Inspirational Living: Life Lessons For Success & Happiness

Listen to episode 531 of the Inspirational Living Podcast: Thoughtfulness & Living a Loving Life. Edited and adapted from Young People’s Problems by J.R. Miller.Inspirational Podcast Excerpt: One of the finest things in a complete, well-rounded character is thoughtfulness. It gives a wondrous charm to your life. It makes you a benediction wherever you go. It tempers all your conduct, softening all natural harshness into gentleness, and giving to your every word and act, and to all your bearing, a spirit of kindliness.A thoughtful person does not have to be asked to help others — they help, as it were, instinctively. They are ever ready to do the obliging thing, to say the encouraging word, to show an interest in the life of others, to perform those countless little kindnesses which so brighten the common pathway.The thoughtful person does not make their life an offence or irritation to others. They never meddle with other people’s affairs, but respects the individuality and the rights of everyone. They cu

Listen to episode 530 of the Inspirational Living Podcast: Values for Climbing the Hill of Life. Edited and adapted from Making the Grade by C.V. Mosby.Motivational Podcast Excerpt: There is both a science and an art in the correct estimation of values. It takes training and mature judgment to pick the false from the true. And there is a fine art in the application of values to the things in life that are worthwhile. It is easy for us to fall into the error of thinking values are relative. Perspectives of value may indeed vary, but the inherent value remains. And the value of those things in life that assist in making the grade remain fixed and definite.The value of patience, imagination, self-confidence, health, truth, and honesty of purpose remains the same, and will always be fixed and definite. It makes no difference what your estimation of them may be. A yardstick measures thirty-six inches. If one looks at a string that is thirty-six inches in length and says that it is only thirty-four, the thirty-six

Listen to episode 529 of the Inspirational Living Podcast: The Courage & Patience to Achieve Success. Edited and adapted from Making the Grade by C.V. Mosby.Visit today's sponsor at ReelPaper.com, and use the coupon code LIVING for 25% off your purchase.Inspirational Podcast Excerpt: Patience means more than being able to stick to a task until it is finished. It means having a philosophy that makes one understand that it is continuous, well-directed efforts that win. Furthermore, patience must have an imaginative eye that sees the completed task and pronounces it well done.A mule can plod up and down the field. It makes no difference to the mule whether cotton or weeds are being plowed, but the farmer would have little patience if they did not feel that they would harvest more than a crop of weeds.To be patient, to keep plugging along, to keep climbing the hill, you must be inspired by, and buoyed up with, the hope of reaching the top. It is not patience, but hopelessness that keeps one working at a t

Listen to episode 526 of the Inspirational Living Podcast: How to Make Your Life Marvelous | Motivation. Edited and adapted from Personal Power by Keith J. Thomas.Visit today's sponsor Swanson Health at Swanson.com. And use coupon code LIVING20 for 20% off.Motivational Podcast Excerpt: Put the joy of creation into everything you do. Let it be worthy of your mind, and let it be done as perfectly as you can do it. If your employers cannot use you to better advantage, fit yourself for more congenial work elsewhere. It is your own fault if you complain: the remedy is always in your own hands. Complaints are signs of weakness, and if you are in a chronic state of dissatisfaction, words will avail nothing. Only by your own actions can you alter your own condition of life. If you are busy complaining when you ought to be busily acting, you are likely to complain until the end of the chapter.How can you enjoy your leisure, if your mind is brooding over your grievances? Instead of railing against circumstances, yo

Listen to episode 525 of the Inspirational Living Podcast: Answering the Riddle of Life. Edited and adapted from Personal Power by Keith J. Thomas.Visit today's sponsor at ReelPaper.com, and use the coupon code LIVING for 25% off your purchase.Inspirational Podcast Excerpt: Be sure that whatever troubles come to you, if you face them with courage, they will pass by as the idle wind, and leave behind the prosperity of which they are only the harbingers. Everyone who has faced sorrow and disaster, who has come through the fires of adversity, knows well from their own experience that for every trouble life can bring, there is some greater compensating advantage.It is true that “All things work together for good.” The snows of winter serve to warm the earth and protect the seeds that bring forth the glorious blooms of summer. All through Nature and all through life we see that the things which are gloomy and unpleasant inevitably develop into brightness and happiness.Support this podcast at — https://redcircl

Listen to episode 524 of the Inspirational Living Podcast: The Heroism of Every Day Life. Edited and adapted from A Man’s Reach or Some Character Ideals by Charles Edward Locke.Visit today's sponsor Swanson Health at Swanson.com. And use coupon code LIVING20 for 20% off.Inspirational Podcast Excerpt: In every age, we hear much talk of heroes. We are fascinated by stories and tales that spur the imagination to the loftiest heroism. But I would call your attention to the greatest of all heroism: that heroism which does not receive the plaudits of the crowd, nor attract the eyes of the multitude. It is not richly rewarded with treasure, and does not have medals struck for its accomplishments.I am thinking of the rescues and battles, the sacrifices and generosities, and the invincible courage which are unheralded, unrecorded, and unrewarded, but upon which the security and prosperity of our times depend.Many a person in a moment of emergency would rush at the risk of their life to the rescue of an imperiled f

Listen to episode 523 of the Inspirational Living Podcast: Overcoming Hurry, Worry, and Irritability. Edited and adapted from The Freedom of Life by Annie Payson Call.Visit today's sponsor at ReelPaper.com, and use the coupon code LIVING for 25% off your purchase.Inspirational Podcast Excerpt: Remember that worrying is resistance, and resistance is unwillingness. Unwillingness interferes with whatever we may want to accomplish. To be willing that this, that, or the other thing should happen seems quite difficult, when to our minds, this, that, or the other thing may bring disaster. And yet if we can once see clearly that worrying resistance tends toward disaster rather than away from it, or, at the very least, takes away our strength and endurance, it is only a matter of time before we become able to drop our resistance altogether.However, it IS a matter of time, and not instantaneous. So, once we are faced toward freedom from worry, we must be patient and steady, and not expect to gain very rapidly. We m

Listen to episode 522 of the Inspirational Living podcast: Inspiring Thoughts on Self-Development & Self-Growth. Edited and adapted from The Call of Life by William L. White.Visit today's sponsor Swanson Health at Swanson.com. And use coupon code INSPO20 for 20% off.Inspirational Podcast Excerpt: The ushering in of a New Year brings with it to so many people New Year’s Resolutions. This is a splendid practice and I would not discount New Year Resolutions one iota, but instead give unto them strength. Indeed, I wish to encourage not only resolutions for the New Year, but to urge everyone to be on the alert, taking stock, visualizing, and planning to better not only ourselves, but our neighbors and that sphere of the world which we touch. And whenever a new thought for a better practice in the upbuilding of our lives crosses our minds, do not wait for the New Year to roll around to record it and start practicing it, but begin at once.If the word resolution sounds "too tame," the words maxim or m

Listen to episode 521 of the Inspirational Living podcast: Becoming Rich in Knowledge & Wisdom | Education. Edited and adapted from Right Living by Susan H. Wixon.Inspirational Podcast Excerpt: That which we know is all our own. The more we know (the more we absorb of useful knowledge) the richer we become. Science which can be shown, demonstrated, and realized, is the desirable thing. Think about it. Does not actual knowledge put to flight all extremes of error and misunderstanding? Take a fact in Nature. Prove it, and it becomes yours. And not all the hyenas and bloodhounds of ignorance can take it from you.As someone has said before, "There are two valuable possessions which no search warrant can get at, and which no reverse of fortune can destroy: they are what a person puts into their head (i.e. knowledge), and what they put into their hands (i.e. skill)."Is there any limit to the acquisition of knowledge? No. Nobody has gained the whole of knowledge, and no one knows so much that they may no

Listen to episode 520 of the Inspirational Living podcast: The Grand Secrets of Success | Self-Reliance. Edited and adapted from The Grand Secrets of Success, compiled by The Toronto News Company.Inspirational Podcast Excerpt: There are different ways of getting on in the world. It does not always mean making money, or being a great individual for people to look up to. Leaving off a bad habit for a good one is getting on in the world; to be clean and tidy instead of dirty and disorderly is getting on; to be careful and saving instead of thoughtless and wasteful is getting on; to be active and industrious, instead of idle and lazy is getting on; to be kind and forbearing, instead of ill-natured and quarrelsome, is getting on; to work as diligently in the boss's absence as in their presence is getting on.In short, when we see anyone properly attentive to their duties, persevering through difficulties, to gain such knowledge as shall be of use to themselves and others, offering a good example to their acquai

Listen to episode 519 of the Inspirational Living podcast: Success Habits & The Character That Triumphs. Edited and adapted from The Ideal Man by John Priest Greene.Inspirational Podcast Excerpt: Let us talk about character. IS it grown, or engraved, or forged? All of these. We are born without character, but it soon sprouts, and then grows rapidly. The soil is the home, the school, the social life, the business world — different kinds of soil, each contributing its element to the growth of character.Parents, teachers, companions, and business associates are the character-cultivators, and largely determine the quality of the product — but each one grows their own character. The word "character" is Greek, and means "engraved" — an ancient and beautiful conception. We (sometimes with the help of others) engrave our own characters when we begin to act on our own judgment, when we choose and do, and thus form habits.A habit is a groove or a line cut in the soul, fixed, along which future actio

Listen to episode 518 of the Inspirational Living podcast: Inspirational Life Lessons on Happiness. Edited and adapted from The True Source of a Happy Life by Hugh Wayt.Inspirational Podcast Excerpt: It will help much in learning the lesson of happiness if we persistently train ourselves to be cheerful and to see the bright things in our every-day life. There are some people who seem to have eyes only for the disagreeable things. They find every bit of roughness and hardness in life's pathway. They see at once (and see it magnified) every unpleasant thing that comes into their lives. They remember every unhappy experience they ever had. They keep on the walls of their memory pictures of all their vanished joys and faded hopes. They indelibly record all the trials, adversities and misfortunes they have ever suffered.But, on the other hand, they are forgetful of all their blessings. They hang up no pictures of the joys they did not lose, which have filled their lives on so many bright days. They have poor m

Listen to episode 500 of the Inspirational Living podcast: The Sun Dial’s Motto | Motivational Podcasts. Edited and adapted from Peace, Power & Plenty by Orison Swett Marden.Motivational Podcast Excerpt: Welcome to the Inspirational Living podcast. If you enjoy today’s podcast, please help us spread the word by sharing it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Thank you. Today’s reading was edited and adapted from Peace, Power, and Plenty by Orison Swett Marden, published in 1909.On a famous sun-dial it is written: "I record none but hours of sunshine." Every human life would be beautified by making this a life motto. What a great thing it would be if we could only learn to wipe out of our memories forever everything unpleasant, everything which brings up bitter memories, unfortunate associations, and depressing, discouraging suggestions! If we could only keep our minds filled with beautiful thoughts which uplift and encourage, the efficiency of our lives would be multiplied.Support

Listen to episode 499 of the Inspirational Living podcast: Overcoming a Poverty Mindset| Law of Opulence. Edited and adapted from Peace, Power & Plenty by Orison Swett Marden.Inspirational Podcast Transcript: Welcome to the Inspirational Living podcast. Don’t forget to check out our collection of inspirational fashion and gifts at BookofZen.com. Each item features one of my own original thought-provoking sayings inside a zen enso circle. Thank you. Today’s reading was edited and adapted from Peace, Power, and Plenty by Orison Swett Marden, published in 1909.The worst thing about poverty is the poverty thought. It is the conviction that we are poor and must remain so that is fatal to progress in life. Holding the poverty thought keeps us in poverty-stricken and poverty-producing conditions.Poverty is an abnormal condition. It does not fit any human being's constitution. It contradicts the promise and the prophecy of the divine within us. The Creator never intended that we should be a pauper or a slave.

Listen to episode 494 of the Inspirational Living podcast: The Royal Road to Happiness | William George Jordan. Edited and adapted from The Majesty of Calmness.Happiness Podcast Excerpt: Welcome to the Inspirational Living podcast. Right now you can get all 3 of our eBooks (Evergreen, Everest, and Evermore) altogether for the one low price of $9.99. Each book of life lessons contains 50 inspirational essays that were once featured on this podcast. To get your copies now, go to InspirationalLifeLessons.com. Thank you.Today’s reading was edited and adapted from The Majesty of Calmness by William George Jordan, published in 1900."During my whole life I have not had twenty-four hours of happiness." So said Prince Otto von Bismarck, one of the greatest statesmen of the nineteenth century. Imagine that! Eighty-three years of wealth, fame, honors, power, influence, prosperity and triumph – years when he held an empire in his fingers – but not one day of happiness!Happiness is the greatest paradox in Nature.

Listen to episode 490 of the Inspirational Living podcast: Motivation for Developing Your Personal Power. Edited and adapted from Personal Power by Keith J. Thomas.Visit today's sponsor Swanson Health at Swanson.com. And use coupon code LIFE20 for 20% off.Motivational Podcast Transcript: "Be not afraid of greatness," says Shakespeare. "Some people are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them." Which are you? I will tell you. You were born great; you can achieve greatness if you will; and if you go about it the right way, you will have greatness thrust upon you.The mistake so many people make is to confuse greatness with riches. The great person can have all they want, but they need not necessarily become rich. Carlyle was no more intended to be a millionaire than Andrew Carnegie was made to be a Milton. We cannot all be Shakespeares, or Darwins, or Rockefellers, but we can all be great.If we want money we can get it; if we want power we can get it: the o

Listen to episode 476 of the Inspirational Living podcast: C25K Motivation for Running Couch to 5K | Runners High. Including motivational and uplifting quotes on running.Podcast Transcript: Welcome to the Inspirational Living podcast. The topic of today’s podcast is a little different. While I occasionally mention the importance of exercise and having a fit body, most of the time I talk about life lessons and success habits unrelated to fitness.But not today. Today we are going to talk about running, because around 8 weeks ago I decided that I was going to take up running for the first time. While I played a lot of sports in my youth, I always hated running. But now at the age of 52, not having done any regular, aerobic exercise in many years, I decided to start running, AND that I was going to enjoy it. Not only that, I set a goal for myself of running a 10.5K mini-marathon by the end of the year.I downloaded the free C25K app by Zen Labs, which thousands of other people have used successfully to take up run

Listen to episode 465 of the Inspirational Living podcast: The Meaning of Education. Edited and adapted from Character Building by Booker T. Washington.Inspirational Podcast Excerpt: Welcome to the Inspirational Living podcast. If you would like to help support the continuation of this podcast with a one-time financial donation, please visit LivingHour.org/donate. Thank you. Today’s reading was edited and adapted from Booker T. Washington’s book Character Building, which is a collection of Sunday evening talks he delivered to the students of the Tuskegee Institute, the first institution of higher education for African Americans. The book was published in 1902.It may seem to some of you that I am continually talking to you about education — the right kind of education, how to get an education, and such kindred subjects — but surely no subject could be more pertinent, since the object for which you all are here is to get an education; and if you are to do this, you wish to get the best kind possible.You will un

Listen to episode 450 of the Inspirational Living Podcast: Building Health, Energy & Personality. Edited and adapted from the work of Charles Atlas. Motivational Podcast Excerpt: Welcome to the Inspirational Living podcast. If you’re a fan of our podcast, don’t forget that our official Inspirational Living t-shirt is available at TeePublic. Shop now by visiting LivingHour.org/clothing. The very first essential thing to do in securing radiant health and physical strength is the deep breathing of pure, outside air. We can live without food for many weeks, without water for many days, but we cannot live without air for more than a few minutes. Air is equally a food as fruits and vegetables. When it enters into the composition of the body, its value cannot be over emphasized. Yet because it is so cheap we often ignore its real value. Remember that oxygen is LIFE! The more oxygen you breathe, the more health and strength you will get. This life-giving oxygen furnishes the power to pump the blood through the he

Listen to episode 441 of the Inspirational Living podcast: Seizing Opportunities | Master of Your Fate. Edited and Adapted from Success and How to Win It by B.F. Austin. Motivational Podcast Excerpt: The Spanish have a proverb that half of the misfortunes in life come from holding in your horse while it is leaping. The rider who checks a horse when vaulting over a hedge or brook courts death or disaster. So, when the time comes for supreme effort (the grand vault that is to lift you over the obstacles in your path and introduce you to a higher and nobler arena), you must enter into the spirit and effort of the hour and not hold back your horse when it is leaping. There comes to each life but a few of these moments, and when they do come they must be improved to the utmost. The one who would win in life's heavily contested conflicts must wisely lay aside everything that will hinder the fullest exercise of their powers or lessen their chances of winning success. Every weight carried lessens the chances of v