Paradox

Today we have bigger houses and smaller families;
more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees, but less common sense;
more knowledge, but less judgment.

We have more experts, but more problems;
more medicine, but less wellness.

We spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast,
get to angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired,
read too little, watch TV too often, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too little and lie too often.

We‘ve learned how to make a living, but not a life;
we’ve added years to life, not life to years.

We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers;
wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.

We spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less.

We've been all the way to the moon and back,
but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbour.

We've conquered outer space, but not inner space.
We've split the atom, but not our prejudice.

We write more, but learn less; plan more, but accomplish less.

We've learned to rush, but not to wait;
we have higher incomes, but lower morals.

We build more computers to hold more information,
to produce more copies, but have less communication.
We are long on quantity, but short on quality.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion;
tall men and short character; steep profits and shallow relationships.

More leisure and less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition;
two incomes, but more divorce; fancier houses, but broken homes.

That’s why I propose, that as of today,
you do not keep anything for a special occasion,
because every day that you live is a special occasion.

Search for knowledge, read more,
sit on your front porch and admire the view without paying attention to your needs.

Spend more time with your family and friends,
eat your favorite foods, and visit the places you love.

Life is a chain of moment of enjoyment, not only about survival.

Use your crystal goblets. Do not save your best perfume,
and use it every time you feel you want it.

Remove from your vocabulary phrases like “one of these days” and “someday”. Let’s write that letter we thought of writing “one of these days”.

Let’s tell our families and friends how much we love them.
Do not delay anything that adds laughter and joy to your life.

Every day, every hour, and every minute is special.
And you don’t know if it will be your last.

I've learned

I've learned ....
That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I've learned ....
That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned ....
That just one person saying to me, "You've made my day!" makes my day.

I've learned ....
That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned ....
That you should never say "no" to a gift from a child.

I've learned ....
That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.

I've learned ....
That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned ....
That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I've learned ....
That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned ....
That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned ....
That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.

I've learned ....
That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned ....
That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned ....
That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned ....
That the God didn't do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?

I've learned ....
That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I've learned ....
That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned ....
That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned ....
That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned ....
That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I've learned ....
That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned ....
That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned ....
That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

I've learned ....
That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've learned ....
That I wish I could have told my Dad that I love him one more time before he passed away.

I've learned ....
That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned ....
That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

I've learned ....
That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I've learned ....
That I can't choose how I feel, but I can choose what I do about it.

I've learned ....
That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've learned ....
That it is best to give advice in only two circumstances; when it is requested and when it is a life threatening situation.