Purpose Fulfill your life purpose. Living with purpose should bring more joy than reaching your goals. (Tom Roy, sports figure, author) We’re often challenged to pursue our goals with diligence and persistence. It’s a worthy challenge, but Roy suggests another...
Loneliness The best thing to hold onto in life is each other. (Audrey Hepburn, late British actress) It’s another way of saying what John Donne wrote, “No man is an island, entire of itself.” We have all experienced times of loneliness when we cry out for someone to...
Thinking When all men think alike, no one thinks very much. (Walter Lippmann, 20th century journalist) If we spend all our time with people who think just like we do, we may reinforce our own ideas and opinions, but we won’t learn much about the rest of the world....
Wisdom The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions. (Oliver Wendell Holmes, 19th century physician and poet) With the increasing emphasis on youth, we’re bombarded with commercials and ads that tell us how to stay young with certain exercise...
Warning Mind the gap. (James Emery White, pastor, author) White is referring to the constant refrain at the “Tube” stations (London’s underground transport system). It’s a continual warning to stay clear of the gap between the station platform edge and the trains....
Failure Failure is not fatal. (William Ward, 20th century American writer) In fact, according to author Dale Turner, “Some of the best lessons are learned from past mistakes, the error of the past is the wisdom of the future.” While all of us have failed at one time...
Idolatry Human beings are idol-making factories. (John Calvin, 16th century French theologian) Perhaps you don’t think that’s a fair statement for 21st century people. After all, most of us are not bowing down to idols of wood and stone. In fact, many would claim to...
Examples The one thing we learn from history is that we do not learn from history. (Georg Hegel, 18-19th century German philosopher) Have we not learned from that often quoted observation by George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat...
Pride/Humility Pride is a mirror that reflects self; humility is a window that sees others. (Dick Dahlquist, teacher) With the great emphasis today in raising children to have a good self-image, we may sometimes go a little too far. It’s important, of course, to teach...
Words He who wants to persuade should put his trust not in the right argument, but in the right word. (Joseph Conrad, novelist) Even strong arguments may be lost because of ill-chosen words. Language is filled with synonyms, and the choice of a specific expression can...
Difficulties Providence has hidden a charm in difficult undertakings, which is appreciated only by those who dare to grapple with them. (Anne-Sophie Swetchine, 19th century Russian mystic) Many of us go out of our way to avoid difficult situations. We want life to be...
Principles If your cause is just, if your principles are pure, and if your conduct is prudent, you need not fear the multitude of opposing hosts. (John Witherspoon, signer of the Declaration of Independence) Almost anything you say or try to do today will face...