InspirEmail

InspirEmail No 139 - July 28, 2008
'Inspirational messages to refresh the spirit and boost the emotional bank account'

Twenty-one rules for having a great life

One - Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

Two - Marry a man or woman you love to talk to. as you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

Three - Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

Four - When you say, 'I love you,' mean it.

Five - When you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye.

Six - Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

Seven - Believe in love at first sight.

Eight - Never laugh at anyone's dream. people who don't have dreams don't have much.

Nine - Love, deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

Ten - In disagreements, fight fairly and no name calling.

Eleven - Don't judge people by their relatives.

Twelve - Talk slowly but think quickly.

Thirteen - When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'why do you want to know?'

Fourteen - Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

Fifteen - Say 'bless you' when you hear someone sneeze.

Sixteen - When you lose, don't lose the lesson

Seventeen - Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others and Responsibility for all your actions.

Eighteen - Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

Nineteen - When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

Twenty - Smile when picking up the phone, the caller will hear it in your voice.

Twenty-one - Spend some time alone.

Author Unknown

Positive Messages and Stories to Inspire You

A series of inspiring and uplifting stories written by the publisher of InspirEmail, to refresh your spirits and boost the emotional bank account . . . Positive Messages and Stories to Inspire You >>>

The Nature of Character

Abraham Lincoln was very concerned with character, but he was also aware of the importance of having a good reputation. He explained the difference this way: 'Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.'

Put another way, your reputation is what people think of you. Your character is what you actually are.

In a world preoccupied with image, it's easy to worry too much about our reputation and too little about our character. Building a reputation is largely a public-relations project; building character requires us to focus on our values and actions. Noble rhetoric and good intentions aren't enough.

What we're looking for is moral strength based on ethical principles. Character is revealed by actions, not words, especially when there's a gap between what we want to do and what we should do and when doing the right thing costs more than we want to pay.

Our character is revealed by how we deal with pressures and temptations. But it's also disclosed by everyday actions, including what we say and do when we think no one is looking and we won't get caught.

The way we treat people we think can't help or hurt us (like housekeepers, waiters, and secretaries), tells more about our character than how we treat people we think are important. People who are honest, kind, and fair only when there's something to gain shouldn't be confused with people of real character who demonstrate these qualities habitually, under all circumstances.
Character is not a fancy coat we put on for show. It's who we really are.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Written by Michael Josephson

Michael Josephson is one of the most sought-after and quoted ethicists. Founder and president of Josephson Institute and its Character Counts project, he has conducted programs for more than 100,000 leaders in government, business, education, sports, law enforcement, journalism, law, and the military. Mr. Josephson is also an award-winning radio commentator. You can subscribe to his regular free Character Counts Commentaries on the website. To view the contact details please visit . . .  Positive Inspirational Links >>>

- Inspirational Quote -

Someday may never come. So live each day better than the last.
That way you'll wake up with so much excitement and anticipation you'll jump out of bed and shout 'I can't wait!'
Bob Perks

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