This wonderful stained glass bird caught my attention this morning.

Whomever conceived of this gift item and brought it into being may be very successful.

Entrepreneurship still thrives. During Covid, many businesses were started that still flourish today.

Do you have an idea for a product, a new food, new clothing item, a new way of doing something?

If so, do extensive homework. Is there a market for your idea? Has someone else come ahead of you with a very similar idea?

Who will be your competitors?

What is their pricing?

What will be your differentiator?

Do you have the funds to live on while you pursue this? How long until it will be profitable?

Preparation is the key.

If not today, when?

Having served in the Navy, you know who I want to win.

But, it’s this country who is the winner.

On the football field are athletes and patriots.

Patriotism is under attack in today’s America.

All the services are struggling to reach their recruiting quotas.

Real patriots, however, step forward to put themselves in harm’s way on behalf of their fellow citizens.

We live in perilous times.

Whomever wins, stand up and salute true patriots!

If not today, when?

The pump at the Texaco station would not accept my credit card.

So, I went inside to pay.

I saw this tiny lady behind the counter.

She just had to be 90 years old.

She was bent over and very wrinkled.

I felt badly for her because she still had to work on her feet all day.

When I got home, I told my wife about the little old lady.

She said, “Let’s look on the bright side. She had a reason to wake up each day and she got to meet new people and to make a little money.”

When I was leaving the station, the old lady wished me, “A good day!”

Minneapolis/LondonCNN — 

Not all pandemic recoveries are created equal.

The world’s richest economies have taken diverging paths in recuperating from the devastating effects of Covid-19.

At a time when multiple forces and crises — wars, geopolitical tensions, the pandemic’s lingering aftershocks, high inflation and steep borrowing costs — weigh on global growth, there have been few bright spots.

The US economy is one of them.

Gross domestic product in the United States grew at a remarkable 5.2% in the third quarter, ahead of China, long the engine of global growth.

The United States has powered ahead of the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada and other advanced economies this year.

Nice to hear GOOD NEWS!

Professor Robert Enright (University of Wisconsin-Madison) helped develop the field of forgiveness science back in 1985.

Yes, this is an actual field.

His work specifically explored how forgiveness might be consciously cultivated.

What does that mean?

It means you can make yourself a more forgiving person?

He believes you can. And he even created what is now known as the Enright Model of Forgiveness, which lays out the steps to get there.

What I can tell you is that almost everyone agrees that having a forgiving brain is a good thing and there is plenty of evidence showing the psychological benefits including reduced anger, anxiety and depression.

We also know that forgiveness can have a tangible impact on your physical health.

It can lower your blood pressure, better sleep, lower levels of stress induced inflammation.

Enright believes that forgiveness does not necessarily mean forgetting.

You can, after all, forgive and remember.

It also doesn’t necessarily mean reconciling with the person who hurt you or not seeking justice when it’s called for.

It’s just forgiveness, pure and simple!

(Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Neurosurgeon)

What are some of the good manners that are important in a marriage?

Respect

Please and Thank You

Good Listening

Showing Appreciation

Kindness, Always Kindness

If not today, when?

What do Iceland, Denmark and Ireland have in common?

The answer is they top the Institute for Economics and Peace’s Global Peace Index for 2023.

In these times of rising global conflict this is an achievement to be celebrated.

They excelled on measures including:

Acceptance of the rights of others!

Equitable distribution of resources!

Good relations with neighbors and free flow of information. (CNN)

WOW!

Would you like to see these three virtues practiced more often in the U.S.?

Well, it begins with us.

You and I can make a positive difference in the lives of others!

If not today, when?

Night trains have been making a resurgence across Europe.

After decades of decline, the prospect of more sustainable ways of crisscrossing the continent has travelers looking to find alternatives to flying.

There’s nothing quite like an overnight train.

The excitement before an evening departure. The sense of adventure. The cosmopolitan mix of international travelers.

Led by Austrian Federal Railways, overnight links between major European cities have been restored and expanded over the last few years.

They will receive another boost this month when luxurious new trains enter operation between Vienna and Hamburg.

Featuring comfortable sleeper cabins, the 33 new trains are perhaps the most visible sign that night rail trips are back. (CNN)

On the day of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s swearing-in at the Supreme Court, many girls and women started thinking for the first time about legal careers.

One couldn’t help but wonder: If she could succeed in the legal field, why can’t I?

Justice O’Connor received no offers for an attorney position in private practice after graduating in the top 10% of her Stanford Law School class.

Through merit, government service and grit, she nonetheless became a formidable force in Arizona and ultimately the First Woman On The Supreme Court. (CNN)

In later years, she admitted that she did not seek her appointment, but knew she had an enormous responsibility to all women to face up to her awesome task!

History has judged her as an icon in the law profession and an example for all young people striving for excellence.

Everything in life must be viewed in the proper perspective.

This is especially true when talking about thankfulness.

If I was to ask you to enumerate your current problems, I think you could do that easily.

If, however, I ask you to list those things you are thankful for, you might hesitate.

We must always keep our blessings uppermost in our minds and hearts.

Look at the world around you.

Do you see the daily suffering of the great majority of people in every society?

I ask this because they exist.

Don’t ever hesitate to be thankful.

Share your thankful spirit with others.

If not today, when?