"In life you can never be too kind or too fair; everyone you meet is carrying a heavy load."--Brian Tracy
Today this quote really spoke volumes to me. This morning watching the local news, I heard about Gleaners Community Foodbank's double donations campaign. Some outstanding individuals and companies are doubling all donations made to them today (11/30). If you've got a minute, check out the website and if you're able, make a donation...even a dollar goes a long way! www.gcfb.org. Gleaners supplies food to charitable organizations large and small who in turn give it to those who could use a little help right now. I've had the honor of meeting many of those who work at Gleaners. They are compassionate and caring... and they work very hard to make it an extremely well run organization.
Whether you're here in Michigan or not, there's a good chance you or someone you know is being negatively affected by the poor economy. It does indeed make the load a little heavier--perhaps even more so during the holiday season. When we come out of this--and we will--hopefully we are better people for it. But many can use a little help in the meantime. God Bless the people at Gleaners for making the load lighter for so many.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Can Failing be a Good Thing?
Check out the powerful video below! You may have seen it, I know I've run across it a few times as it's making its way around the internet. You can find it on You Tube as "The Best Motivational Video". I've seen it on friends' facebook pages and posted it myself. It beautifully captures some of life's greatest success stories at the point in those peoples' lives when they and others may have considered themselves to be failures. Imagine people like Michael Jordan, Abraham Lincoln and Walt Disney being thought of that way. Imagine if they had taken it to heart and not pressed on. "There is no failure except in no longer trying," as the quote from Elbert Hubbard goes; and as the end of the so-called "Best Motivational Video" says, "life=risk." Your mom probably told you...if at first you don't succeed, try try again. And she was right. If you're like so many of us, trying to re-invent yourself in this crazy economy, you're going to need to put yourself out there. And like a kid riding a bike without training wheels for the first time, you're probably going to fall down a few times. Maybe even many times. Just keep getting up. And always try to learn something from your failures and disappointments. I have heard it said, it's a mistake to suppose that people succeed through success; they often succeed through failures....or like the great inventor Thomas Edison said (who is also featured in the video because his teacher once told him he was too "stupid" to amount to much) "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." Whether it's a failure, a disappointment, or just a struggle because of your circumstances. Don't give up....because tomorrow could be just they day that everything changes!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Welcome to Positive Agenda with Sandy Kovach. My goal is to encourage and motivate you to think positive and help others do the same. This is a blog I wrote a while back on another site...I thought it would be a good start for this new series.
I read an article on the CBS News website not long ago called “Teach Your Children To Be Optimists”. It reminded me of the first time I uttered the words, “you have to think positive” to my son. It was when he was first learning to ride a “big boy bike”—you know, no training wheels. His father had put in lots of time with him, but he was still having trouble. The problem was clearly in his mind because he had the skill and the knowledge. I told him two things—think positive and pray. Pray not that God will make you ride, but that he will give you the confidence to do it. After a few minutes of positive thinking and perhaps a little divine intervention, he did it. Now, positive thinking is something we talk about often. In fact, if I’m being negative, I am called on it by my son. Sometimes it’s when I actually seem to be enjoying wallowing in a little self pity and negative thinking (do you ever do that?) and he’s there to remind me to snap out of it.
But what about this optimism and positive thinking as it relates to our kids. It can have a profound effect according to the article. Researcher Karen Relvich of the University of Pennsylvania is quoted as saying optimistic children have fewer symptoms of depression, less anxiety and are better at problem solving. She also says it’s a “skill” that can be learned.
I guess, though, the best way to teach optimism is probably by example. We need to show our kids that we can be optimistic even if things don’t seem to be going our way. I think we can be honest when we are disappointed about something, but remind them that things will turn out okay. Maybe we can tell them that we’ve learned from any mistakes we may have made, etc. We can be honest and be real. I think our kids will get more from that than if we pretend that we are perfect. Remember, by teaching our kids to be positive we are helping them gain skills that will last a lifetime. And as for us grown folks-- by working on it ourselves, we also benefit greatly.
Thank for reading my blog...have a great day...and don't forget you can get Positive Quotes Daily...follow Positive Agenda on Twitter.
I read an article on the CBS News website not long ago called “Teach Your Children To Be Optimists”. It reminded me of the first time I uttered the words, “you have to think positive” to my son. It was when he was first learning to ride a “big boy bike”—you know, no training wheels. His father had put in lots of time with him, but he was still having trouble. The problem was clearly in his mind because he had the skill and the knowledge. I told him two things—think positive and pray. Pray not that God will make you ride, but that he will give you the confidence to do it. After a few minutes of positive thinking and perhaps a little divine intervention, he did it. Now, positive thinking is something we talk about often. In fact, if I’m being negative, I am called on it by my son. Sometimes it’s when I actually seem to be enjoying wallowing in a little self pity and negative thinking (do you ever do that?) and he’s there to remind me to snap out of it.
But what about this optimism and positive thinking as it relates to our kids. It can have a profound effect according to the article. Researcher Karen Relvich of the University of Pennsylvania is quoted as saying optimistic children have fewer symptoms of depression, less anxiety and are better at problem solving. She also says it’s a “skill” that can be learned.
I guess, though, the best way to teach optimism is probably by example. We need to show our kids that we can be optimistic even if things don’t seem to be going our way. I think we can be honest when we are disappointed about something, but remind them that things will turn out okay. Maybe we can tell them that we’ve learned from any mistakes we may have made, etc. We can be honest and be real. I think our kids will get more from that than if we pretend that we are perfect. Remember, by teaching our kids to be positive we are helping them gain skills that will last a lifetime. And as for us grown folks-- by working on it ourselves, we also benefit greatly.
Thank for reading my blog...have a great day...and don't forget you can get Positive Quotes Daily...follow Positive Agenda on Twitter.
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