My Daily Smile

Life is short - begin every day with a smile!

“Duty, Honor, Country”

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Living (and loving) Life

“This will remain the land of the free so long as it is the home of the brave.“
 -–Elmer Davis

I’ve often heard it said that freedom isn’t free, and that’s so very true.

Since the day our great nation was founded every generation has produced thousands of patriots who were ready and willing to risk their own lives to protect the freedoms we enjoy as Americans from the tyrants who would  endeavor to take them away.

Virtually every cemetery and graveyard in this country holds the remains of men and women who answered the call of duty and came home draped in the flag they fought so hard to protect.

On Memorial Day we come together as a nation to remember and honor all the brave souls who selflessly sacrificed their own futures so the rest of us could enjoy ours in freedom and peace.

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Courage isn’t the absence of fear (and that’s a good thing)

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Living (and loving) Life

Every now and then we see news reports about ordinary people doing heroic things.

Here are just a few recent examples that come to mind:

  • In the heat of a fire-fight, a wounded soldier runs into the path of heavy enemy fire to rescue a wounded comrade.
  • A police officer rushes towards a flaming vehicle and pulls an unconscious accident victim to safety right before her car explodes into pieces.
  • A jogger jumps into a raging flooded river and rescues a child who is holding on to a tree branch for dear life.

When we hear about folks doing heroic things like these it’s natural to assume they’re fearless and have nerves of steel.

But truth be told, that’s rarely the case.

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Life tip: Always call your mom on your birthday!

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Living (and loving) Life

If you’re like most people you love getting phone calls from your special friends and family members on your birthday.

After all, it’s a very special day that only comes around once a year.

But guess what? You shouldn’t wait for your mom to call you on your birthday. If you’re lucky enough to still have her around you should call her instead.

Why? Because your birthday is just as special and important to your mom as it is to you!

Think about it for a moment…

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Remembering Katherine Johnson: The ‘computer who wore a skirt’

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Living (and loving) Life

Some of the most crucial (and most difficult) computations in the field of space travel are used to determine the trajectories and orbits of rockets and various types of space vehicles.

One simple mistake can cause a spacecraft to miss a planned rendezvous with another vehicle or even miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit and explore a comet or some other heavenly body that’s hurtling through space.

And in some situations a mistake in these calculations can even cost the crew members their lives.

Back when space pioneers like Alan Shepard and John Glenn were gearing up for their historic flights, they depended on an amazing lady named Katherine Johnson to calculate the trajectories and orbits of their crafts – and she made those calculations by hand!

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The power of the first step

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Living (and loving) Life

“Take the first step, and your mind will mobilize all its forces to your aid. But the first essential is that you begin. Once the battle is started, all that is within and without you will come to your assistance.“
     -–Robert Collier

I have a question for you: Are you a dreamer?

I mean are you someone who sits at times and thinks about what you’d love to accomplish in life?  [Read more…]