January 16, 2004 Chautauqua

From the Editor's Computer     

  For Christmas, I received a plaque that reads: “Everyone is born right-handed, only the gifted overcome it.”  While lefties everywhere wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment, it does apply to other circumstances in our lives.

   You were born…

·        In a particular moment in time

·        In a particular locality

·        During particular series of events, both local, national and international

·        To a particular set of parents

·        Into a particular nuclear and extended family

·        Into a particular ethnic background

·        Into a particular segment of society

·        Into a particular economic class

·        Into a particular belief system

·        Into a particular tradition

   But...that does not mean that your ‘lot’ in life is set in concrete, never to be changed. 

   We all have the opportunity to take those parts of our background which we had no control over and then chose our future.  The factors that have shaped us are part of who we are, but they are not entirely who we are.  We are constantly faced with new circumstances and events in our lives.  These events and, more importantly, our reactions to them, are what shape our personality and character.

   All of us are ‘gifted’ in one area or another.  How are we overcoming what we can’t control to shape what we can...ourselves? 

Beth

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January 2, 2004 Chautauqua

 

From the Editor's Computer     

   Here we are at the beginning of a brand new year.  A year full of possibility and adventure.  A year in which anything can happen.  A year that you can chose to be the best it can be.

   This is the time of year when many of us come up with our New Year’s Resolutions.  Some resolutions will be kept, some won’t.  Some resolutions are the same as last year (and the year before that…), some are new.

   As we embark on this new year, my wish  for you is this...May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy. (Anonymous)

   Happy New Year and all the best in 2004!

 

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jIfhN_QMZvRk59_inTy9TpSSYSuphUYN/view?usp=sharing

To contact The Chautauqua, email: thechautauqua@gmail.com.