PEARLY NUGGETS
  • HOME
  • BLOG
  • WEBSITES
  • PICS
  • TIES
  • POETRY
  • FIND A GRAVE
  • CONTACT ME

Kindness, gratitude, and paying it forward ...

10/31/2011

4 Comments

 
     I had a few "pay it forward" moments, or moments of inner gratitude over the weekend.  Saturday began with a flat tire.  Fortunately, for me, a gentleman noticed it - not only did he advise me of my flat tire, he also changed it and put the "donut" on so I could make it to a tire shop, without having to call for roadside assistance.  I tried to "pay" him, to no avail.  He just reminded me to "help someone else".  I thanked him (a way of showing my inner gratitude), and we parted ways.  I did remember to get he and his wife's name so I can also send them a thank you card, a more personal thanks!
     From there, I went to the tire store where I had purchased a tire in May, knowing it would be covered if it was the one I had purchased from them.  It was not, however, it was repairable and they were kind enough to fix it, for no cost.  Another moment of inner gratitude.  And, inner gratitude does nothing, without sharing.  So, of course, I thanked the young man and expressed my appreciation for his kindness.
     Showing gratitude for someone's kindness toward you, and paying it forward to another, is a good standard for anyone's life.  If we pay attention, I think most days an opportunity will be given, to be kind ... whether it be kind words, actions, or deeds.
     As the weekend ensued, I was able to show kindness, and be helpful to a few people myself.  It's always heart-warming to be able to help, and not expect something in return.

"Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might
be the only sunshine he sees all day."  ~H. Jackson Brown

“There is no such thing as can’t.”  ~Christopher Reeve 
My mother used to tell me, "Can't never did anything!" ~nr lenz

"Never miss an opportunity to make others happy, even if you have to leave them alone in order to do it."
~Author Unknown

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."  ~Leo Buscaglia

"Love someone who doesn't deserve it."  ~Author Unknown
4 Comments

Oprah's "Life Class"

10/26/2011

0 Comments

 
I am intrigued with Oprah Winfrey's new t.v. channel.  Her programming is so refreshing, so different from other networks.  I've only caught her new show, "Life Class" a couple of times, however, I hope that this show can have an impact on thousands of people, even hundreds of thousands of people.  Her messages and "life lessons" could impact this planet, if people are truly "listening".  I caught her show this evening and there are two things I personally extracted that are so simple, yet so profound.  Maya Angelou's quote of, "When people show you who they really are, believe them - the first time."  And the therapist who said, "If you see crazy comin', cross the street!"  I do feel that, perhaps, she should have touched a little more on the fact that "people CAN change", but it has to come from within ... YOU can't change anyone.  None of us are perfect; that's part of the human condition.  We, too, have choices (free will) - to accept toxicity in relationships, or discard those relationships that impede our own personal progress - and move on ...
0 Comments

36th year for "Great American Smokeout" ... November 17th

10/26/2011

0 Comments

 
I had an interesting conversation with a customer today about cigarettes, and smoking.  She came in looking for a cutout of a "turkey" to use at an information booth for "The Great American Smokeout" campaign, offering information and resources available to those who have a desire to quit.  Not a teen, or young gal, but younger than me - the woman had beautiful skin, and no "roadmap" lines in her face.  Out of curiosity, I asked her if she'd ever been a smoker; her reply was what I anticiated, "No."  She then wanted to know if I was a smoker, or not.  My reply, "Yes, tobacco addiction had been a vice in my life."  I am free of them now, but it was after many years of a "see saw" effort - falling back, and quitting, and falling back - any of you who are smokers, or ex-smokers are familiar with that routine.  Because she was curious enough to want to know, I had to share "my" story ... she thanked me, and now has another success story she can share with others. 
0 Comments

Pay dirt ... more "nuggets", and "pearls" ...

10/25/2011

0 Comments

 
     Thanks to my brother, who gave me our great grandparents' marriage certificate, I've had such an interesting journey so far in discoveries about our mother's genealogy.  Before getting this beautiful document, I had already found a cousin (by marriage) through a customer where I work.  He connected us together.  Come to find out, his great-grandfather and my grandfather were brothers, and I have photos of his great grandfather (he only has newspaper copy).  So, when I find those photos, I'm going to give him one of them.  I have many family photos that I have no one to rely on to help me learn who they are, and how they fit.  He has much more genealogy than I do.  We met, compared notes, shared things and now I'm walking (physically and on line) graveyards!  For me, there's something peaceful and serene about being in a graveyard.
     Now I feel as though I've hit "pay dirt", as the saying goes ... through my persistence in chasing the "Spellmeyer-Barnebey" genealogy trail, I've found so much more family - dead, and alive!!!  I've found yet, another relative in Ogallala.  We have yet to determine how our relationship falls together, cousins I think.
     I've also found a gentleman who lives in Florida (relative) who was commumicating (by letters and phone calls) with my Uncle Dick while he was still alive.  He was trying to arrange a meeting for the family elders to meet again.  ... and the interesting part of all that is, I have the letters that this man wrote to my Uncle Dick.  I'm so excited about all this.
     That's two cousins I've communicated with on line besides the cousin I met through my customer here at work.  We're all excited about the possibility of meeting.  With the onset of winter I'm sure nothing will happen until the spring or summer next year.  And they are all so thankful to me, being younger than them, that I am able to "fill the gaps" in their genealogy.  It's quite a task, but it is coming together.
     When it's time, it is my hope that my siblings and their families will help me to fill in some gaps I need to fill.  I would like to try to continue this so that I can leave it to my daughter, son-in-law, and two grandsons.  I've been able to go back several generations already with full names, geography, dates of births, marriages, children, and deaths.
0 Comments

Dharma begets Karma ... or vice versa? Chicken or the egg?

10/20/2011

0 Comments

 
     Words fascinate me, especially those that are "similar", either in spelling or pronunciation ... I like to know the "difference between" those kinds of words.  This lead me to  "dharma" and "karma", as a close friend and I have recently been discussing both.  I wanted to see if I remembered correctly from the 1960s the order, meaning, and usage of those two words.  It's all so fascinating because one thing leads to another - now it's up to me to decide what reflection those words take on to me.

First, the meanings, according to a dictionary:
dharma:  noun Hinduism,Buddhism. 1. essential quality or character, as of the cosmos or one's own nature. 2. conformity to religious law, custom, duty, or one's own quality or character. 3. virtue. 4. religion. 5. law, especially religious law.

karma:  noun 1. Hinduism,Buddhism. action, seen as bringing upon oneself inevitable results, good or bad, either in this life or in a reincarnation: in Hinduism one of the means of reaching Brahman. Compare bhakti(def. 1), jnana. 2. Theosophy. the cosmic principle according to which each person is rewarded or punished in one incarnation according to that person's deeds in the previous incarnation. 3. fate; destiny

     Beyond the "definitions", the origin and background of each word is also fascinating.  I've found through the years that my personality type (according to Meier's Briggs) is often a "fence sitter" and this is so true about myself.  I truly can see, understand, and show empathy on both sides of an issue.
     It seems that "dharma" is our moral fiber, our duty to do what's right for ourselves, family, community, and the universe, while on this earthly plane.  And "karma" is what results - our "reward" or "punishment" for the quality (or lack of it) of our character and virtue.  Both words are nouns, however, karma is the end result of an "action" word, or a verb.  Dharma is ... what it is (sorry, I detest that word but, here it applies).  Our "dharma"might be described by an adjective; no verb or action words need apply.
     These words are used in both Hinduism and Buddhism.
     As one website put it, "One's dharmic path in the next life is determined by their past karma."  And, another says, "Regardless of the religion, the tenet is the same ... ‘be kind to your fellow men and you will eventually receive an award.’"

Read more: Difference Between Dharma and Karma | Difference Between | Dharma vs Karma http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/difference-between-dharma-and-karma/#ixzz1bLsIHAnp
0 Comments

Success, failure, experience, or a lack of it ...

10/19/2011

0 Comments

 
"I'd rather be a failure in something that I love than a success in something that I hate."  ~George Burns

     This quote reminds me of the many people who do end up "settling for less" in their lives, and I must include myself here.  Because of poor choices, bad decisions, and the layout of life's cards for me, because of those things, I "settled for less" - or thought I did.  Hindsight is 20/20, and nothing can change our past.  Even though I may not understand, at the time, I do believe everything happens, for a reason.  There are lessons to be learned, if we only observe and listen.
     Nearly everyone I know can remember a "passion" they had as a child - something they "knew" they were destined to do.  I don't recall ever having that ... however, I do recall having so many interests that I could never "hone" in on who or what I wanted to be "when I grew up".  A few things that impacted my life early on were writing, music, dance, photography, and art.  Back then, it was ingrained in us that those were all things that a person can't "live on" ... you did those things as a "hobby", not as a living, to survive.  I was never able to have lessons, but those things have been a "constant" in my life, on some level.  These things were a comfort, a way to escape the harsh realities of life.
     I'm over 60, and still pondering that very question.  I wanted things that were "intangible", or so it seemed.  For instance, perhaps from being a child of a broken home, I wanted to be a "peacemaker" so people would stop fighting - in their homes, on the streets, and around the world.  It's no wonder I was an activist and protester during the '60s and '70s.  And, how do you "teach" someone not to hate, or not to think you're better than someone else, or how to be satisfied with "what God gave you" (so to speak).  Vanity is so overrated, a whole other story.  Or how do you teach someone not to not judge others, or how sometimes we need to "do what's right" and not do "what we want" for self-gratification, or the high cost of self-centeredness, envy, greed, or desire for power?  As a child, those were the things I saw going on all around me, by adults, government, and society.  Of course I, too, am guility of some of those very actions and feelings throughout my life - even knowing they have a price.
     I'm not "papered" ... no college degree ... but somewhere in the mixture of all those philosophical meanderings and moving about, I came closer to discovering my little niche' in life.  After leaving my "hippie" lifestylings in California and returning to my home state of Iowa, my job search took me to an ad by the Omaha World-Herald.  They were on strike at the time, and I needed work.  Yes, I became one of those ill-gotten "scabs" that crossed the picket line, for months, until the strikes were over.  Yes, still a rebel at heart, but more because I wanted to be independent and on my own.  This action changed my life.  From the time I crossed that picket line, I knew that I'd finally found a way into the world of advertising ... graphic design, writing, and photography.  It didn't begin there.  It began as with any new position, by proving myself with excellent typing skills, high accuracy, excellent proofreading abilities ... all those things opened more doors, eventually.
     The most interesting about all of this ... I'm a poor reader.  My retention skills are weak, hence my preference for non-fiction, and enjoyment of reading short things, with impact - such as all the quips, quotes, and words of wisdom I post regularly.  My school report cards prove my point.  Anything having to do with "English" i.e. sentence structure, spelling, words (vocabulary), penmanship, or grammar, my grades were A to B- ... reading, and book reports ... D- to F!!!!  I still constantly struggle with it, but continue to force myself to read (although I have to admit I still pick up "short" stuff first).
     In spite of this handicap, I'm proud of myself and thankful to my mentors, for being able to have earned myself the titles of news reporter, editor, and photographer ... as they say, "I did it my way."  The only thing that could make it better would be adding music and art to my accomplishments, again, doing it "my way".  I'm still a slow learner, but pray I live long enough to attempt them both!  And, my life goes on ...
   

"Defeat is not the worst of failures.  Not to have tried is the true failure."
~George E. Woodberry

"Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor."  ~Truman Capote

"The trouble with using experience as a guide is that the final exam often comes first and then the lesson."  ~Author Unknown

"There is only one thing more painful than learning from experience, and that is not learning from experience."  ~Laurence J. Peter

"It is the old experience that a rude instrument in the hand of a master craftsman will achieve more than the finest tool wielded by the uninspired journeyman."  ~Karl Pearson
0 Comments

Time?

10/18/2011

0 Comments

 
"Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations."  ~Faith Baldwin

“In truth, people can generally make time for what they choose to do; it is not really the time but the will that is lacking.“ ~Sir John Lubbock

“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” ~Will Rogers

“Do not confuse motion and progress. A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress.”  ~Alfred A. Montapert

"Never let yesterday use up today."  ~Richard H. Nelson 
0 Comments

Just because I might be thinking about YOU today ...

10/17/2011

0 Comments

 
JUST BECAUSE
It’s such a warm ‘n fuzzy feeling
Whenever I think of you
And all the special times we share
It’s very simple, really … how
You’ve made my life worth living
Just because you’ve taken time to care
                         ~nr lenz (me)

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."  ~Marcel Proust

" Somewhere there's someone who dreams of your smile, and finds in your presence that life is worth while, so when you are lonely, remember this is true:  Somebody, somewhere is thinking of you."
~Unknown

" Love can be a simple smile,
love can be the extra mile,
love can be the chance to say,
love made me think of you today!"
~Unknown

" Perhaps you'd be a bit surprised how often, if you knew, a joke, a song, a memory will make me think of you."  ~Unknown

0 Comments

Where do all the seconds, minutes, and hours go??

10/14/2011

2 Comments

 
It seems like the older I get, the faster the seconds, minutes, and hours seem to pass me by.  Now is the time in my life where I thought I would have more time ... WRONG ... too many interests and, with work, too little time (it seems).  Maybe if I find some quips and quotes about time and time management I may find a "nugget" or two that will assist me in accomplishing MORE as I age, not LESS ... hmmm, here goes ... Since I know that these will come too close to home, I may have to "interject" a bit of my own remarks, humor, or irony ...

"Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that’s the stuff life is made of."  ~Benjamin Franklin
     I think I must 'own' the word squander - my junior high report cards prove it.
      I 'wander' in my own mind and 'sqaunder' away too much time.
      Sometimes the truth hurts!  ~nr lenz

“Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”  ~H. Jackson Brown, Jr
     OUCH!  ~nr lenz

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot."  ~Michael Altshuler
     The fact is, time flies.  The bad news is, I've been the pilot!  ~nr lenz

"The key is in not spending time, but in investing it."  ~Stephen R. Covey
      Where's that darn key?!  ~nr lenz

Most people spend their entire lives on a fantasy island called 'Someday I'll'.  ~Denis Waitley
      Such a clever play on words ... I want to tell him, "Quit talkin' 'bout me like that!"  ~nr lenz

There are so many wonderful quotes about time, time management (or lack of it), efficiency (or the lack of it), procrastination, etc.  It was difficult to choose just a few.  They all fell heavy in my lap, to some degree.  If you need some inspiration, or maybe a good ol' fashioned "kick in the ass", google 'time management' and check out a few sites.  I am a lover of quips and quotes because they are short, and full of impact!!
2 Comments

MEMORIES

10/10/2011

2 Comments

 
Well, I lost this (tsk, tsk) ... let me see if I can re-create it.  After losing a loved one, you may be surprised at the things that often "trigger" memories of them.  Triggers can be an aroma or fragrance, someone's voice, their laughter, a phrase, a song, a word or expression - even things as obscure as the way someone walks, how they dress or wear their hair, a painting, a knick knack - just something familiar that pulls your heartstrings.  That happened to me today, with a vendor. 

I called a vendor about an item that was marked as shipped, but we did not receive.  She advised me that they would ship it, at no cost, and was fumbling for the words to tell me things would then be fine.  I interjected and said to her, "Then everything will be copasetic, as they say."  Ironically, I have not used that term, in years, though it used to be a favorite one.  She fell silent for a moment.  She lost a brother (special, sweet is how she described him) to the miserable beast of cancer.  That expression was a favorite of his; an expression he often used.  She thanked me for using that expression.  She felt that was a "sign" and that her brother is looking down on her.  I thanked her,  for letting me be the messenger!  It was one of those 'warm 'n fuzzy' moments.
2 Comments
<<Previous

    Who is this little girl?

    I am . . . 
    ​

    ARCHIVE

    August 2020
    December 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.