No Matter The Season… There’s Always A Reason

Family trees also go through seasons of change. Each time there is a new marriage a new branch is formed. When that family is blessed with a baby, a brand new leave is added to that branch. When a member of the family dies another leave falls from the tree but it is returned to earth. Sometimes when that family branch has lost all of its leaves the branch falls off changing the family composition. But through all of the changes, each branch depends on the roots to nourish its growth. With growth, there will come a time when you will have to be replanted so that you can have your roots to build a solid groundwork for future generations to grow upon. Everything has a cycle and life is a process that takes each of us through different seasons. We don’t always understand the reason for the storms and the changes that often take place. But in the end when you are standing tall, you realize you were stronger than you thought and you did not fall. There’s a reason you were planted where you are. GOD knew where you could grow and where the beauty of your blossom could show.

To read the entire short story, please visit www.anecdotebooks.com

Your Presence Has Purpose

Excerpt from our September 2011 Short Story:  Too many times, we forget that we are gifts designed to fulfill a purpose. Each of us offers something unique that enhances the lives around us. We’re more valuable than we give ourselves credit for. If we take the time to think about all of the good things we’ve done, we soon realize we’re a positive force. If during our self-analysis we discover we’ve done more negative than positive, then it’s time to make a change for the better. That’s the beauty of this gift called life. Each day we get to unwrap our gift and use it all over again. Please visit our website to read the entire story.
www.anecdotebooks.com 

Today Is A New Day...What Will You Do Differently?

"Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again."
-Og Mandino

Will You Go The Extra Mile?

Louis Gosset Jr. stars in a movie called In His Father's Shoes. His character dies from cancer and his 15 year old son is struggling with the loss of his father. Prior to his father's death, they visited a store and a woman gave Gosset a pair of wingtip shoes as a gift. He died before he got a chance to wear them so his son stepped into the shoes and was transported back into his father's life.




This movie made me think about all the times that we've tried to walk a mile in someone else's shoes. But as you travel the roads they had to journey, you soon realize that this journey wasn't yours to travel. Don't try to follow in another man's footsteps but go the extra mile to design your own road map.




"Do more than is required. What is the distance between someone who achieves their goals consistently and those who spend their lives and careers merely following? The extra mile."
-Gary Ryan Blair

Add caption

All Aboard...Your Ticket Is Non-Transferable

If you are offered another ticket to ride on someone else’s train, just tell them no thank you…my ticket is non-transferable.  I know where my train is headed and I’m the conductor of (Your Name or Initials) Express.  I’m the only one equipped to handle this locomotive so I will let you off at the next station.

Freedom Bag, Are You Ready To Fly?

For the month of July the one word that stood out for me was freedom.  Freedom to me symbolizes being able to fly without anything or anyone holding you down.  I often wondered why airlines imposed so many restrictions on luggage. But after seeing the transportation system from a different perspective I was able to understand that we are all a form of vehicle. If we are overloaded with baggage, we would not be able to operate properly and would not be able to fly.  This was how I began the story of  Freedom Bag, Are You Ready to Fly?  (see website for the July 2011 archived stories to read the entire short story).

It is so important that we understand that we have to leave some things behind in order to reach the next destination. If what you are carrying around is weighing you down, then it is time to check your freedom bag and get rid of all unnecessary items in your life.  You can not really soar if the load you are transporting is too heavy.

When clouds and storms block your view, remember you are the pilot and you can change the course of your flight and fly above any turbulence that comes your way.

The only time I’ve seen a plane move in reverse is when it is backing away from the terminal to get ready to fly to its next destination. When you are in flight, you don’t go backward. You soar forward. So why do we always go back and pick up the baggage we should have left behind?

Have you put your bag through the screening process lately? You may be carrying around things or people that are combustible. It is only a matter of time before these contents are sparked and cause an explosion. Be careful of what you carry around in your bag. You want to make sure you have people or things in your bag that can be used as lifesavers in case of a crisis.

During life's flight, there will be some arrivals and some departures. There will be some hellos and some goodbyes. There is always a beginning and an ending. Be thankful you can choose to begin a new journey and appreciate the completed journeys that helped you to arrive at your new destination.

Pilots put their trust in the air traffic controllers to protect them from dangers unforeseen. Whom do you put your trust in to protect you from unforeseen dangers?

Fully-Loaded and Equipped to Handle Any Journey

Whatever you drive, drive it well.  Know what your vehicle is designed and equipped to handle so that you are prepared for any unforeseen road hazards.  Never leave home without a road map because you will never know where you are going if you haven’t made a plan for your destination.  Take your time getting there because if you rush through you are bound to miss important mile markers.  Milestones in our lives help us to stop and appreciate where we’ve come from and where we are headed.  If along the way your vehicle gives out of fuel or breaks down, you have to pull into a full service station.  At this station, take as much time as you need to refuel and recharge your engine.  Sometimes we have to take a pit stop so that we can be at our optimal performance when we are ready to get back in the race.  Whatever make, model, class or color vehicle you drive…give it proper maintenance so that you can endure the long journeys that lie ahead.  Stay focused so that you do not find yourself at a dead-end.  You are in the driver’s seat and no one else can take you on the wrong path unless you give him or her control of the wheel.  Each day go into your service station and load your vehicle with the right equipment.  Then enjoy every moment of your journey and don’t forget to stop and smell the roses along the way.

Here is the link to the entire short story http://www.anecdotebooks.com/Fully-Loaded_and_E.pdf

Have You Read A Story On Our Website That Has Inspired You?

If you have been  inspired by one of our previous stories and would like to read it again, we post links to our previous stories in PDF format.  We would also like for you to share how the story made a difference in your life.