Friends If all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I wouldn't jump with them, I'd be at the bottom to catch them. (Steve Berry, American author) Parents have often heard the lament of their children, “All my friends are doing it; why can’t I?” Berry’s statement...
Comfort Zone Life will only change when you become more committed to your dreams than you are to your comfort zone. (Danielle Strickland, Canadian speaker & author) What is the proverbial “comfort zone” we hear so much about? Presumably, it’s the places, habits,...
Encouragers We cannot be an encouragement if we live our lives in secret caves, pushing people away from us. (Chuck Swindoll, author) Swindoll continues, “People out of touch don’t encourage others. Encouragement is a face-to-face thing.” In an era of Facebook, smart...
Stardom The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team. (John Wooden, late sports coach) We seem to be in a star-crazed world. Whether it’s sports, theater, music, or dance—everyone wants to be a star. And the general public contributes to the craze by...
Friendship Friendship is a plant of slow growth and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation. (George Washington) How many people have you “friended” on Facebook? How long have you known them—and how well? It’s easy...
Courage II Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die. (G. K. Chesterton, 19th-20th century English writer) Surely every soldier who considered a so-called “fox-hole decision” wanted to live. He or...
Courage I Have the courage to act instead of react. (Oliver Wendell Holmes, 19th poet) A lot of us procrastinate and then end up reacting to situations rather than being ready for them. Too often, then, it’s a knee-jerk response that may be more harmful than helpful....
Choices In every single thing you do, you are choosing a direction. Your life is a product of choices. (Kathleen Hall, author) What will it be? Bacon and eggs? Just toast and coffee? Or a full-blown breakfast smorgasbord? That may be the first choice of the day (after...
Joy Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. (Anthony J. D'Angelo, educator and author) Have you ever known someone who seemed to bring gloom and doom wherever he or she went? You knew that when that person joined the crowd, things...
Wisdom In all affairs it’s a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted. (Bertram Russell) It’s important to have confidence in what you think and believe, but it’s foolish to think that you know it all or that...
Endurance I changed what I could, and what I couldn’t, I endured. (Dorothy Vaughn, late mathematician) Vaughn was a mathematical genius who provided significant help to NASA in the launching of early space flights. Her amazing story was told in the compelling movie,...
Veterans Day America’s veterans embody the ideals upon which America was founded more than 243 years ago. (Steve Buyer, former Indiana congressman) It’s Veterans Day in the U.S., a time to honor the men and women who have served in the military to protect and preserve...