Happiness Any individual who wishes to attain sustainable and lasting bliss must embrace one simple fact: happiness is a choice. (Jo Roderick, author) Life is filled with opportunities to choose. It isn’t always as simple as choosing between orange sherbet and...
Life’s Lessons Life is a series of experiences, each of which makes us bigger. (Henry Ford, early automaker) He adds, “The world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and griefs which we endure help us in our marching onward.” In today’s...
The Future Live for what tomorrow has to bring, not for what yesterday has taken away. (Naziya Kausar) It’s often hard to get over the difficulties of the past. Personal or corporate disasters often continue to live in our thoughts and dreams long after the events....
Hard Work The price of success is hard work . . . (Vince Lombardi, late great football coach) He continued “. . . dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” Too often we...
Forgiving Forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves when we offer it to others. (Renee Swope, author) To forgive is one of the most difficult acts we can do. When we‘ve been wronged, we may react in several ways: we can retaliate in an attempt to get even. Or we may try...
Freedom A loving relationship is one in which the loved one is free to be himself. (Leo F. Buscagliai, late motivational speaker) TV personality Oprah Winfrey put it this way, “Don’t’ settle for a relationship that won’t let you be yourself.” Sometimes we seem to be...
A Smile What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. They are but trifles, to be sure but, scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable. (Joseph Addison, 17th-18th century English essayist) Along with rain and good soil, sunshine makes...
True Beauty Beauty is only skin deep, but stupid goes clear to the bone. (Source unknown) This common expression may be humorous, but it carries some strong principles. First, beauty is subjective. After all, beauty is often in the eye of the beholder. We all know you...
Patience in Prayer Answered prayer seems most sweet when long-delayed. (James Gribble, pioneer missionary to central Africa) Impatient as most of us are, we don’t want to wait in line at the coffee bar, and we get antsy when the waitress doesn’t come right away to...
Planning Life is simultaneous, not sequential. (Bruce Barlow, pastor) There are a variety of applications to this idea, but Barlow’s statement is all-encompassing. We say things like: “When summer is over, then . . .” “When the kids are out of school, then . . .”...
Communication Speaking is not always synonymous with communicating. (Roy Angle, cross-cultural worker) “We should not be satisfied with mere talking, but aim for clarity. . . . Speaking is shared words; communicating is shared meaning.” We can all testify to the truth...
Obstacles Greatness is not measured by what a man or woman accomplishes, but by the opposition he or she has overcome to reach his goals. (Dorothy Height, late civil rights activist) We often evaluate a person’s success solely on his or her achievements. Whether it’s...