Doing something positive toward another person is a practical approach to feeling good about yourself. (Barbara Johnson, author and speaker) Somehow self-centered people can relate to other people only as the relationship seems to benefit them. They appear to feel...
When we are young, we want to change the world. When we’re old, we want to change the young. (Anonymous) Young people often want to be world-changers, and they are usually optimistic about their dreams. It’s that kind of ambition that has brought innovation and...
Too often we judge other groups by their worst examples, while judging ourselves by our best intentions. (George W. Bush, 43rd president of the United States) Sometimes, it seems as if we have a blind eye when it comes to evaluating ourselves. We criticize others...
A True friend...Scolds like a dad... Cares like a mom... Teases like a sister... Irritates like a brother... And finally loves you more than a lover. (From a British movie, Belle) We sometimes think of friendship as a warm and fuzzy relationship where nothing but...
Giving, the only real joy is giving. (Charlie Brown in the Peanuts cartoon) Christmas was barely three weeks ago, and we may have forgotten about most of our gifts. But, if we were generous and thoughtful in our giving, we experienced great pleasure. Jesus said, “It...
All errors are opportunities for learning rather than blaming. Learning is a continuous . . . never-ending process. (Author uncertain) Most people hate to make mistakes. Some of us are never satisfied with anything less than an “A.” Sadly few of us achieve such high...
It’s better to be wise than strong; intelligence outranks muscle any day.” (The Bible) The text from Proverbs 24 also says, “It takes wisdom to build a house, and understanding to set it on a firm foundation. “ Maybe the writer is suggesting that a home is more than...
“An ever-increasing craving for an ever diminishing pleasure is the formula” [for an addiction]. (Paraphrase of C. S. Lewis in Screwtape Letters) Addictions, whether physical or psychological, rarely occur instantaneously. Usually, there is a satisfying “taste” that...
Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again. (F. P. Jones, author) Our lives demonstrate this truth all too often, don’t they? We don’t want to repeat our mistakes, of course, but from them we can learn to identify...
When you can’t control what’s happening, challenge yourself to control the way you respond to what’s happening. That’s where your power is. (Author unknown) Have you ever blamed your mistakes on circumstances or other people when the problem was that you made a wrong...
The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it. (W. M. Lewis, teacher and university president) This oft-quoted maxim should awaken us to the fact that life is often short. The sooner we take it seriously, the more productive we...
There is nothing wrong with being unable to learn, but there is a problem with being unwilling to learn. (Bruce Triplehorn, teacher in Brazil and Chad) Triplehorn’s comment was in response to a quote from American author Brian Herbert who wrote: “The capacity to learn...