Inspiration 365 Days!

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We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.

— Aristotle

A king in Africa had a close friend with whom he grew up. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life, whether positive or negative, and remarking, “This is good!”

One day the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns. For after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off.

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I’m working on my Happiness Project, and you should have one, too! Everyone’s project will look different, but it’s the rare person who can’t benefit. Join in — no need to catch up, just jump in right now. Each Friday’s post will help you think about your own happiness project.

This week — read something for fun!

I’ve noticed something when I ask people what they’re reading: they often name some highly estimable, dense, serious book, and then confess that they’ve been reading it for months.

Before you go to sleep make a list of 10 wonderful things about the day that just passed. Don’t look for only big-ticket items, such as promotions at work, long awaited achievements or financial windfalls. While these are exciting and noteworthy, this is a time to reflect on what truly have been moments of wonder. These are your “alive” moments, moments that sparkle. The majestic blue sky you noticed as you were leaving the office. they way your son’s freckles seemed to dance across his nose and down his cheeks when he laughed at the story you told. The scent of honeysuckle as you walked to the postbox.

Owen and Mzee are a hippopotamus and a tortoise, respectively, that appear to have formed a unique bond of friendship.

A baby hippopotamus, Owen, was orphaned in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Kenya near Malindi during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on December 26, 2004. The baby hippo, weighing 600 pounds (270 kg), was rescued during a day long effort by nearly 1,000 villagers using shark nets. Owen’s namesake is a villager named Owen Saubion, who finally tackled the hippo during the rescue.

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
— Frank Outlaw

As quoted in Change-Your-Life Quote Book

Tom wasn’t too happy with the way his life was going. He heard there was this motivational guru who had helped many improved their lives. So he decided to go look up the guru.

The guru had his office at an unusual place: A dark alley. With some fumbling, Tom finally managed to find it. He opened the door to the office and saw…