WHo is Hindering Your Growth?

One day all the employees reached the office and they saw a big sign on the door on which it was written: 'Yesterday the person who has been hindering your growth in this Company passed away. We invite you to join the funeral in the room that has been prepared in the gym'.



In the beginning, they all got sad for the death of one of their colleagues, but after a while they started getting curious to know who was that man who hindered the growth of his colleagues and the company itself. The excitement in the gym was such that security agents were ordered to control the crowd within the room.



The more people reached the coffin, the more the excitement heated up..
Everyone thought: 'Who is this guy who was hindering my progress?
Well, at least he died!'. One by one the thrilled employees got closer to The coffin, and when they looked inside it they suddenly became speechless. They stood nearby the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul.


There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see himself.


There was also a sign next to the mirror that said:
'There is only one person who is capable to set Limits to your growth:
it is YOU .



Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when your parents change, when your partner changes, when your company changes. Your life changes when YOU change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs.


Examine yourself, watch yourself. Don't be afraid of difficulties, impossibilities and losses: be a winner, build yourself and your reality.. It's the way you face Life that makes the difference!




What a man is contributes much more to his happiness than what he
has, or how he is regarded by others.


-- Arthur Schopenhauer

The Baby

Panda sneeze,FUNNY!!!

A Green Thumb

 
Anyone that know me, knows that I don't have a green thumb. I've decided to take on a new adventure this coming spring and summer. Flowers... Yes, flowers... I've decided to spruce up the balcony with a little flower garden. My mom gave me this little container with seeds in it to plant lavender. Well, I just planted it last week...
I asked my mom yesterday how long it takes for something to sprout and she told me to give it some time. So it's been a week and nothing yet. I check daily. As you can see I have nothing but time on my hands... (I'm not complaining or anything.)
I've decided to find other interest outside of the kids as they refuse to take pictures for me. Ok, I won't say refuse as I will hear about it later but I get the impression that they no longer want to take picutes for me, so I will find something else of interest to photograph.
You can't go wrong with flowers as they're so beautiful...

The Trap of Anger

The trap of anger
Your anger hurts you much more than it affects anyone else. When your energy and awareness are tightly wrapped around anger, you're not much good for anything else.


There are many things beyond your control that can be perfectly legitimate reasons for anger. Yet the amount of time you maintain that anger is completely up to you.


The more quickly you move on, the better off you'll be. When you feel the first sensation of anger, let that be a reminder to let it go.


Anger can be useful in calling your attention to matters that require your response. But anger itself is not an effective response.


Take a slow, deep breath and remind yourself of how much more effective you can be by maintaining a positive, results-oriented approach. Decide, in a cool, calm and thoughtful manner, exactly what response would be the most powerful and valuable, and then make it happen.


Don't let the foolish, thoughtless, destructive actions of others catch you in a trap of anger. Take note of the anger, let it go, put your focus on being your best, and you'll surely emerge as a winner.


- Ralph Marston

These the Feet are Made for Walking

 
Nothing much has been going on here as of late. The kids are doing fine, Tom is chugging away at his class for lineman and as for me... I'm still working at home and loving it.
I was driving the girls to school this morning and saw that the gas price hit $3.81 at one location. Wow... Does anyone know when it will stop? Just wondering. With these prices it's changing every aspect of life. Our treat for the week is to go to the local coffeshop. I remember when it was a luxury. Now it's just a treat. My how things can change at the drop of a hat. I hope everyone is prepare to whether the upcoming storm.
Well, I must run and finish my Vanilla Latte before it gets cold. I'ld hate to waste $3 bucks on a cup of coffee.

My Two Favorite People in the World!!!

 

Happiness

 
Happiness is now
As long as you are preparing to be happy, you will not be. If you continue to see happiness as some distant goal to be reached, you will not experience it.


Happiness is now. The only time you can ever experience it is the moment that you are in.



Happiness is unconditional. When you put conditions on happiness, it immediately disappears.



Happiness makes no judgments or demands. When you focus on judging others and making demands of them, it drives happiness away from your life.



Though happiness is simple and uncomplicated, it is at the same time profound and sophisticated. For when you allow yourself to be truly happy, the positive energy can reach into every corner of your life.



Set aside the complaints, excuses, conditions and demands, and make a place for happiness in your world. Be happy, and you'll discover a whole new level of life's richness.



-- Ralph Marston

Flowers

9 Words Women Use...

9 WORDS WOMEN USE

(1) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

(2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

(3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

(4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission.Don't Do It!

(5) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)

(6) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a woman can make to a man That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

(7) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you're welcome. (I want to add in a clause here - This is true, unless she says "Thanks a lot" - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say "you're welcome" ... that will bring on a "whatever").

(8) Whatever: Is a women's way of saying ____ YOU!

(9) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking "What's wrong?" For the woman's response refer to # 3.

Mr Comedian

He's been growing like a weed lately. I can't believe how tall he has gotten. He's now a head taller than Jasmine. I told her that would happen one day but she didn't believe me... He's probably a few hairs taller than me... Of course, I like to have my shoes on when we are doing the measurements. He's such a comedian. Their are times when I am dying from laughter and I have to tell him to stop because he has so many one liners that are just hilarious. If you need some cheering up he would be the one to do it.
Anyway, he's spending the day with his sisters and I. For some odd reason his Spring Break isn't for another week and half but since I'm on vacation this week and the girls are out of school I thought this would be a good day to have him stay home with us as we are meeting up with my mom and aunt today to go out to lunch.
Gotta run...

For some reason the picture wouldn't save w/ my
post but here it is... My girls...

Sisters

This is just one of those shots that I absolutely love...
It's hard to get a picture of the two of them together
just having fun but this is one of those shots. Look
at the smile on their face's. I pray that they will become
each other's best friend one day but into then I will just
appreciate the shot.

Descanso Gardens 2008

I've been on vacation for the last couple of days... We celebrated Easter this past weekend and that knocked me out for the entire day on Monday. The only thing that I could do was sleep off and on throughout the day. Today, we were fortunate enough to make it to Descanso Gardens to see the tulips. This is my favorite time of the year there to see the tulips. They are absolutely gorgeous!!! I had a few people tag along with me. Jasmine, Michelle and Jessica... Jessie had a great time taking pictures and as for the other two they ventured off on their own to view the flowers... You know teenagers. It would be a crime to be caught hanging out with me... They're just to cool for that, right? Anyway, I didn't let them put a damper on my outing as the flowers were breath taking. The lilac is in bloom, cherry blossoms, tulips and the list could go on and on. I look forward to a return trip. Unfortunately, I forgot my memory card for my camera so I could only get a few pics the rest were taken w/ Jessica's camera. She was a little annoyed with me because I kept asking to use her camera. I will never let that happen again. Well, these are just a few pictures.

Shadow People

To a creative young lady.


This was taken by little Ms. Jessica. She just seems to have an eye for things. Instead of taking your run of the mill photo she decided to take a picture of our shadow. I just thought it was an interesting picture and wanted to share it with everyone. She took the picture and I did the tint.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

She's at it again. I ran across this cookbook at my mom's house and proceeded to ask that she give it to me... She was a little reluctant to give it up but once I turned on my charm she couldn't turn me down. Knowing my mom, she probably thought it would just collect dust but we've put it to use. Not I but Jessie... This is her second time around in the kitchen making something pretty much on her own. I was in the kitchen as an assistant and for consultation purposes. Jessie did the work. Wow... As you can see she enjoys her cooking. With this little bit of knowledge I plan on putting her to work in the kitchen. Our new cook...
Jasmine and Anthony will be quite happy about this. She actually enjoys being in the kitchen unlike myself. This could be out next Rachel Ray or Martha Stewart... I'll keep you posted on what happens with our next meal.

Jessie in Action

These were taken last weekend... Jessie in action!!! As we were walking out the door last Saturday Jessie insisted that this would be her last weekend of doing this. Unfortunately, I didn't answer her regarding this issue. She's been signed up for another soccer clinic for next month. I have to prepare myself for this next battle. I know it's not something she wants to do but at least it gets her out of the house, exercising and with kids her own age so it's a good thing. If she would give it a chance I think she would actually enjoy the sport.
I think mother's know best. Don't you?

Happy Birthday Teresa!!!

Happy Birthday!!!

Unfortunately, I couldn't come up with a plan to get you this year for pay back from your home invasion. I'm still finding confetti all over the place... The packs of Rolls that you left for me... Should I have any cavities when I see the dentist in a couple of weeks I'm sending you the bill!!! But anyway.... Happy Birthday!!! I hope that you enjoy your day to the fullest... You are a very dear friend to me and I treasure your friendship immensely!!! Thank you for all that you do...

Your Sister,

Raquel

Our Family 2008

Soccer Clinic

Jessica has been taking a soccer clinic for the last couple of week and this was her last Saturday, so we all decided to go and see her game against the coaches. After soccer, we went to lunch at In n Out. Nothing like an In n Out burger!!! Anyway, it was a nice day as we had Jasmine and Anthony with us as well. Hopefully, we will all go out again real soon. It's hard to get the other two out as they prefer to do their own thing.

Let them Eat Cake

Here is the cake that Jessie and I made for Tom's birthday this past week... It was actually made from scratch by the two of us. Tom said, that this was his favorite... It was a lot of work for someone that doesn't do much cooking. I wanted to get the box where you throw a couple of ingredients in and presto German Chocolate Cake. Tom on the other hand wanted it made from scratch. Can you imagine the housewives of the 50's... Lot's of work but I must admit it was a fun experience. I remember making cookies from scratch when I was younger but since I've been an adult... Nope... If you've talked to my kids they will tell you if it's not something that you can thrown in the oven and leave... It's not going to happen.