Life without a sense of humor is like a car without springs... you're going to feel every single pebble in the road.

God, grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked in the first place, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.

There are three kinds of men in this world. Those who learn by reading, those who learn by observation and those who have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.

Today i've spent with my two boys 'Doing Christmas'. Although it wasnt actually planned as a full on Christmas day, things kind of just ended up that way. Reindeer, Santa, mince pies, cream, up in the attic, Christmas tree, tinsel and outside lights. And yet, despite all this, the one true symbol of Christmas was actually kept until the end. Two kids playing in the empty boxes. 

A day spent without laughing is like listening to a song without a really good guitar solo. 

We all suffer misfortunes. Happy people however, choose to avoid waiting too long to see the funny side of their disappointments.

It never ceases to amaze me how much can be conveyed with a simple expression or look. Working in a part of Russia where few people speak English, it's even more apparent. A smile is perhaps the best recognised expression the world over and today I was reminded of the wonderful phrase, "If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours".

Encouraging, motivational phrases are all well and good but sometimes what's needed is just a little nonsense. My late father, it seemed, had a pearl of wisdom for every occasion. Today he may well have told me that "Even a paperboy can be rude".... how right he was.

To really succeed in anything you do it's vital you know your ultimate destination. Knowing exactly how you're going to get somewhere isn't that important but a clear undertanding of your goal is. Take a step back today and see the 10,000ft view of life, you might just pick out the destination.

I was on a film course recently and a number of well known phrases and sayings popped up over the two days. One that i'd not heard before made me smile and so i thought i'd share it with you. 'Persistence beats resistance'. What a terrific motivational concept that is, in just three words.