All who would win joy must share it; happiness was born a twin. (Lord Byron, 18th & 19th century English poet) A truly happy person—one whose joy is constant and obvious—is a person whose company is enjoyed and whose attitude is contagious. Byron is suggesting...
It is not what you are that counts but only what people think you are. (Joseph Kennedy, late ambassador to Britain and father of President John F. Kennedy) Kennedy’s statement is subject to two widely different understandings. It may be true that, regardless of who...
In today’s society, tolerance is a common theme. Unfortunately, it is often misunderstood and misused. (Jesse Deloe, writer and editor) The dictionary: tolerance is “sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own.”...
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something different is the greatest accomplishment. (Ralph Waldo Emerson, 19th century essayist and poet) People today—especially young people—are pressed on every side to conform to whatever the current...
A life not lived for others is not a life. (Mother Teresa) That’s a hard saying, isn’t it? Many of us have been raised in an environment where we are taught to look out for ourselves first, and to beware of others lest they take advantage of us. That kind of life...
There are three guaranteed ways to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing. (Frequently quoted observation) Although constructive criticism can be of great value, most of us don’t enjoy being criticized. Even when it’s right and intended for our good,...
If we do not change direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed. (Ancient Chinese proverb) It’s simple common sense, isn’t it? Albert Einstein said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”...
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. (Maya Angelou, late U.S. poet laureate) Angelou’s observation is important to remember. We often think that what we say to people...
If you’re not comfortable within yourself, you can’t be comfortable with others. (Sydney J. Harris, (20th century American journalist) “It’s surprising how many persons go through life without ever recognizing that their feelings toward other people are largely...
The creative person is willing to live with ambiguity. He doesn’t need problems solved immediately and can afford to wait for the right ideas. (Abe Tannenbaum, architect) Like most people, you have probably looked at a uniquely constructed building and wondered, “Who...
Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. (Dennis P. Kimbro, business teacher and writer) Not everything that happens to us in our life experience is good or pleasant. Disease, accidents, mistreatment—they all occur in everyone’s life at one time or...
Values are taught more by example than by lecture and research. (Jesse Deloe, writer, editor) We are often told that good education would help solve most of society’s problems. But William Burroughs notes that “The aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts, but...