Jack’s Winning Words 7/16/19
“The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.”  (Lee Iacoccoa)  Yes, that is one more mark of The Greatest Generation.  “Smile, Though Your Heart Is Breaking,” a song of that era illustrates it.  Even the writer of Winning Words can have a bad day.  When things aren’t going well, I look for the good can come out of the bad…and I find it!  Feeling down in the dumps?  Listen to Lee!.   ;-)  Jack

FROM PROUD MARY:  so dear friend...once again you give me the song of the day. just because i haven't been responding doesn't mean i don't look forward to my first communication of the day. winning words is the first thing i read each morning. i can't thank you enough for your daily affirmations and "hopes". they have gotten me through the toughest of days.  my sister passed away on june 29th in nyc.  johnny and i were at her side. now i am home going through her things. mailing off to friends and family a bit of remembrances. trying to find a new normal. i know it will come. it has before. you have been by my side throughout this journey. you're a good traveling partner! love, ===JACK:  Yes, "Smile, though your heart is breaking " seems to be the right song for now.  I think that I'll youtube it.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  good words,  Jack.  thanks. 

FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  Live on the sunny side of the street!===JACK:  "Grab your coat; don't forget your hat.  Leave your worries on the doorstep..."

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Sing Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Gets ya thru the darkest day,  When cares pursue ya, Hallelujah! It will shoo those blues away.===JACK:   I see that the lyrics .are from the Ella Fitzgerald version.  Good!  How do you like Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah?"

FROM NORM'S BLOG:  I grew up in the era with some of the early proponents of changing one’s attitude. Norman Vincent Peae wrote his famous book ‘The Power of Positive Thinking” in 1952. Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, was on TV espousing a positive attitude through faith. Of course, there was Dale Carnegie and who could leave Zig Zigler off such a list. More recently, lives have been influenced by the works of Eckhart Tolle, Thomas Anthony Harris, Tony Robbins and a host of self-help gurus. What all of these people have in common is the notion that you can change your life by changing your attitude.  In physics it can be shown that, in order to change the direction of an object that is in motion, some sort of force must be applied to that object – a force in a different direction than the object is traveling. The same is true of the trajectory of your life. It will  continue down the path it is on, unless some force is applied that causes it to change direction. That “force” can be some external event or it can be an internal change of attitude, which causes you to react differently and take a new direction. One could sit around and hope that something happens to change things in your life or one can take the first steps of changing your attitude towards life.  Perhaps the greatest “force” that can change the direction of your life is the force of a belief in God and in God’s impact on your life. Nothing will change your attitude about  life more than accepting God’s role in your life and learning how to see and do what God has in mind for you. You may not understand the “why” of it all and maybe you cannot yet be able see the “how” it will all play out; but, if you accept the will of God in your life, as in “not my will, but Thy will be done”, the outcome in your life will definitely change.
The outcomes that we desire or dream about are basically expectations or hopes. We try to visualize or “see” the desired state at the end of an effort. Many people set goals for themselves based upon an outcome that involves acquiring and owning some new thing – a car, a house, a boat, something. They may envision themselves being happy once they have acquired that thing. Few find any real happiness in even the best outcome of such  goals. They find that having the items does not bring happiness, only a temporary sense of achievement of that goal; then it is on to the next goal.

Perhaps the biggest change that one can make to change the trajectory of their life is to alter their perception of the desired outcome. Since there is an inevitable end to life on earth, the question becomes, “What is the outcome that I want at that point?” People of faith have an answer for that question; and, having found that  answer, their lives are altered and their goals change. They find satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment in service to others as they progress towards that ultimate goal.===JACK:  Positive thinking must be followed by positive action.  The Benedictine monks had a phrase, "ora et labora," Latin for prayer and works...the two go together.  It's one thing to pray about a situation.  Some prayers are answered because of some work on our part.