Looking for the good ...is always a better choice!

I am grateful for any example of those people in the world...who look for the good in others. I think it is always a better choice and a great way to live our lives!
Have a great day dear friends!
Open Letter to an Unknown Driver in Woodstock, Virginia

Dear Unknown Driver:

On September 10, 2014, sometime between 8 and 10 p.m., you were driving northbound on Rt. 11 – Main Street – in Woodstock, Virginia. You were right in front of our quaint, small town movie theatre in the heart of Shenandoah County.

Of course, you know that part already.

You drifted to the right on the two-lane road, side-swiped my parked car, and sent my side mirror sailing 40 feet down the street.

You know that part, too.

What you don’t know, because you didn’t stick around, is that I was inside working just a few feet away and wouldn’t discover the damage until I left for the night. I rarely work late, but I’ve been crashing on a couple of deadlines and needed to stretch my day.

After seeing no note, no business card and having no clue who might have breakdanced with my car, I made a call across the street to the police station. Not surprisingly, they were there in two minutes.

The officers were consummate professionals. They circled the car, took pictures and asked questions. Despite it being fairly minor, they treated it with both seriousness and courtesy.

When I expressed surprise that someone would cause this kind of damage without taking responsibility, the men shook their heads and one of them said, flatly, “People just aren’t honest anymore.”

Soon the officers rolled on and I was crawled in my car window to make the short drive home. Sure, I was frustrated to know I would be dealing with police reports, insurance and a body shop for the next week, but what really bothered me was their assessment.

“People just aren’t honest anymore.”

It’s been two days and I can’t stop thinking about it.

I also can’t stop thinking about what would have happened if you’d left a note, called the police or even knocked on my office door. (Mine is street level and the lights were on.)

You don’t know this, because you didn’t give me a chance, but I would have shaken your hand and expressed gratitude that no one was hurt.

I would have asked for your insurance information, and, if you were uninsured, I would have helped find a solution. If you’re a teen and you were driving your parents’ car and worried about the fallout, I would have offered to make the phone call for you.

As we gathered up the glass and broken bits, I would have asked about your family and told you about mine. I likely would have made a dumb joke about my daughter’s small Drivers Ed dent in the bumper that pre-dates your late night automotive side-hug.

Maybe you don’t even live in the area. Maybe you were passing through, staying at a local hotel or visiting a friend. If so, we could have played the who-do-you-know game and been reminded what a small world we live in.

Most importantly, I would have thanked you for being honest and for doing the right thing. I would’ve told you that the world is too cynical and in my experience, most people are inherently good. There are exceptions, naturally, but most people thrive when we assume the best in them.

The words still ring in my ears. “People just aren’t honest anymore.”

With all due respect to these fine police officers, I disagree. I think the planet is brimming with good, honest people who far outnumber those who cheat, lie and steal.

We were raised by them.

We work with them.

They’re our neighbors.

They’re everywhere!

Look – how many times in my own life have I needed a few more minutes than most to choose the right? Plenty.

It’s never too late to do the right thing. And just because it’s the oldest cliché in the book doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Thankfully, life isn’t scored by the halftime tally. We’ve all got until the final whistle.

Look me up on Facebook, drop me an email or knock on my office door and we’ll do our very best to work it out. We can even compare all the dumb things we’ve done. I bet my list is longer than yours.

“People just aren’t honest anymore.”

Malarkey – let’s prove them wrong.

Sincerely,

Jason

You can read more of Jason's article HERE:

Honesty is ALWAYS the best policy!

Heard this story on the news the other day...I couldn't believe it. Can you just imagine this happening to your college students; or happening to yourself while you were in college? All I kept thinking during that news report was of two things! One how grateful that woman and her family must have been, and two ...how proud their parents must be of them. That is an amazing story and so the old saying is true. "Honesty is always the best policy!"
Good night dear friends!
PS Ok the 3rd thing that I was thinking about after reading this story and seeing their couch was (as a Mom ) I hope they took some of the gratitude money and got a cleaner couch! :)

New York Roomies Return $41,000 Found In Thrift-Store Couch

(CNN) Many of us find money in our couch. A few quarters here and a few dimes there. If we're lucky, maybe enough to buy a drink.

Imagine finding enough to buy a small coffee stand.

Three New York roommates, investigating the cause of their thrift-store couch's lumpiness, discovered $41,000 hidden in envelopes tucked in the old sofa.

Lara Russo said she and roommate Reese Werkhoven were sitting on the couch, watching a Harry Potter movie, when he unzipped one of the cushions to see what was making it uncomfortable and found a small package.

"It was just in a bubble-wrap container," Werkhoven told "Erin Burnett OutFront." "We were like, 'Oh, my God. This might be drugs, it might be money; we're getting scared about it."

It was money, a stack of $100 bills an inch and a half high. The two started "freaking out" and went into a bedroom to show Cally Guasti. Her first impulse was to lock the doors in case it was drug money and the owner wanted it back.

The roommates found more envelopes in the couch, which they had bought at the Salvation Army for $20. One of the envelopes had a name on it.

Like many a wise man, Werkhoven turned to his mother for advice. She investigated the name and texted her son a phone number to call.

He said he hung up the first time when an older woman answered.

He called back, according to CNN affiliate WCBS, and told the woman he had "found something that I think is yours."

What is it? she asked.

A couch.

"Oh my God, I left a lot of money in that couch," the woman told Werkhoven.

The woman told the roommates that family members had mistakenly donated the couch, where she had been stashing the loot.

"This was her life savings, and she actually said something really beautiful like, 'This is my husband looking down on me, and this was supposed to happen,'" Guasti told WCBS.

Russo said at first they played around with the idea of what to do with the money, but the thought of buying new stuff gave way to doing the right thing.

"I think all of us were under the understanding that even if we spent it, we wouldn't feel good about it," she told CNN. "We would have felt we took something that was not ours. It didn't make sense -- it was her money, she deserved it."

According to WCBS, the woman, who wants to remain anonymous, gave the roommates a reward of $1,000.

They didn't rush out and get a new couch. After all, this one might smell, but it is pretty lucky.

By Steve Almasy

Found the story HERE:

Found their photo Here:

Friendships

Tonight we had some friends over that we haven’t seen in a while. Even though it had been a long time, we seemed to just start where we finished the last time. I smiled as I watched my kids and grandkids share the evening with these dear friends. We all really love them, and they are some of the best people we know. Is life easy for them? Do they have everything? Absolutely not, but they are rich because they love each other and so many friends. They give and serve often. Yes, life has even given them some huge trials, and still they smile and their spirit is strong and happy. How blessed we are that we had the chance, years ago to meet them. Friendships truly make life worth living.

Thanks for all of your friendship and good night!

 

Whitney's Story

There was a time when Whitney didn't have a lot of friends. She was a bit shy and reserved. She never really wanted to be popular, but she did want to have someone to share secrets and laughs with. All through high school, though, she just slipped in and out of "light" friendships where she didn't find a lot of comfort or companionship.

When it came time to go to college, Whitney was quite nervous. She was going to be rooming with someone she didn't know and living in a town 300 miles away from home. There wouldn't be a single person she knew in town. She had no idea how she was going to make friends in this new environment.

The first week of classes, something happened that changed Whitney's life forever. In her English Composition class, she was asked (as were all the students) to share a little about herself. She told everyone where she called home and all of the other ordinary details that students share in such situations. The final question for each student was always the same: "What is your goal for this class?" Now, most of the students said it was to get a good grade, pass the class or something similar, but for some reason, Whitney said something entirely different. She said that her goal was to make just one good friend.

While most of the students sat in silence, one student came to Whitney and held out his hand and introduced himself. He asked if she would be his friend. The whole room was silent – all eyes focused on the Whitney and the hand extended just in front of her. She smiled and stretched her hand out to take his and a friendship was formed. It was a friendship that lasted all through college. It was a friendship that turned into a romance. It was a friendship that brought two people together in marriage.

Whitney learned the power of asking for what she wanted, being honest and taking action.

 

  “To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world.”   ~Brandi Snyder quotes

  “Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.”

Food for thought!

I loved this article that I read the other day. It is about honesty and integrity, huge virtues that we shouldn't take for granted. It made me want to take a self evaluation test afterwards, to see if there are any GRAY areas in my life? There really shouldn't be. Hope you enjoy it!

One Bite At A Time
When with your friends, you often hear yourself saying stuff like, "Of course I care about my health!  I take good care of myself!" Yet alone, in the middle of temptation, you convince yourself that just one more bacon-double-cheeseburger (with fries) won't hurt. After all, it's not like you do it EVERY day!

You are diligent in telling your eleven-year-old daughter not to ever tell lies... not ever.  The phone rings...she answers.  It's ANOTHER telemarketer.  "Tell them I'm not here!" you silently mouth from the other room.
"It's only twenty minutes!" you convincingly encourage yourself as you round your time sheet up to the next even hour.  After all,  why do they make you fill these silly things out, anyway?

Ever find yourself in a similar scenario?  You know... where your actions and your words don't exactly jive?  Where you tell yourself, your family, your friends or your boss one thing, but inside you know something different?  Ever?

Have you ever heard the term "congruence?"  It's been a big deal in management training circles for some time now.  Indeed, it is a very important idea.  Defined by Webster, it means, "an exact coinciding."  To use a (very) worn out phrase, it means, "walking your talk".  My definition?  Do what you say... say what you do.

Out of the gray...

There's no gray here.  It's actually quite a simple concept. And you know what?  Such virtue paves the difference between excellence and something much less in every one of your relationships.  With your employer, customers, co-workers, friends, children, significant other, and even... with yourself. Such uprightness creates the quantity of respect you're given, and in reality, the quantity of respect you deserve.
On a very personal level, it's called... integrity.
You've most likely heard the phrase, "Your actions are shouting so loudly, I can't hear a word you're saying!"  You can probably think of someone to whom this phrase fits... perfectly.  But, have you ever considered how it might apply to you?  Sure, most of us are pretty honest when it comes to the big stuff.  We don't steal.  We don't blatantly lie.  We don't cheat our friends. But what about those "little" things?  It's been said that the way to eat an elephant is... one bite at a time!
Have you ever stopped to ponder how those small "untruths," or "oversights," or lack of follow-through, or "do as I say, not as I do," pieces of your life might be eating away at you?  Such  "chinks" in your existence - over time - wear you down.  The 'one bite at a time' concept is fundamental.  Consider the slow rusting away of metal, mountains carried over time by rivers to the sea, or erosion of the once sandy shore with each crash of ocean wave. So too, are you diminished each time you engage in any  lack of integrity - however slight.  You lose the respect of others.  You  lose respect for yourself.
Think about it.  The erosion is easy to stop.  All you need do is be honest... really honest.  Immerse yourself in integrity - total, one-hundred-percent-no-holds-barred integrity.  Stand tall.  Do what you say... say what you do.  It's simple.  It's powerful.  Those near to you will love you for it.  The rest will respect you for it. And you?  You will have a much higher opinion of... you.

http://soulnpeace.com/one-bite-at-a-time.html

"Integrity is doing the right thing, even if nobody is watching"

"Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom"  ~ Thomas Jefferson

 

Honesty

I love the honesty of little kids. If you want to know the truth ...then ask a child.

"Be Silly. Be honest. Be kind."  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

SAY A PRAYER 
Little Johnny and his family were having Sunday dinner at his grandmother's house.   Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served.  When Little Johnny received his plate, he started eating right away.
'Johnny! Please wait until we say our prayer.'  said his mother.
'I don't need to,' the boy replied.
'Of course, you do.' his mother insisted. 'We always say a prayer before eating at our house.'
'That's at our house.' Johnny explained.  'But this is Grandma's house and she knows how to cook!'

"Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom"  ~ Thomas Jefferson

"An honest answer is the sign of true friendship"  ~unknown

Happy Harvest!

Yesterday my granddaughter Angie and I just had to start putting up Halloween decorations. We waited as long as we possibly could, but once Autumn began... we couldn't wait any longer. Angie is so excited now that her pumpkins are ready to pick, here is a photo of her first pumpkin and her first ear of corn too!

What a neat thing to teach kids, to plant and take care of something and watch it grow. Then after a lot of watering, watching and especially waiting, you are finally able to pick your harvest. There is a scripture in Proverbs that says...“As you sow so shall you reap”. That is true with many things in our lives, we can not expect to reap the benefits of something if we did not put the time and effort into it. Here is a cute story that goes along with this theme tonight. I hope you enjoy it! Night!

THE SEED OF HONESTY  ~ Rutagengwa Claude Shema

  A King was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his children, he invited a group of young people from his kingdom and told them, "It is soon time for me to step down and choose the next king. I have decided to choose one of you." The children were shocked, but the king continued, "I am going to give each one of you a seed today - one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from   this seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next king."

 One of the boys, named Liang, went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot filled with soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Liang kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Liang didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by   -- still nothing in Liang's pot. He knew his seed had died. Everyone else had trees or flowers, but he had nothing. Liang didn't say anything to his friends, he just kept waiting for his seed to grow.

 A year finally went by and all the youth of the kingdom brought their plants to the king for inspection. Liang told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But his mother asked him to be honest about what happened. Liang felt very uncomfortable, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. He was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Liang put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other children laughed at him. When the king arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Liang tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the king. "Today one of you will be appointed the next king!" Suddenly the king spotted Liang at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Liang was terrified. He thought, "The king knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me punished!" When Liang got to the front, the king asked his name. "My name is Liang," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The king asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Liang, and then announced to the crowd, "The name of your new king is Liang!" 

Liang couldn't believe it. He couldn't even grow his seed, how could he be the new King? Then the King said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take   the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds that would not grow. All of you, except Liang, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Liang was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new king!" If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.