Influence When you are being kicked in the rear, it must mean you're in the front. (Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, 20th century TV spokesman) It hurts to be criticized or have someone put you down, doesn’t it? We’d rather have a little push forward, some helpful advice, or a...
Smiling It is Christmas every time you smile at your brother and offer him your hand. (Mother Teresa) Christmas is still two weeks away, but Mother Teresa’s advice is good not only for the next two weeks but all year long. This special holiday brings a lot of joy to...
Be a Helper Be a lamp, a lifeboat, or a ladder. (Rumi, 13th century Persian poet) What’s common about those three words? It isn’t their particular definition but, rather, what they can be used for. Think about the influence of your life. How could you be a light to...
Focus The successful warrior is the average man with laser-like focus. (Bruce Lee, 20th century actor and martial artist) In the movies and TV stories heroes are often depicted as men or women of extraordinary strength and courage. Lee suggests, however that the real...
Why am I here? Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s the great puzzle. (Lewis Carroll, 19th century English writer) That quote from Alice in Wonderland is more than just a fictional concern. It is one of the essential questions in life. Who am I? Why am I here? Those are...
Inertia The first obstacle to be overcome in any undertaking is the inertia of the people who are to perform the task. (Source unknown) Whether it’s the production of the newest widget in the market, the painting of a masterpiece in art, or the winning of an Olympic...
Achievement God is not going to look us over for medals, degrees, or diplomas, but for scars. (James Gribble, pioneer missionary) We tend to evaluate people’s success by the medals won, degrees or diplomas earned, or otherwise gaining public acclaim for their...
Humility With popularity comes the need for humility. With prosperity comes the need for integrity. (Chuck Swindoll, author) Only a few people may want to be the life-of-the-party, but almost everyone wants to be popular. No one enjoys being the “wall flower” at a...
Christmas is Coming Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts. (Joan Winmill Brown, British actor & writer) It’s still three weeks till Christmas, yet the anticipation has begun. Brown continues, “No matter how we may dread the rush, the long Christmas...
Plan Ahead December, being the last month of the year, cannot help but make us think of what is to come. (Fennel Hudson, rural lifestyle author) Children (even grown-up children) welcome December and look forward excitedly to Christmas. Others are already complaining...
The Seasons May and October, the best-smelling months? I'll make a case for December: evergreen, frost, wood smoke, cinnamon. (Lisa Kleypas , American novelist) Some people like spring freshness; others wait eagerly for summer heat. Fall colors are favorites for many....
December It is December, and nobody asked if I was ready. (Sarah Kay, American poet) We say that time flies, and when we reach December, we wonder how it arrived so quickly. And yet, we knew all along that it was coming—like every other month on the calendar. Or every...