Mondays Philosophies

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, its the only thing that ever has"

Mondays Philosophies

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

Monday's Philosophies

….to the earth, a hundred years is nothing. A million years is nothing. This planet lives and breathes on a much vaster scale. We can’t imagine its slow and powerful rhythms, and we haven’t got the humility to try. We’ve been residents here for the blink of an eye. If we’re gone tomorrow, the earth will not miss us……..Let's be clear. The planet is not in jeopardy. We are in jeopardy. We haven't got the power to destroy the planet - or save it. But we might have the power to save ourselves.




And a special one for the Mum's for yesterday


For a mother is the only person on earth Who can divide her love among ten children And each child still have all her love.

Monday's Philosophies

One day a man in a truck saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out.Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe; he looked poor and hungry.He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fears can put in you.He said, "I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson."Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him… any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped.Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and he knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, "And think of me."He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her.The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase.The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan.After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back.The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin.There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: "You don't owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you."Under the napkin were four more $100 bills. Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day.That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written.How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard.She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low,"Everything's going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson."

Monday's Philosphies

When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.




Franklin D. Roosevelt

Mondays Philosophies

It wasn't the Exxon Valdez captain's driving that caused the Alaskan oil spill. It was yours. ~Greenpeace advertisement, New York Times, 25 February 1990



"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are omnipotent.

Calvin Coolidge

Mondays Philosophies

The gradual destruction of planet Earth is because I use its resources and disturb its systems. Forests are disappearing because I use paper, houses and farmland. Fisheries are depleted because I eat fish. The atmosphere is deteriorating because I use cars, planes, fridges, air conditioning and foam cups. Fresh water supplies are diminishing because I use buy products from industries that pump wastes into streams; I use sewerage systems that are yet to be made environmentally friendly. Plants and animals are dying because I disturb their ecosystems. Don't think it is someone else's problem. Living in Australia, living in a developed country, I contribute to global degradation more than I realise. It's up to me to act.

Mondays Philosophies

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt

Mondays Philosophies

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention
of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body,
but rather to skid in sideways, champagne in one hand -
strawberries in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally
worn out and screaming "WOOHOO - What a Ride!"

Mavis Leyrer