Choose Well The choice you make, makes you. (John Wooden, successful basketball coach) Choice and attitude are two of the very few things we can control in life. Whatever the circumstances or environment, we have to make choices, and Wooden argues that those choices...
Doing Good Judge each day not by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant. (Robert Louis Stevenson, 19th century Scottish poet) We always appreciate a good harvest. When the tomatoes come in, full and ripe, we are pleased with the number and relish their taste....
What Do We Really Love? The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost. (G. K. Chesterton, late English writer) We do place value on a lot of things, and we probably do have a strong attachment to some—a pet, our close friends, the family Bible. But, do...
Admiration Learn to admire with the desire to acquire. (Source unknown) What is this rhyming ditty all about? Surely, it’s more than coveting someone else's prized possession. More likely, it’s a challenge to pursue the qualities you discover in another person. You...
Make a Difference [People] are willing to follow if given a chance to make a difference. (Sam Ranier, author) It sometimes seems that some leaders are stuck in a rut, offering the same information and challenges they’ve been offering forever. No one is interested in...
Thinking An open mind makes a wide-open future possible. (Anonymous) Some folks are so closed-minded that they can’t even imagine anything different from what they already know for sure. They’re really missing out on opportunities to learn and enjoy new experiences....
Against the Wind Kites rise highest against the wind—not with it! (Winston Churchill, British WW II prime minister) A lot of us have not had much success flying kites. To the contrary, often without much effort some kids have kites of all sizes and shapes soaring high...
You are Blessed! Forget the day’s troubles, remember the day’s blessings. (Source unknown) That’s another “easier said than done” sentiment. Troubles seem to mount more quickly and higher than blessings sometimes. But remembering an old church hymn might help. “When...
Thoughts Once you replace your negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start getting positive results. (Willie Nelson, Country music star) It seems like such simple advice, but many have found it’s not all that easy. The news about illnesses, civil disruptions,...
Moving Up Don’t complain about the bottom rungs of the ladder; they helped to get you higher. (Warren Wiersbe, writer) Some people are so enamored with their own position in life that they don't remember how they got there. They’ve forgotten the months and years they...
Leave the Safe Harbor A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for. (John A. Shedd, 19th & 20th century business executive) Safety may be the primary concern when it comes to shipping, but you won’t have much use for the ship if it does not...
Friendship III Life is partly what we make it, and partly what is made by the friends whom we choose. (Tehyi Hsieh, 20th century Chinese author) Most of us don’t live life alone. Even after we’ve flown from the family nest, whether it’s to continue our education, take...