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One
Liners At the time, I was living in the Bay Area, and my mother had come to visit for a few days. On the last day of her stay, I was preparing to go out for a run. Working in a very negative environment, I found morning runs very beneficial. As I was going out the door, my mother said, "I don't think running is so hot - that famous runner died." I started to recount what I had read about Jim Fixx, and how running had probably been the contributing factor to his living far longer than most of the other members of his family, but I knew there was absolutely no point. As I started running on my favorite trail, I found I couldn't shake her statement. I was so discouraged I could barely run. I began thinking," Why do I bother to run at all? Serious runners probably think I look ridiculous! I might have a heart attack on the trail - my dad had a fatal heart attack at 50 years old, and he was seemingly in better shape than I am." My mother's statement hovered over me like a giant blanket. My jog slowed to a walk, and I felt extremely defeated. Here I was in my late 40s, still hoping for an encouraging word from my mother, and equally mad at myself for still seeking an approval that would never come. Just as I was going to turn around at the two-mile mark and head for home - feeling more discouraged than I could recall in years - I saw an elderly Chinese gentleman walking toward me on the opposite side of the trail. I had seen him walking on other mornings. I had always said, "Good morning," and he had always smiled and nodded his head. This particular morning, he came over to my side of the trail and stood in my path, forcing me to stop. I was a little miffed. I had let my mother's comment (coupled with a lifetime of similar comments) ruin my day, and now this man was blocking my way. I was wearing a T-shirt a friend had sent me from Hawaii for Chinese New Year's - it had three Chinese characters on the front, and a scene of Honolulu's Chinatown on the back. Seeing my shirt in the distance had prompted him to stop me. With limited English he pointed to the letters and excitedly said, "You speak?" I told him I didn't speak Chinese, but that the shirt was a gift from a friend in Hawaii. I sensed he didn't understand all of what I was saying, and then, very enthusiastically he said, "Every time see you . . . you very good . . . you very fast." Well, I am neither very good nor very fast, but that day I left with an unexplained bounce in my step. I didn't turn from the trail where my previous dark mood had intended, but continued for six more miles, and you know, for that morning I was very good. I was very fast in my spirit and in my heart. Because of that little boost I continued to run, and I recently finished my fourth Honolulu Marathon. The New York Marathon is my goal for this year. I know I am never going to win a race, but now, when I get any negative feedback, I think of a kind gentleman who really believed, "You very good . . . you very fast." By Kathi M. Curry Return to the top An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the housebuilding business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career. When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you." What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well. So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized, we would have done it differently. Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project." Who could say it more clearly? Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today. Return to the top Remember the first day of the first year of the first time in your life you started your journey to getting old, Remember the roommates, the fears, the tears, the nerves, setting up the room, taking it apart and then rearranging it all over again, Remember the first guy (girl) who caught your eye, that same guy (girl) who you will still remember as your first college crush, Remember attempting to keep in touch with high school friends, and succeeding until you realized what a phone bill REALLY meant, Remember promising to never change, but then realizing that's an impossible promise to keep when high school has passed and you've moved on, Remember those first friends you shared your fears with, who soon became acquaintances, Remember those neighbors and classmates, who ended up becoming your closest friends, Remember holding back the tears on those days when you just wanted to be home again, to feel safe again, Remember those days you felt you couldn't relate to ANYONE, you felt you had no place, and just calling home would make it worse, Remember those bonding nights, when you never felt closer to a certain person, and how that closeness creates ties that never die, Remember how you never realized the importance of family, until you didn't see them everyday, Remember telling friends the deepest secrets of your life, and knowing they'd remain secrets, Remember the craziness of the dorm, getting sudden bursts of energy and looking for people, even total strangers, to harass, Remember pulling all nigh ers, and never thinking they were as bad as they sounded until you actually lived through one, Remember when your closet stretched throughout the whole floor and you never had to worry about a lack of clothes anymore, Remember how over breaks you had the chance to step back and really see the friends you made and the memories shared, and you were satisfied, Remember thinking HOW MUCH your life has changed in just months, Remember that dream guy (girl), you thought about so much, who when he finally opened his mouth, changed your opinion of him (her) forever, Remember how that girl (guy) you once lived for soon became a joke and an excuse for you and your friends to laugh at yourself, Remember the times, never forget them, even the little ones can hold the greatest meaning, Remember to never lose touch with those friends you've made here at college, because you have all changed and grown enormously together,and that is something very sacred to be shared, Remember you are only here for a short while, the time flies before you realize it, so make it last, make it memorable, make it the best time of your life, and make the best memories that you can carry with you for the rest of your days, Remember this doesn't last forever so never let a day go by without living it to the fullest, Remember to never let a day go by without a laugh, Remember to love the ones you love, life isn't forever, Remember the laughs, let them echo in the back of your mind, Remember to love your friends, whether they come, go, love you or hurt you, NEVER let anyone go, Return to the top |
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