No 36 Changing Lives through Dancing
By David Earl Woodbury
Friday, September 1, 1956
Just Keep on Playing!
“If you just keep playing, keep believing and have some faith, something good can happen.”
– Washington Redskins coach Norv Turner, whose team became only the second in NFL history to win six games after losing the first seven games of the year. December 19, 1998
Does it not seem that others have all the luck? Money, success, talent, and it all seems to come so easy to them. Want to know what I think? They don’t have it all. To my surprise, I have found that others whom I have envied for having it all were feeling the same way about me at the same time. They thought that I had it all and that my life was so easy. The truth is, just don’t want what others have, or you just might get it!
I truly do just keep believing and having faith, and somehow everything seems to work out. Also, at 61 now, I find that down the road of other’s lives wasn’t as easy as I thought and they end up sometimes going through terrible trials and losses that test every fiber of their being. And at that time, I become a strength for them!
“We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about.”
– Charles Kingsley (1819 – 1875)
English Novelist and Clergyman
Perhaps having a dream is the most precious gift we may have in our lives. Dreaming of a fulfilled goal, dreaming of completing a task, dreaming of fully realizing our hopes, talents, and abilities. The best blessing is having enthusiasm for this dream. To wake up each day, no matter how hard the times might be, and having the motivation to get through that day from sheer excitement of the goals and tasks at hand.
“The greatest pleasure I know is to do a good action by stealth, and to have it found out by accident.”
– Charles Lamb
(1775-1834) British Essayist
So, are you going through a rough patch? Are you able to ‘keep on playing’? Are you living your best life? I’ll give you my formula for success. Just live a life of service. Give you time to someone, to a cause, to a group, to your church or temple, to kids, the sick, the elderly. Just give away time that may never give back to you and give it from the heart. You’ll find that is a prescription that may be refilled over and over for the rest of your lives, and the side effects are joy, peace, happiness and fulfillment!
“A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.”
– Charles Gordy (1833 – 1885)
British Army officer and administrator
Task today…..Go through your day with a smile and pretend that everyone you see is a mirror of your face. Just smile and you’ll see you own smile reflected through their faces! Give it a try.
“Many a friendship — long, loyal, and self-sacrificing — rested at first upon no thicker a foundation than a kind word.”
– Frederick William Faber (1814 – 1863)
English Priest and Hymn Writer
After you give that special smile, give a kind word to someone. Compliment them. Give them a message of hope and joy. Tell a friend “It will get better” and give them a big hug, then call them the next day to say you are thinking of them. These kind words that pave the long road to a lifetime of friendship.
I hope you loved the quotes. I feel so good after writing this. I hope you do as well!
Thanks for reading!
David Earl Woodbury
Keep on Dancing!
davidearlwoodbury@gmail.com