Rosemead Kiwanis Club
"Serving the Community Since 1945"
FAX OF
LIFE
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Rosemead Kiwanis Club "Serving the Community Since 1945" |
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FAX OF LIFE
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The Fax of Life
A weekly inspiration, courtesy of the Kiwanis Club of Scott's Valley
(distributed free by the Kiwanis Club of Rosemead, CA - rosemeadkiwanis.org )
July 27, 2008 Volume 13, Number 44
How to Win While You're Losing and
Stay Young While You're Growing Old
(Good advice no matter what your age)
Some people have the knack of being unhappy, even when they have everything.
Others have the knack of being happy, even when they have nothing.
If you are unhappy, it's time to change knacks. The fourteen statements below are my mother's knacks for knocking out the gremlins that growing older brings. They won't make you younger, but they will make the passing days more pleasant.
Look your troubles in the eye. Problems not faced do not go away. Life is a roller coaster of ups and downs. Anticipate each dip, and prepare for it.
Never say you can't, but do say you won't. Neither be so discouraged that you quit, nor so stubborn you won't stop. Troubles come sooner and last longer for those who wear themselves out.
For whatever you can no longer do, substitute something else. There is nothing more refreshing than a good nap, as long as it's followed by waking up. Find a way to slow down without stopping.
Don't hide. If you want your special needs attended to, you have to make them known. do not be ashamed of your limitations.
Claim your rights and privileges, such as the right to refuse to eat more, the privilege of resting and pacing your activities, the right to assistance, the privilege of cutting back on your work, and so on.
Be humble enough to accept help and proud enough to ask for it. Do not be ashamed to ask for what you need. Accept help graciously.
Always offer a helping hand and a comforting ear. Stay interested in the world around you. concern for others lightens your own concerns.
Put anger, sadness and regret behind you. It's perfectly OK to feel anger at the pain and distress of growing old. It isn't OK to stay angry; don't let your anger today spill over into tomorrow..
Know the meaning of closure. It's perfectly OK to mourn the closing of chapters in your life. It isn't OK to mourn the rest of your life.
Learn balance when remembering the past. It's OK to regret all the things you could or should have done differently. It isn't OK not to forgive yourself or others. Look back without regret and forward without dread.
Always look for the bright side. We win or lose by how we interpret and react to everything that happens. Winning is rejoicing in what you have left. Losing is seeing only what you have lost.
Take every day as it comes, and give it all you've got. The thing to be afraid of is not what you fear, but letting the fear keep you from going on.
Enjoy what each day brings. Be open with wonder and excitement to new experiences, even those that come with decline. Enjoy the ride down, even when you know there is no going back up.
Stir up the tiger in your tank. You body will still be the same old jalopy, but life will have more satisfaction.
Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. All of its Clubs are independently-run community service groups.
The Kiwanis Club of Scott's Valley normally meets at the Heavenly Café in Scott's Valley, CA, on Wednesdays at 7 am - see the Scott's Valley Kiwanis website @ http://svkiwanis.org for details; The Kiwanis Club of Rosemead normally meets on Thursdays at 12:10 in Rosemead, CA - see the Rosemead Kiwanis website @ http://rosemeadkiwanis.org for confirmation and directions. Visitors are welcome to join meetings of either club anytime.
There is no charge to anyone for receiving the "Fax," which today is circulated by e-mail rather than literally by FAX. If you have been encouraged in any way by the message, pass it on by saying something encouraging to someone else during the week.
Neither the Scott's Valley or Rosemead Kiwanis Clubs make any representations as to the accuracy of quotes or actions attributed to named individuals; material selected for the Fax of Life comes from a variety of sources and is chosen based solely on its presumed inspirational value to readers.