Mistakes A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong… (Alexander Pope, 18th century English poet) Why is it so difficult for us to admit we’ve made a mistake? We seem quick to make excuses or place blame elsewhere, when it would be more helpful just...
Contentment The content of the mind determines the contentment of the heart. (Gladys Deloe, entrepreneur) Is it possible in a topsy-turvy world like ours to be content? Whether it’s international relations, national or local politics, or personal associations, there...
Promises We must not promise what we ought not, lest we be called on to perform what we cannot. (Abraham Lincoln) Lincoln had a lot of defeats in his political career before he finally reached the U.S. pinnacle, President of the United States. We might wish that his...
Christmas Is Coming Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. (Norman Vincent Peale, late Positive-thinking author) Though Christmas is still three weeks away, we’ve seen yard displays and houses decorated with...
The True Gift Having the opportunity to give is never a burden, but always a blessing. (Christine Trier, recent college graduate) Our mailboxes (emails too) are filled with requests for money. The needs are everywhere: the poor, the disadvantaged, the non-profits; so...
Kindness Always show more kindness than seems necessary because the person receiving it needs it more than you will ever know. (quoted by Colin Powell, retired General and Secretary of State) Can you love too much or be too kind? If love means more than mere...
Failure Failure is not a reason to give up. Failure is a reason to try harder and seek new solutions. (Jim Hocking, NGO entrepreneur) No one starts out on a project or in an athletic contest with the intent to fail. But, in the regular activities of living, working...
Attitude Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life… (John Homer Miller, author) Miller continues: “...not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens. Circumstances and...
Contentment Contentment flourishes not in having great possessions, but in having few wants. (Jim Brown, pastor) More is never enough. Once we have gained a good job, a nice house filled with the furnishings we want, and good friends—you would think that would be...
Living Carefully An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving Day. (Irv Kupcinet, late American columnist) Thanksgiving celebrations were nearly a week ago. After that scrumptious turkey dinner, did anyone decide it was time to go on a diet, hoping to...
Words No. 2 Wise words are like seeds. The more you scatter them, the more they will grow into infinite gardens of knowledge. (Suzy Kassem, writer and poet) Words are of several kinds: foolish, hurtful, comforting, to name a few. But, once spoken, they cannot be taken...
Words No. 1 It’s no good having the same vocabulary if we’re using different dictionaries. (Quoted by John Stonestreet, commentator) It’s difficult to have a meaningful discussion with someone if you’re using the same words but with different meanings. If they are...