Junior high school students in Chicago were studying the Seven Wonders of the World. At the end of the lesson, the students were asked to list what they considered to be the Seven Wonders of the World. Though there was some disagreement, the following received the most votes: 

1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
2. The Taj Mahal in India
3. The Grand Canyon in Arizona
4. The Panama Canal
5. The Empire State Building
6. St. Peter's Basilica
7. China's Great Wall 

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student, a quiet girl, hadn't turned in her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The quiet girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many." The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help." 

The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are: 

1. to touch...
2. to taste...
3. to see...
4. to hear... (She hesitated a little, and then added...)
5. to feel...
6. to laugh...
7. and to love.

The room was so quiet; you could have heard a pin drop. 

May this story serve as a gentle reminder to all of us that the things we overlook as simple and ordinary are often the most wonderful - and we don't have to travel anywhere special to experience them. 

Enjoy your gifts!
 

Quotes for the day:

"Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. 
-- Mother Teresa

"Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end.  It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's when you've had everything to do, and you've done it. 
-- Lord Acton

"Live out of your imagination, not your history."
-- Stephen Covey 

Relevant Reading :
What Are the Seven Wonders of the World : Peter D'Epiro

Articles on Motivation:

3900 Saturdays

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday morning. Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours.......
 

Wisdom of Wolves

The attitude of the wolf can be summed up simply: it is a constant visualization of success. The collective wisdom of wolves has been progressively programmed into their genetic makeup throughout.......
 

Imagine Life as a Game

Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air.  They are Work, Family, Health, Friends and Spirit and you're keeping all of those in the air.  You will soon understand.....