If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants. (Isaac Newton, 17th & 18th century English scientist.) Newton is credited with formulating the laws of motion and universal gravitation, notable achievements that have made his name famous. Yet,...
It always seems impossible until it’s done. (Nelson Mandela, late president of South Africa) Life is often filled with what seem to be impossible obstacles. We can’t do what we want to do because there isn’t enough money or time, or the people capable of completing...
Fundamental to the DNA of Toyota is a core principle known as kaizen. This principle gave rise to the Lexus marketing brand: “The Pursuit of Perfection.” Kaizen means the pursuit of improvement, constantly making every effort to improve efficiency and...
If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we are not really living. (Gail Sheehy, American journalist and lecturer) Change is difficult for a lot of people, especially as we grow older. We become “set in our ways,” and we resist learning to do things...
Since time flies, you must be the navigator. (Church sign board) The older we grow, the more we sense that time really is flying by. We can’t control time, of course, so it’s imperative that we learn how to control our use of it. We can’t just let “things happen”; we...
Sometimes the right path is not the easiest. (Sign board) Yogi Berra is famously quoted as saying, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” The question, however, is which road to take. We will try to take the right path, of course, but that doesn’t mean it’s...
Once you replace your negative thoughts with positive ones you'll start getting positive results. (Nelson, Country music star) Nelson is noted more for his music career than for philosophical musings, but this thought has been shared by many renowned thinkers. Most of...
Be thankful for what you have. Your life, no matter how bad you think it is, is someone else’s fairy tale. (Wale Ayeni, investment advisor) We are following the example of the Pilgrims, who “...made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more...
Gratitude turns what we have into enough. (Often quoted) In the United States, tomorrow is the day we will celebrate the long-standing tradition of Thanksgiving. The last Thursday of each November gives us at least one day to acknowledge our blessings. Many who do not...
After the meeting with Chairman Eiji Toyoda, we took the Shinkansen (Japanese high-speed bullet train) to Tokyo to catch a flight back to the U.S. I was sitting next to Scott Gilbert, the Executive Vice President of Team One Advertising, and Tom Cordner, the...
Don't let your happiness depend on something that you may lose. (C. S. Lewis, British professor and apologist) What make you happy? When your favorite sports team wins a championship? When your investments earn a significant gain? Perhaps, when you receive acclaim...
Justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. Grace is getting what we don't deserve. (Mike Lee, American pastor) Victims of crime often plead for justice. What they want is to see the criminal caught and punished, getting what he deserves....