Life Support System
sharing life, love and laughter
How would you answer these questions?
"They say things happen for a reason, and that must be why I found your site. Steve, your inspirational messages have been of such comfort to me. You are a special person to bring these to the world. I thank you...and look forward to spending another year reading your wonderful inspirations for both body and soul." ~ Dee (Sydney, Australia)
"If you can't read but one e-mail message each day, make it the Life Support message from Steve Goodier. It will have you feeling better than you thought you could, with practical ideas and uplifting thoughts." ~ David G. Phillips, President-Custom Development Solutions (CDS)
"I want to say that I subscribe to several different kinds of e-mails - some spiritual messages, some thought provoking messages, some humorous...and yours is the most rewarding. Perhaps because you combine all these messages in one!" ~ Patrick (Ohio, USA)
Inmate Mitchell King had a visitor - his wife. King was serving a six-year jail term in Auckland, New Zealand for armed robbery. But his wife didn't want to be away from him for that long. So they held hands. And they stuck. She'd rubbed her palms with Super Glue.
Their new-found closeness was short-lived. And their separation painful. Her technique is not one I'd recommend for a closer relationship.
But if you want more closeness; if you desire relationships that are deeper and broader, more meaningful and longer-lasting, then remember the word "travel."
T is for TRUST. Trust is the glue that holds people together (not Super Glue). A relationship will go nowhere without it.
R is for RESPECT. "Do not save your loving speeches for your friends till they are dead; do not write them on their tombstones, speak them rather now instead," writes Anna Cummins. It's about respecting others and letting them know that you value them.
A is for AFFECTION. Sometimes affection means love. Sometimes it means a touch. Always it means kindness.
V is for VULNERABILITY. Though we may feel afraid to let another too close, no relationship will go anywhere without risking vulnerability. Entrepreneur Jim Rohn says, "The walls we build around us to keep out the sadness also keep out the joy." And the love.
E is for EMOTIONAL INTIMACY. Learn to be open. Learn to communicate freely. What kinds of relationships you make are largely determined by how openly you have learned to communicate.
L is for LAUGHTER. Victor Borge got it right when he said, "Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." It's also the most enjoyable.
For relationships that can really go somewhere, just remember the word "travel." Then enjoy the trip!
If you have ever been discouraged because of failure, please read on. For often, achieving what you set out to do is not the important thing. Let me explain.
Two brothers decided to dig a deep hole behind their house. As they were working, a couple of older boys stopped by to watch.
"What are you doing?" asked one of the visitors.
"We plan to dig a hole all the way through the earth!" one of the brothers volunteered excitedly.
The older boys began to laugh, telling the younger ones that digging a hole all the way through the earth was impossible. After a long silence, one of the diggers picked up a jar full of spiders, worms and a wide assortment of insects. He removed the lid and showed the wonderful contents to the scoffing visitors. Then he said quietly and confidently, "Even if we don't dig all the way through the earth, look what we found along the way!"
Their goal was far too ambitious, but it did cause them to dig. And that is what a goal is for - to cause us to move in the direction we have chosen; in other words, to set us to digging!
But not every goal will be fully achieved. Not every job will end successfully. Not every relationship will endure. Not every hope will come to pass. Not every love will last. Not every endeavor will be completed. Not every dream will be realized. But when you fall short of your aim, perhaps you can say, "Yes, but look at what I found along the way! Look at the wonderful things which have come into my life because I tried to do something!"
It is in the digging that life is lived. And I believe it is joy in the journey, in the end, that truly matters.
Do you have anything to be thankful for? In his classic novel Robinson Crusoe, author Daniel Defoe has shipwrecked Crusoe take inventory of his life. He makes two lists. One is a list of his problems. The other is an inventory of that for which he can give thanks.
A problem he writes is that he has no clothing. On his corresponding list he writes that the weather is warm and he really has little need for clothing. Another problem is that all of his provisions were lost at sea. But on the other list he writes that he has fresh fruit and water and can provide for himself. And so it goes. He lists his problems and likewise lists all that he has going for him. He is surprised at the size of the list of his assets.
How long would your list be if you took inventory of your blessings - all of that for which you can give thanks? For family. For friends. For faith. For health and the necessities of life. Did you know that some one million people will die this week...how is your health? Those who have food, clothing and shelter have more than much of our world's population will ever possess. Do you have these necessities of living?
How long would your list be if you took inventory of your blessings...and added one new item daily? Would you be amazed at the size of the list?
You have 1,440 minutes in every day. How would your life be different if you spent just 15 of those minutes daily giving thanks? Just 15 minutes filling your mind with concrete examples of how fortunate you are? Most of us would discover even after a few days that the exercise was life changing!
Poet Courtland Sayers put it this way:
"Five thousand breathless dawns all new;
One million flowers fresh in dew.
Five thousand sunsets wrapped in gold;
One million snowflakes served ice cold.
Five quiet friends, one baby's love;
One white sea of clouds above.
One June night in a fragrant wood;
One heart that loved and understood.
I wondered when I waked that day -
In God's name - how could I ever pay?"
Christian mystic Meister Eckhart said, "If the only prayer you say in your whole life is 'thank you,' that would suffice." I suspect he is right.
"How do you account for your remarkable accomplishment in life?" Queen Victoria of England asked Helen Keller. "How do you explain the fact that even though you were both blind and deaf, you were able to accomplish so much?"
Ms. Keller's answer is a tribute to her dedicated teacher. "If it had not been for Anne Sullivan, the name of Helen Keller would have remained unknown."
According to speaker Zig Ziglar, "Little Annie" Sullivan, as she was called when she was young, was no stranger to hardship. She was almost sightless herself (due to a childhood fever) and was, at one time, diagnosed as hopelessly "insane" by her by caregivers. She was locked in the basement of a mental institution outside of Boston. On occasion, Little Annie would violently attack anyone who came near. Most of the time she generally ignored everyone in her presence.
An elderly nurse believed there was hope, however, and she made it her mission to show love to the child. Every day she visited Little Annie. For the most part, the child did not acknowledge the nurse's presence, but she still continued to visit. The kindly woman left cookies for her and spoke words of love and encouragement. She believed Little Annie could recover, if only she were shown love.
Eventually, doctors noticed a change in the girl. Where they once witnessed anger and hostility, they now noted an emerging gentleness and love. They moved her upstairs where she continued to improve. Then the day finally came when this seemingly "hopeless" child was released.
Anne Sullivan grew into a young woman with a desire to help others as she, herself, was helped by the kindly nurse. It was she who saw the great potential in Helen Keller. She loved her, disciplined her, played with her, pushed her and worked with her until the flickering candle that was her life became a beacon of light to the world. Anne Sullivan worked wonders in Helen's life; but it was a loving nurse who first believed in Little Annie and lovingly transformed an uncommunicative child into a compassionate teacher.
"If it had not been for Anne Sullivan, the name of Helen Keller would have remained unknown." But if it had not been for a kind and dedicated nurse, the name of Anne Sullivan would have remained unknown. And so it goes. Just how far back does the chain of redemption extend? And how for forward will it lead?
Those you have sought to reach, whether they be in your family or elsewhere, are part of a chain of love that can extend through the generations. Your influence on their lives, whether or not you see results, is immeasurable. Your legacy of dedicated kindness and caring can transform lost and hopeless lives for years to come.
You can never overestimate the power of your love. It is a fire that, once lit, may burn forever.
Your Life Support System can become an important part of your personal support system.
Now you may have an encouraging, inspirational (and often humorous!) e-mail message delivered directly to your desktop every day. It's no secret that daily personal growth and enhancement is the way to a happier life. Your Life Support System will help you begin each day on a positive note! The service is absolutely free - simply request to be included on the list.
What others have said about Life Support System.
"I look forward to receiving your emails daily and being a part of your Life Support System family. It has enriched my life. Continue writing and saving lives, Steve...cause that's exactly what you are doing - saving lives!" ~ Rosanna Browne, Anguilla
"I wanted you to know that I look forward to your daily emails to start my day out focused on the important things in life. Several are printed out and pinned to my wall to remind me throughout the day that work 'stuff' is temporary and the important things in life revolve around loving others." ~ Lynn, Rice, Texas
"Steve, I truly believe you are divinely inspired. You hit the mark for so many situations. I recently ordered one of your books for my grandson who is in a prison. He called me last week to tell me he received the book and how much he enjoyed it and is sharing it. Again, THANK YOU." ~ Mrs. Harris, Fresno, Ca
"This is the most moving, most concise and most 'on the mark' philosophy I have experienced in my seventy-six years. Thank you for your work and your efforts to make this a better society. I plan to share your message with everyone on my address list and include it in my lecture material." ~ Dr. Russel R. Weiskircher, Cleveland, Ga.
"I have enjoyed your newsletter so much that I have invited my mother and several friends to share your wit and wisdom by subscribing as well. I have found you to be a source of sheer inspiration. I hope you know how many people this newsletter and your books have touched. I believe there are more people than you will ever hear from that have been blessed by your effort and diligence in sending this e-mail. I hope you find as much comfort and peace in your life as you have bestowed on your readers. Thank God we have you on the information superhighway. Thank you again for everything you put into this newsletter and your books." ~ Rose C.
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