# Spending Time Wisely

"You may delay, but time will not."
Benjamin Franklin

We used to hear that people always complain that they don't have much/enough time. Back to reality, it doesn't matter who you are, where you live, each of us has "absolutely" 24 hours a day, am I right?.. Please be advice before we started to complain about it and here is a short story to think for a moment.

1000 Marbles

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.

A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the basement shack with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning, turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time.

I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whomever he was talking with something about "a thousand marbles." I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say.

"Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. Too bad you missed your daughter's dance recital."

He continued, "Let me tell you something Tom, something that has helped me keep a good perspective on my own priorities." And that's when he began to explain his theory of a "thousand marbles."

"You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years. Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900 which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime."

"Now stick with me Tom, I'm getting to the important part."

"It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail," he went on, "and by that time, I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about 1,000 of them left to enjoy. Only 1,000. And that was if I was lucky. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had."

"I ended up having to visit three toy stores to roundup 1,000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside of a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear. Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away."

"I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight."

"Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time."

"It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. 75 year Old Man, this is K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!"

You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter. Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss.

"C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast."

"What brought this on?" she asked with a smile. "Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids."

"Hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles..."

You may like these stories too:
Trouble Tree
Ice Cream for The Soul

# Daily Inspiration Poster

LOVE

It is not how much we do
but how much love we put in the doing.

It is not how much we give
but how much love we put in the giving.

(Mother Teresa)

# Underwater "Tiger Show"

Guys.. You should like this show. In Thailand, tiger show is a special sex show involving a number of acrobatic displays. Picture below is kind of a pure "tiger show" and it is more exciting because it did by a beautiful creature with white fur under the water.

Curious?? You better check it out...

Pic Source: Webpark

# How to Make Your Relationship a Happily Ever After Story

Realistically, you can't expect happily ever after to be brought to you via a magic wand. But having the perfect relationship doesn't mean you have to take a leaf out of the drab, dull and boring book.

A happy and long term relationship can be very attainable, lasting well past the over-glorified honeymoon period. All that is needed is the willingness to work at it even when things get tough - because as with any partnership, there's no doubt that at some stage, things will definitely get tough.

A healthy relationship can be likened to a healthy body. We are all very aware that your body requires the essentials of proper feeding, consistent exercise and adequate rest, and these requirements can be applied equally to your relationship. It too needs constant reassurance, sufficient time together and, in my belief the absolute key - communication.

Communication is the element within a relationship that ensures that it is kept in good shape, much like exercise to your body.

A very common misconception is that communication needs words, and a rigid schedule that requires the parties to sit down and talk. If anything, sometimes these things could prove more of a downfall than a benefit to your relationship.

While its true that couples should find the time to talk regularly, communication extends to non-verbal, and in most cases, far more powerful attributes. Body language is one of the most powerful ways that we communicate with each other.

For example, it's pretty much of a certainty that if your partner has their arms crossed while you are talking to them, they are not at their most receptive. Seeing your partner's body stiffen and tense up when you bring up a particular subject may mean that the topic you are discussing causes stress for them.

Another example of non-verbal communication is to watch how your partner performs the everyday, common place tasks, and see if they are doing anything differently. Maybe he is spending more time with his mates, maybe she's spending more time at the hairdressers.

It can be hoped that your partnership is at a level where you can interpret these different actions correctly, especially if your relationship has been in existence for a decent period of time.

Sometimes these things can be perfectly innocent, but they could be a key that something is not quite right. And it may not be anything directly to do with your relationship, but it's a good thing to become aware of these situations, and perhaps show some sensitivity, compassion and understanding.

You can use these non-verbal cues in many ways, and you need to attempt to deduce what is happening within your relationship. Maybe your partner is reluctant to say something, but they really want to.

As can be seen with your body, where instant results don't come with a few exercise sessions, this same principle applies equally to your relationship.

Communication is the key. Although it doesn't mean that you will never have relationship problems, it definitely can help in fixing future problems.

By: Sharron Nixon

Related post:
# 2 Very Basic Rules of People Relationships

# 5 Fingers to Remind while You are Praying

1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is a "sweet duty."

2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.

3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need Mighty's guidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger - the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

# 8 Health Risks that Every Man Should Know

1. Heart disease

There are more than 200,000 deaths a year in the UK from heart disease and stroke and together they account for almost one in three premature deaths (before age 75) in men. Check your blood pressure (should be below 160/100 mmHg) and cholesterol level (ideally less than 5mmol/litre).

2. Smoking

Men still smoke more and die more frequently from smoking than women. It increases the risk of heart disease, half a dozen kinds of cancer and other illnesses such as bronchitis. Half of all smokers will die from their habit if they do not stop. Give it up.

3. Obesity

A waist measurement over 37 inches increases your risk of health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. Eat healthily and lose that gut.

4. Depression/stress

The stresses surrounding men and women are identical. But women let stress out, they talk to each other. Man used to keep it alone. So all stress in man is worse than stress in woman.

5. Unprotected sex

Up to 50 per cent of men (70 per cent of women) with a sexually transmitted infection don't show any symptoms. Use a condom

6. Too little exercise

Staying fit is the key to good health. Walking is fine (10,000 steps burns 500 calories) and if you jog or swim or play football (700 calories an hour), you burn more.

7. Drinking

Heavy drinking is common among men. In moderation alcohol enhances enjoyment and reduces the risk of heart disease. In excess, it leads to social and psychological distress and physical damage. Three small glasses of wine or a pint and a half of beer a day is fine – more could be problematic.

8. Cancer

Prostate cancer
The commonest in men with 35,000 cases and 10,000 deaths a year. Be alert to warning signs (difficulty peeing or getting up in the night).


Testicular cancer
Although still rare, rates have trebled in the past 25 years and it is the commonest cause of cancer deaths in men aged 15-35. Check your testicles regularly.

Other cancers
Don't ignore symptoms (persistent cough, blood in the urine or faeces) – early treatment increases the chance of a cure.

# Pachelbel's Canon in D ( Music of the Month)

The word "art" may be used to cover all or any of the arts like music, literature and other forms. According to Wikipedia, Art refers to a diverse range of human activities, creations, and expressions that are appealing to the senses or emotions of a human individual.

After the Art of Origami, let me share another most popular art called music. If someone said that music does indeed soothing our soul, I fully agree now. Back to this post, this one taken from youtube and this clip is high rating and viewer. Let see if this two and half minutes homemade clip deserved it.

Footnote:

Pachelbel's Canon, also known as Canon in D major is the most famous masterpiece of music by Johann Pachelbel and it was written in or around 1680.

Johann Pachelbel was born in 1653 in Nuremberg Germany. During his lifetime, Pachelbel was best known as an organ composer. He wrote more than two hundred pieces for the instrument, both liturgical and secular, and explored most of the genres that existed at the time.