MY ELDEST brother, Junior, is fond of buying books and gifting friends and us with his great buys. I was the recipient of his generosity and thoughtfulness.
“Nothing is worth more than this Day” is the title of a bright red colored book I started to read in my free time this week.
It is a book of quotes that will be a fine addition to the great collection of quotes at Quoted Café.
I went through the book and found 10 great quotes I find inspiring enough to share:
1. “Stay low, stay quiet, keep it simple, don’t expect too much, enjoy what you have.”
2. “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain”.
3. “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”
4. “Stop a moment, cease your work, look around you.”
5. “Think big thoughts, but relish small pleasures.”
6. “Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?”
7. “The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive you will see it.”
8. “Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.”
9. “ If you learn to respond as if today were the first day of your life, and the very last day, then you will have spent this day very well.”
10. “A happy man is too satisfied with the present to dwell too much on the future.”
My dearest friends,
After having reflected on a number of these quotes, I did what I would not ordinarily do.
As my wife and I were driving along a road on the way to a beach today, we saw many cars parked along the road. I quickly asked Angie to stop the car to see what it was that made people stop. Then I saw a sign that said “Waterfalls.”
We thought it was just a nice sight to look at. It was, but we also saw people crossing the brook and a few brave souls swimming in the huge pond of water under the falls. I touched the water and it was cold. I thought of the difficulty of crossing the brook with its many big and small stones.
I checked the place for safety. I saw some warning signs about “no diving”, and “flash floods”, but otherwise, it was safe to swim.
I said to myself, “carpe diem” (seize the day) and “find joy in every moment”. “I may not be able to pass this way again”. “Michael, do it while you still can.”
We went back to the car and changed into our swimwear. I was so glad we did, as we met someone in crutches, crossing the brook, after having swam in the pond.
If he could, why couldn’t we? Why shouldn’t we?
We eagerly went into the icy cold water and had the highlight of our trip that day. It was even better than swimming in the beach.
This experience we add to our memory bank, as we try to find joy in every opportunity and circumstance, each day, each moment.
Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”