Stand Firm Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm. (Abraham Lincoln) Standing firm is an admirable character trait. Being sure of what you believe and defending it strongly is important. But, as Lincoln suggests, what you’re standing on—your...
Opportunity You can never relive a moment. You can't relive an opportunity. But you can be ready for the next adventure. (Chris Suitt, minister) How often have you wished that you could “relive a moment”? Wouldn’t you like to take back those words you said in anger?...
Faith Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. (Martin Luther King, Jr., late civil rights leader) We talk about “people of faith,” but in reality everyone lives by faith. Whether it’s a small thing, like trusting the chair to hold...
Others A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle. (Benjamin Franklin) We’ve all known people like Franklin writes about. The self-centered person is difficult to be around, and certainly almost impossible to engage in a meaningful two-way conversation....
Purpose Great minds have purposes, others have wishes. (Washington Irving, 19th century writer) “I wish I could run in the Olympics.” “I wish I could be a concern pianist.” The wish list could go on and on. We have wishes to be or to do, but wishing by itself won’t...
Love Everybody wants to change the world; nobody wants to love their neighbor! (John Burke, author) Looking at our troubled world with wars, natural disasters, and viruses we have probably all said at one time or another, “If only… I would…” We’d create changes that...
Questions and Answers [Pay] more attention to the question than to the answer and never [be] afraid to go in an opposite direction to find a solution. (Richard Saul Wurman, author) There are two ways to consider this advice: 1) A good question may, indeed, cause you...
Discernment In our world, cultivating discernment is a necessary antidote to deception. (John Stonestreet, columnist) Stonestreet continues, “Too often, we are oblivious to the cultural currents around us. As the old Chinese proverb goes, ‘If you want to know what...
Others We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men. (Herman Melville, 19th century American novelist) The recent “lockdown” because of a virus threat is a perfect example of what Melville wrote. We certainly learned, as John...
Thankfulness The unthankful heart . . . discovers no mercies; but . . . the thankful heart will find some heavenly blessings! (Henry Ward Beecher, 19th century clergyman) He writes that “. . . as a magnet attracts iron, so the grateful heart, sweeping through the day,...
Know Yourself The key to human development is building on who you already are. (Tom Rath, consultant) He also argues, “You cannot be anything you want to be” in contrast to the often heard statement, “You can be anything you want to be, if you just try hard enough.”...
Hypocrisy The most virtuous are those who content themselves with being virtuous without seeking to appear so. (Plato, ancient Greek philosopher) Have you ever known someone who acted humble in public, but behind the scenes, you knew he or she was full of pride? Any...