Words to live by...

As you can see, one of the books that I love is More Than Enough by Dave Ramsey. Here are some highlights of the book which has helped me build my character. I hope they bring you inspiration too.

"When one door close, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us." Alexander Graham Bell

It is much better to look where you are going than to see where you have been.

A driver using only the rear view mirror on his car will get nowhere fast. Look forward with vision and set bite-size goals to accomplish your vision.

Only about 8 percent of Americans have clearly defined goals and only 3 percent write them down. It is no accident that only 3 percent of Americans retire wealthy.

One big hairy lie that we allow to steal our hope is: Failure is permanent. If we see failure in our past as an indicator of our future, our only possible future, that will rob our hope. Winston Churchill said "Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."

Failure is natural, normal, and is going to happen. Failure is caged when we realize it is not permanent.

"Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently." Henry Ford

For us ladies of the house: Your husband needs his armor shined and his sword sharpened, not a Chihuahua barking around his ankles reminding him of his past failure.

"Yesterday is history, tomorrow's a mystery, today is a gift, that's why they call it the PRESENT."

"And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulations produce perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope." Romans 5:3-4 Problems give us the ability to hang on and that ability changes who we are. When our character is permanently molded by the trial we are stronger and the end result is hope.

"There are no hopeless situations, only people who are hopeless about them." Dinah Shore

"The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism." Norman Vincent Peale

Find people who are being who you want to be and spend time with them. Your habits and values will be better because you become like those you are hanging around with.

"….and in a multitude of counselors there is safety." Proverbs 24:6

"One outstanding success can cover a multitude of blunders."

"Those who have never made a mistake usually work for those who have."

"I tell them if they are going to do something, do it right the first time and they won't have to go back and correct their mistakes." Sharon Ramsey

Work is doing it. Discipline is doing it every day. Diligence is doing it well every day. It all starts with work.

"Work like it all depends on you and pray like it all depends on God." St. Ambrose

Posturing is not work, and looking good is not work; you cannot confuse activity with accomplishments.

Edison said it best, life's greatest feats, the world's greatest discoveries, his own most fantastic inventions were "1% inspiration and 99% perspiration."

"Nature gave us two ends – one to sit on and one to think with. Ever since then the man's success or failure has been dependent on which one he used most." George Kirkpatrick

Discipline understands that the best way to get rich quick is to get rich slow. "A faithful man will abound with blessings: Be he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished." Proverbs 28:20

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11