Never do something for someone that they can do for themselves. (Bob Lupton, author of Toxic Charity) That statement has been called “The Golden Rule of Community Development.” In our time some unfortunate people have come to depend on the help of government programs...
It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are. (Roy Disney, late American businessman) All of us are confronted repeatedly with the need to make decisions: what to wear, where to eat, when to schedule an appointment. But, of course there are far...
Flexible people never get bent out of shape. (Anonymous) When we’re unbending in our opinions, it can really hurt to be questioned or doubted. But, Tony Robbins (an American life coach) wrote, “Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach. It’s...
The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. (Mahatma Gandhi, 19th-20th century leader of independence in India) Some people seem to think that if you are a forgiving person, you don’t have much strength of character; you give in too easily,...
Listen more than you talk. Learn more than you teach. Serve more than you are served. (Mitch Kruse, car collector, author, and speaker) That’s pretty much Kruse’s definition of humility. All three characteristics are just the opposite of the inclination of many...
Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. (Martin Luther King, Jr, 20th century civil rights leader) King’s use of the word “love” certainly is not a reference to either erotic lust or mushy sentimentalism. He’s using it in the biblical...
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it. (G. K. Chesterton, 19th & 20th century English writer) We believe that men and women have certain God-given rights that governments must not take away. But, as has been demonstrated...
Quarrel not at all. No man resolved to make the most of himself can spare time for personal contention. (Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the United States) In today’s contentious, political society, we would be much happier if these words of Lincoln were remembered...
Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you.” (Confucius, 5th century BC Chinese philosopher). Many readers will immediately recognize Confucius’ statement as the other side of the coin of Jesus’ statement often referred to as the “Golden Rule.” We...
When the rate of change inside an organization is slower than the rate of change outside an organization, the end is in sight. (Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric) That’s a good warning for any organization—whether it is a business, a non-profit, or a...
Courage is being obedient when you don’t feel like it. (Jill Briscoe, British American author and speaker) Briscoe referred to a coffee mug that was inscribed with a quote from actor John Wayne, “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” She also...
The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. (Lou Huesmann, minister) How do we react when political or social demonstrations break out in violence? Hatred is evident both in language and action. But what may be just as bad as the hatred is the indifference...