Risks Decide whether or not the goal is worth the risks involved. If it is, stop worrying. (Amelia Earhart, late aviation pioneer) Earhart disappeared on a flight she had prepared for, evidently feeling that the risks were worth taking. We should considered her advice...
Hard Work Work hard at work worth doing! (Leslie Knope, TV fictional character) The TV script makes a statement worth considering. On Labor Day we honor those who toil in the everyday work world to supply the goods and services that we need. But some people work hard...
Life’s Sorrows Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones . . . (Victor Hugo, 19th century French writer) Hugo continued: “. . . and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace.” Those “small” sorrows...
Talent Use what talents you possess. The woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best. (Henry Van Dyke, 19th-20th century American educator) A music director told one of his choir members, “If I had to lose one member of the choir, it...
Gratitude It’s not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy. (David Steindl-Rast, author and lecturer) Apparently, a lot of people have not made the connection that Steindl-Rast speaks of. Everybody wants to be happy, and hosts of people...
Habits The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken. (Samuel Johnson, 18th century English writer) How do habits begin? You were taught to brush your teeth regularly and it soon became a regular activity that you rarely think...
The Whisper Words that soak into your ears are whispered, not yelled. (Charles Martin, author) In an emergency, shouting with a really loud voice is probably the best way to warn of impending danger or to cry for help. In public speaking, however, especially after a...
Legacy The most important thing you will leave behind when you die is your legacy. (Common counsel) What happens to all your “stuff” after you die? There are laws that determine how estates are to be distributed, so it’s wise to prepare legal documents to make your...
Living Right Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God. (Ronald Reagan, 40th U.S. president) Could these be the “5 rules for success”? It’s difficult to live simply in 21st century America. Life is so complicated, and it demands...
Victory Victory is sweetest when you’ve known defeat. (Malcolm Forbes, late American entrepreneur) Life does have its ups and downs, the mountaintop experiences and the valleys of depression. What helps an athlete get over an agonizing defeat is a later win. Once...
What Do You Have? The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have. (Vince Lombardi, late football coach) An attractive outward appearance may win beauty contests, but it doesn’t tell you anything about who the person really is at heart. Someone who is not...
Work Our main secret is just to show up for work. (Chuck Swindoll, author) Songwriter Bill Gaither made a similar comment about work habits: “Just keep doing what you know to do and do it with all the energy you have.” Our work assignments aren’t always easy or...