The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what we want most for what we want at the moment.

Legend Says... Once there was a white man, an Indian, and a black man walking down the road. After awhile they came to a cliff. The Indian said, "Legend says that this cliff is magical. If you jump off the edge and shout what you want to become, you will instantly change into that thing." "Kewl," said the white man, "who goes first?" The Indian spoke up and said, "Well, since I know the legend, I will go first to prove it really works.I always wanted to be a bird, so that's what I'll shout." So, the Indian gets a good running distance, and takes off. Just as he's about to jump off the edge, he shouts "EAGLE!" and he becomes an eagle and flies away. The black man says, "That looks fun. I always wanted to be a bird, too. I'll go next." The black man goes back a good distance and takes off. Just before he jumps over the edge he shouts "FALCON!" and he becomes a falcon and flies away. The white man thinks", well, I don't wanna be a bird...I wanna be something different. I KNOW! I'll become a star so I can shine in the heavens forever!" So, the white man gets back a good distance and takes off. Just as he reaches the very edge of the cliff, he trips on a rock and shouts- "OH CRAP!" A Word of Wisdom "I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure, which is: Try to please everyone." -Herbert Bayard Swope Positive Thoughts by Clay Page The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what we want most for what we want at the moment. One of the greatest temptations is when time presents us with an option of now or later. Nothing new really, nevertheless, it catches us off guard so many times. Why? It is human nature to want what we dream of or what we are pursuing right now. Who of us wouldn't desire to have what we dream of without having to wait? How true this is. The way we get the best is to overcome the urge to settle for less. To say this is easy, it is not. In fact, you will experience even more temptation the closer you get to what you are pursuing to take less. It is the way time tests us to see if we really can handle what we are pursuing. It is like the Price Is Right TV show. You are given 3 choices, sometimes more, to take the prize or go for the gold. Life is the same way. When the pressure is on so is the temptation to settle for less. When I feel that urge to settle, I know I am closer than I was yesterday. If the temptation is really strong, it's like the game of hotter or colder, I am getting hotter or closer than ever. I liken life as a gardener and living is planting seeds. We all know the adage of what you sow shall you reap. It is true 100% of the time. So, I look at my life as planting seeds for a future harvest of what I desire. Let's compare what we desire to that of a farmer. The farmer plants seeds and then "waits" for time to cycle to bring about the harvest. I know the farmer would rather plant the seeds and then harvest the next day, but it's not going to happen. Neither will we in our lives find that things just happen overnight. Forget it. Expect to "wait" for the seeds you plant today to "bring" about the harvest. Keep your dreams alive by remembering each day to plant a positive seed for the future today. Positive Quote "It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it." W. Somerset Maugham.