Life

With gratitude, all life appears as a blessing - without gratitude, all of life is perceived as a burden.—Unknown

Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can. ~Danny Kaye

Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once. ~Lillian Dickson

To live remains an art which everyone must learn, and which no one can teach. ~Havelock Ellis

Life: It is about the gift not the package it comes in. ~Dennis P. Costea, Jr.

In life we all have an unspeakable secret, an irreversible regret, an unreachable dream and an unforgettable love. ~Diego Marchi

The tragedy of life is not so much what men suffer, but rather what they miss. ~Thomas Carlyle

The purpose of life is a life of purpose. ~Robert Byrne

To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else. ~Emily Dickinson

In the book of life, the answers aren't in the back. ~Charlie Brown

Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars. ~Henry Van Dyke

Unbeing dead isn't being alive. ~e.e. cummings



Yesterday I heard the song Secret to Life by Faith Hill and it got me to thinking: what is the secret to life? Philosophers, poets, psychologists, writers and great thinkers have tried to figure it out. Personally, I think that the secret to life is the secret OF life; we have to take each day as it is given to us and love it for everything we can. There is no one secret to life because the secret is different in everyone’s life.


There were so many great quotes about the meaning of life but I chose the ones that had more to do with LIVING rather than simply counting the days. We have to have a meaning and purpose for each day, just going through the motions is not enough. I had several great mentors who taught me that it is not the ‘stuff’ in our lives that matters it is the people who will be touched by our actions.


My Granny was the most wonderful woman that I have ever known. She worked hard but she also took time to ensure that those she loved KNEW she loved them. She spent her days serving and making everyone around her feel important. When she passed away the church was filled to capacity and then some. She had touched so many people in her life. She was a genuine person who lived her life from the inside out. Of course, I didn’t realize that until my adult years but I certainly do not take any day for granted now. I hope to one day grow up to be like her, I’d love to give her a hug today and tell her how very important she was to me and how much I love her. They broke the mold when they made her; she is and will always be my hero.


The others who touched my life were a former Pastor and his wife. They were outstanding examples of how to build and maintain great relationships. They didn’t pick and choose from those who drove the best cars, lived in the biggest houses or had bulging bank accounts but they genuinely love everyone. They taught me that people should be cared for simply because they are breathing. They made me believe in the hope of eternity and the goodness in everyone (no matter how hidden it might seem). These two precious people fed many good things into my life that I will always treasure. They gave me some important rules to live by that I will apply to my daily life as long as I have breath. They are just quality people that I will forever appreciate.


Mentors are important in our lives. They take our hands and show us the way when we’re not sure which way to go. They are bold enough to correct us when we’ve really messed things up but still care enough to give us a hug when it matters. They are friends even when we are not friendly.  I appreciate their lessons and hope to one day pass some of what I’ve learned along to someone else. I by NO means have arrived at perfection but I strive each day to live my life to the fullest and make each day count. Even on the bad days there is something to take away and learn. Perseverance and a little bit of patience are what make the days seem a little brighter. Smile when you don’t feel like it, squeeze those you love tight and treat each day as a treasure. Time is the only indispensible resource we have.