When you have a sweater and want to tie it around your waist, make sure you do not put up the back of your skirt with it. (Especially if you are walking across a major intersection, you might get a few honks... but not for a good reason)
Saturday, July 31, 2010
The joys of College Station in the summer...
When asking people around the world in an e-mail to call you at a certain time, always remember to put what time zone you are talking about... it saves about 3 extra e-mails and 30 minutes of confusion.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Life Lesson #95
#95 Don't put your headphones in your ears before you turn your ipod on. You never know how loud the volume will be and you might blow out your eardrums...
The Little Things.
Greetings!
So I was thinking about how often we forget how great the smallest things are in life. The things that happen everyday in all of our lives that we just don't even take the time to appreciate, or give credit to. For example:
"Always leave room in your life for happy :)"
So I was thinking about how often we forget how great the smallest things are in life. The things that happen everyday in all of our lives that we just don't even take the time to appreciate, or give credit to. For example:
- Hearing a song that reminds you of a good time.
- Perfecting a recipe.
- Getting green lights all the way to your destination.
- The perfect sunset.
- Full tanks of gas.
- Kicking butt on Words With Friends.
- Hearing someone listening to an amazing artist.
- Comfortable conversations.
- Spotting those sneaky motorcyle cops!
- Finishing an amazing book.
- Family time.
- Not having to keep track of time
"Always leave room in your life for happy :)"
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Life, you teach me so much.
A bird is not a mammal.
Picking up a waffle iron will burn your fingers.
Sometimes you have to make exceptions to the rules. Trust your instincts. Especially if you are a parking lot attendant ;)
Picking up a waffle iron will burn your fingers.
Sometimes you have to make exceptions to the rules. Trust your instincts. Especially if you are a parking lot attendant ;)
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Words of Wisdom from Grandpa Shaver
Me: "So Pampaw, do you have any tips on how to live to be 96?"
Grandpa: "Well not really, I think I'm just lucky. Never broke a bone in my body. But, you should never stop learning and keep your mind active. I study my spanish everyday and I still read the paper. You have to."
Grandpa: "Well not really, I think I'm just lucky. Never broke a bone in my body. But, you should never stop learning and keep your mind active. I study my spanish everyday and I still read the paper. You have to."
Saturday, June 5, 2010
From Kayla:
Hello all, Kayla here. I was very happy to get the message from Beth about this blog, mostly because I'm obsessed with reading them. I've attempted to start my own but I never follow through with any of them. This one will be much easier to want to keep up with. I suppose I'll start off with telling you a little about myself. I'm from North Texas, sometimes I don't think I'll ever leave. I have a crazy family that I wouldn't trade for the world. I'm the third of four children, two boys two girls. I'm 21. I work a lot, and I like it. I have a chocolate lab, his name is Miles Davis. I'm a straight forward person. I absolutely love baking/cooking anything. Little things make me happy. I have a tendency to find kick ass people to befriend :) My favorite word is 'juxtapose', my favorite number is 27. I absolutely love new music, and am constantly on the look out for new bands/artists of every genre. I'm slightly obsessed with John Mayer. My best friends name is Jaclyn, she's a pretty neat girl. People say I'm funny. I like the color pink, and I'm a taurus.
I like to think that everyone has something beautiful about them, so here's a blog post from tinybuddha.com:
35 ways to be beautiful
by Lori Deschene
“Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.” ~Sophia Loren
Even though I got Joey McIntyre of The New Kids on the Block to sign my scoliosis back brace in the sixth grade, I still felt ugly wearing it.
I didn’t realize the irony back then, but in retrospect it’s a little funny I grew crooked considering I convinced myself I was wilting in my sister’s shadow. (I also had braces and headgear, but that’s another story.)
I was a kid who wanted to be beautiful, but more desperately wanted to feel loved. My self esteem increased through the years, but I never quite shook the sneaking suspicion I’d be never be beautiful enough. Or maybe lovable enough.
It would be easy to blame it all on society and the Kate Moss era of modeling, but I think it’s more than that. I just never learned to notice and appreciate all the beautiful things about myself. The stuff that has nothing to do with my waistline, skin tone or eye lashes and everything to do with who I am.
I never learned to give myself the credit for all the good I do in the world. I was too busy cataloging my weaknesses, mistakes, and flaws to recognize it.
It seems like such a cliche to say pretty is as pretty does, but the truth is physical beauty is subjective. And no matter how closely someone matches your ideal of physical perfection, that will eventually fade. What endures are the qualities, passions, and habits we nurture.
That’s what makes us beautiful–and believe me when I say there is something beautiful in everyone. If you’ve done any of the following lately, you are absolutely beautiful:
1. Smile. As the quote goes, “I’ve never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful.”
2. Be there for someone who needs you even if there’s nothing in it for you–give without expectations.
3. Make a sacrifice for someone you love.
4. Admit a mistake, even if it’s hard to say you’re wrong, and work to make amends.
5. Share your struggles, putting your ego aside, to make someone else feel less alone.
6. Create something that helps people. A song, a blog, a support group, a non-profit–anything that inspires.
7. Help a child feel good about him or herself.
8. Tell someone what you appreciate about them, even if you feel vulnerable.
9. Forgive someone without needing to hear the words, “I’m sorry.”
10. Give someone an uncomfortably long hug when they need it.
10. Create positive energy around you by thinking positive thoughts and acting with positive intentions.
11. Sit with reality without judging anyone or anything.
12. Accept someone for who they are instead of trying to change them to who you want them to be.
13. Treat people like you want to be treated.
14. Notice something simple but beautiful in the world around you.
15. Acknowledge the beauty in others, instead of feeling threatened or competing with other people.
16. Be the change you want to see in the world, as per Gandhi’s suggestion.
17. Tap into your personal power and do something that makes a difference in the world.
18. Find strength in a challenging moment. It’s not easy to do, and you deserve credit for it.
19. Talk kindly about the world around you instead of gossiping or complaining.
20. Forget yourself for a minute and do nothing but listen to someone who needs it.
21. Measure a person by their best moments, not their worst.
22. Give yourself the same courtesy–focus on the good you’ve done, not the mistakes you’ve made.
23. Take the high road when someone hurts you instead if being cruel or catty.
24. Make someone laugh. A smile can literally melt stress and pain away. How beautiful of you to do that for someone else!
25. Make someone cry–tears of joy that is. People want to feel moved, inspired, motivated. Never underestimate the power of touching someone’s heart.
26. Keep an open mind instead of sticking with a judgment or assumption.
27. Love what you’re tempted to fear.
28. Be the voice of optimism when the people around you need it badly.
29. Show humility when your accomplishments would make it easy to stand above people.
30. Handle rejection or failure with grace. It’s far more easily said than done–and it sounds so cheesy and cliche–but accepting loss gracefully makes you a true winner.
31. Show unbridled enthusiasm for something that excites you. All children are beautiful, and I think their unadulterated joy has a lot to do with it.
32. Hear what someone means, not just what they say. Anyone can nitpick. Not everyone actively works to be understanding.
33. Imagine a world where people know peace, and do one small thing to create it.
34. Honor the values that matter to you. Showing integrity is the first step to feeling good about yourself.
35. Accept and love yourself–or as Ben Folds sings, “Learn to live with what you are.”
And now a disclaimer: some days you may not do anything written above–in fact, you might do the exact opposite. On those days you are still beautiful.
There are times when, like Alexander, I’m having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Times when it seems like I might get swept into the tornado of chaos around me. Times when the voice in my head is unkind, and I interpret everything that happens through a negative filter. When I think the worst of people and complain about it; when I expect the worst of my day and lament it.
This admission might seem like the biggest possible acknowledgment of hypocrisy, but I have nothing to give if not my honesty. And the reality is I am imperfect. We all are. We all have moments of weakness–but they’ll only define us if they far surpass moments of kindness, compassion, love, and strength.
Being beautiful doesn’t mean adhering to some picture-perfect fantasy, or living every moment that way. It means realizing this moment is a new opportunity to be who you want to be, and making the effort to seize it.
How will you be beautiful today?
enjoy, love KayTuesday, May 11, 2010
Dad's Advice
To: Beth
Love, Dad
Dated 5/25/2007
My dad made me a book of advice right before I left for college and I still have it :)
Compliment three people each day.
Watch a sunrise at least once a year.
Overtip breakfast waitresses.
Look people in the eye.
Say "please" and "thank you" a lot.
Live beneath your means.
Buy whatever kids are selling on card tables in their front yards.
Treat everyone you meet as you want to be treated.
Make new friends but cherish the old ones.
Keep secrets.
Don't waste time learning the "tricks of the trade". Instead, learn the trade.
Admit your mistakes.
Be brave. Even if you're not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.
Read the Bill of Rights.
Use credit cards only for convenience, never for credit.
Never cheat.
Give yourself a year and read the Bible cover to cover.
Learn to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly.
Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage.
Never take action when you are angry.
Have good posture. Enter a room with purpose and confidence.
Don't discuss business in elevators or bathrooms. You never know who may overhear you.
Never pay for work before it's complete.
Be willing to lose the battle in order to win the war.
Don't gossip.
Beware of the person who has nothing to lose.
When facing a difficult task, act as though it is impossible to fail.
Don't spread yourself too thin. Learn to say no politely and quickly.
Don't expect life to be fair.
Work hard in all you do and keep a positive attitude and things will turn for your benefit.
Never underestimate the power of forgiveness.
Never walk out on a quarrel with your spouse.
Be compassionate. If you give a lesson in meanness to an animal or person don't be surprised if they learn it.
Set goals for yourself- determine how you will achieve them and stick with your plan.
Regarding purchase items: if you think you will be using them five years or longer, buy the best you can afford, recognize quality and simplicity over inferiority and features.
Be bold and courageous. When you look back over your life, you'll regret the things you did not do more than the ones you did.
When faced with a serious health problem, get at least three medical opinions.
Don't procrastinate. Do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. Daily make a list of things to do.
Get your priorities in life straight- know what is important to you.
Watch what you eat, get some exercise and a good night's sleep.
Don't be afraid to say, "I don't know."
Make a list of 25 things you want to experience before you die. Carry it in your wallet and refer to it often.
Call your mother.
With much love,
Dad
Love, Dad
Dated 5/25/2007
My dad made me a book of advice right before I left for college and I still have it :)
Compliment three people each day.
Watch a sunrise at least once a year.
Overtip breakfast waitresses.
Look people in the eye.
Say "please" and "thank you" a lot.
Live beneath your means.
Buy whatever kids are selling on card tables in their front yards.
Treat everyone you meet as you want to be treated.
Make new friends but cherish the old ones.
Keep secrets.
Don't waste time learning the "tricks of the trade". Instead, learn the trade.
Admit your mistakes.
Be brave. Even if you're not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.
Read the Bill of Rights.
Use credit cards only for convenience, never for credit.
Never cheat.
Give yourself a year and read the Bible cover to cover.
Learn to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly.
Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage.
Never take action when you are angry.
Have good posture. Enter a room with purpose and confidence.
Don't discuss business in elevators or bathrooms. You never know who may overhear you.
Never pay for work before it's complete.
Be willing to lose the battle in order to win the war.
Don't gossip.
Beware of the person who has nothing to lose.
When facing a difficult task, act as though it is impossible to fail.
Don't spread yourself too thin. Learn to say no politely and quickly.
Don't expect life to be fair.
Work hard in all you do and keep a positive attitude and things will turn for your benefit.
Never underestimate the power of forgiveness.
Never walk out on a quarrel with your spouse.
Be compassionate. If you give a lesson in meanness to an animal or person don't be surprised if they learn it.
Set goals for yourself- determine how you will achieve them and stick with your plan.
Regarding purchase items: if you think you will be using them five years or longer, buy the best you can afford, recognize quality and simplicity over inferiority and features.
Be bold and courageous. When you look back over your life, you'll regret the things you did not do more than the ones you did.
When faced with a serious health problem, get at least three medical opinions.
Don't procrastinate. Do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. Daily make a list of things to do.
Get your priorities in life straight- know what is important to you.
Watch what you eat, get some exercise and a good night's sleep.
Don't be afraid to say, "I don't know."
Make a list of 25 things you want to experience before you die. Carry it in your wallet and refer to it often.
Call your mother.
With much love,
Dad
Quotes to Inspire
Dream as if you'll live forever, live as though you could die today.
Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live.
One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching.
Dreams are like stars...you may never touch them, but if you follow them they will lead you to your destiny.
When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me."
You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them.
Give thanks for what you are now, and keep fighting for what you want to be tomorrow.
Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.
Whatever you are be a good one. -Abraham Lincoln
To wish you were someone else is to waste the person you are.
Believe in your dreams and they may come true; believe in yourself and they will come true.
Why compare yourself with others? No one in the world can do a better job of being you than you.
Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.
Go out in the world and work like money doesn't matter, Sing as if no one is listening, Love as if you have never been hurt, and Dance as if no one is watching.
Listen to your heart above all other voices.
To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.
Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.
A true friend reaches for your hand and touches your heart.
When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place.
When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.
When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Do what you can, where you are, with what you have.
You must be the change you wish to see in the world. And you must do the thing you think you cannot do.
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.
Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.
As one person I cannot change the world, but I can change the world of one person.
When odds are one in a million, be that one.
When you choose to live your life with purpose, you will reveal the purpose of your life. - Mike Jones
Act as if you were already happy and that will tend to make you happy.
They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.
You grow up on the day you have your first real laugh at, yourself.
God often attaches a major weakness to a major strength to keep our egos in check. –Colin Creel
Every situation is ordained for a purpose. The choice is yours whether you decide to embrace or escape the experience. –Colin Creel
If others define you, you will forever be changing shape until you are just a blob of random traits and habits that were never yours to start with. - Colin Creel
Guard against the tyranny of the urgent. The most important things will seldom scream for your attention, they will simply wait for you to discover them.-Charles Swindoll
Wherever you are, be all there. - Jim Elliot
I believe a man does what he can until his destiny is revealed. -The Last Samurai
Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers. –Garth Brooks
If every moment of your day is schedules, how and when does God lead you? –Colin Creel
The harder the struggle, the greater the reward. –Phil Mickelson
The unexamined life is not worth living.- Socrates
Attempt something so great for God that it’s doomed to failure unless God be in it. –D.L. Moody
Anything worth doing is worth doing well.
Things happen in God’s timing, not ours.
The yearning to attach and connect, to love, and to be loved is the fiercest longing of the soul.
People are in your life for a reason. The Lord will teach you lessons until you understand.
If there is no wind, row. If you want it, make it happen. –Mike Jones
Success doesn’t come to you, you go to it.
In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks. -John Muir
Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live.
One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching.
Dreams are like stars...you may never touch them, but if you follow them they will lead you to your destiny.
When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me."
You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them.
Give thanks for what you are now, and keep fighting for what you want to be tomorrow.
Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.
Whatever you are be a good one. -Abraham Lincoln
To wish you were someone else is to waste the person you are.
Believe in your dreams and they may come true; believe in yourself and they will come true.
Why compare yourself with others? No one in the world can do a better job of being you than you.
Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.
Go out in the world and work like money doesn't matter, Sing as if no one is listening, Love as if you have never been hurt, and Dance as if no one is watching.
Listen to your heart above all other voices.
To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.
Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.
A true friend reaches for your hand and touches your heart.
When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place.
When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.
When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Do what you can, where you are, with what you have.
You must be the change you wish to see in the world. And you must do the thing you think you cannot do.
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.
Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.
As one person I cannot change the world, but I can change the world of one person.
When odds are one in a million, be that one.
When you choose to live your life with purpose, you will reveal the purpose of your life. - Mike Jones
Act as if you were already happy and that will tend to make you happy.
They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.
You grow up on the day you have your first real laugh at, yourself.
God often attaches a major weakness to a major strength to keep our egos in check. –Colin Creel
Every situation is ordained for a purpose. The choice is yours whether you decide to embrace or escape the experience. –Colin Creel
If others define you, you will forever be changing shape until you are just a blob of random traits and habits that were never yours to start with. - Colin Creel
Guard against the tyranny of the urgent. The most important things will seldom scream for your attention, they will simply wait for you to discover them.-Charles Swindoll
Wherever you are, be all there. - Jim Elliot
I believe a man does what he can until his destiny is revealed. -The Last Samurai
Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers. –Garth Brooks
If every moment of your day is schedules, how and when does God lead you? –Colin Creel
The harder the struggle, the greater the reward. –Phil Mickelson
The unexamined life is not worth living.- Socrates
Attempt something so great for God that it’s doomed to failure unless God be in it. –D.L. Moody
Anything worth doing is worth doing well.
Things happen in God’s timing, not ours.
The yearning to attach and connect, to love, and to be loved is the fiercest longing of the soul.
People are in your life for a reason. The Lord will teach you lessons until you understand.
If there is no wind, row. If you want it, make it happen. –Mike Jones
Success doesn’t come to you, you go to it.
In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks. -John Muir
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
