Ok. Ok. I know some of

you were wondering; 

When is he ever going

to publish another one

of those GUTS things?

     I’m up to 75 of them; so you can be sure they will continue for a long time to come. Here is number 28 for you to chew on. G.U.T.S. #28 = Get Up To Smile. It has been said that life is a self-fulfilling prophecy. If that is true, then we need to work on the health of our predictions.

     First thoughts are important thoughts. Start your day with praise, not pessimism. Let the very first though upon awakening be the joy of loving God & appreciating life. Go first to your knees and praise God for the rest of the day & thank Him for the strength to face the new day. Say “Good Morning Lord; instead of Good Lord, its morning.” Feelings will often change with a healthy outlook and forecast.

     Go second to the mirror and make sure there is a smile on the reflection looking back; even if you have to laugh at yourself to make it happen. It is not likely that things will work out good, if we don’t choose a good beginning. Let the whole purpose of your day be bright. If we want a great day; then we need to work on having great beginnings.

     This account of an elderly lady entering her room in the retirement home is a lesson on attitude for us all.

Subject:  ATTITUDE

“(This story reminds me of my own grandmother who is still in her own house and even has a garden, at age 92 [2003].  She has always taught that you can do whatever you decide to do. My aunt (her daughter), Lynda Bailey, sent me this one. – RR)

The 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window.
 “I love it,” she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.
“Mrs. Jones, you haven’t seen the room …. just wait.”
 “That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” she replied. “Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged…it’s how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it.  It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away … just for this time in my life.” 

Old age is like a bank account … you withdraw from it what you’ve put in.
So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in your bank account of memories. Thank you Nana for your part in filling my Memory bank. I am still depositing. Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.”

     Even dealing with bad stuff works out better, when it is approached with a healthy outlook. Don’t wait to see what’s going to happen, to smile. Smile, because you’ve already decided to make the best of whatever happens. I share this tonight. So you can use it in the morning. Go ahead & pre-decide that tomorrow will be a day to celebrate. In the morning, Get Up To Smile!

SLAM! (Tim Carter)