Winning Words 7/30/09
“Failure to hit the bull’s eye is never the fault of the target. To improve your aim is to improve yourself.” (Gilbert Arland) I remember the story of a farmer who had a barn with many bull’s eyes painted on it and with an arrow in the center of each one. It turned out that he had painted the targets after he shot the arrows. Some of us are like that when it comes to the goals in our life. BTW, is the author of this quote Gilbert
Arland or Arland Gilbert? ;-) Jack

FROM R.I. IN BOSTON: It seems that Gilbert Arland or Arland Gilbert is a moving target. When checking sources, that quote is attributed to both authors. The words are reliable even if the name of the source isn't.

FROM L.G. IN MICHIGAN: This is a good one, Jack! Thanks for your daily messages! I can share one with you that I keep posted on my refrigerator: "The only thing worse than being unhappy is being happy and not knowing it!" This was printed in an issue of the AA Grapevine magazine in the 1950's and was reprinted a couple years ago. It is an anonymous quote. Boy, does it ring true for me--I look back on times in my life that were truly wonderful and wonder how I could have missed the wonder at the time I was living it...Have a "wonder-filled" day.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: A true statement of our ability to use everything to the best of our ability. I think that farmer was very smart. Probably didn't fool anyone, but was just a fun statement. That's the way I choose to look at life. Sometimes we set ourselves up for failure at our goals so to have some fun out of failure is the best way to handle things. As Annie sang, "Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya tomorrow, you're only a day away!" (Personally I like Arland Gilbert better than Gilbert Arland, so that's the way I'm going to remember him.) REPLY FROM JACK: That's a good way to look at it. Some are obsessed with being perfect....so, always miss the mark. The Greek word for sin means, "missing the mark."

FROM MOLINER C.F.: Sometimes just hitting the target is close enough. FROM JACK: Except in horseshoes.