optimistic

my parents are serving an lds mission in the rome, italy mission. they are having such amazing and unique experiences. feel free to check out my mom's blog here for good reads. last night i had a hard time falling asleep, probably because I was watching the two part finale to the second season of revenge. on a totally off-topic note: the third season is starting in less than 2 weeks. i had no idea what a cool show this is! but now i'm hooked, thanks kinzee. 

anyway, last night (early this morning), i was still awake when my dad sent an email (the time difference for us is 8 hours) with quotes by william arthur ward. WOW. his quotes touch on an optimistic, gracious, inspirational feeling that i hope to one day have and fully understand. i'm not sure how many of you are into quotes (i am), but i wanted to share some of his. 

quotes by arthur william ward

"God gave you a gift of 86, 400 seconds today. Have you used one to say thank you ?"

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” 

"Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records."

"The optimist lives on the peninsula of infinite possibilities; the pessimist is stranded on the island of perpetual indecision."

"A warm smile is the universal language of kindness."

"Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and character."

“Happiness is an inside job.” 

"Blessed is he who has learned to admire but not envy, to follow but not imitate, to praise but not flatter, and to lead but not manipulate."

“Optimists enrich the present, enhance the future, challenge the improbable and attain the impossible."

“When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves."

"Today is a most unusual day, because we have never lived it before; we will never live it again; it is the only day we have."

"If you can imagine it, you can achieve it, if you can dream it, you can become it."

those of you who know me, know that i am not a woman of few words. i honestly think, though, that people who can say something so profoundly in only a few words are complete genius. this guy, arthur william ward, he gets it. he sounds very accomplished, according to wikipedia. i'm going to embrace some of this optimistic energy and you can too, if you want. and hopefully i can accomplish the laundry that's waiting to be folded.

(and a little grumpy cat, because she's good for the soul)

**wallace, ayesha and barb**