MLK Day

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Day 72: Now is the time...

I expect to pass through this world but once;

any good thing therefore that I can do,

or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature,

let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it,

for I shall not pass this way again.

~Stephen Grellet

Never miss an opportubity to bring joy to another person.

 If we all lived by this philosophy, everday, imagine how much better this world would be!

Day 71: Always be filled with Wonder

Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.

- Greek Proverb

Day 69: A sad day in America

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal. 

~From a headstone in Ireland


There is nothing more sad than when we are witness to how cold, cruel and disturbed some people are. A mass shooting in Arizona that stole many lives today, including that of a very young girl, leaves me heartbroken and angry.

Day 63: Success

Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success.

~ Dr. Joyce Brothers

Day 62: Happy New Year!

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.

~ Maria Robinson

Day 55: Merry Christmas

"Faith is daring the soul to go beyond what the eyes can see."
~William Newton Clark

Day 46: Count your own blessings

"The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases." —Carl Jung

Do not spend time this holiday focusing on what others may have that you don't. The grass always looks greener from far away, it is not until you sit on that lawn that you realize it too contains weeds or yellowed edges. You just couldn't see it from your distant vantage point. Instead, look closer at your own yard...and the blessings it provides. Spend time nurturing it and helping it grow and flourish. For when we quit turning away from our own yards to get a glimpse at our neighbors', we see the beauty of our own world in deeper, richer colors.

Remember to be grateful for the gifts in your life. And remember someone, somewhere probably wishes they had your yard.

Day 45: The gift you are.

What we are is God's gift to us.  What we become is our gift to God.  ~Eleanor Powell

Day 44: Just Believe

Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there.
You can't see the future, yet you know it will come;
you can't see the air, yet you continue to breathe."

- Claire London

Day 31: Go light some candles...

Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle,
and the life of the candle will not be shortened.
Happiness never decreases by being shared.

- Buddha

Day 25: Happy Thanksgiving

"As you practice counting your blessings, you will find that your faith is being suddenly revitalized."
~Robert Schuller

Day 24: Together we can accomplish anything...

"Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others."
—Robert Louis Stevenson

Day 14: Life

Life is a great bundle of little things.

- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Day 13: Mistakes are not fatal.

Mistakes are the portals of discovery.

-James Joyce

Day 12: Stronger every day

What does not destroy me, makes me stronger.

-Friedrich Nietzsche

Day 11 - Thank a Veteran Today

The Pledge of Allegiance

I Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands,
one Nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

There are aprox. 19,421,266 living war veterans and 1,406,570 in active duty.

Imagine where we would be without them.
Appreciate their sacrifice. Honor their dedication.
Thank them for their service.

Day 10 - Looking Ahead

Nobody gets to live life backward.

Look ahead, that is where your future lies.

- Ann Landers

Day 9 - Live Deeply

It is not length of life, but depth of life.

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day 8: Hope Triumphs

I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge,
myth is more potent than history,
dreams are more powerful than facts,
hope always triumphs over experience,
laughter is the cure for grief,
and love is stronger than death.

- Robert Fulghum

Day 7 - Let Yourself...

Let yourself do something for others today.
Let yourself laugh.
Let yourself make funny faces. Let yourself eat too much chocolate.

Let yourself meet someone smarter than you.
Let yourself be. Let yourself listen more.

Let yourself entertain new possibilities.
 Let yourself discover a new friend.
Let yourself whet new appetites. Let yourself open up.
Let yourself think young.
Let yourself pass it along. Let yourself be dramatic.
Let yourself experiment.
Let yourself twirl. Let yourself cook up something new.
Let yourself spill the sprinkles.
Let yourself help others.
Let yourself be stirred. Let yourself shine.

- Dress Barn Advertisement

Day 6 - Change is good.

When you are through changing,

you are through.— Bruce Barton

Day 5 - Feeling Lucky

Luck is what happens
when preparation meets opportunity.

-Seneca (Roman philosopher, mid-1st century AD)

Day 4 - Winning and Losing

"Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat."
-- F. Scott Fitzgerald

To say it is difficult to be a Seattle sports fan would be a huge understatement. Our loyalty is constantly being tested by seasons that leave us feeling emotionally drained, frustrated, and deflated.

Our baseball team is one of only two teams to never reach the World Series, our basketball team was purchased and sent packing, and our football team seemed to be up against the refs more than the opposing team in our one and only appearance in the Superbowl. But even after all of that, we return each year with a renewed sense of hope and belief that "this" will be Seattle's year. Because above all the disappointments we love our city and the teams that where our colors.

This past weekend was an extremely hard one for Seattle. Injuries were like a secondary opponent. Seahawks went down at a rapid fire pace and the Huskies took a hit as well. The combined game scores for these two games required pain killers for not only the players, but the fans as well. This weekend, however,  is a new chance. The scoreboard once again returns to 0-0 and we begin again. Because one loss does not equal an entire season.

Every now and again we need to remind ourselves that it's only a game. These are real men out there getting tossed around, not superheroes. And remember, more than anything else, that nobody's perfect. We wouldn't cast aside a friend going through a rough patch because they were making a few bad decisions along the way, right? So this weekend we'll tune back in and cheer them on once again. Maybe we'll be face defeat, maybe we won't; but when that next great win comes...and it will...we want to be there. We want to be present in the moment to share the victory. Because well, we deserve it too. We deserve to be rewarded for our unending loyalty, our emotional and financial support, and our true belief that this day would come.

Winning isn't everything, but I have to admit it is a whole lot more fun than losing.

Day 3 - All in Due Time

A person who won't read

has no advantage over one who can't read.  

- Mark Twain

The most celebrated American humorist of all time has assured his place in the 21st century. Mark Twain's autobiography, shut inside a vault for 100 years since his death in 1910, will finally be published.*  (AP) CBS News

About one in seven people cannot read.

Of the six people that can read, many choose not to.

I always think that people who don't like to read were probably forced to read books they didn't enjoy in school. It was true for me. I dreaded required reading; books being assigned to us that were of no interest to me. And truth be told, I would usually just skim through them enough to be able to pass the assignment. Luckily for me, English was one of my best classes so it worked. 

Just out of high school, however, everything changed. I took a job that required commuting for an hour and a half a day. I chose to ride the bus to save on gas and parking costs but found the downtime excruciatingly boring. While buying my lunch at a nearby 7-11 one day, I noticed a small, spin rack of paperbacks for sale. I picked one up thinking it was a way I could pass the time on the commute home. I read all the way home that day. I read after dinner until I fell asleep. I read all the way to work the next morning, read on my lunch break, and all the way back home. I could not put the book down. I was hooked. To this day I credit that novel and its author, Danielle Steele, for my love of reading.

The funny part of why I picked up that book, on that day....besides being driven by boredom....the title character shared my name.

"Apart from giving us the basic information about the world around us, reading provides us with the food for thought. It encourages us to think. It increases our hunger for knowledge and our thirst to learn more." - Manali Oak

*Mark Twain's autobiography is being sold in three volumes and can be ordered on Amazon.com

What book will you read next?

Day 2 - Time for a Change

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.   -Gandhi

On this Mid-term election day, change is inevitable. In which direction and to what degree, only time will tell. But one thing is certain, the inescapable deluge of political ads will finally subside. After months of mudslinging, the dust will begin to settle while the age old questions still ring in our minds… why can’t politicians play nice? Why does name calling and underhanded conduct win out over acting with integrity and honor? Who first took campaigning to this level, and more importantly, who will make it stop?

It was once said (believed to be by Robert Kennedy),"If not us, who. If not now, when?" urging Americans to take a step toward making change happen in the world. So let’s do that. Now. Let’s all take action to be the change WE want to see in the world.

Let’s pledge to do one thing every day to make the world a better, kinder place. Let’s do what we wish everyone else would do, display simple acts of kindness to be paid forward. Before we know it, the people around us may decide that treating each other with integrity, honor and kindness is how they too want the world to be. Maybe it will even wear off on the politicians.

The time is now.  My remote control is on life support, worn out from chronic overuse. Months and months of fast forwarding through nasty political ads has taken its toll. It needs to stop.

What will you do today to begin changing the world?

Day 1 of 365

So it begins....

~J.R.R. Tolkien

I have been obsessed with quotes as far back as I remember. I’ve always found them inspiring and thought provoking.  I love that a simple statement from a complete stranger can change the way I look at things or affirm that someone feels (or has felt) exactly as I do.

Quotes connect people through their shared experiences, goals, and emotions. They are like words from a friend whispering for you to go on when you feel like quitting, a cheerleader encouraging you to follow a dream, a shoulder when you need empathy, and  sometimes, laughter to help you heal.

Some quotes are from great historians, spoken while inspiring nations or troops, others from celebrities, and many from common, everyday people (like each of us) who knew just what to say at that pivotal moment. No matter who they derived from, the quotes I will share with you have been those that have touched my heart, inspired my soul, or affirmed my journey.

Each day I will include a story of life that has been shared with me that is exemplified by the words of the quote. It is my hope the stories, the people behind them, and the quotes themselves, will move you in some way....letting you know at one time or another, one of us has been where you are.

Enjoy.