Justice Man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary. (Reinhold Niebuhr, late theologian) The unruly protests and even violent riots of last month well illustrate both of Niebuhr’s observations. The...
Friendship III I don't need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better. (Plutarch, early Greek philosopher) Some political leaders seem to have a lot of “Yes-men” around them, always agreeing with the boss and never...
Friendship II In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. (Martin Luther King, Jr.) Luther’s words seemed appropriate in recent upsets in our society. And they reflect earlier times in history as referred to by holocaust...
Friendship I My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me. (Henry Ford) Pastor David Miller put it this way, “A smart friend knows what’s best. A wise friend does what’s best.” And then he added, “Be a wise friend.” Sometimes it seems easier just to say...
Freedom May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right. (Peter Marshall, late chaplain of the United States Senate) We cherish our liberty and freedoms on this Independence Day, and rightly so. We thank God for...
Humility A mistake that makes you humble is better than an achievement that makes you arrogant. (Anonymous) There is a downside to accomplishment, isn’t there? After winning a contest of any kind, there are accolades that make you feel good, but they may also make...
Teamwork Showing your team they matter is the most important part of your job. (Sarah Goggin, chief people officer) Team leaders, at whatever level, are often so concerned about the task at hand, progress in the project, or personal advancement, that they may forget...
Smiling Don’t let the world change your smile, let your smile change the world. (Ravi Shankar, late Bengali musician) Does it seem to you that a lot of people are not smiling nowadays? They seem to be burdened by the threats of unemployment, disease, or protests in...
Support Support is only worth what it costs you to give it. (Source unknown) Journalist Shane Snow wrote something very similar, “A value isn't a value unless it costs you something." “Words are cheap,” and far too many times we promise or make commitments that we...
Conscience It is not as hard to know what is right to do as to do what you know is right. (Source unknown) As children grow, they begin to develop a sense of right and wrong. That’s what parents and teachers work for, lovingly correcting wrong and encouraging right....
Mercy Mercy shown is evidence of mercy received. (Source unknown) When you see someone who is gracious and kind to others, you are probably seeing a person who himself has been granted mercy and kindness. As someone else has written, “Our deeds of mercy are evidence...
Fair or Not? The sooner you learn that life is not fair, the better off you'll be... (Condoleezza Rice, former US Secretary of State) Rice continues, “…because you'll spend less time railing against life's unfairness . . . and more time figuring out how. . . to deal...