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"Published the 2nd and 4th Thursday of
every month"
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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle
"A man of character in peace is a man of
courage in war. Character is a habit. The daily choice of right and
wrong. It is a moral quality which grows to maturity in peace and is
not suddenly developed in war."
- General Sir James Glover
"The world can only be grasped by action, not by comtemplation...the hand is the cutting edge of the mind." - Jacob Bronowski
"Opportunity is missed by most people
because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."
-Thomas Edison
"Destiny is not a
matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be
waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
- William Jennings Bryan
"And we should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once. And we should call every truth false which was not accompanied by at least one laugh. " - Friedrich Nietzsche
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"eBuilder
Solutions" ...
Bury The Bull - Tell The Truth
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"eBuilder Solutions"
Bulletins Ezine
December
13, 2007 Issue
My Very Best To You This Holiday Season!
For a lot of people, 2007 has been a difficult and challenging year.But not a day goes by when I not, in some small way, inspired by the human spirit - it's resiliency to withstand the strongest storms, yet it's ability to show the greatest compassion and forgiveness at just the right moment.
The vast nature of the Internet allows many of us to "do our business" anonymously. Yet time and time again we are reminded that all successful business ventures focus on people, not on systems or autoresponders or other automated tools.
To be successful we must continue to open ourselves up to other people. Yes, by doing so we become exposed and vulnerable, but it is necessary. If we remain passionate about what we do, however, the strength of our "true colors" shines through in very powerful and positive ways.
As we prepare for the holiday season, let me leave you with a special short story I've shared with you for the last two years, one that continues to touch my heart every time I read it. This story reminds us of the need to show compassion and love for all others, regardless of their challenges or dispositions.
Peace to you and your family. All the best for 2007!
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One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school.
His name was Kyle.
It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd."
I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.
As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.
His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him.
He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.
My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.
As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives."
He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!" There was a big smile on his face.
It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.
I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before.
He said he had gone to private school before now.
I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.
We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.
He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.
I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends. He said yes.
We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.
Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.
I stopped him and said, "Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!"
He just laughed and handed me half the books.
Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors, we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I was going to Duke.
I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem.
He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship.
Kyle was valedictorian of our class.
I teased him all the time about being a nerd.
He had to prepare a speech for graduation.
I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak.
Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.
Boy, sometimes I was jealous!
Today was one of those days.
I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!"
He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.
"Thanks," he said.
As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began:
"Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends...
I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.
I am going to tell you a story.
I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met.
He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.
He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.
He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.
Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."
I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.
I saw his Mom and Dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize its depth.
Never underestimate the power of your actions.
With one small gesture you can change a person's life.
For better or for worse.
God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way.
Look for God in others.
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Be the best!
Darrell Dean
P.S. -- Do you like the format and content of these Bulletins? Let me know what you think. Send me an email .
P.P.S. -- By the way, are you a Website Magazine subscriber? If not, Go Here to set up your Free subscription. I highly recommend it!
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