May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right. (Peter Marshall, late chaplain to the U.S. Senate) It’s Independence Day in the United States, the day to celebrate the launching of the unique American republic....
When you boil life down to the nubbies, the name of the game is change. (Charles Swindoll, pastor and author) And change is sometimes hard, because we’ve become pretty set in our ways. We often don’t want to change even when we know that doing or thinking differently...
The fight is won or lost far away from the witnesses. (Muhammad Ali, world champion boxer) He continued reporting where the fight is won: “. . . behind the lines, in the gym and out on the road, long before I dance under those lights.” Any champion has won, not only...
The life which is unexamined is not worth living. (Socrates, classical Greek philosopher, 4th century B.C.) Are you rushing through life, busy with activity, but never taking the time to think about what you’re doing? If we don’t examine ourselves from time to time,...
I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying. (Michael Jordan, former pro basketball star) Even Michael Jordan had bad games, missed shots, and made mistakes; but he persevered and has been honored as one of the best ball players of...
For 26 of the 29 years I worked for Toyota, I drove 37.8 miles to the national office in Torrance each morning and 37.8 miles back in the evening on the 405 San Diego freeway. My first three years at Toyota I fought the commute. I tried listening to classical...
One person can go faster, but two people can go further. (Jim Brown, minister) It’s often a temptation when we’re in a hurry to go it alone, knowing that working with someone else will always slow us down a bit. That’s a pretty selfish attitude, when you realize that...
Dogs have different barks. When Wally and Charlie have a groundhog cornered, their barks are of authority. The deepness of their barks conveys they are in control. When I’m not in eyesight and hear the commotion, I rush to the scene. I want to make sure it is not a...
A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. (English proverb) We’re always looking for calm seas and smooth sailing; they make the ride so much more pleasant than choppy waves and strong wind. Anyone with only a little training can sail under the easy conditions. But in...
Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted. (William Bruce Cameron, American humor columnist) Cameron may be a humorist, but his comment here can carry a significant message. So much of what people count on (money, jobs,...
The largest product failure of all time is considered to be that of the Edsel Division of the Ford Motor Company back in the late 1950s. It was a secret car developed under the code name “E” which stood for experimental. Edsel was a separate division from Ford and...
If we are willing to settle for less than the best, we can be sure that less is exactly what we will get. (Cal Thomas, columnist) A lot of organizations include “excellence” in their list of values. They claim to strive for distinction in their work, and we commend...