[Faith-talk] "Alphabet of Happiness"

[Paul Smith]

Hello and good day to you all out there.  Hope your day is going well, 
whether it's at its beginning, middle or end, by God's matchless grace 
and His providential care.

Here is yet another contribution from an author whose name is not 
given, but I like what he/she wrote, and I hope you do also.  Following 
this little missive I have an announcement about my radio program for 
tomorrow, August 26.

A--Accept:  Accept others for who they are and for the choices they've 
made even if you have difficulty understanding their beliefs, motives, 
or actions.

B--Break Away:  Break away from everything that stands in the way of 
what you hope to accomplish with your life.

C--Create:  Create a family of friends whom you can share your hopes, 
dreams, sorrows, and happiness with.

D--Decide:  Decide that you'll be successful and happy come what may, 
and good things will find you.  The roadblocks are only minor obstacles 
along the way.

E--Explore:  Explore and experiment.  The world has much to offer, and 
you have much to give.  And every time you try something new, you'll 
learn more about yourself.

F--Forgive:  Forgive and forget.  Grudges only weigh you down and 
inspire unhappiness and grief.  Soar above it, and remember that 
everyone makes mistakes.

G--Grow:  Leave the childhood monsters behind.  They can no longer hurt 
you or stand in your way.

H--Hope:  Hope for the best and never forget that anything is possible 
as long as you remain dedicated to the task.

I--Ignore:  Ignore the negative voice inside your head.  Focus instead 
on your goals and remember your accomplishments.  Your past success is 
only a small inkling of what the future holds.

J--Journey:  Journey to new worlds, to new possibilities, by remaining 
open-minded.  Try to learn something new every day, and you'll grow.

K--Know:  Know that no matter how bad things seem, they'll always get 
better.  The warmth of spring always follows the harshest winter.

L--Love:  Let love fill your heart instead of hate.  When hate is in 
your heart, there's room for nothing else, but when love is in your 
heart, there's room for endless happiness.

M--Manage:  Manage your time and your expenses wisely, and you'll 
suffer less stress and worry.  Then you'll be able to focus on the 
important things in life.

N--Notice:  Never ignore the poor, infirm, helpless, weak, or 
suffering.  Offer your assistance when possible, and always your 
kindness and understanding.

O--Open:  Open your eyes and take in all the beauty around you.  Even 
during the worst of times, there's still much to be thankful for.

P--Play:  Never forget to have fun along the way.  Success means 
nothing without happiness.

Q--Question:  Ask many questions, because you're here to learn.

R--Relax:  Refuse to let worry and stress rule your life, and remember 
that things always have a way of working out in the end.

S--Share:  Share your talent, skills, knowledge and time with others.  
Everything that you invest in others will return to you many times over.

T--Try:  Even when your dreams seem impossible to reach, try anyway.  
You'll be amazed by what you can accomplish.

U--Use:  Use your gifts to your best ability.  Talent that's wasted has 
no value.  Talent that's used will bring unexpected rewards.

V--Value:  Value the friends and family members who've supported and 
encouraged you, and be there for them as well.

W--Work:  Work hard every day to be the best person you can be, but 
never feel guilty if you fall short of your goals.  Every sunrise 
offers a second chance.

X--X-Ray:  Look deep inside the hearts of those around you and you'll 
see the goodness and beauty within.

Y--Yield:  Yield to commitment.  If you stay on track and remain 
dedicated, you'll find success at the end of the road.

Z--Zoom:  Zoom to a happy place when bad memories or sorrow rear its 
ugly head.  Let nothing interfere with your goals.  Instead, focus on 
your abilities, your dreams, and a brighter tomorrow.

Well, there's a lot to think about in these lines, in my opinion, and I 
hope that you all will take what was written to heart.

Tomorrow my radio show on the Radio Reading Network of Maryland will be 
heard at an earlier hour, that is, 9-10 AM eastern time.  Listen to it at
http://www.radioreadingnetwork.org.
Just click on the link that says "listeners," and you should be there.  
The first half hour or so will be devoted to poetry, and by that I 
don't mean the free verse or blank verse variety, but the poetry that 
rhymes.  The second half hour will be a hodgepodge of things that have 
struck my fancy to share.  If I know in advance who will be listening, 
I'll acknowledge you on the program.  Anyway I hope that those who can 
listen will do so.  Thanks in advance for your listening.

And that will do for now.  Until tomorrow when, Lord willing the last 
in a series of poems will be posted, may the God of Abraham, Isaac and 
Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last 
days in which we live.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul