Matthew Kelly is one of, if not my favorite author and speaker.  If you scroll through these pages you will see numerous references to his book, The Rhythm of Life, (my all-time favorite) along with quotes and nuggets I have pulled from his work.  I’m currently reading another book of his, Rediscovering Catholicism, and came across this passage today that resonated with me. 

I am more intimately aware than ever before that we all waste life.  We waste it one day at a time, a day here and a day there.  We waste some days caught up in unforgiveness, and we waste other days immersed in frivolous and irresponsible activities. 

Life is passing us by.  Life is wonderful but brief, and yet, filled with unimaginable potential.  Within each of us, there is a light.  It is the light of God, and when it shines, it reflects not only the wonder of God, but also the greatness of human spirit.  We live in difficult times.  I pray that we never become fearful, but rather, that we turn our focus to nurturing the light within us.  I hope that we allow the light within us to be nourished and to grow.  Darkness has one enemy that it can never defeat - light. 

Let your light shine!

People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered - LOVE THEM ANYWAY

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives - DO GOOD ANYWAY

If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies - SUCCEED ANYWAY

The good you do will be forgotten tomorrow - DO GOOD ANYWAY

Honesty and frankness will make you vulnerable - BE HONEST AND FRANK ANYWAY

Big People with even bigger ideas will be shot down by small people with even smaller minds.  THINK BIG ANYWAY

People favor underdogs, but follow only top dogs. - BE THE UNDERDOG ANYWAY

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. - BUILD ANYWAY

People really need help but may attack you if you help them. - HELP THEM ANYWAY

Give the world the best you have and you’ll often still get kicked in the teeth. - GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU’VE GOT ANYWAY

- by Kent Keith

Successful people remind themselves of their goals every waking moment of every hour of every day.

If somebody gave you a bucket of oysters and told you that there was a valuable pearl in one of the oysters, wouldnt you be inclined to open each one until you found it? 

So it is in life.  We are each handed our own set of talents, skills and a bucket of oysters.  Sometimes that bucket seems huge and it takes a lot of time to find that lucky oyster.  But it is always there. 

The key is persistence.  Never give up looking for that valuable pearl.  Treat failures as great learning experiences.  They help you grow and offer incredible wisdom. 

Just when you think there is no pearl in the oyster bucket, one will always pop up - and when you least expect it. 

I read that today in a collaborative book that I am reading.  The author of this particular passage is Joseph Sugarman.