THE GLASS IS HALF FULL

Do you see the glass as half full-or half empty? A contented person knows that the glass is half full, of course. Contentment is not the same as happiness. Happiness depends on circumstances-wishes granted, goals achieved, gifts given, and things going our way. Contentment takes the more common path, focusing on what you already have instead of trying to get what you want.

Contentment is a matter of attitude. Contented atittudes come from appreciating the small, commonplace things of life-things that you may often take for granted. Even the most sorrowful life has moments of contentment. You may or may not have happy circumstances, but you have the choice to be constantly contented or constantly dissatisfied with your life.

A child already knows the art of being contented. Walking along the trail beside Daddy and Mommy, she stops to pick up an acorn. She loves the smooth feel of the nut in her hand, fingering its rough top. She learns from Daddy that squirrels love nuts and sees the flash of gray fur as two squirrels chase each other up a tree. An ice-cream cone presents a total sensous experience to be tasted with eyes, fingers nose and tongue. A soft velvet dress is stroked like a kitten's fur. Yet, on a rainy day, a mud puddle is irresistible for splashing and stomping. The squishy feel of mud between the fingers is as fascinating as the most complex and elegant gift to a child. How many times have you seen a child unwrap dozens of Christmas presents only to find her playing later with the box it came in? For a child, everything is a source of wonder and delight.

Cultivate contentment by living in the present. Enjoy the everyday gifts with a child's sense of wonder. Savor the scents, smells, sounds and textures of your life. When you make scrambled eggs in the morning, really taste their eggy richness. Stop and smell the coffee. Breathe in the scent of a rose. Listen to the sigh of the wind, the chatter of morning birdsong.

Find contentment in the small rituals of every day. Drinking a cup of tea. Having a quiet time every morning with prayer and Bible reading. Enjoy the sensation of the car moving smoothly down the highway as you commute to work or run errands. Be thankful for the kiss at night when you greet your husband at the door. (if applicable, lol) smile

Make time for leisured contentment. Enjoy the feel of earth in your hands as you plant and cultivate a garden. Read a good book by a winter hearthside. Go for a long walk or drive a bicycle down a country road, and admire haystacks, cows and trees along with wildflowers that grow in abundance in the ditch by the side of the road. Stop for a few minutes to admire a gorgeous sunset.

Cultivate your relationships. There is contentment aplenty in a cozy conversation over a cup of steaming tea. Hold hands with your husband and enjoy kissing his cheek after he's just shaved.(if applies, lol) Cuddle with your kids and teach them the games you loved to play in childhood. Make time for family fun. Schedule meetings with friends who share your interests and encourage one another on life's journey. Give time to causes you believe in and create community by doing good together.

Celebrate beauty and goodness wherever you find it. An awareness of life's beauty enriches the spirit, reminding you that life is not all about bills, traffic, drudgery, and lists of things to do. Buy a single rose or a cheery bouquet to brighten your day. Buy an extra one to share with someone else. Don't let clothes sit in the closet, waiting for that special occasion that never comes. Wear a favorite dress or outfit and make today a special occasion, just because. Make your home as lovely as possible, tastefully arranging the things you treasure. Enjoy a simple collection of stones or seashells or fall leaves that remind you of nature's bounty.

Cultivating a contented attitude of gratitude and appreciation can help you cope with difficult stitutions and develop the ability to see silver linings in dark clouds and rainbows in the rain. Choose contentment and reap its gentle rewards.

I WILL:

1.PRAISE GOD FOR THE GIFTS HE GIVES EACH DAY

2.CULTIVATE A CONTENTED ATTITUDE

3. FIND DELIGHT IN THE SMALL THINGS IN LIFE

4. LIVE IN THE MOMENT INSTEAD OF WORRYING

ABOUT TOMORROW

5. LOOK FOR WAYS TO SHARE GOOD THINGS WITH OTHERS

6. COMMIT TO SPENDING MORE TIME WITH THOSE I LOVE

7. CULTIVATE GOODNESS

things to do

1. list fifty blessings you enjoyed today (try anyway)lol

2. write in your journal your thoughts about why your glass is half full instead of half empty.

3. make a pot of soup and share it.

4. learn how to do a simple home craft such as quilting or knitting that can be soothing for you.

5. get together with friends for tea and talk.

6. pick a favorite novel and re-read it.

7. spend an afternoon in front of a cozy fire.

Better is a little with the fear of God, than great treasure with trouble. Proverbs 15:16

I have kept my soul calm and quiet. My soul is content. Psalm 131:2

I've found the recipe for bring happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. Phillipians 4:12-13 (Paul was content; so we can be also....whether we have cavier, lobster and prime rib or oodles of noodles and captain crunch!

2 Quotes

He who is not contented with little will never be satisfied with much. thomas benton brooks

Life is a great bundle of little things. oliver wendell holmes

see ya next week:

(a georgia peach) notice that i shortened my title, i always wanted to and today i figured out how. A GEORGIA PEACH is the title.

information is taken from the Checklist for Life for Women...Making the Most of Life's Challenges and Opportunities...Thomas Nelson Publishers.

OWNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS

She perceives that her merchandise is good, and her lamp does not go out by night. Proverbs 31:18 NKJV


Is your work challenging, stimulating, and a reflection of who you are? Or do you feel like you are in a dead-end job, always watching for the clock and living for the weekends? If you want to create a work life that expresses who you are and reflects your highest values, consider owning your own business.

Over a million businesses start in the U.S. ever year. Women are starting new businesses fast as much as men. More and more women are choosing to start businesses twice as fast as men. More and more women are choosing to start businesses-from one person home businesses to multimillion-dollar corporations. Women are more likely to start a business because they have to hit the glass ceiling in their climb up the corporate ladder, want to spend more time with their children, need more flexibility in their schedules, or have a passion they want to pursue.

Women-run businesses come in all sizes and shapes. One women might open a local floral shop, another might create a dried-flower crafts business, and another build a national flower-delivery empire. (somethin about flowers, huh? is there a hint?) From consultants to creative artists, from stockbrockers to secretarial services, women are creating businesses that suit their lifestyles and offer them the opportunity to pursue a passionate interest and make a profit at the same time.

What does it take to make a success of your own business?

1. Persistence-You need to be able to push ahead, having what it takes to plug away a little at a time, day after day until a job is done.

2. Ability to face the facts-You need to be able to constantly reevalutate changing situations, learning, adjusting, and changing your behavior when your way of doing things no longer works.

3. Ability to minimize risks-While being open to new ideas, you also need to make fall-back plans and sek alternative solutions, constantly and methodically looking for ways to reduce risk and to get the most out of resources.

4. Ability to be a hands on learner-Participating in the total process, you learn by doing. Every business is a learning laboratory, and every business owner needs to understand all aspects of the business.

5. Market-focused perspevtive-You need to be able to find and focus on your appropriate market niche. Know what you want to sell, whom you want to sell to, what need your product or service fills, and how you can reach those who want to buy.

6. Cooperative attitude-There is more power in cooperation than in cutthroat competition. Even with a one-person business working out of your home , you'll have to work with clients, customers, suppliers, and people who provide services to your business such as accountants and consultants. You live in a community, and your business functions in the matrix of that community.

7. Confidence- You need to be wise enough to ask questions and confident enough to make your own decisions and stick with them.

8. Faith- You have to have faith in yourself in yourself and believe that it's possible to succeed. There will be many challenges and obstacles to overcome as you plan and build your business. Your faith in God and reliance on His help and guidance to give you strength to pursue your dreams and reach your goals. (see photos above; for they show how you will have to step out on faith and pray about the matter)

I WILL

Trust in God as my business partner and career counselor.
Be willing to learn by doing.
Work smart and work hard.
Be honest about my strengths and weaknesses.
Have faith in my ability to succeed.
Focus on an appropriate market niche.

Things to Do

Write in your journal about where you would like to be a year from now and what you would like to be doing.

Take a business class from your local community college or resource center.

Learn about basic bookkeeping and recordkeeping..

Go to a job fair and/or a business convention and learn more about the business.career you are interested in.

Apprentice yourself to someone who has experience in the field you want to enter into. ex: publishing or writing field bookstore business

"Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genuis, magic and power in it." Goethe


If you are seeking to one day be a full-time writer, publisher, publicist, agent or editor, you can make it happen. There are plenty of websites and experienced writers that can assist you along those lines. Keep plugging at it. Do your research! If you want to go into business for youself for another kind of field, make it happen!

All of the above suggestions will work if you are seeking to be in business for yourself as a writer. It takes FAITH that you can do it, STRENGTHENED DETERMINATION, WILLPOWER and ENDURANCE to know that you can do it along with a WILLINGNESS to overcome any and all obstacles. The money will eventually visualize itself especially if you already have the PASSION and you do it without price. You may have to remain in your present day or night job until it happens in order to reach some of the goals that you need to make. Then again, you may not have a full-time gig and have to find another way to gain funds to pursue your dreams. In any event, do not give up! Something is coming your way.

****special note: just to show you that your full-time job is not always stable****" here in new jersey, the governor ordered an immediate SHUTDOWN of all state services. this includes the lottery, horse races, motor vehicles, labor, health department, all state offices with the exception of the STATE POLICE and a few other necessary personnel WITHOUT PAY. Today these folx are home WITHOUT pay. They will not even get pay for the holiday tomorrow. I have a lot of friends and acquaintances who work for the state of nj. oh they have benefits, holidays, pension, vacation, etc and yet their governor could not sign the contract by 12:00am July 1. He was the one they recently elected in. "Oh, Governor Corzine, that's our man." Now they are mad at "OUR MAN." the folx are not even sure when they will be going back to work. this will be causing problems with "our jobs." this is why i don't put my trust in man fully; my confidence is placed in my heavenly Father and what He can provide for me first. then i will see what provisions He allows man to have for me. i don't get all bent out of shape when i see various events happen like this because i know that God is in control and He will work things out. sure, (i will not like it, i need to pay my bills) however, i will have food and shelter everyday and that is a promise. i will rely on God the complete day (today) as i work on my book, meditating and being prayerful as i go along and that includes praying for those without their jobs at this moment.

diamond