The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be. (Ralph Waldo Emerson) Some people seem to feel that they were destined to be what they’ve become. Their success—or failure—in life was foreordained. Such an idea would remove all responsibility...
I like the dream of the future better than the history of the past. (Thomas Jefferson) Jefferson was certainly well aware of past history, but his many talents were engaged in working toward a prosperous future of freedom and progress. He hoped to see a group of...
A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots. (Marcus Garvey, late Jamaican-born political leader) History is not often a favorite subject of young students. They live for the here and now, and as they grow,...
Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. (Mahatma Gandhi) Do we always say what we’re thinking? Sometimes it’s better if we don’t. Do we always do what we say we’re going to do? We should! So, maybe Gandhi makes a good point. If...
The most important thing a father can do for his children is love their mother. (Theodore Hesburgh, late president of Notre Dame University) It’s a great lesson for fathers. While their children may be honoring their mother—as they should today, fathers need to...
If today were the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today? (Steve Jobs, late co-founder of Apple, Inc.) Some of us live by a rather strict schedule. We know what’s coming ahead in our daily agenda. Others are pretty spontaneous,...
A library is the delivery room for the birth of ideas, a place where history comes to life. (Norman Cousins, late political journalist) Because books are available on computers, Ipods, smart phones, and Kindle, the old-fashioned library may soon become extinct. There...
Giving offense is the price of diversity, not an impediment to diversity. (Irshad Manji, author) It may be difficult to accept Manjii’s statement at first. After all, we don’t want to offend anyone, do we? At least, not intentionally. But if we are to live with...
My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure. (Abraham Lincoln) We all have experienced failure of some kind—a lost ballgame, a low test score, a poor interview, perhaps; but we did not let that stop us from moving on....
Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened. (Dr. Seuss, children’s writer) The party’s over, the candles are burned down, and the gifts have all been opened. It’s a big letdown, maybe. The joy of the high has dropped to the low with tears. Dr. Seuss’...
Although the monkey might dress in silk, monkey it still is. (Puerto Rican proverb) You’ve probably met someone who has put on a front, pretending to be something he or she really isn’t. That’s okay for an actor on stage or in a film. In fact, when we see some of...
Plan with the end in mind. (Stephen Covey, late businessman and author) Someone else wrote, “It’s not how you start, but how you finish.” But, Covey would say that to achieve a successful end—to finish well—you have to start with a plan. Develop a strategy to follow...