tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55421878819460543112012-02-16T10:31:51.735-04:00Start your day on a positive note that can feed your mind with ways to improve your life or readjust your thinking. Here you will find motivational thoughts, stories, poems and quotes that you can read quickly but make a major impact in your life.Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.comBlogger371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-56669610487418275822011-09-08T11:44:00.001-03:002011-09-08T11:44:48.003-03:00

Life is far too short to surround yourself with those who continuously drag you down or who use your emotions to better themselves especially if they always want to drag you down to their misery. All through life you will encounter those who constantly take from you, or who never are able to make a positive comment or contribution. Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-55292586083050921962011-08-31T10:02:00.000-03:002011-08-31T10:02:09.929-03:00

It is a lot easier in life to be able to use other people as an excuse for things that go wrong. In fact, there are thousands upon thousands who find this strategy something that is used on a daily basis. I know this because of my many years working in a wide variety of workplace settings. Don't find fault, find a remedy. Henry Ford In addition, it is a lot easier to stay stuck on a problem

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-55417646815296335952011-08-29T18:27:00.000-03:002011-08-29T18:27:16.067-03:00

It isn't always easy to laugh when things go wrong but I found that laughter amidst chaos and stress is often the best way to get through difficult times. Such was the case recently when my old buddy tried to move a trailer out of his lot to a new lot several miles away. And, as was so well said as below: There is little success where there is little laughter. Andrew Carnegie there certainly

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-69069144847548349402011-08-23T08:40:00.000-03:002011-08-23T08:40:56.380-03:00

There are those who teach the mundane and there are those who teach by example. Which one is the strongest and leaves a positive legacy? I think the answer is obvious. The person who teaches by example and leaves a legacy is the person who will remain forever. Their examples serve to inspire, to create hope for others, and make life a much better place. Such was the case of Jack Layton, the

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-4796461729789130272011-08-22T11:12:00.000-03:002011-08-22T11:12:24.513-03:00

In the course of each day, you meet new challenges and issues. So, how do you deal with each one of these? Some people choose to ignore problems, some people choose to let circumstances dictate how they will react, and some people make a responsible choice that is in keeping with their core ethics. What you are should be set in stone - your ethics should rule your responses - if they do not,

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-37742874705656990312011-08-21T10:18:00.000-03:002011-08-21T10:18:46.972-03:00

Far too often, people assume that learning ends when school is finished or when they have developed sufficient skills for the job they do. This kind of thinking leads you down a slippery slope though and one that takes a lot to recover from. Learning should, instead, be viewed as a life long quest - a quest that is never satisfied with the current state of knowledge and understanding. To me,

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-60922526492729646262011-08-20T09:12:00.000-03:002011-08-20T09:12:02.465-03:00

For a lot of us, it is never easy to meet our goals headlong. For even more of us, our goals or dreams serve only to remind us that we are not living the way we want, nor are we doing what we want. The challenege for all of us is to get going - to make those first moves to start on the path to whatever it is we wish to be, to have, or to become. When I'm feeling overwhelmed, I need to remember

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-33523252853899825402011-08-19T08:55:00.000-03:002011-08-19T08:55:08.237-03:00

For those of us that have had a lot of challenges, problems, issues or hard times, it is very easy to just simply give in and believe that we just were never meant to succeed or to lead a life where the good things far out weigh the bad. Great minds have purposes; little minds have wishes. Little minds are subdued by misfortunes; great minds rise above them." Washington Irving The quote by

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-12985056866214594322011-08-18T20:53:00.000-03:002011-08-18T20:53:02.710-03:00

One of the great pleasures in life is that of reading. I can remember long summer evenings as a young teenager, before I went to work in the summer, reading until I couldn't read anymore. I would read just about any genre but really liked science fiction and mysteries when I was younger. The passion for reading had never died with me. As I went on to university, reading became even more serious

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-15776537740202441492011-08-17T09:55:00.000-03:002011-08-17T09:55:22.156-03:00

My daughter has just the cutest little redheaded girl you could find, but then, I am a little biased as her grandfather. One of the tings that occurs throughout every day are the funniest little events and happenings that are relayed to us almost every day. We have suggested many times that she should be writing these little events, or episodes down so that year's later she can show her daughter,

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-72002200727535071202011-08-11T09:07:00.000-03:002011-08-11T09:07:46.512-03:00

No matter who we are, or where we live, there are always going to be difficult times. Even though we may dream of a pristine world full of joy and happiness where each day is full of kindness and peace, it is highly unlikely that this kind of world will ever exist. Does this then mean that we should all accept turmoil as a given and never strive for a world filled without prejudice or conflict?

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-39751518572070637672011-08-08T16:57:00.000-03:002011-08-08T16:57:24.185-03:00

Over the last few years, my mother-in-law has been retired from any kind of work. She is not the type of person who goes out much, nor is she the type of person to seek out any new friendships or join any kind of service club. Instead, she waits at home all alone for a phone call or for a friend to drop by. If it wasn't for the weekly church service or her sister to drag her out, she would just

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-84809805903105196992011-08-07T10:18:00.000-03:002011-08-07T10:18:54.421-03:00

It seems that many of us always want more and expect to get it without working hard or making sacrifices. Such feelings have been demonstrated recently by a person I know who wanted to sell their house so they could afford to buy a new condo near the ocean. But, what was their willingness to get the house prepared for selling - very little. This person did absolutely no gardening so the front

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-33688073947427135182011-07-27T11:33:00.000-03:002011-07-27T11:33:21.491-03:00

Every day is a new beginning. We can choose how we want to respond to the situations we meet in any fashion we so choose. It is up to us to be the way we want; to form the day as it should be according to our wishes; we can have joy or we can have sorrow. To choose is our right and anything that stands in the way can be surmounted as long as we have the strength and the will to make the

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-82662194182774489442011-07-24T11:53:00.000-03:002011-07-24T11:53:36.754-03:00

For many people, there are a number of very good inspiring words that have been found from past readings. For others, there are thousands of famous inspirational quotes that have been searched and read from a number of very good web sites. Well there are other inspirational sayings and quotes that are much newer or have never been discovered before because they are not cited on any forum or web

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-53380391024046635882011-07-23T09:27:00.000-03:002011-07-23T09:27:14.196-03:00

One thing is for sure and that is how fascinating it is to watch and listen to a little child. Such was the case yesterday when my granddaughter arrived to spend a few hours with us. Each little noise, or new activity seemed to draw her attention as she explored the world around her. At the same time, the noise of a motorcycle going by frightened her so that she ran to her Nanna to hug her close

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-55673572147878954252011-07-22T10:34:00.000-03:002011-07-22T10:34:07.697-03:00

It is not always easy to do more and promise less but this is a sure fire way of making a very positive statement about your character and your willingness to go the extra mile. As the quote by Tom Peters says, by doing more than you promise is one of the ingredients for success. "Formula for success: under promise and over deliver." Tom Peters Unfortunately, not everyone has the same ides of

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-64166591905716718562011-07-21T12:31:00.002-03:002011-07-21T12:32:14.381-03:00

For many, many people, things never seem to get better. To these people, it doesn't seem to matter how many opportunities they have to change their life, or how much they own, or how well their family is doing, life never seems to be meaningful or good enough. I am very surprised at this sentiment because there are millions of people across the globe who would love to be in their situation. I am

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-8724295536088991632011-07-20T19:34:00.000-03:002011-07-20T19:34:45.808-03:00

It is a funny title, I know but it applies to a number of issues of life. The issues that arise come from a variety of sources including your own family life or work, or even when you volunteer. Some of these issues are around problems that occur between people, or colleagues, or family members. The worst thing that you can do is to ignore an issue even if you are not the one who has caused it.

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-52128258726330009242011-07-19T09:51:00.000-03:002011-07-19T09:51:24.986-03:00

I arose this morning to a bright, clear blue sky. As soon as I got up, I made my morning coffee and retreated to the screened in room at the back of the house. To my pleasant surprise, the brides were singing cheerily, the squirrels were going about their business and a raccoon could be seen retreating to the woods behind our property. What an absolutely beautiful way to start the day. Not

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-1296686794650481442011-07-18T11:18:00.000-03:002011-07-18T11:18:23.941-03:00

I decided that it was time to get the upper level deck done once and for all. It wasn't that I was putting it off, or procrastinating by doing a whole bunch of other no essential tasks, it was that I just did not have the opportunity. Again, I was not delaying, I had time occasionally but the weather did not cooperate given that we seemed to have only a good day here and there. So, along came a

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-27062411571308717032011-07-17T17:38:00.000-03:002011-07-17T17:38:53.785-03:00

It is a known fact that you cannot always have what you want when you want it. But, for millions of people around the world, this is a daily dream. I do have sympathy for these people, though; it is not sympathy for wanting but sympathy for not knowing how to get it. On the other hand, there are thousands of people who live in desperate situations across this globe and even if they knew how

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-31526259123923572162011-07-14T14:51:00.000-03:002011-07-14T14:51:55.597-03:00

There are just tons of people who assume that they should get what they need and want really fast. Thousands of these type of people exist and each of these want what others have but do not possess some very vital qualities. The very first quality I will mention is the exact opposite of what I referred to above. That is to say, one major quality is patience. The simple fact is this: you cannot

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-45058559249950240072011-06-09T12:24:00.000-03:002011-06-09T12:24:12.341-03:00

I recently attended the wedding of my best male friend after the passing of his wife over two years ago. It took me fifteen hours to drive to the city where his wedding was being held, but that didn't matter considering he is my best friend and has been for over forty-five years. The best part of the wedding was knowing that he was once again happy. His new wife has added a twinkle in his eyes,

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-39982351485046426422011-04-10T14:07:00.000-03:002011-04-10T14:07:54.755-03:00

There are countless people in the world who love to give advice, and it is usually advice that is unsolicited. This is not to say that at some point there is advice isn't welcome, or it can even be right on the mark. The funny thing, though, is that I know a lot of people who are the first to give advice about how to change but are the ones who really need to listen to their own advice. There is

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-46572375640536611932011-04-08T17:19:00.000-03:002011-04-08T17:19:52.423-03:00

Some people have a really bad habit and that is they reject a dream, or a goal simply because they view it as requiring hard work to accomplish. But, is there really any success that doesn't come without hard work? The person, for example, who wants to be a doctor knows that it will not only take hard work but also long hours and many years of dedication. Do you think there is a short cut to

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-39678899966128522082011-04-07T14:44:00.000-03:002011-04-07T14:44:45.922-03:00

Do you realize that the only limits we have are the ones that are self-imposed? Far too many people place barriers, which inhibit them from achieving success. And, what stops them? What stops them are the obstacles that they have created where none really exist. Most of the time, these obstacles are what we have conditioned ourselves to believe. As the old adage goes, if you think there is a

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-2122123691967539902011-04-06T12:28:00.000-03:002011-04-06T12:28:07.424-03:00

Local hockey is a great way to involve families and friends in a little good old national pastime. It is also a place to observe what rebuilding or building a team is all about. For those who have never played on a team or in a team sport like hockey before, there are many fantastic lessons that can come from observing young players. One of these lessons comes home loud and clear when the team

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-21872911082127430232011-04-05T16:56:00.000-03:002011-04-05T16:56:47.605-03:00

Bad weather is only what you male of it. Some people use bad weather as an excuse not to do anything. Or, they use bad weather to avoid going to their night class, or to avoid going to work out even though they promised that they would no matter what happened. Bad weather is a topic for almost all North Americans and it is the standard way to start a conversation if you want to strike up a

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-59236028593593694032011-04-04T13:21:00.002-03:002011-04-05T16:13:41.246-03:00

It's always a pleasure to have a litle baby around especially when they are a granddaughter of fifteen months. It is fun, and revealing from a number of view points. My little granddaughter taught me again about perseverance, never giving up. As she starts to walk, there are many times when she fails to stay up falling down on her bottom. But, undeterred, up she gets, and goes at it again. If

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-59286477151541104242011-04-03T15:19:00.000-03:002011-04-03T15:19:33.595-03:00

It is said that there are new things to learn constantly if you are open minded and aware. This statement is very true especially when you can appreciate that learning is never over unless you have decided that you are staying in the same place for the rest of your life. This attitude is prevalent, I find, in those people who never were open to take a risk or who prefer to coast along through

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-3835414700091409282011-04-01T08:57:00.000-03:002011-04-01T08:57:27.126-03:00

There is one thing that is for sure and that is many people can find excuses to avoid what is necessary to do. It doesn't matter what the excuse in some cases because almost any one will do just fine. Take for example the person who wants a better job since they feel that they are worth more than what seems to be the case in their current job. They are usually the ones, however, who complain

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-69802350701049429772011-03-29T15:08:00.000-03:002011-03-29T15:08:23.975-03:00

Is it always best to follow the safe way? The safe way for a job is to get on board a decent job after getting your high school education or college diploma; or, a safe way is never to attempt to start your own business because there is too much risk involved. Is this the kind of life you want to live - a life where you get by and that is all and always wishing for the lottery to strike upon you

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-50410963005292984332011-03-28T12:54:00.001-03:002011-03-28T12:55:32.055-03:00

What does it take to keep going? It takes inspiration. So, where do we get inspiration, the kind of inspiration that encourages us to move forward despite the odds and obstacles? One of these sources is to read about successful people and there are thousands of them. These successful people may live down the street from you or in the same city or country. To read success stories should tell you

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-47420299578752824392011-03-27T10:15:00.000-03:002011-03-27T10:15:44.484-03:00

Winter is still upon us even though it is late March. We all seem to look forward to spring after what always appears to be a long winter. Some good things come from winter and it is in the eyes of the beholder that we see the positive. What is positive about winter, you may ask? For those who enjoy winter sports, there is good times to be had along with the activities of skating, hockey,

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-53095628352658969882011-03-26T08:55:00.001-03:002011-03-26T08:57:33.853-03:00

Well, here we go again with another federal election in Canada. For a lot of Canadians, their level of interest for what is happening in the capital and all the political positioning that has occur ed over the last several weeks makes them want to bury their heads in the sand and simply go on with their life. In their view, what is said over the next five weeks on the campaign trail means little

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542187881946054311.post-49869134984953745332011-03-25T18:08:00.000-03:002011-03-25T18:12:17.401-03:00

You may be of the opinion that you cannot get what you want in life because of circumstances or other issues currently occupying your life. While, for some, this may be the case, it should be stated right up front that the most successful people in the world all had issues to deal with even as they started out. In fact, no one ever seems to start with a clean slate. For example, maybe you have a

Byron Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14583513560579557046noreply@blogger.com0