Daily Stop & Thinks

STOP AND THINK – Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. (Winston Churchill, World War II British prime minister)

When we’ve accomplished something significant, we may think that our success will continue unendingly. On the other hand, when we stumble and don’t do well, we may think we’ll never be able to do anything well again. Churchill reminds us that neither is true. We must get up and with courage move ahead to greater achievement.

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. (Joshua 10:25)

STOP AND THINK – 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, African-American poet)

We should be careful about what we say to people. Did we say the right thing? Were we critical? Did we make a joke at somebody’s expense? It’s important to remember that it’s not merely the words we use, but the tone and accompanying body language. The question always is how we made someone else feel. Aim to make them feel good.

Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect. (James 3:2)

STOP AND THINK – Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last. The past is over and gone. The future is not guaranteed. (Wayne Dyer, self-help author and motivational speaker)

Dyer is encouraging people to live in the present; don’t fret over the troubles or losses of the past, and don’t worry about the unknown future. Live for now. For a lot of people that is good advice, no doubt. But, we need to be reminded that, while life is not just a rehearsal, it is only temporary, and there is a future to be aware of and prepare for.

The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death. (Proverbs 10:16)

STOP AND THINK – The revolution that will save the world is ultimately a personal one. (Marianne Williamson, teacher, author, and lecturer)

Williamson is emphasizing the importance of each individual. She says further, “Personal transformation can and does have global effects. As we go, so goes the world, for the world is us.” That’s all true, of course, but a more important issue might be the specific influence an individual has. It begins with personal integrity and seeking after the good.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

STOP AND THINK – Change is the end result of all true learning. (Leo Buscaglia, author and motivational speaker)

We live in an age of learning. Resources are readily available to study almost any subject. But, as the Bible says, we may be “… always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). Unless knowledge of truth is applied to life, there will be no change—thus, no learning.

Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives. (Titus 3:14)

STOP AND THINK – Leaders don’t force people to follow; they invite them on a journey. (Charles S. Lauer, healthcare publisher)

A leader who forces people to follow is a dictator or tyrant, someone who doesn’t give his “followers” a voice in the direction or goal of their trip. The successful leader, who has a willing and happy following, is one, as Lauer says, who invites people to join him. How much easier it is to follow when we are invited to go along and are involved in the planning.

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people. (Matthew 4:19)

STOP AND THINK – All cases are unique, and very similar to others. (T. S. Eliot, playwright and poet)

Sounds like a contradiction in terms, doesn’t it? It’s true that virtually every circumstance in life is unique to your own personal experience. But, it’s also true that “There’s nothing new under the sun.” So, when you feel like you’re alone and no one else can appreciate what you’re going through, stop to consider that others have had similar experiences and survived.

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

STOP AND THINK – Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err. (Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the independence movement in India)

Gandhi was thinking of freedom in a political context, but the principle holds true in a more personal way, too. Unless we allow people to make mistakes (e.g. our children, novices learning a new job, rookie athletes), we will hinder their opportunity to learn and to grow in new endeavors. Excellence is to be desired, but perfection cannot be required.

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)

STOP AND THINK – Resolve to keep happy and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties. (Helen Keller, American author and lecturer)

To consider such words from a woman, who could not see or hear, is a challenge to us who are not so tested. To Keller, happiness is not the result of health and physical well-being; rather it is an attitude that can be developed by any of us. And such an attitude, as she suggests, is itself a defense against the problems that life may bring our way.

To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness. (Ecclesiastes 2:26)

STOP AND THINK – Better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all. (St. Augustine, 4^th & 5^th century Christian theologian)

Almost everyone has lost something or someone he or she held dear—a favorite toy, a pet, a beloved person. We cherish the memory of those lost things. But, if you’ve never experienced that kind of loss, you’ve probably never experienced that kind of love either. God created love in us to reflect Him and to enjoy relationships at their very best.

What a person desires is unfailing love. … Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor. (Proverbs 19:22; Proverbs 21:21)

STOP AND THINK – Envy = sadness on account of the goods possessed by another. (Thomas Aquinas, 13^th century Dominican priest)

It seems to be part of our human nature. We’re never satisfied with what we have; it’s never quite enough or it’s not exactly like what we want. What’s worse, we sometimes look at what others have and long for those things. Rather than being happy for the well-being of others and learning to be content with what we have, we become jealous, eaten by envy.

Rejoice with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15). Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have (Hebrews 13:5). 

STOP AND THINK – On the path to success, you will notice that the successful ones are not whiners, nor do they complain often. (Jack Ma, Chinese entrepreneur and philanthropist)

Ma goes on to say, “If you complain or whine once in a while, it is not a big deal. However, if it becomes habitual, it will be similar to drinking: the more you drink, the stronger the thirst.” Haven’t you noticed that there are some people who are always complaining? We would do well to avoid getting into that habit. It will destroy us and alienate our friends.

I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression, and smile. (Job 9:27)