Watching History

I can count on one finger the Presidential Inaugurations I've watched, and I'm not talking about the ones I was forced to see during my school years. I give less than a hoot about politics, so I've absolutely no interest in watching the pomp and circumstance of the swearing in of yet another President.

For obvious reasons, this year was different; I'd been planning to watch. I was even more excited that today was a snow day for the kids, so we'd get to watch together. Cade's only 6, but I wanted him to have a memory of it, no matter how vague it might become. Mallorie was as excited as a teenager can get.

We popped popcorn and the three of us tuned in to history from the couch. All in all we did fairly well. We watched and discussed as everyone arrived. We munched as Obama was sworn in. We sat very still listening to Obama's acceptance speech. (I even cried a little.) Fifteen minutes later we were all laughing at Spongebob.

Look Ma, No Hands!

An Evening at the Theatre

I worked box office last night for Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance's staged reading of The Pillowman. After balancing out all the revenue, I stayed to watch the reading.

The actor who played Katurian (whose name I cannot recall at the moment) was outstanding. Tim Brown, who played his brother Michal, never ceases to impress me. I wanted to protect him as much as Katurian does. Sean Farrell and Neil Wolfman were effective in their roles as "good cop, bad cop". The creepiest, and by far the most disturbing performances were given by Ken Ashford and Michelle Groenek.

While I'm not entirely sure I can say I liked, or even disliked, the actual play, I can admit it's extremely interesting. The Pillowman is definitely one of those shows that sticks with you long after you leave the theatre.

I Received an E-card Today

To make me smile. (Mission accomplished, Mr. Kash.)

An Evening At The Movies

Normally this would not have been a movie I would have been interested in seeing. I'm so glad Ken talked me into going. It was so very good. Sean Penn was phenomenal. I cried like a baby by the end.

I Received an E-card Today

Too cute!

Formula For a Good Life

One part hope
One part heart
One part the heck with it

Shake vigorously and enjoy to the fullest!

Mallorie's New Hair!

I can't remember the last time Mallorie got her hair cut. I can't even remember the last time she wanted to get her hair cut. So when she mentioned it when she got home from school, we hopped in the car and headed to Great Clips.

Mallorie looked through some of the hairstyling books and selected a style even the hairdresser didn't want to do without my permission. I vetoed that one, and we all agreed on Mallorie's second choice. She was hoping to donate her hair to Locks of Love. The hairdresser took off 14 inches, which was plenty to be able to donate.

As you can see, Mallorie loves her new style. I love it as well.Cade gave a thumbs up too, and it's hard to get any compliments from a little brother!

Kids Ring In The New Year 12 Hours Early

By: Stephanie Stilwell

WINSTON-SALEM – Kids at the Children's Museum of Winston-Salem brought in the new year early with a “Noon Year’s Eve” party that started just before 12 p.m. Wednesday.

“We thought it would be a fun thing for them to do to celebrate the New Year – have a party before we go out tonight,” parent Melissa Kinsley said.

Kids got to sing songs and listen to stories and just before noon, when there was a countdown and lots of celebrating.

“They are probably not even fully aware of how years change and things like that because these are fairly young kids here,” Eric Kerchner, the executive director of the Children's Museum, said. “But they know they're having a great time and they get to make noise.”

Some kids even made some New Year’s resolutions.

“I want to try to help people,” 7-year-old Laura Michael said.

“I have been trying to be good, but all the times but I get mad sometimes,” 5 year-old Julia Michael said.

This is the first year the Children's Museum has held a celebration on New Year’s Eve, and organizers said since it was such a success, they hope to do it again next year.

Update: We had 416 guests in the Museum for the event. It's already on our calendar for the end of this year!

Architecture Fun

I Believe (Do You?)

I Believe...
Just because two people argue, doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue, doesn't mean they do love each other.

I Believe...
We don't have to change friends if we understand friends change.

I Believe....
No matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I Believe...
True friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.

I Believe...
You can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I Believe...
It is taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I Believe...
You should always leave loved ones with loving words.
It may be the last time you see them.

I Believe...
You can keep going long after you think you can't.

I Believe...
We are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I Believe...
Either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I Believe...
Heroes are the people who do what has to be done, when it needs to be done, regardless of consequences.

I Believe...
Money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I Believe...
My best friend and I can do anything or nothing, and have the best time.

I Believe...
Sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe...
Sometimes when I 'm angry, I have the right to be angry.
But that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I Believe...
Maturity has more to do with the types of experiences you've had and what you've learned and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I Believe...
It isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe...
No matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I Believe...
Our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe...
You shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret.
It could change your life forever.

I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I Believe...
Your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I Believe...
Even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries you will find the strength to help.

I Believe...
Credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I Believe...
The people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I Believe.....
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything.
They just make the most of anything.

Christmas Morning

Once again Santa was very, very good to us. No, Mallorie isn't in pain, that's excitement caught in the Kodak moment. She loved the Guitar Hero Santa left for her. And Cade was just as thrilled with his train set.

My dad came over to spend the late morning with us. We refreshed the coffee and brought out more of the Moravian sugar cake. Grandpa brought Cade a remote control helicopter, which drives the dogs crazy. Grandpa gave Mallorie her favorite thing in the world - cash.

Later on, Mikey came over to spend some time with his dogs. He and Cade played with the Nerf guns Santa left in his and Mallorie's stockings. Later on, Mallorie, Mikey and I played Would You Rather?. We had fun with trying to choose the lesser of two evils that we would "rather" do.

We hope that everyone had as merry a Christmas as we did this year!

The Children's Museum of Winston-Salem Staff

Wishes everyone a very Merry (and Healthy) Christmas

What a Great Idea!

'50s Echoes: Quartet puts on lively show

By Mary Martin Niepold
SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL
Published: December 14, 2008

It's Christmas, it's the 1950s, and four guys with hearts as big as the world appear for a last performance. They're called the Plaids, a singing quartet who thrive on harmony -- in heart and song -- and they're the stars of the holiday musical,Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings, that opened at the Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance on Friday night.

Put it this way: If you loved to sing and Rosemary Clooney had called to ask you to sing -- or if you had a chance to sing backup for Perry Como on his hit television show from the same era -- well, if you're the Plaids, you'd jump at the chance while also offering your own version of a holiday show. And that is what we see on stage.

The Plaids make it up as they go, so theirs is a holiday show unlike any other.

Carols, a few hymns, doo-wop dancing and some hits of the times -- everything from "Sh-Boom" to "Mambo Italiano" get their own Plaid version from these lovable singers.

Hosannas get thrown into the lyrics of ballads, and the popular Harry Belafonte hit, "Day-O," somehow comes out with a Christmas message, complete with grass skirts and maracas.

Laughs, puns and pratfalls round out the fun.

Written by Stuart Ross, Forever Plaid may sound confusing, but it's not, because the storyline is this: A quartet of just average Joes wants everyone to be happy, and they'll sing and dance their hearts out to make sure it happens.

Their names are Frankie, Sparky, Jinx and Smudge, and their true mission is "to make people feel cozy."

The rigors of singing and dancing non-stop are daunting, but each of the four actors handles solos admirably, while never overshadowing his buddies.

Gray Smith appears as Frankie, Craig Faircloth as Sparky and Neil Shepherd as Jinx.

The standout is David Joy as Smudge, the Sartre-quoting intellectual in the bunch who deadpans his way into your heart.

Director Jamie Lawson goes for big laughs in his remake of television's popular The Ed Sullivan Show that trots out everything from stuffed dogs being thrown through hula hoops to Groucho Marx and the singing Chipmunks.

Music director Travis Horton demonstrates fine talent with the keyboard, and we get to see his musical trio on stage.

If you lived through the '50s, you'll wonder how you ever got through all this the first time, but you'll definitely have a good time revisiting when it's the Plaids taking you there.

Harmony, they'll tell you, is something we can all create.

Update 12/21: I was house manager for the show last night. WXII was there shooting a webspot. David and Jamie were both interviewed. Mary Barnhardt was shot handing the "patron" a ticket and I was shot handing the "patron" a program. It was kinda cool.

I was able to watch the show, and I must say that I think it's the best show I've seen WSTA do. I have to agree with Mary; David Joy was a stand out. He brought such nuance to his Smudge character and maintained the character details throughout. I've watched David grow as an actor, and I'm proud to have shared the stage with him on a couple of occasions.

If you haven't seen the show you only have one more chance. The last performance is 8p on Tuesday!

Santa and Cade

What a Great Idea!

KLT in the Kernersville Christmas Parade

Happy 38th, Bro!

An Evening at the Theatre

It wasn't just because we couldn't get tickets to see The Santaland Diaries. Dick Strohmeier was in Black Comedy, along with Chuck Powers. So Ken and I decided to attend opening night.

It's difficult to talk about the show without giving away the central concept, which I found unique and very entertaining. The play relies a great deal on physical comedy, of which I'm a huge fan. Physical comedy needs to look real instead of, well, staged. I think a more seasoned cast would have looked less choreographed.

I thought William Speakman, who played Brindsley Miller, did fairly well. It might have been opening night nerves, but I would have loved to have seen Alex Koceja really let loose as Harold. Amy Swaim as Miss Furnival was just plain funny. Chuck and Dick were charming in their respective roles. Lilly Nelson was a powerhouse as Clea.

Ken and I sat in the front row. Twice I had to adjust myself for fear of getting hit with a prop. For me, that's the beauty of live theatre. Things don't always go as scripted. It's a testament of a true actor to deal with unreliable props, or props that fall other than where expected. The cast did a great job in dealing with these issues, and had so much fun I wished I had been in the show.

Prop 8 - The Musical

Cast (in order of appearance)
California Gays and The People That Love Them:
Jordan Ballard, Margaret Cho, Barrett Foa, J.B. Ghuman, John Hill, Andy Richter, Maya Rudolph, Rashad Naylor, Nicole Parker
Proposition 8'ers and The People That Follow Them:
Prop 8 Leader - John C. Reilly
Prop 8 Leader's #1 Wife - Allison Janney
Prop 8 Leader's #2 Wife - Kathy Najimy
Riffing Prop 8'er - Jenifer Lewis
A Preacher - Craig Robinson
Scary Catholic School Girls From Hell - Rashida Jones, Lake Bell, Sarah Chalke
The Frightened Villagers - Katharine "Kooks" Leonard, Seth Morris, Denise "Esi!" Piane, Lucian Piane, Richard Read, Seth Redford, Quinton Strack, Tate Taylor
Jesus Christ - Jack Black
A Very Smart Fellow - Neil Patrick Harris
Piano Player - Marc "Marc" Shaiman

Let's Say Thanks

Beast or Boy?

Cade came to the museum with me today. Sneakers, the mascot of the "Healthier Ever After" exhibit, made an appearance. Afterwards, Cade decided he wanted to try on the costume. What do you think?

My Thanksgiving Philosophy

Pics, Blithe Spirit

A Review for Blithe Spirit

Economy, story make this play a difficult sell
By Joe Scott, Special to the News & Record

GREENSBORO - With two minutes before the start of Open Space Cafe Theatre's production of "Blithe Spirit," I realize that with the exception of my date and the 12 other audience members sitting in the room, no one else was coming.

That's when Open Space's founder and artistic director Joe Nierle took on the difficult task of greeting such a paltry audience.

"As you can see," Nierle said, "the economy has begun to affect us also."

Then the play began, and I realized that even if the economy weren't in a downswing, the low turnout would have been just as well. With no less than two intermissions, the three hours and nine minutes it took to sit through "Blithe Spirit" was a gauntlet of endurance. There were few instances where this stuffy comedy about members of the British upper class dealing with a supernatural calamity gagged with signs of life.

For the most part, it was painfully dead.

The focus of writer Noel Coward's play is married couple Charles (Fred Nash) and Ruth (Cheryl Ann Roberts). A widower and widow, they open the play discussing their former marriages.

Meanwhile, Charles, who is a writer, is planning to take part in a seance so he can do research for his upcoming mystery novel. Add Charles' discussion of his late first wife Elvira to this scenario and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess that she will soon materialize and create all kinds of chaos on the married couple's lives.

It was Nash who delivered the most well-crafted performance of the show. His refined British accent sounded real enough to fool the Queen.

By the second act, he made it clear that he was the measuring stick by which all of his castmates should be compared. Co-stars Roberts, Betsy Brown and especially Jane McLelland fared well, but the rest of the cast was woefully lacking.

As the show's other wealthy British couple, Mary Janca and especially Michael Henry Carter, changed their accents more often than they did their costumes.

But the show's biggest sore thumb was actress Shelly Segal. For starters, Segal didn't seem too convinced with what was happening on stge. As the titular spirit, Elvira, she seldom made eye contact with her co-stars and continued to wave her nightgown back and forth like a small child in a Christmas pageant.

Was this a case of misdirection? I couldn't say, but Segal also was cheating towars the audience so much during the play that it encroached the fourth wall.

As I suffered through one of the more difficult scenes, I started to think that perhaps this was simply a case of a company doing the wrong play at the wrong time.

After all, with unemployment on the rise, it's truly difficult to sympathize with a character who says, "Servants are awful aren't they? Not a shred of gratitude."

Indeed, if local theatre is to survive an impending recession, arts groups would do well to seek out stories that will engage the rising number of groundlings hard-pressed to afford tickets.

Sneakers

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY!

Four years ago today a dream became a reality as the Children's Museum of Winston-Salem opened its doors.

Now, nearly 85,000 guests visit the Museum each year for story times, birthday parties, facility rentals, field trips, group tours, outreach programs, and summer camps...that's something to celebrate!

Cade Lost a Front Tooth!

I Got Flowers Today

Aren't they beautiful?

Special Comment by Keith Olbermann on Prop 8

As tears stream down my face, I applaud Olbermann's Special Comments from last night's "Countdown" broadcast, the top-rated show on MSNBC.

It's six minutes and thirty seconds of poetic, emotional television. Hundreds of thousands of people saw this last night. Now's your chance. Please press play.

Boobies

I'd Love To See This...

Bell, Book and Candle by John Van Druten. Triad Stage at the Pyrle Theater, October 19-November 9. 7:30pm Tuesday - Thursday and Sunday; 8pm Friday, Saturday; 2pm Sunday. 232 South Elm Street, Greensboro. 336-272-0160.

Back in the early 90's I read the script while serving on the playreading committee for Kernersville Little Theatre. I remember thinking it was a very cute story. KLT didn't want to produce it because one of the "characters", Pyewacket, is a cat.

Spooktacular

I'm thinking of taking Cade...

October 31, 6pm. At Downtown Winston-Salem Arts District, Trade Street 5th-7th Trade Street, Winston-Salem. Dress up the kids, pets and yourself for a night of trick-or-treating, costume contests, prizes, art activities, spookatacular entertainment, and lots and lots of candy. Cost is free.

We Got Dogs!

Okay, so they aren't really our dogs. We are dogsitting Jazmin (the blonde) and Cosi (the black) for a couple of months while Gigaboo plays Santa in Here's Love.

Cade is beyond excited. He's been following them around as they explore their new home. Mallorie has responded in true teenage fashion - a shoulder shrug and a grunt. (I think that means she's excited.)

Just Finished

And I have to say that I am hooked! Thank goodness I have the next book. I can dive into that one immediately!

After reading the book I was very curious as to what others (of all ages) thought about the book. So, I read some of the reviews on amazon.com. (I especially loved the review by gaimangirl.)

True, Twilight is no literary masterpiece, but it is wonderful fluff entertainment. If you're over the age of 20, and as long as you remember that the book was written for young adults (with the emphasis on young) I think you'll enjoy it.

Now, on to the next saga.....

The last time I used one of these was 1988 for a college term paper. I don't believe I've used one since. Well, I had to use one at work today.

As I sat before the relic, I vividly remembered taking Typing 101, taught by Mrs. Barney in high school. Ah, the memories...

Typing 17 labels caused me quite a bit of frustration. The poor little machine just could not keep up with me! When typing double letters I actually had to wait for it to reset the key in order to type the letter again. This I figured out when Tennessee came out looking like Tenese.

Causing me to express more of my frustration verbally, was the fact that, while this typewriter had built in correction tape, it would not completely clear the incorrect letter. After some choice words, I searched the office for some White Out. We didn't have any.

An hour later, I finally finished my 17 labels. My computer now knows how much I appreciate it.

Monday Funny

A Michigan woman and her family were vacationing in a small New England town where Paul Newman and his family often visited.

One Sunday morning, the woman got up early to take a long walk. After a brisk five-mile hike, she decided to treat herself to a double-dip chocolate ice cream cone. She hopped in the car, drove to the center of the village and went straight to the combination bakery/ice cream parlor.

There was only one other patron in the store, Paul Newman, sitting at the counter having a doughnut and coffee. The woman's heart skipped a beat as her eyes made contact with those famous baby-blue eyes. The actor nodded graciously and the star struck woman smiled demurely. "Pull yourself together!", she chided herself. "You're a happily married woman with three children, you're forty-five years old, not a teenager!"

The clerk filled her order and she took the double-dip chocolate ice cream cone in one hand and her change in the other. Then she went out the door, avoiding even a glance in Paul Newman's direction.

When she reached her car, she realized that she had a handful of change but her other hand was empty. Back into the shop she went, expecting to see the cone still in the clerk's hand or in a holder on the counter or something! No ice cream cone was in sight. With that, she happened to look over at Paul Newman.

His face broke into his familiar, warm, friendly grin and he said to the woman,
"You put it in your purse."

Yes, He Certainly Does

KLT on the Air!

If you were tuning in to Murphy in the Morning this morning at 8:20am, I hope you heard Myla O'Brien talking about The Queen of Bingo.

Myla is the VP of Marketing for Kernersville Little Theatre and she used this morning's WKZL remote broadcast to promote our current production. Tiffany Joyner and Jean Wentz were on hand for a live teaser performance.

I've know Myla for many years, and I cannot tell you how proud of her I am. To have arranged for an interview during the live broadcast was extraordinary. But to hear Myla talk about KLT - amazing! She was very articulate and very professional. I was smiling and clapping as I listened to my radio.

Outstanding job, Myla!

Kudos

Saw You Can't Take It With You Thursday. Loved it!
~Becky Mo
**********
Cheryl Ann...Essie is fabulous. You're so great in this show. You are so funny!
~SB
**********
We had a fun time watching your “acting” (but was it really acting, or just acting naturally?) in You Can’t Take It With You on Friday night!!! Bravo!
~B & KC
**********
Enjoyed the show Sunday. You lit up the stage.
~GG
**********
Thanks so much for all that you did to make “You Can’t Take It with You” a success! You and your fellow cast members were great! Your energy and dedication is vital to the success of the Little Theatre and we appreciate everything you do.
~Carrie Collins
President
The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem Board of Directors

Love and Support

Becky, Mom, Liz, Rodney and Marie, Bill and Kathy, Mallorie and Cade, Dick and Carolyn, and Myla...

I am once again so very honored for your love and support. Thank you so much for seeing You Can't Take It With You. I hope you had as much fun watching as I did dancing.

A Society Column

by Leigh McMillian

I've been writing this column for 10 years now, and I must say, I've never attended a gala quite like the one last week. I was invited to join Paul and Penny Sycamore as they celebrated the engagement of their daughter Alice to Mr. Anthony Kirby, Jr..

Things definitely started off on the wrong foot when Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Kirby, Sr. arrived a day early, interrupting Essie Carmichael's ballet lesson with renowned Russian ballet instructor Boris Kolenkhov.

I've got to hand it to Penny Sycamore. She did her best to piece together a last-minute dinner, sending the family's devoted maid Reba out to the store for frankfurters, Campbell's soup and canned corn. The menu changed dramatically when Reba came back with pickled pigs feet instead. I've heard that, since the party, the family has made the acquaintance of Duchess Olga Katrina. Too bad she wasn't on hand to make her famous blintzes.

Would-be actress Gay Wellington, invited to audition for one of Mrs. Sycamore's latest plays, added a little impromptu entertainment with her drunken rendition of "There was a young lady from Wheeling."

The evening wound down early when things got a little tense during a game of Forget-Me-Not. The Kirby's were on their way out the door when three officers from the Department of Justice arrived to arrest Ed Carmichael for distributing anti-government propaganda. Further investigation in the basement revealed a very entertaining but highly illegal fireworks operation run by Paul Sycamore and his partner, Mr. De Pinna.

Martin Vanderhof, Mrs. Sycamore's father, attempted to smooth things over but when I left to file this column, the whole group was being loaded into a paddy wagon, leaving several shipments of Love Dreams, an unfinished portrait and a jar of uneaten pickled pigs feet.

Which just goes to show, sometimes you can't take it with you.

Sad Day...

for fans of this wonderful Hollywood legend.

The Journal Review......

What Fun: A lot to take away with this
By Ken Keuffel
JOURNAL REPORTER
Published: September 20, 2008

The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem's current production of You Can't Take It With You is very funny.

But it manages to get a serious message across about values and priorities -- and one worth pondering as the show's many cast members astonish us with their eccentricities on the Reynolds Auditorium stage.

You Can't Take It With You was written by the famed team of George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart.

It conquered Broadway in the middle 1930s, running there for more than 800 performances before being made into an Academy Award-winning film. It's of another time but remains remarkably relevant to ours.

The plot revolves around the Sycamores and the Kirbys, two radically different families that are brought together because Alice Sycamore (Ashley Davis) and Tony Kirby (Ben Palombo) have fallen in love.

The Kirbys are strait-laced, normal and consumed by the Wall Street culture of building wealth.

The Sycamores are just the opposite. Each real or adopted member of that clan zealously pursues his or her own interests.

Some of their hobbies are mundane, but many others are truly bizarre and include evading the taxman for years, making fireworks in a basement, writing plays about war and sex and circulating candies wrapped in paper on which incendiary messages are printed.

The contrasts between the happy Sycamores and the (initially) unhappy Kirbys are vividly drawn in director Stan Bernstein's attractive staging. We get a palpable sense of the wacky disharmony into which the two families fall.

There are a number of fine individual performances. I found that of Mikey Wiseman particularly memorable; he plays Kolenkhov, the ballet instructor who wears his Russianness on his sleeve in exaggerated-but-endearing fashion.

And David Westfall plays Grandpa Vanderhof quite convincingly, teaching us why it's sometimes important to quit the rat race, relax and live a little.

■ The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem will present You Can't Take It With You through Sept. 28 in Reynolds Auditorium. Evening shows will be at 8 p.m. tonight, Thursday, Friday and next Saturday, with a 2 p.m. matinee Sept. 28. Tickets are $18, $16 for seniors and $14 for students. Call 725-4001.

Aside from the physical toll the role of Essie took (constantly dancing around on tippy-toes is exhausting!) I had a great time!

It's My Bro!

Vote For Me!

Look who's in the latest SETC newsletter!

40 Tips for A Better Life

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today.'
5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
6. Play more games and read more books than you did last year.
7. Make time to practice meditation, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.
14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, OR issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a life time.
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the NEGATIVE BLUES away.
18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
26. Forgive everyone for everything.
27. What other people think of you is none of your business.
28. Remember, time heals everything.
29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
33. The best is yet to come.
34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
35. Do the right thing!
36. Call your family often. (Or email them to death!!!)
37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.
38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass.
40. You only have the one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.