Irritating

traffic jams
squeaking doors
interruptions
long lines
flat tires
deadlines
doing dishes
being rushed
untrained pets
tight clothes
peeling onions
cold food
talkative people
incompetence
crying babies
nosy neighbors
misplaced keys
mothers-in-law
late planes
stuck zippers
high prices

Echoes

We get in return exactly what we give. It all comes back. Incredible mirrors our action to an emphatic degree, sometimes in greater measure than we give. The results are often embarassing, or tragic. If you want others to judge you and condemn you, you start it. If you want them to be understanding, broad-minded, allowing you room to be you...then begin by being that way yourself. Like begets like. Smiles breed smiles. A positive attitude is contagious. Unfortunately, so are frowns, sighs and harsh words. Whatever you deposit in the echo bank, you draw in return. Sometimes with interest.

Diversions

Diversions are essential to our health and personal developments as food is to our nourishment. And it's funny you can always tell when it's time to shift gears and change hats. The frown gets deeper, the inner spirit gets irritable, the mind gets fatigued - these are signals to you that say, "Don't abort, divert! Don't cave in, get away! Don't crumble, create!" The saddest believers I know - those most bored, most lonely, most miserable, most filled with self-pity - are those who have never developed interests outside the realm of their work.

Life is challenging

Life is short, every moment wells up challenging possibilities. Because it is uncertain, it's filled with challenging adjustments. Life is abundant with challenges, brimming with possibilities, spilling over with opportunities to adapt, shift, alter and change. This is the perspective that keep people young. It is also the path that leads to optimism and motivation.

Every new dawn, before you awaken, life makes a delivery to your front door, rings the doorbell, and runs. Each package is cleverly wrapped. Put together they comprise a series of challenging opportunities brilliantly disguised as unsolvable problems.