only offer guidance, and lead by example.
8. Right now, there’s a lot you don’t know.  And if you never challenge your own beliefs, the list will never shrink.
9. If you’re talking to someone you don’t know well, you may be talking to someone who knows way more about the topic of conversation than youdo.
10. The most common and harmful addiction in the world is the draw of comfort.
11. Growth begins at the end of your comfort zone.  Stepping outside of your comfort zone will put things into perspective from an angle you can’t grasp now.
12. When you spend time worrying, you’re simply using your imagination to create things you don’t want.
13. It’s usually only as good or bad as you think it is.  Most of what we see is only what we think about what we see.
14. Most of the bad things you worry about will never happen.  Most of the bad things that do happen will have never have crossed your worried mind.
15. Some circumstances are uncontrollable, but we can always decide how we react to those circumstances.
16. Those who complain the most, accomplish the least.
17. Whenever somebody discredits you, and tells you that you can’t do something, keep in mind that they are speaking from within the boundaries of their own limitations.
18. Every problem you have in your life right now is your responsibility, regardless of who initially caused it.
19. It’s not so much about finding opportunities as it is about creating them.
20. Having a plan, even a flawed one at first, is better than no plan at all.
21. Paving your own road is intelligent only if nobody has gone exactly where you are going.
22. What you do every day matters more than what you do every once in a while.
23. What you don’t start today won’t be finished by tomorrow.
24. If you’re waiting for the perfect conditions, ideas or plans to get started, you’ll never achieve anything.
25. Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing.
26. Putting something off makes it instantly harder and scarier.
27. You cannot change what you refuse to confront.
28. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.
29. The harder you work, the luckier you will become.
30. Kindness and hard work together will always carry you farther than intelligence.
31. Lots of successful people have failed as many times as they have succeeded.
32. Failures are simply lessons that help you prepare for next time.
33. Being successful is a journey, not a destination.
34. To be successful does not mean you have to dominate others; it means you have to dominate your own potential.
35. Your success isn’t just about you.  It’s about how you positively impact the lives around you.
36. Being busy and being productive are two different things.
37. Being happy and being successful are two different things.
38. You have every right to be happy, but it’s up to YOU and only YOU to exercise that right.  Read Stumbling on Happiness.
39. Everyone you meet is better than you at something.  We all have different strengths.  What worked for someone else might not work for you.
40. When you’re worried about what others think of you, you’re really just worried about what you think of yourself.
41. The bad news: nothing is permanent.  The good news: nothing is permanent.
42. You don’t have to settle.  It’s simply a choice you make every day.  If you don’t like your life, then it’s time to start making changes and better choices.
43. There’s no such thing as ‘risk free.’  Everything you do or don’t do has an inherent risk.
44. No matter how smart you are, you will make mistakes.
45. Problems, when they arise, are rarely as painful and hurtful as the process of fearing them.
46. Confusion isn’t a bad thing.  It means you’re growing and thinking.
47. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
48. In the beginning, you need to say “yes” to a lot of things to discover and establish your goals.  Later on, you need to say “no” to a lot of things and concentrate on your goals.
49. Even if it doesn’t cost any money, it’s not free if it takes up your time.
50. No matter how you make a living or who you think you work for, you only work for one person, yourself.  The big question is:  What are you selling, and to whom?
51. Money makes life easier only when it’s yours free and clear.  The stress of financial debt can change a person.
52. The fewer possessions you own, the more you will use and enjoy them.
53. Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile.
54. There is good reason why you should wake each morning and mindfully consider what and who you will give your day to:  Because unlike other things in life - love, money, respect, good health, hope, opportunities, and many more - time is the one thing you can never get back once it’s gone.
55. Cutting your losses is often better than the alternative.
56. We sometimes do things that are permanently foolish just because we are temporarily upset.
57. Screaming at people always makes things worse.
58. Everyone likes a person who gets straight to the point.
59. First impressions are oftentimes inaccurate judgments of a person’s true character.
60. When you’re up, your friends know who you are.  When you’re down, you know who your friends are.
61. If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you.  You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot.
62. When someone truly loves you, they don’t ever have to say a word.  You will be able to tell simply by the way they treat you over the long-term.
63. We rarely lose friends, we usually just figure out who our real ones are.
64. Just because one person doesn’t seem to care for you, doesn’t mean you should forget about everyone else who does.
65. Family isn’t always blood.  They’re the people in your life who want you in theirs – the ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what.
66. Good looks attracts the eyes.  Personality attracts the heart.
67. In human relationships, distance is not measured in miles but in affection.  Two people can be right next to each other, yet miles apart.
68. Being nice to someone you dislike doesn’t mean you’re fake.  It means you’re mature enough to control your emotions.
69. If you aren’t happy being single, you won’t be happy in a relationship.  You have to create your own life first before you can share it with someone else.
70. Whenever you hate someone or something, you are giving that person or thing a piece of your heart.  Read The Road Less Traveled.
71. Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.
72. It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company.
73. Saying “no” to right people gives you the time and resources required to say “yes” to right opportunities.
74. When you stop chasing the wrong things you give the right things a chance to catch you.
75. You can raise the bar or you can wait for others to raise it.  Either way, it’s getting raised.
76. In life you get what you put in.  If you want love, give love.  If you want friends, be friendly.  If you want money, provide value.  It really is this simple.
77. Cynicism might seem warranted at times, but it’s never useful.
78. Everyone dies, some sooner than later, and often unexpectedly.  To know this means you are alive, with a chance to make the time you have left count.
79. You are in competition with one person and one person only – yourself.  You are competing to be the best you can be.
80. Trying to be somebody you’re not is a sure path to self-hate, and a waste of the person you are.
81. It’s better to be disliked for who you are than to be liked for who you are not.
82. Giving up doesn’t always mean you’re weak, sometimes it means you are strong enough and smart enough to let go.
83. Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.
84. You can’t make the same exact mistake twice. The second time you make it, it’s no longer a mistake, it’s a choice.
85. Not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
86. You never have to deal with more than one moment at a time.
87. Many of the greatest lessons we learn in life we don’t seek on purpose.
88. You have to fight through some bad days to earn the best days of your life.
89. A harsh fact of life:  Bad things do happen to good people.
90. Regardless of the situation, the sun rises the next day and life goes on.
91. You never know how strong you really are until being strong is the only choice you have.
92. We end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.
93. We meet no ordinary people in our lives.  If you give them a chance, everyone has something amazing to offer.
94. Every passing face on the street represents a story every bit as compelling and complicated as yours.
95. People are not as beautiful as they look, as they walk, or as they talk.  They are only as beautiful as they love, as they care, and as they share.
96. Silence is often the loudest cry.  So pay attention to those you care about.
97. Making one person smile can change the world.  Maybe not the whole world, but their world.
98. Blowing out another’s candle will not make yours shine brighter.
99. No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying.
100. Things turn out best for people who make the best out of the way things turn out.
101. Life is short.  If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.

15 Things Everyone Needs You To Do

Courtesy of: http://www.marcandangel.com

Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness,
to pull another hand into the light.
-Norman B. Rice

A silhouette of a human being stands before you.

Perhaps a friend.  Perhaps a lover.  Perhaps a perfect stranger.

They need you to connect with them.  They need you to share this moment.

They need you to…

• Notice without critiquing.
• Appreciate without comparing.
• Listen without interruption.
• Question without objection.
• Challenge without mocking.
• Consider without doubting.
• Discuss without criticizing.
• Smile without hesitation.
• Give without expectation.
• Comfort without lying.
• Guide without misleading.
• Forgive without resentment.
• Rest without judgment.

They need you to be you – just the way you are.

And they need you to respect them – just the way you are.

10 Cool & Unique Songs To Wake Up To

 Need some motivation and/or energy when you wake up in the morning? What better way than via some cool wake up songs! Music can definitely help you out, but it needs to be the right song. Now, I wanted to create a very unique and different list. I’m tired of lists with “eye of the tiger”, “I will survive”, and “we are the champions”. Nothing against those songs, but I wanted to modernize this a little bit  So here is my top 10 cool & unique songs to listen to in the morning, in no particular order:

I tried to include alot of different genres so that there is something to appeal to everyone’s tastes

1- Ray of Light by Madonna
This is such a great morning song. It’s very happy and you can’t help but to be uplifted by it. Although it was released ten years ago in 1998, it still sounds current. It’s one of my favorite songs from Madonna’s best album (IMO).

2- Get Up Offa That Thing by James Brown

I always see his song “I feel good” on motivating song lists, but I figured, there must be an even better song that the Godfather of Soul performed, and let me tell you, this is it! This is such a cool song, that even though is many decades old, could still be a hit today. I really like this one, it’s perfect to wake up to, and click the link to watch the video, it’s really endearing!

3- Rise Up by R. Kelly
This song, I wasn’t too familiar with. I believe it was created in memory of Virginia Tech shooting. After listening to it, I had to include it on this list. Just its message to “rise up, even if you can’t go on” is perfect for anyone that needs inspiration in the morning.

4- Wanna Be Startin’ Something by Michael Jackson
With the recent death of the King of Pop, I have been inclined to rediscover his music, and finding some oldies but goodies! Seriously, this is such a good song that just makes you “wanna start somethin’”, such as dancing! Great way to start your day by doing the Moonwalk!

5- I Can See Clearly Now by Jimmy Cliff
This song’s version is the best one ever made in my opinion. The beat is much more uplifting and happy than the Johnny Nash version. Plus, with such lyrics as “gonna be a bright, bright sun shiny day” how can you go wrong with waking up with such a song!

6- I’m Alive by Celine Dion
I have to admit, that I am not a huge Celine Dion fan. It’s just not my kind of music, but this song is just perfect for the morning. It’s simple, to the point, and has a great message. Seriously, what better way to start your day than with the thought “I’m alive!” 

7- Get Up by Ciara
This is the most current song on this list. For anyone that loves R&B, this is a great song to listen to in the morning. It’s Ciara’s best song so far, and although not full of crazy beats to get you out of bed, it’s sweet and it makes you feel good just listening to it.

8- Get Up by Technotronic
Ok, while browsing on YouTube for Ciara’s song, I came across this gem! For anyone that grew up in the 80′s, you just smile when you hear this song. It’s fun, crazy, very dated, but this is one song that is guaranteed to get you out of bed and moving!

9- Beautiful Day by U2
One of you wrote a comment below mentioning this song, and I couldn’t believe I had overlooked this song on my original list! This is a perfect song to start a brand new day, the right way. Ideal morning song, no question about it 

10 – Every Morning by Sugar Ray
For anyone that is fond of the late 90′s, you can associate the era with this song! This song has such a cool vibe to it, it just flows so well, and it’s made to be a morning song. I wouldn’t be surprised that many radio stations out there play this in their morning rotations. Just a fun song that makes you feel good when you wake up 

Here’s a few songs that I almost added to the top ten:
The Power by Snap
Lose Yourself by Eminem
Everywhere by Bran Van 3000

I’d love to read about your favorite morning songs, so leave some comments about them 

75 Reminders for Tough Times...

Courtesy: http://www.marcandangel.com
When life gets stressful, we often forget the things we should remember, and remember the things we should forget.

Here are 75 reminders to help motivate you when you need it most.

Tough times never last, but tough people do.
- Robert H. Schuller

1. You never know how strong you really are until being strong is the only choice you have.
2. Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.
3. You cannot change what you refuse to confront.
4. Nobody is perfect, and nobody deserves to be perfect.  Nobody has it easy.  You never know what people are going through.  Every one of us has issues.  So don’t belittle yourself or anyone else.  Everybody is fighting their own unique war.
5. Crying doesn’t indicate that you’re weak.  Since birth, it has always been a sign that you’re alive and full of potential.
6. No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying.  (Read Unstoppable.)
7. Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.
8. Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness.  Let it go.
9. Making one person smile can change the world.  Maybe not the whole world, but their world.  Start small.  Start now.
10. Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.
11. Never let success get to your head, and never let failure get to your heart.
12. You have to fight through some bad days to earn the best days of your life.
13. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.
14. You can learn great things from your mistakes when you aren’t busy denying them.
15. Give up worrying about what others think of you.  What they think isn’t important.  What is important is how you feel about yourself.
16. When you stop chasing the wrong things you give the right things a chance to catch you.
17. When other people treat you poorly, keep being you.  Don’t ever let someone else’s bitterness change the person you are.
18. You have to accept that some things will never be yours, and learn to appreciate the things that are only yours.
19. Sometimes it’s easy to feel like you’re the only one in the world who’s struggling, who’s frustrated, or unsatisfied, or barely getting by.  But that feeling is a lie.  And if you just hold on, someone will find you and help make it better.  Because we all need a little help sometimes – someone to help us hear the music in our world.  To remind us that it won’t always be this way.  That someone is out there right now.
20. Don’t be afraid to move out of your comfort zone.  Some of your best life experiences and opportunities will transpire only after you dare to lose.
21. Sometimes we accidentally allow small problems to escalate and dominate our lives.  If we get overcharged a few cents, it is irritating, but don’t let it ruin your day.  There will always be small issues that irritate us; the secret is to be able to give them the miniscule level of importance they deserve.
22. Giving up doesn’t always mean you’re weak, sometimes it means you are strong enough and smart enough to let go.  (Read The Dip.)
23. Ask yourself whether each of your relationships drags you down or lifts you up.  Surrounding yourself with positive, loving people is half the battle of living a happy, successful life.
24. Spend more time with those who make you smile and less time with those who you feel pressured to impress.
25. There are few joys in life that equal a good conversation, a good read, a good walk, a good hug, a good smile, or a good friend.
26. Don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future for too long.  Right now is life.  Live it.
27. No matter how cautiously you choose your words, someone will always twist them around and misinterpret what you say.  So just say what you need to say.
28. In order to be creative, we must lose our fear of being wrong.
29. Not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of good luck.
30. To be great does not mean you have to dominate others.  It means you have to dominate your own potential.
31. If you are passionate about something, pursue it, no matter what anyone else thinks.  That’s how dreams are achieved.
32. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.
33. Forgiveness is one of the primary keys to happiness.
34. The best revenge is happiness, because nothing drives your adversaries more insane than seeing you smile.
35. Stay positive when negativity surrounds you.  Smile when others frown.  It’s an easy way to make a difference.
36. If a person wants to be a part of your life, they will make an obvious effort to do so. Don’t bother reserving a space in your heart for people who do not make an effort to stay.
37. Don’t regret intimate relationships that don’t work out.  Because they will only help you find the right partner for you, and better appreciate them for everything they do and everything they are.
38. What lies before us and behind us are tiny matters when compared to what lies within us.
39. The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists.  It rewards people who get things done.  And the only way to get things done is to be imperfect 99% of the time.
40. Never lie – not even a white lie!  When you steer away from the truth, you steer away from your soul.  Be honest, be real and tell the truth.  This awareness forces you to make better choices and be a stronger person.
41. Feelings, good and bad, always come and go.
42. Don’t get caught up in wasted potential from years past.  Potential is all we ever have.
43. We are not alone.  No matter how bizarre or embarrassed or pathetic we feel about our own situation, there will be others out there experiencing the same emotions.  When you hear yourself say “I am all alone,” it is your mind trying to sell you a lie so you will continue to feel sorry for yourself.
44. It is okay to be angry.  It is never okay to be cruel.
45. Don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.
46. Mistakes teach you important lessons.  Every time you make one, you’re one step closer to your goal.  The only mistake that can truly hurt you is choosing to do nothing simply because you’re too scared to make a mistake.
47. Money is a renewable resource.  If you lose some money, don’t sweat it.  You can always make more.  However, if you spend valuable time stressing over money, or lost opportunity, you’ll never get that time back.  Time is more valuable than money – time is the greatest constituent of life.
48. Never let people know that they got to you.  Ignore them.  Hold your head up high and pretend all their negative remarks don’t even phase you, and someday they actually won’t.
49. There is nothing to hold you back except you.  And there is only one question to ask yourself: “What would you do if you were not afraid?”  Think about it.
50. Life is way more enjoyable when you stop trying to be cool and simply focus on being yourself.
51. It’s often hard to tell just how close you are to success.
52. When you spend time worrying, you’re simply using your imagination to create things you don’t want.
53. No matter how it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should be.  Either you succeed or you learn something. Win-Win.
54. You must see things how they are instead of how you hoped, wished, or expected them to be.
55. Even when you feel like you have nothing, someone else likely has far less.  Find them and help them.  You’ll see why.
56. Laughter is the best medicine for stress.  Laugh at yourself often.  Find the humor in whatever situation you’re in.
57. If you want to feel rich, just count all the great things you have that money can’t buy.
58. Forgiving yourself is far more important than getting others to forgive you.
59. If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.
60. You can press forward long after you can’t.  It’s just a matter of wanting it bad enough.
61. It’s not about getting a chance, it’s about taking a chance.  You’ll rarely be 100% sure it will work.  But you can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work.  Sometimes you just have to go for it!
62. If it were easy everyone would do it.  This is why get rich quick schemes will never be true.  If it was so quick and easy then everyone would be millionaires.  Accomplishing great things is hard work, but well worth it.
63. Notice and cherish life’s surprises.  Just because it’s not what you were expecting, doesn’t mean it’s not everything you’ve been waiting for.
64. Be vulnerable.  Allow yourself to feel, to be open and authentic.  Tear down any emotional brick walls you have built around you and feel every exquisite emotion, both good and bad.  This is real life.  This is how you welcome new opportunities.
65. You must create and look for opportunities.  Opportunities rarely ever come knocking on the door of someone who’s not seeking them.  You have to create and seek opportunities for yourself.  You have to take the initiative to get the ball rolling and the doors opening.
66. If it’s out of your control, why fret about it?  Concentrating on things you can control is how you make good things happen.
67. Saying “no” to right people gives you the time and resources required to say “yes” to right opportunities.  (Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.)
68. No matter how much progress you make there will always be the people who insist that whatever you’re trying to do is impossible. Or they may incessantly suggest that the idea or dream as a whole is utterly ridiculous because nobody really cares. When you come across these people, don’t try to reason with them. Instead, forget that they exist. They will only waste your time and energy.
69. If you spend 80% of your time focusing on the problem and only 20% on the solution, what do you think is going to happen?
70. No matter how badly you think your life may be going, or how messed up you think you are, there is at least one thing you are doing right in your life or you wouldn’t be alive reading this.
71. A problem is a chance for you to learn.
72. The greatest struggle is to be something different from what the average man is.
73. In times of great stress, it’s always wise to keep busy, to plow your anger and frustration into something positive.
74. One thing is for sure: Regardless of the situation, life goes on.
75. Everyone wants a perfect ending.  But over the years I’ve learned that some of the best poems don’t rhyme, and many great stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, or end.  Life is about not knowing, embracing change, and taking a moment and making the best of it without knowing what’s going to happen next.

Oh, and…

You wanna know who’s awesome?  Read the first word of this line again.  

25 Inspiring Stories to Make You Smile

Courtesy of Makes Me Think and Hack Life

1. Today, my son turned 7 and I turned 23.  Yes, I had him on the day I turned 16.  The choices I made when I was a teenager were foolish, and sometimes I get worried I’m bringing my son up wrong.  But today I took him to the park to celebrate our birthdays.  He played for hours with a girl who has burn scars that cover most of her face.  When my son took a break to eat, he pointed to her and said, “She’s so pretty and cool!”  Which left me thinking, “I must be doing something right as a mom.”  MMT
2. Today at 1AM, my grandma, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s, got up, got into my dad’s car and drove off.  We contacted the police.  But before the police could find her, two college kids pulled into our driveway with my grandma.  One was driving my dad’s car and the other was following in their car.  They said they overheard her crying about being lost at an empty gas station 10 miles away.  My grandma couldn’t remember our address, but gave the kids her first and last name.  They looked her up online, found our address, and drove her home.  MMT
3. Today, my 8-year-old son hugged me and said, “You are the best mom in the whole entire world!”  I smiled and sarcastically replied, “How do you know that?  You haven’t met every mom in the whole entire world.”  My son squeezed me tighter and said, “Yes I have.  You are my world.”  MMT
4. Today, my dad turned 91.  He barely has enough strength to speak.  But every time my mom (she’s 84) walks into the room to check on him, he says, “Hello beautiful.”  MMT
5. Today, when I went to pick-up my daughter from preschool she was sitting on the ground in the corner of the after-care area with 3 blind students.  All of them had smiles on their faces.  The after-care instructor told me my daughter has been spending time with these 3 students every afternoon this week, answering questions and explaining to them in vivid detail what different objects, people and animals look like.  MMT
6. Today, when she woke up from a six month coma, she kissed me and said, “Thank you for being here, and telling me those beautiful stories, and never giving up on me…  And yes, I will marry you.”  MMT
7. Today, I found an old hand written note my mom wrote when she was a senior in high school.  On it is a list of qualities she hoped she would someday find in a boyfriend.  The list is basically an exact description of my dad, who she didn’t meet until she was 27.  MMT
8. Today is my 18th birthday.  Just over 18 years ago a woman was faced with the harsh fact that she had already had 4 miscarriages and 1 stillbirth.  As she was pregnant for the 5th time, doctors informed her that her pregnancy was risky.  They said there was a good chance either the baby or her wouldn’t make it.  She chose to give the baby a chance anyway.  My mom and I both made it and are still healthy to this day.  MMT
9. Today, my grandpa keeps and old, candid photo on his nightstand of my grandma and him laughing together at some party in the 1960’s.  My grandma passed away from cancer in 1999 when I was 7.  This evening when I was at his house, my grandpa caught me staring at the photo.  He walked up, hugged me from behind and said, “Remember, just because something doesn’t last forever, doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth your while.”  MMT
10. Today, a week after I donated three bags of clothes to a local homeless shelter, I saw a homeless woman sitting on a park bench wearing a tye-dye shirt I made when I was a teenager.  I walked by her and said, “I love your shirt!”  She smiled and said, “Thank you!  I really do too!”  MMT
11. Today, I sat down with my two daughters, ages 4 and 6, to explain to them that we have to move out of our 4 bedroom house and into a 2 bedroom apartment for awhile until I can find another job that pays well.  My daughters looked at each other for a moment and then my youngest daughter turned to me and asked, “Are we all moving into the apartment together?”  “Yes,” I replied.  “Oh, so no big deal then,” she said.  MMT
12. Today is the 14th day in a row that my nursing home patient’s grandson has come to visit her.  Two weeks ago I told him that the only time I see his grandmother smile all week is when he visits her on Sunday mornings.  MMT
13. Today, as I pulled into my apartment complex I noticed my neighbor, who’s about 8 months pregnant, struggling with her groceries.  I stopped and helped her bring them up the stairs into her apartment.  This evening, when I got home from the gym I found a freshly baked apple pie sealed in Tupperware sitting on my doorstep with a note that said, “I used the ingredients you helped me carry to bake this.  Enjoy!”  MMT
14. Today, a man came in to apply at my restaurant.  He seemed charismatic, kind, knowledgeable, and friendly.  Later, when I went to call him to extend a job offer, I noticed he had written “ask for me” under his number.  The number belongs to a homeless shelter.  But I’m gonna take a risk and hire him anyways.  MMT
15. Today, I found out that my mom and dad have been working second jobs at night so they can continue to financially assist my twin sister and I who are both sophomores in college.  My dad said, “You two will be the first in our family’s history to receive college diplomas.  Two jobs is nothing!  I’d work three if I had to to see you two graduate.”  MMT
16. Today, my 12-year-old son, Sean, and I stopped by the nursing home together for the first time in several months.  Usually I come alone see my mother who’s suffering from Alzheimer’s.  When we walked into the lobby, the nurse said, “Hi, Sean!” and then buzzed us in.  “How does she know your name?” I asked.  “Oh, I swing by here on my walk home from school all the time to say hi to Grandma,” Sean said.  I had no idea.  MMT
17. Today, my mom has been blind for 15 years.  She lost her vision in the same car accident that took my dad’s life.  I am 18 years old now.  She has raised me as a single mom since I was 3, without her vision.  And yes, she did a heck of a job!  MMT
18. Today, I met the prettiest woman on a plane.  Assuming I wouldn’t see her again after we made our connections, I told her how pretty I thought she was.  She gave me the most sincere smile and said, “Nobody has said that to me in 10 years.”  It turns out we’re both in our mid-30’s, never married, no kids, and we live about 5 miles away from each other.  We have a date set for next Saturday after we return home.  MMT
19. Today, my mom received the surgery she needed to remove a malignant tumor.  My family has been struggling without medical insurance since my dad lost his job last year.  My sister and I have been openly discussing my mom’s medical dilemma on Facebook.  Last week, a friend of a friend, who’s a veteran cancer treatment surgeon who owns his own practice, saw our comments on Facebook and volunteered to help my mother for free.  MMT
20. Today, I’m a mother of 2 and a grandmother of 4.  At 17 I got pregnant with twins.  When my boyfriend and friends found out I wasn’t going to abort them, they turned a cold shoulder to me.  But I pressed forward, worked full-time while attending school, graduated high school and college, and met a guy in one of my classes who has loved my children like his own for the last 50 years.  MMT
21. Today, as I was sleeping, I woke up to my daughter calling my name.  I was sleeping in a sofa chair in her hospital room.  I opened my eyes to her beautiful smile.  My daughter has been in a coma for 98 days.  MMT
22. Today, on our 10th wedding anniversary, she handed me a suicide note she wrote when she was 22. It was dated the exact day we met each other.  And she said, “For all these years I didn’t want you to know how foolish and unstable I was back when we met.  But even though you didn’t know, you saved me.  Thank you.” MMT
23. Today, at 8AM this morning, after four months of lifelessness in her hospital bed, we took my mom off life support.  And her heart continued beating on its own.  And she continued breathing on her own.  Then this evening, when I squeezed her hand three times, she squeezed back three times.  MMT
24. Today, the homeless man who used to sleep near my condo showed up at my door wearing the business suit I gave him nearly 10 years ago.  He said, “I have a home, a job, and a family now.  10 years ago I wore this business suit to all my job interviews.  Thank you.”  MMT
25. Today, when I opened my store at 5AM there was an envelope sitting on the floor by the door.  In the envelope was $600 and a note that said, “Five years ago, I broke into your store at night and stole $300 worth of food.  I’m sorry.  I was desperate.  Here’s the money with 100% interest.”  Interestingly, I never reported the incident to the cops because I assumed that whoever stole the food really needed it.  MMT