Napolean Hill book, Think and Grow Rich, a tome which has changed the lives of millions. Hill writes in one chapter the method by which desire for riches can be broken down into six steps.

First: Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire. It is not sufficient merely to say “I want plenty of money.” Be definite as to the amount.

Second: Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire.

Third: Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money you desire.

Fourth: Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire, and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.

Fifth: Write out a clear, concise statement of the amount of money you intend to acquire, name the time limit for its acquisition, state what you intend to give in return for the money, and describe clearly the plan through which you intend to accumulate it.

Sixth: Read your written statement aloud, twice daily, once just before retiring at night, and once after arising in the morning. As you read, see and feel and believe yourself already in possession of the money.

The book further goes on to say, never in the history of America has there been so great an opportunity for practical dreamers as now exists. The six year economic collapse has reduced all men, substantially, to the same level. A new race is about to be run. The stakes respresent huge fortunes which will be accumulated within the next ten years. The rules of the race have changed, because we now live in a changed world that definitely favors the masses, those who had but little or no opportunity to win under the conditions existing during the Depression, when fear paralyzed growth and development.

What’s amazing about this book is that it is timeless. It was published in 1937 during the great depression yet the principles apply even today. As well, these lessons may be used to accumulate not only financial riches, but also all of the hopes and dreams we aspire to

Visit http://www.naphill.org/

La Llorona is Spanish for “the weeping woman,” and is a popular legend in Spanish-speaking cultures in the Americas, with many versions. The basic version is that La Llorona was a beautiful woman who killed her children to be with the man that she loved and was subsequently rejected by him. He might have been the children’s father, and left their mother for another woman, or he might have been a man she loved, but who was uninterested in a relationship with a woman with children, and whom she thought she could win if the children were out of the way. She drowned the children then killed herself, and is doomed to wander, searching for her children, always weeping. In some cases, according to the tale, she will kidnap wandering children.

The flag remains a powerful symbol of patriotism for many Americans. But where did those stars and stripes come from in the first place? Time for us to unfurl the story.

What Came Before the “Stars and Stripes”?

Try the “Continental Colors.” It had 13 red and white stripes representing the 13 colonies and a British Union Jack in the corner. George Washington raised this flag as the banner of the Continental Army on January 1, 1776. Other early flags depicted a pine tree or a snake. There were several versions of the “Gadsden flag,” which was yellow with a rattlesnake coiled over the words “Don’t Tread on Me!”

Betsy Ross–Did She or Didn’t She?

Many Americans believe a Philadelphia seamstress named Betsy Ross designed and sewed the first Stars and Stripes. The legend began when her grandson, William Canby, spoke on the origin of the flag to the Pennsylvania Historical Society in 1870. Canby said his grandmother had told him that she fashioned the flag in June 1776 at the request of George Washington. Still, despite the fact that Betsy Ross was a good businesswoman who kept careful records, Canby admitted he could find no documents to back up the story.

Canby said Washington approached Ross because he was part of a congressional committee in charge of creating a new flag. But no one has found any evidence that the committee existed, that Washington visited Ross’s shop, or that the two even knew each other. Betsy Ross did make flags, but for now, the legend of her sewing the first-ever Stars and Stripes remains a legend.

Why Stars and Stripes?

On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, adopted the following resolution, without comment or debate:

“Resolved, That the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white: that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

Congress said nothing about the stars’ arrangement, so different versions of the Stars and Stripes appeared during the following years, with different star patterns. These included the “Betsy Ross flag,” with the stars in a circle.

Many historians now believe the Stars and Stripes may have been the work of Francis Hopkinson, a congressman, artist, and signer of the Declaration of Independence. In 1780, Hopkinson wrote a letter to the government about designs he had made for official symbols, including the “Flag of the United States of America.” He noted that he hadn’t been paid and asked for a quarter cask of wine as compensation.

Why Red, White, and Blue?

No official explanation of the color scheme has ever been established. Yet in 1782, Charles Thomson, the congressional secretary in charge of choosing a great seal for the United States, did explain the meaning of the seal’s red, white, and blue. He said, “White signifies purity and innocence, Red hardiness and valor, and Blue . . . signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice.”

On the other hand, the flag may be red, white, and blue simply because those are the colors of the British flag. Maybe early Americans weren’t quite as rebellious as they thought.

By Jeffery Vail

This article was provided to you through collaboration with Every Learner. To learn more, play quizzes, and read additional articles, visit http://everylearner.com and get a one-month membership at no cost to you.

Copyright © 2002-2009 Every Learner, Inc. All rights reserved.

 
Life is short.  Enjoy!   

1 * Accept that some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the
statue

2 * Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat
them.

3 * Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle
of it.

4 * Drive carefully.  It’s not only cars that can  be recalled by their
Maker.

5 * If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

6 * If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was
probably worth it.

7 * It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a
warning to others.

8 * Never buy a car you can’t push.

9 * Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you
won’t have a leg to stand on.

10 * Nobody cares if you can’t dance well.  Just get up and dance.

11 * Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

12 * The second mouse gets the cheese.

13 * When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.

14 * Birthdays are good for you.  The more you have, the longer you live.

15 * You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world
to one person.

16 * Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

17 * We could learn a lot from crayons.  Some are sharp, some are pretty
and some are dull.  Some have weird names and all are different colors, but
they all have to live in the same box.

18 * A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
 
Kathy  Young

When you find yourself facing seemingly insurmountable odds, consider the first days in the life of a sea turtle hatchling.

Buried beneath a foot and a half of sand, the sea turtle’s first test of survival is to break out of its shell…with a single temporary tooth. Free of its shell, the newborn must then dig its way through the wet, heavy sand to the surface. Given its size and strength, this exhausting task can take up to a week.

After finally breaking through the sand, the race for survival really begins! In hopes of avoiding any confrontations with natural predators, the young turtle waits to take advantage of the cover of darkness before scrambling toward the shoreline.

Once in the ocean, the newborn swims frantically for almost two days fighting powerful undersea currents over which they have no control before reaching the safety of the unanchored seaweed beds that serve as their homes.  

If something smaller than the palm of your hand can do all that within the first week of its life, there’s no stopping you from overcoming every obstacle…all it takes is determination and a clear focus. Like the hatchling, you’ll reach your bright horizon by making sure that the details don’t become a distraction and that your gaze is fixed squarely on your goals. You can do it!

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