STOP AND THINK - People . . . who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion. (Albert Einstein, renowned 20th century physicist) Time divisions are just a natural part of our understanding...
STOP AND THINK - The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things. (Henry Ward Beecher, 19th century American clergyman and social reformer) We often want to be lifted out of the ordinariness of life. So we sometimes look for the...
STOP AND THINK - Happiness consists not in having, but of being, not of possessing, but of enjoying. It is the warm glow of a heart at peace with itself. (Norman Vincent Peale, “Positive Thinking” author) What you are is more important than what you have, but what you...
STOP AND THINK - [Be] a force of nature instead of . . . complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. (Paraphrased from George Bernard Shaw, 19th & 20th century Irish playwright) It’s probably just a part of human nature that we are so...
STOP AND THINK - Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. (Abraham Lincoln) Is this another example of “mind over matter”? It is a good reminder that we are responsible, not just for how we act, but also for how we think. In other words, it’s...
STOP AND THINK - In about the same degree as you are helpful, you will be happy. (Karl Reiland, 20th century Episcopalian clergyman) No doubt, you can be happy all by yourself. Being alone can be a great time for rest and meditation. But when you move out into the...
STOP AND THINK - To be depressed is to be lonely; to have a friend is to be happy. (Author unknown) Maybe, it’s the other way around: to be lonely is to be depressed. In any case, it’s clear that we were created to live in community. John Donne was right when he said,...
STOP AND THINK - There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will. (Epictetus, 2nd century Greek Stoic philosopher) There are a lot of “one ways,” aren’t there? Everyone seems to have the one way to...
At times, it seems we see more horrific actions, instability, and pain then we have ever seen before, and on so many fronts. Nancy Burphy’s fifth philosophy is, “As with Jesus, some will get saved only through my pain and suffering; or the pain and suffering of...
STOP AND THINK - If we only wanted to be happy it would be easy; but we want to be happier than other people. (Charles-Louis Montesquieu, 18th century French political philosopher) Is Montesquieu right? Do we really want to be happier than others? Maybe it’s just...
STOP AND THINK - Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives. (C. S. Lewis, British Christian apologist) Affection is defined as “tender attachment, fondness.” It’s a sentiment we experience when we’re among...
STOP AND THINK - Money can't buy happiness but it can buy marshmallows, which is close. (Anonymous) We probably don’t take this as a serious statement, but maybe it should make us think about life a little more seriously. Marshmallows are a bit of fluff, and there...