You always have to watch out when someone steeples their fingers. (George W. Bush, 43rd U.S. president) We may not know for sure what Bush was referring to. Was he thinking of someone whose posture suggested deep and intense thought? Or was he referring to the posture...
Knowledge becomes evil if the aim be not virtuous. (Plato, classical Greek philosopher) There is more available knowledge today than ever before, and with the Internet, that knowledge is accessible to millions of learners. It’s important to be knowledgeable about our...
Yesterday is ashes, tomorrow wood. Only today does the fire burn brightly. (Eskimo Proverb) As we grow older, we tend to become more nostalgic. We long for the “good old days,” and we rehash the good memories, probably forgetting the less pleasant experiences. Others...
Thinking is one thing no one has ever been able to tax. (Charles Kettering, late engineer and inventor) On tax day in the U.S., a little humor might help. Will Rogers said, “The income tax has made liars out of more Americans than golf.” But Kettering’s comment is...
You must master your time rather than becoming a slave to the constant flow of events and demands on your time. (Brian Tracy, public speaker and author) We all have the same number of hours in a day and days in a year. It’s what we do with them that is the critical...
The best teachers are those who don’t fear being overshadowed by their students. (Author unknown) Caring teachers want to see their students succeed; that is often what motivates them to follow education as a career. Successful athletic coaches take pride in their...
Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired. (Jules Renard, French author) Resting is important. We do need to take time to rest; our bodies need relaxed time to recover energy and strength. But, as Renard suggests, to “take 5” when there...
The greatest oak was once a little nut who held its ground. (From a Norman Rockwell calendar) An acorn may not have had any ability to determine its future, but we do. The nut was safely buried in the soil, but when a sprout emerged and began to grow, it experienced...
Treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend all the care, kindness, and understanding you can. (Og Mandino, late American author) How would our lives be changed if we followed Mandino’s advice? How would it affect our community, our...
It is not what we do that determines who we are. It is who we are that determines what we do. (Charles Ryrie, professor and author) The saying “What you do speaks so loud, I can’t hear what you say” suggests that actions speak louder than words. As Ryrie says, it’s a...
If you want to stand out, you must prepare to stand alone. (Author unknown) It’s not wrong to want to be a leader, but today’s quote offers some good advice. Often there will be opposition, differing opinions, questionable counsel. As someone else has said, “You...
Like a good meal, life is meant to be savored, not just consumed. Be present. (Kary Oberbrunner, motivational speaker and author) Often we are in such a rush that we eat fast food and hardly take time to enjoy the tasty flavors. Oberbrunner takes such behavior to...