Many of us are very much concerned about the opinions and thoughts of others. We try to make a good impression on others by pretending, lying and doing many things which we never wanted to do. While, looking at the mirror have you ever thought the things which you do and the thoughts and views that others have, do they really affect your life? No, they don’t, it’s you who make them affect you and your life.

In the words of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross:
“People are like stained glass windows: they sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within.”
People in your life are the mirror that reflects the inner soul of you. You can live a happy life by keeping yourself happy from inside. Have you ever looked at somebody’s house and said this is the kind of house you want. Beautiful houses are not only built by placing bricks over bricks, but by placing right bricks on the right design. Believe me, having a good life is exactly the same as building a beautiful dream house. You are the architect of your life. The things you think and do will reflect how better your life is shaping up. You can have a better life by thinking good, looking for good and doing exact those things which make you happy.

Make a promise to yourself.

1. You will always think positive about yourself.
2. You will always love yourself.
3. You will always do and choose the things which will help you to stay happy and help you to build a better life.

To your life, nothing else matters but you, yourself. You hold the power of control for leading a better life. You can’t deliver the best out of you until you have the best in you. And the best in you will only come through by feeling better for yourself. Your life will become easier and happier if you will always remember one thing: what are the things that make your life happier and what is good for you? Ask yourself now and start to live a happy and wonderful life.

By Daniel Walker

Sunday morning, as I gazed out the church window, I noticed an outcropping of large trees across the road.  (No, I was not bored; the sermon was actually quite interesting.) I had seen those same trees many times before;  yet my eyes were drawn to the top of the tallest tree, the point where it met the waiting, clear blue sky.  At the very top of this tree I noticed that I could make out individual leaves blowing in the cool autumn breeze.  Then it struck me, there, way at the top, was one solo leaf, higher than all the rest.  Of all the thousands of leaves on that tree, why was that one lone leaf singled out to be the highest?  At that moment a thought occurred to me, “does that leaf have the right to be proud of being the highest on the tree?”

Trees are complicated organisms.  That single solitary leaf is connected by a tiny stem to a larger branch.  That branch is connected to a bigger limb. The limb is connected to the main trunk of the tree. The trunk is connected to the tap roots.  The tap roots are connected to the feeder roots.  The feeder roots are embedded in the soil.  The soil is sitting on the sub-soil.  The sub-soil is sitting on bedrock.  The bedrock is resting on the earths’ mantle.  The mantle is floating on liquid rock.

With that elaborate support structure, could that leaf rightfully be proud of being the highest?  Of course not, it was there only because of the huge support structure that took it to that height.  In fact, there was another leaf that could have been thrust upward at any moment, fetching the coveted highest position.  To be honest with itself, and the whole world, that one leaf should consider itself blessed to be pushed into that high position by all the other parts of the tree.

How many of us have taken full credit for something that we really did not accomplish on our own?  How many of us could have given more applause to the teams of people who pushed us up the tree, allowing us to alight on our lofty perch?  How many of us have been plucked off that tiny twig by a passing wind or an errant bird only then to realize how we had gotten there to begin with?  Did we complain about our circumstance or did we realize that we enjoyed our time at the top only through the blessings of a grand structure that supported our growth?

Before we take credit for our lone success, give deep thought to all those who helped us attain that success.  Give proper credit for those who supported us and yet freely take credit for whatever part we played in the venture.

Remember this also; in the autumn, all of the leaves on a tree fall to the ground and are recycled into new leaves next spring.  We are not alone at the top or on the bottom.  We are community!  We are blessed!  We are all in this together!

What part of the tree are you?