The quotes on this page are from Lisa Coffey. For more information visit her website at Coffeytalk.com   Joy In Life "This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap." -George Bernard Shaw There's a lot of living to do in this life!  It's one thing to go out and have adventures and experience all the fun there is to be had.  But at a certain point in time we discover our purpose, the certain something that we feel compelled to do that gives our life meaning.  And when we're totally involved in our purpose and giving of ourselves, there's no better feeling.  -Lissa Coffey Joy In Work "The secret of joy in work is contained in one word - excellence.  To know how to do something well is to enjoy it." -Pearl S. Buck (1964) Our topic this week is excellence.  When we enjoy doing something, we put our heart into it, and it shows.  What we enjoy doing, we do well, we can't help it.  And by the same token, what we do well brings us joy!  We are rewarded for a job well done by feeling good about it.  -Lissa Coffey Reflections "The vanity of human life is like a river, constantly passing away, and yet constantly coming on." -Alexander Pope It's interesting to look at little children and think: "I was once that age!"  We all start out as babies, fresh and new to the world.  And now here we are as adults, shaping the world, making decisions that affect the future, a future which will one day be the present to these babies who will one day be adults.  And life goes on.  We're connected now and always.  -Lissa Coffey Love & Life Is not this the true romantic feeling - not to desire to escape life, but to prevent life from escaping you." -Thomas Wolfem We can live life "in love" all the time.  When we love our life, and ourselves, we are filled to the brim with joy and peace.  We overflow with wonder that spills out to the world and makes it a better place to be.  -Lissa Coffey Life's Surprises "Life is not having been told that the man has just waxed the floor." -Ogden Nash Whoops!  It's those surprises that make life interesting.  We never know what is just around the corner for us.  And isn't that wonderful?  We live with uncertainty, so good things can happen at any time.  -Lissa Coffey Life Productions "The flower is the poetry of reproduction.  It is the example of the eternal seductiveness of life." -Jean Giraudoux Our topic this week is living.  The flower: so simple, elegant, sweet.  It is a symbol of beauty, and a representation of life expressing itself.  We are drawn to them.  It's no wonder that we love to give and receive flowers.  -Lissa Coffey What Makes Us Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are." -Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826) The more popular version of this saying is: "You are what you eat."  That's easy to understand in terms of food.  We know what's good for our bodies.  But think of what we eat in terms of what we consume in the media, and the marketplace, too.  Are we buying and using products that are good for ourselves and the environment?  Are we reading, watching shows, and expressing ourselves in ways that are beneficial to humanity?  Food for thought!  -Lissa Coffey Human Needs "Food for all is a necessity.  Food should not be a merchandise, to be bought and sold as jewels are bought and sold by those who have the money to buy.  Food is a human necessity, like water and air, and it should be as available." -Pearl S. Buck, 1967 Food is probably the most basic of human needs.  It's one way that we take care of each other.  I think of when I would go over to my grandmother's house.  She loved to feed me!  Somehow it made her feel good to see me eat.  There is a website now that we can visit, and just by "clicking" food is provided to people who need it most.  It doesn't cost us anything because it is advertiser sponsored.  This is just one example of how people are coming together to help alleviate the hunger problem in the world.  The Hunger Site.  -Lissa Coffey Human Challenges "Society has no bribe for me, neither in politics, nor church, nor college, nor city." -Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) Society challenges us all the time.  We're here in this human existence to learn and to grow, and facing these challenges is one way for us to do that.  What wins out, temptation or conviction?  Integrity has a lot to do with it.  Like Jiminy Cricket sings: "always let your conscience be your guide."  -Lissa Coffey Goals "Repeated polls over the years have found people's biggest lifetime regret is not getting enough education or not taking it seriously enough." -Malcolm Ritter "What We Come to Regret," San Francisco Chronicle, 1993 If we look at regret in a healthy way, it would be saying to ourselves: "What could I have done differently?"  And in that way we are learning from our experiences.  There is also the possibility that we may change our experiences - as in this example, we could still get more education, and take it seriously.  We have choices all the time - so maybe regret is a call for us to make another choice.  -Lissa Coffey