Hope for the best, be prepared for the worse. Life is shocking, but you must never appear to be shocked. For no matter how bad it is it could be worse and no matter how good it is it could be better.

That child would stumble over the pattern in a rug.

Weekdays revolved on a sameness wheel. They turned into themselves so steadily and inevitably that each seemed to be the original of yesterday's rough draft. Saturday, however, always broke the mold and dared to be different.

She used to say that her secret to life was that she "hoped for the best, was prepared for the worst, so anything in between didn't come as a surprise.

Believing that things happen too slowly or too quickly is an illusion. Timing is perfect.

Everything comes at its appointed moment. —Joseph R. Sizoo

No amount of control will effect a permanent or desirable change in another person. We can sometimes do things that increase the probability that people will want to change, but we can't even guarantee or control that. And

Remember, decisions don't have to be made perfectly. We don't have to be perfect. We don't even have to be nearly perfect. We can just be who we are. We can make mistakes in our choices. We're not so fragile we can't handle making a mistake. It's no big deal! It's part of living. We can learn from our mistakes, or we can simply make another decision.

Where we are today is where we're meant to be. It's where we need to be to get where we're going tomorrow. And that place we're going tomorrow will be better than any we've been before

I will take a long look at where I am today and be grateful for my place. It's right for me now, and is preparing me for the adventure ahead. —FROM EACH DAY A NEW BEGINNING

Control is an illusion. It doesn't work. We cannot control alcoholism. We cannot control anyone's compulsive behaviors—overeating, sexual, gambling—or any of their behaviors. We cannot (and have no business trying to) control anyone's emotions, mind, or choices. We cannot control the outcome of events.

Sometimes things happen, and for a variety of reasons I may not end up where I wanted to go. If I change my mind or problems beyond my control interfere, I find myself doing something other than what I had planned. Timing and exact circumstances may vary. That's okay. I usually end up someplace that's better for me. That's where acceptance, trust, faith, and letting go come in. But at least I'm not driving aimlessly through life.