From A Tear To A Smile by Bob Proctor

Contributed by Jelin Chu
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After reading the story, i recalled the time when i had with my grandmother. My only regret was she passed away too soon before i can do something for her.

Cherish your love one.


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From A Tear To A Smile

Looking down at the cemetery plot, I could only feel tears streaming down my face. My grandmother had just passed away at the age of 96, almost 97. People were constantly saying to me, "...but she lived a full and long life;" however, at that moment none of those statements really mattered. I only felt a sense of loss - a huge one at that.

Still, with my eyes on the grave, with tears welling up, I began remembering my grandmother. I could even begin seeing what I thought might be shadows of her in the cemetery grave. I thought I was also experiencing the wonderful scents of her kitchen - the aroma of her wonderful chicken soup that filled her pots every Friday afternoon and the fragrance of the sizzling potato pancakes which always had been my favorites.

Just then I remembered a story about my grandmother when she was in the hospital one time, already in her late 80's. She was in a special hospital room for an x-ray to be taken. The technician left the room ready to turn the x-ray machine on; however, my grandmother started screaming, "WAIT, WAIT!"
The technician stormed back into the room frantically asking, "Mrs. Segal, Mrs. Segal, are you okay? What's the matter?"
To this my almost 90-year-old grandmother calmly replied, "You failed to ask me whether I might be pregnant."

That, and many more positive stories about my grandmother, told me who she really was. As I stood at the cemetery, I noticed that my tears had changed to smiles.
The key, I believe, to overcoming grief is in "memories." As long as I remember my grandmother in my heart, she will always be "with me."

As the funeral ended, I whispered to my grandmother that I loved her very much and would visit her soon - if not at the cemetery, then in my memories.

- Michael Jordan Segal, (c) 2001 ^-^
Michael Segal is a social worker at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, Texas. An author and an inspirational speaker. He has been on national television as well as having national magazines feature stories about his "comeback" following his being shot in the head and left for dead as an innocent bystander to a robbery. Mike's story, "My Miraculous Family," was first published in "Chicken Soup for the Christian Family Soul."


Luv*
Justin

Hi all

Its been about a week since i wrote. But this one week seems like a year to me as many things had happened.

One of which was i was given a chance to be MCee for my gf cousin's wedding. Well, i had been given public speaking to people before, but never a wedding event. To make the matter interesting, i was notify with 60 hrs remaining.

The wedding commence on Sat. I did my homework, get script and memorize them. Of course im not perfect, i forgotten some words here and there but i managed to pull through. It was full house. I cant remember how i went through it but the only thought in my mind is to make this wedding as perfect as possible. If anyone has such tasks again, im willing to try again and i know i can do better.

The very next day, i try to recall the previous night wedding. As i do that, i remember what Dr George told me a few days ago.

We met at his golf course somewhere at East Coast. He has been very patient and give me a lot of help to pull me up. I was having a low morale for the past 1 year plus and he is the first person to be able to break my obstacle.

George told me 1 example on that day which impact me a lot. He says he has not been golfing for a long long time. Although the touch might not be the same, but the skill is there. And he has fear of hitting the ball as he has not hit it for quite sometimes.

This struck me. I had not play soccer for quite sometimes but if im given a ball, i can still do the basic juggling. Its the same with public speaking. Although i had not speak in public for quite some time, i realise my foundation was there.

This is what i have learn.
1) Believe in yourself. You had done it before so you can do it again.
2) I had fear. But does the fear kills me? The best way to fight fear is to face it.
3) The foundation is very important. That is why we attended nursery, primary school..etc. You can still remember 1+1 =2 dont you?
4) Hatred is our enemy. I had lost a lot of people who had loved me before and i regretted that i came to know hatred. Im deeply sorry for that.
5) The most important and most powerful thing in life is LOVE. Love the people, the things, and even love those that you think dont deserve your love because they lack of love as well.

I love you.

Luv*
Justin

The World Is What You Are.

The below statement i find it very true. Its very close to a Chinese saying:" If your heart has budda, it will be budda."

One of this year resolution is i will forgive those that had caused hurt or discomfort on me. Im grateful that im still alive and my love one is still healthy and happy.

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"The world is a great mirror. It reflects back to you what you are. If you are loving, if you are friendly, if you are helpful, the world will prove loving and friendly and helpful to you. The world is what you are."

Thomas Dreier

Author

The Four 'D's' of Success for the New Year

As we begin a New Year, there are two absolutely vital steps I encourage my clients to take. They are so important that if I could, I would "require' them to do these two simple steps.

The first is to spend time reviewing what really happened in 2006. There are many ways to do this, but at a minimum, ask yourself some basic questions.

Did you accomplish your goals?

Are you healthier, happier, wealthier or more successful than you were a year ago?

Are you in a better place?

Do you like yourself and your situation better than you did twelve months ago?

These are not complicated questions, but the answers are vital! Tell the truth!A year-end review is critical in business, and in life.

If you are moving toward your goals, good for you! Pat yourself on the back and continue what works!

If you're going in the wrong direction, are moving too slowly or seem stuck, you've got to ask yourself what will be different in 2007.

Doing the same thing over and over again for another year makes no sense!You've got to develop a plan for 2007, and "New Year's Resolutions" are NOT a plan! They may be a nice list, but a list is not a plan. You need a list AND a plan.

Here is one of the most basic models I know for developing a set of goals and a strategy for achieving them. It's got four simple (not easy, but straight-forward)

steps:1. DECIDE what you want in 2007. My observation is that too many people never make the hard choices in life. We want it "all" and fail to focus our time, energy and efforts in any one area.As an adult, a basic requirement is to decide what kind of life you want. You've got to define your objectives so you can move toward them. Too many people want to acquire wealth, but they also want vacations, new toys, and new homes. It's hard to go in two directions at once! The Bible has a piece of wisdom that "a house divided against itself cannot stand." Decide what you want! Choose a handful of measurable achievements, list them, and acknowledge that you have chosen NOT to pursue a great many other "nice" things. Tell the truth. Decide.

2. DESIGN a system to get you there. Any worthwhile goal will require a plan or path, a strategy or "stepping stones" to get you there. It may be a family budget. It may be a more complex "business plan" or a sequence of investments to build the net worth you want. For many people, their plan includes a coach or mentor - someone to show you the way. Stumbling around, hoping for the best is rarely the most efficient way to accomplish anything significant.

3. Intensify your DESIRE. The old saying, "where there's a will, there's a way" applies here. Whatever you deeply and intensely desire will inevitably come to pass. (This is why Mastermind groups, coaches and partnerships are so helpful.) Put up posters and get samples or "previews of coming attractions" that fire you up and keep you moving forward. Affirm your deepest desires every morning and every night before going to bed. Put a fire in your heart that no delay or detour can extinguish.

4. DISCIPLINED daily action. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," but it also requires thousands of additional steps to get you to your destination. Whatever you intensely DESIRE, you CAN have, but it will likely take lots of work (far more than you anticipated) and it may take longer, cost more, or involve unexpected hurdles along the way. That's how life is. Don't be surprised and never, never give up! If you made a firm decision about what you want (as opposed to merely wishing or hoping for something nice to happen) and you have designed an effective system to get you there, desire and discipline will make it happen.

Have faith. Work your plan. Massive daily action, powered by indefatigable desire, will make it happen.

By Philip Humbert

The Philip E. Humbert Group, Inc

Teach or Punish- by Michael Josephson

As Greg paces the floor, waiting for his 17-year-old daughter Sandy to return from a school event, he feels two conflicting emotions: fear and anger.
Fear that something terrible has happened to her. Anger because he thinks his fear is probably unfounded and Sandy is not hurt, simply irresponsible.
Finally, Sandy calls. She's all right. She just lost track of time. Greg's fear disappears, but his anger grows.
The love that motivated his worry is overwhelmed by a growing sense of outrage, and he begins to rehearse what he will say, what punishment he will inflict. Unless he intercepts his anger, it can easily turn to rage, an emotion likely to produce foolishly impulsive conduct that's likely to alienate Sandy and widen the rift between them.
Here's the character challenge: Can Greg stop the runaway train of anger long enough to think about his objectives? His immediate goal is to vent his fury and frustration and teach Sandy a lesson. His long-term goal is to strengthen - not weaken - his relationship with his daughter and help her become more responsible and respectful.
If Greg stops and thinks about his broader goal, he will want to turn this event into a positive teaching moment. To do that, he will have to choose his words and tone carefully.
Good managers don't yell at or demean employees because it would be ineffective and unethical.
Parents have no less duty to be tactful and respectful when dealing with their children.
Remember that character counts!
Michael Josephson

Famous Quote from Dale Carnegie

"Take a chance! All life is a chance. The person who goes the furthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare."

Dale Carnegie 1888-1955, Author and Trainer

Famous Words from Oprah Winfrey

"Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how you're going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus."

-Oprah Winfrey

The Importance of Leaving a Legacy by Jim Rohn

The Importance of Leaving a Legacy by Jim Rohn (Excerpted from Month 12, Week One of the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan)

There are four areas concerning Leaving a Legacy that I consider to be fundamental; a Life Well-Lived, Principles to Live By, The Importance of a Spiritual Legacy and an Impact Legacy and a Financial Legacy. Today I would like to share on a Life Well-Lived.

You know, I have had an amazing life. I have traveled the world. I have shared my heart with so many wonderful people. I have been fortunate enough to make a great living and enjoy the fruit of my work. I have met thousands of people who are dedicated to personal development and self growth. I have made it my life's pursuit to teach others the philosophies and actions that would help them achieve greatness and personal fulfillment in their own lives. Forty years ago, it felt like it would never end. Today, I still imagine I have many years left, but I also am more aware than ever that there is much less time left than before.

Being aware of this has made me even more clear on my goal of living well and teaching others to do the same. Our One-Year Plan of Success is designed to help others achieve all of their dreams and is part of one of the legacies I want to leave behind.

Leaving a legacy for others to follow is part of what drives me. I followed others who had gone before me; they left a legacy for me. Now I am making sure that those who come after me will have a trail to follow as well. You see, leaving a legacy is important.

Think about those who left a legacy for us to follow and for you specifically:

Your parents

Your grandparents

Your aunts and uncles

Your schoolteachers

Your coaches

Your neighbors where you grew up

For those of us in America (For our international readers, take a moment to reflect on those leaders who helped form the foundations of your country):

The founding fathers of the U.S., who had a dream of a place of self-determination

Abraham Lincoln, who freed the slaves

FDR, who saw us through the great depression

The many men and woman who defended our liberties through the wars of the 20th century so we could live in freedom

JFK, who called us to space exploration and set us on course to have a man walk on the moon

Martin Luther King Jr. who left us a legacy to pursue the dream of racial equality

There are literally thousands of men and women who lived in a way that affects our lives today.

And yes, the list goes on from there as well. These are the people who we knew, who we lived with, and who shaped us deeply, for good and for bad in some cases.

You see, a legacy can be anywhere on the continuum, from very bad to very good. It all depends on how we live our lives.

How we live our lives is critically important. This month Chris and I want to challenge you to take a look at how you live. We want to challenge you to think deeply about the major areas of your life where you can and should leave a lasting legacy.

Why is leaving a legacy important? Here are a few reasons:

The legacy we leave is part of the ongoing foundations of life. Those who came before leave us the world we live in. Those who will come after will have only what we leave them. We are stewards of this world, and we have a calling on our lives to leave it better than how we found it, even if it seems like such a small part.

Legacies have raw power for good and for bad. There are people who have changed the world for good, people who have opened up new worlds for millions of others, people who have spurred others onto new heights. And there are people who have caused massive destruction for countless millions, people who left a wake of pain behind them wherever they went.

There are parents who have blessed their children with greatness and other parents who have ruined their children's fragile minds and hearts. What we do affects others. Our lives have the power to create good or purvey evil. It is important that we choose to do good.

It is an act of responsibility to leave a legacy. Because of the power of our lives and the legacies we leave, it is a great responsibility to choose to leave a positive legacy. All good men and women must take responsibility to create legacies that will take the next generation to a level we could only imagine. I truly believe that part of what makes us good and honorable people is to have a foundational part of our lives based on the goal of leaving a legacy.

Purposefully leaving a legacy for others breaks the downward pull of selfishness that can be inherent in us. When we strive to leave a legacy, we are acting with a selflessness that can only be good for us. Yes, I suppose someone could work hard to earn money so that when he or she dies, a building is named after them, but that is not the kind of legacy we are talking about. We are talking about legacies that make life better for those who come after us, not about our own fame or recognition, but about helping others. After all, we won't be around to watch our legacy. To build that which will last beyond us is selfless, and living with that in mind breaks the power of selfishness that tries so desperately to engrain itself in our lives.

It also keeps us focused on the big picture. Legacy building is "big picture." It keeps us focused on the long-term and gives us values that we can judge our actions by. When we are acting based on selfishness, personal expediency and the like, we are "small picture"--whatever is pragmatic right now. When we are building a life that will give for many years, we are "big picture." Ask yourself: How does this action affect my overall goals? How will this affect people in the years to come?

Yes, your legacy is very important. Take this last month to reflect on how you are going to use the lessons, information and skills from the first eleven months to build a life that leaves a tremendous legacy!

Until next time, let's do something remarkable!
Jim Rohn