Principle # 18

I've got to say "no"

to the good so

I can say "yes"

to the best.

I love to eat in cafeterias, and I especially like ones that are arranged so that I can view what's being offered before I get to the serving line. Several years ago the Redhead (my wife) and I went into a new cafeteria, and I had the opportunity to carefully evaluate what was being offered. This enabled me to quickly move down the line, telling the people behind the counter to give me some of this and this and this. That's very important, because regardless of how hungry you are, you cannot eat some of everything on the line.

I wanted to choose foods that I felt would not only taste good but would also be good for me. In short, I had to pass up a lot of good food to get the best.

That's the parallel between the cafeteria line of life and the cafeteria line for good. In life, we simply cannot be, do, and have everything in this big, beautiful world of ours. We need to choose, and the choices we make will ultimately determine how successful we are in the eight crucial areas of life: Happiness, health, peace, prosperity, security, friendship, family, and hope. It's up to you to choose the best and pass up the good.

For physical training is of

some value, but godliness

has value for all things,

holding promise for both

the present life and the life

to come.

1 Timothy 4:8