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The Priceless Gift of a Knee-High Smile
She was just over knee-high standing next to me in the checkout line. I first saw her eyeing a display of candy as she followed her mother and brothers through the store. When this little toddler gazed up at me with her big dark eyes and innocent expression, I couldn't help but smile at her. Then, without hesitation, she gave me one of the widest, brightest, bubbly grins I had ever seen! Those dark innocent eyes came alive with an intense joy that warmed me from head to toe. Her smile seemed to shout, "Hi! Isn't it great to be alive together in such a neat place?" Five years have passed since that exuberant knee-high smile. The picture remains as fresh in my mind as it was that afternoon. I wonder what this little girl would think if she knew that her smile painted an indelible picture in someone's mind. The simplest gifts are often the most precious gifts, and the gifts we have to share are many. People have incredible talents, often undiscovered. They have the wisdom of experience, often unspoken. They have love that they need to share, often locked inside them. Moreover, all people need love and acceptance - no matter how stern and unyielding they appear on the surface. Small acts of kindness speak in loud voices. They inspire hope where there was doubt. They bring comfort to those who are hurting. Sincere compliments remind others how valuable and special they are. A kind gesture given to a stranger is an extremely powerful reminder that God shares love through his children. These priceless gifts inspire faith. Encouraging words to a child are powerful emotional deposits of self-esteem. Meeting injustice with forgiveness and integrity sets an example that can point young lives in a positive direction. These are gifts with life-long effects more valuable than any amount of gold. It has been said, "What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. They are scattered along life's pathway, and the good they do is inconceivable." No one can take these priceless gifts away. The value of a gift is the unending love that continues to touch the lives of many. If the gift of a beautiful knee-high smile can paint a lasting picture, think of all the value contained in the precious gifts that you could share with someone today! © Copyright 2005 by Steve Brunkhorst. All rights reserved. Reprinted from Achieve! 60-Second Nuggets of Inspiration bringing great stories, motivational nuggets, and inspiring thoughts to help you achieve your top potential. Get the next issue by visiting www.achieveezine.com/" target="_blank">http://www.AchieveEzine.com
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Self-Validation: Living an Empowered Life Sometimes we are concerned with being right and we don't stop to think that our comments or our actions might hurt another person's feelings.We don't always get enough validation in this world, or perhaps we did not receive enough validation from our parents and our teachers and the people who were around us when we were growing up, so we try to be right and find validation now in this world, sometimes at the expense of other people. How to Scare Fear Out of Your Life A reader asks: "Many times in my life I have let fear rule me and stop me from doing something I wanted to do. Do you have any suggestions for how to handle fear?"There are many successful strategies for dealing with fear in your life. $12 And 90 Minutes To Change Your Life Have you ever listened to self hypnosis tapes? Or listened repeatedly to certain music that carried a specific message? Or what about, have you attended weekly services within a specific religious venue?What do all of these have in common? They influence and change your thinking and paradigm over time to whatever it is they espouse.James Allen wrote "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he". Re-Define Realistic: True Power Series This is the eighth article in our "True Power" series. If you haven't been following the series, visit TheARTrepreneur. One Night Stand Direct Answers - Column for the week of February 24, 2003I met someone over the weekend who is very, very famous. I was volunteering at a sports function and his sister was working the function. A Life of Purposes Extraction Purpose. What is purpose? Drinking coffee when you wake up and making a habit of drinking coffee only when you wake up? No. Dream Board DREAM IT, CREATE IT, BECOME ITIf you've been reading my newsletter for awhile, you know that I continue to incorporate and teach the 'how to' principles behind successfully achieving our goals and dreams. One important piece of wisdom I've gained is that nothing happens, no forward steps are taken until we first have a dream. Alone But Not Lonely In today's fast paced society, we've become accustomed to filling the eeriness of silence with fluff. We turn to many distractions as a means of escaping feelings of idleness or boredom. Beluga Whale Hits the River Wonders never cease. Just when those in our area of the Delaware River were beginning to recover from the recent floods, a whale arrives to shake things up. Is the Life Youre Living the Life You Want? In pre-revolutionary Russia, a rabbi was walking to the synagogue. A Russian soldier stopped him and asked, "Who are you and what are you doing here?" The rabbi answered, "How much do they pay you for doing this job?" The soldier replied, "Twenty kopeks. Don't Give Up! Don't let anyone kid you. The road to self improvement and personal growth is not a short, straight, well-marked, paved highway. Essential Oils and Aromatherapy: Raise Your Frequency with These Divine Gifts The volatile essences of aromatic plants contain potent, complex, natural chemical compounds that work at multiple levels to catalyze physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. Science is at last looking in earnest at the mechanical action essential oils have on organisms, but perhaps the oils' most important, and at the same time, most under-explored, factor, is their inherent frequency-their intact Life Force Energy and intelligence. Faux Feelings Direct Answers - Column for the week of November 10, 2003I'm a male, 28, in a happy relationship for a year. None of us is perfect, but we are a good fit for each other and I have a lot of personal respect for my girlfriend. Navigating The Squeeze Today more than ever before, we are witnessing a crises of consciousness over the validity of war versus the power of humility, integrity, understanding and diplomacy. Simultaneously those who are spiritual seekers ponder the purpose and mission of their immortal souls. Quotable Quotes Are Nothing More Than Flowery Words Quotable quotes are nothing more than flowery words.. Without Love Direct Answers - Column for the week of December 30, 2002Kendra and I have been dating almost six years. For the past three years I have constantly asked myself if she is the one. 7 Strategies to Overcoming Anxiety and Panic Attacks You Can Overcome panic attacks and anxiety! That is great news to those who suffer day in and day out, year in and year out. I have and I know that you can too. Voices Inside My Head Have you ever wanted to do something really major-something stupendous-something totally different and so down right incredible that the fact that you created the idea has you stimulated and excited?Like, for instance, you decide to open your own business. You have the idea of exactly what you want to do and how you want to do it. Everyone Has Been Hurt...Part 2 continued.. Synchronicity It is hard to capture the synchronicity of this next post. I can only assure you that I was working on integrating these things for this book and this post from a healer came through in answer to my directed thought or intent-ional request.
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