Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined. (Henry David Thoreau, 19th century American essayist and philosopher) Thoreau’s thought is expressed another way by a 21st century music star, Ella Fitzgerald: “Just don’t give up trying to...
Truth without grace is just condemnation; grace without truth is mere license. (James Emery White, preacher and author) Confronting a family member or friend about his or her improper conduct or attitude can be a really critical moment. As White suggests, we need to...
We become like that which we love. (Late Catholic Bishop Fulton Sheen) Is it true that people begin to look like their pets? It’s probably just a joke, but there is some truth to what Bishop Sheen says. Over the years of marriage couples do begin to think and act...
Most of us can read the writing on the wall; we just assume it's addressed to someone else. (T. S. Elliot, late British essayist) “The writing on the wall” is a biblical phrase that foretold doom for a nation that had subjugated God’s people and desecrated His sacred...
Most of our suspicions of others are aroused by our knowledge of ourselves. (Quoted by Kary Oberbrunner, motivational author and speaker) That statement is a bit unsettling. But is it true? Do we question the actions or motivations of other people because we sense...
Adversity reveals genius; prosperity covers it up. (Roger Staubach, former football star) Anyone who stars in competitive professional sports, as Staubach did, has faced lots of physical and mental adversity. Staubach demonstrated brilliance in handling those...
If it’s important to you, you’ll find a way. If it’s not, you’ll find an excuse. (Jim Rohn, late author and motivational speaker) No matter how busy we think we are, we do manage to find time to do the things we really want to do, don’t we? When we’re asked to...
Character is tested when a person receives power. (Attributed to Abraham Lincoln by John Wooden, late legendary coach) Wooden points out that key elements of great character: humility, consideration for others and integrity are sometimes severely tested when a person...
We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. (Albert Einstein, renowned scientist) Re-hashing our problems, trying to figure out what went wrong and how we got into this situation is often an effort in futility. Einstein...
The reason why we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel. (Steven Furtick, pastor) One of life’s personal dangers is comparing ourselves with others. As Furtick suggests, we see only the strong public...
The problem with every good idea is that it eventually degenerates into a four-letter word…WORK. (Tom Julien, author) The world is full of people with ideas. We all have brainstorms that we think could really revolutionize society if we could just bring them to...
If everybody agreed with ME, they'd be all right. (Lucy in the “Peanuts” cartoon strip) It’s not just children, like Lucy, who think “me-first.” Have you noticed that many people in a crowded place are almost completely unaware of those around them? Or have you tried...