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For more information about sponsorship opportunities with NAIFA-West Virginia, please contact John Pauley at (304) 345-4343.
 

"My friend, the Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness; you have to catch it yourself."  Former game show host Hugh Downs noted: "A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes."  Even Aristotle the famed philosopher said, "Happiness depends upon ourselves." In our world of doubt, negative thinking and chaos, it is easy for us to push aside the actions which can bring happiness, opportunity and an energy-filled positive attitude.
 
Too often, we mislead ourselves in thoughts of how bad times are and how everything is stacked against us.  This catabolic view of victimization does nothing but make our lives miserable and in turn a misery for those around us.  This "victim" view will adversely impact our business as we begin to think that maybe 2nd place is not such a bad position to occupy.  When this happens our lives will change; but, not in the manner we had hoped.
 
In current times of uncertainty and challenge, I want to share with you a favorite story.  I read the story in the Daily Herald published in Provo, Utah.  Its theme has great power that will bring fulfillment IF we will allow its advice to rule our minds and force our egos to take a rear seat in our trip along life's great pathways.  It is the story entitled, "The Secret of the Touchtone."
 
"Raimundo de Ovies tells a story that when the great library of Alexandria was burned, one book was saved.  It was not a valuable book and so a poor man who could read a little, bought it for a few coppers.  It was not very interesting; yet, there was a most interesting thing in it.  It was a thin strip of vellum on which was written the secret of the "touchstone."
 
"As J. Martin Choke tells us in "Your Greatest Power," the touchstone was a small pebble that could turn any common metal into pure gold.  The writing explained that the touchstone was on the shores of the Black Sea, lying among thousands and thousands of other pebble stones would feel warm, while ordinary pebbles are cold.  So the man sold his few belongings, bought some simple supplies, camped on the seashore, and began testing pebbles."
 
"He knew that if he picked up ordinary pebbles and threw them down again because they were cold, he might pick up the same pebble hundreds of times.  So, when he felt one that was cold, he threw it into the sea.  He spent a whole day doing this and there were none that were the touchstone.  Then, he spent a week, a month, a year, three years; but, he did not find the touchstone.  Yet he went on and on this way."
 
"One morning, he picked up a pebble and it was warm, and he immediately threw it into the sea.  He had formed the habit of throwing pebbles into the sea to such a routine that when the one came along that he sought, he still threw it away."
 
Such is the pursuit of happiness.  Searching for that one magic pebble, we expend countless hours of energy and effort.  The search is so desperate and habitual that even when a happiness producing experience is realized, it is too often cast aside.  Happiness is enjoying each pebble-like life experience because we have decided to focus on the good in all of life's moments.
 
Attention to our business demands nothing short of a daily "Super Bowl" playing mentality.  Each day brings challenges involving rules changes, new processes, transition errors, regulatory matters...the list is endless!  Too often we allow these outside challenges to zap our positive, empowering energy and plunge us into feelings of victimization, anger, disgust, defiance.  We rationalize that it is ok to accept lesser than excelling results because the "cards are stacked against us." When we do get a break-through, too often just like the "touchstone", we set aside that break-through because we are conditioned to feel that we are not good enough or that we can't achieve.  Due to limiting beliefs and assumptions, we have in essence conditioned ourselves to believe that opportunity and happiness can never be achieved.
 
Realize that we must slow down the process.  Take a look at your "pebbles" one by one and then grasp hold of the "warm" ones when they appear and convert that energy to your benefit as we gain wisdom and joy from finally discovering that happiness is within our grip!  Therefore, it is so very important that we make the secret of the touchstone work for us each and every day.  We do this by not throwing our "warm" pebbles back into the ocean but by realizing that what we have in our hands and in our minds will enable us to turn our ordinary metals into the finest gold the world has ever seen!  
  
The question becomes, "Are we up to the challenge?"
 
Best wishes for continued success and happiness!!!
   
 

       
 
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Health Care Highlights

     

Hi, I'm Thom Stevens, NAIFA - West Virginia Lobbyist and Editor of Health Care Highlights.
 
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