Rosemead Kiwanis Club
"Serving the Community Since 1945"
FAX OF
LIFE
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Rosemead Kiwanis Club "Serving the Community Since 1945" |
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FAX OF LIFE
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The Fax of Life
A weekly inspiration, courtesy of the Kiwanis Club of Scott's Valley
December 17, 2006 Volume 12 Number 12
If we were to keep a record of all the things we worried about during a given period of time, we would likely make a great discovery. We would discover, in reviewing them, that the great majority of our anticipated problems or troubles never come to pass.
What does this mean?
This means that most of the time we
devote to worrying, even the
constructive kind that prompts us to
try to come up with a solution to
what is troubling us, is wasted.
Thus, we do two things. We first
cause ourselves unnecessary mental
anguish. Secondly, we take up
valuable minutes and hours that
could have been spent elsewhere.
To avoid this, it is often necessary to subject potential sources of worry to the coldly objective and analytical light of reason.
For example, once, shortly before a major concert before a standing-room-only audience, a member of Arturo Toscanini's orchestra approached the great Italian conductor with an expression of sheer terror on his face.
"Maestro," the musician fretted, "my instrument is not working properly. I cannot reach the note of E-flat. Whatever will I do? We are to begin in a few moments."
Toscanini looked at the man with
utter amazement. Then he smiled
kindly and placed an arm around his
shoulders. "My friend," the maestro
replied, "Do not worry about it. The
note E-flat does not appear anywhere
in the music that you will be
playing this evening."
The next time we find ourselves in the middle of worrying about some matter, we might be wise to stop and ask ourselves what the odds are of the problem really coming to pass. We may be able to go on to something more constructive.
- by Brad Stevens
Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time.
The Kiwanis Club of Scott's Valley is a community service club and meets at the Heavenly Café in Scott's Valley on Wednesdays at 7 am. You are welcome to join us anytime.
We do not charge anyone for receiving the "Fax;" however. if you have been encouraged in any way by the message, pass it on by saying something encouraging to someone else during the week.