Ability
ABILITY
In college we used to sell coupon books door to door, and we used to have a term--- “Create our own reality.” This meant that as soon as someone broke a sales record, it changed our entire outlook on our job. For example; If the record was 20 coupon books in four hours ( atypical workday) and one day someone broke the record and sold 25, we were no longer happy if we sold 20. Why? Because we now realized it was possible to sell more.
Every day we were trying to create a new reality. The same story is true of the Russian Olympian Vasili Alexeev. He was trying to break a weight-lifting record of 500 pounds. He had lifted 499 but couldn’t for the life of him, lift 500.
Finally, his trainers put 501.5 pounds on his bar and rigged it so it looked like 499 pounds. Of course, you know the story. He lifted it easily.
Once he created this new reality, other weight lifters went on to break his record. Why? Because they now knew it was possible to lift 500 pounds.
The limits we set for ourselves exist in our minds. Sometimes, if we let our hearts do the talking and believe in our ability to overcome past perceptions, we can create another reality.
(Bob Dedinsky, “For Achievers Only” reader and laboratory technician for ZymoGenetics)
ABORTION
From the “Believe it or Not” File
The Endangered Species Act protects not only 170 species, but also protects their unborn. Of the 170 species, 3 are amphibians, 56 birds, 7 are clams, 2 are crustaceans, 29 are fish, 8 are mammals, 21 are reptiles and 2 are snails. The remaining 42 are plants. All their unborn offspring are protected by law. Anyone who violates any provision of the Endangered Species Act is subject to criminal prosecution and a maximum fine of $50,000 and a year in prison, or both.
(Life in Oregon, Sept-Nov. 1997)
ABORTION
History teaches the consequences of abortion
If /the women in the following examples had chosen abortion, their famous children would never have been born. See if you can identify their children.
1. A preacher and his wife are very poor and already have 14 kids. The woman becomes pregnant with their 15th child. Considering their poverty and the excessive world population, should she abort?
2. A father is sick with a cold, while the mother has tuberculosis (TB). They have four children: the first is blind; the second is dead; the third is deaf; and the fourth also has TB. The wife finds out she is pregnant again. Give the extreme situation, should she abort?
3. A white man raped a 13-year-old black girl, impregnating her. Should her parents force the girl to abort?
4. A teenage girl is unmarried and pregnant. Her fiancé is not the father of the baby, and he’s upset. Should she abort?
ANSWER: 1. John Wesley, great 19th century evangelist; 2. Beethoven, famous composer; 3. Ethel Waters, great gospel singer; 4. Jesus
ACCEPTANCE
A young woman was nervous about meeting her boy friend’s parents for the first time; she wanted to look her absolute best. As she glanced at herself in the mirror, she noticed her black pumps looked a little dingy, so she gave them a fast swipe with the paper towel she had used to blot her breakfast bacon. When she arrived at their home she was greeted by the parents and their spoiled, cranky poodle. The Dog got