BE THE BEST OF WHATEVER YOU ARE

We all dream of great deeds and high positions, away from the pettiness and humdrum of ordinary life. Yet success is not occupying a lofty place or doing conspicuous work, it is being the berst that is in you.

Rattling around in too big a job is worse than filling a small one to overflowing. Dream, aspire by all means; but do not ruin the life you must lead by dreaming pipe dreams of the one you would like to lead.

Make the most of what you have and are. Perhaps your trivial, immediate task is your one sure way of proving your mettle. Do the thing near at hand, and great things will come to your hand to be done.

If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill, Be a scrub in the valley - but be The best little scrub by the side of the rill;

Be a bush if y0u can't be a tree.

If you can't be a bush be a bit of the grass, And some highway happier make;

If you can't be a muskie then just be a bass But the liveliest bass in the lake!

We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew, There's something for all of us here,

There's big work to do, and there's lesser to do, And the task you must do is the near

. If you can't be a highway then just be a trail,

If you can't be a sun be a star;

It isn't by size that you win or you fail -

But be the best of whatever you are!

DOUGLAS MALLOCH

Don says: During my drinking years I strived to do the most, make the most money, be the best in my office, have the best house, the best wife and the best kids. Was I ever fooling myself!
Beside putting undue pressures on me to keep up and be ahead of the Jones's, I found the alcohol gave me the illusion that I could do all this. I now know that I was only fooling myself. Increasingly I leaned on alcohol to keep up the pressure to go on. My family suffered and my work deteriorated as a result.
Since I quit drinking I have maintained a lower profile, and instead of being the biggest fish in a big pond, I found comfort as a small fish in a little pond. When I realized that I was not as smart as I thought I was, I relaxed and took life as it came instead of trying to control everything. I feel good now!!!!!