“Time Misspent” by Sir Aubrey de Vere (Hunt and Lee, comps. The Book of the Sonnet, 1867) There is no remedy for time misspent;No healing for the waste of idleness,Whose very languor is a punishmentHeavier than active souls can feel or guess.O hours of indolence and discontent,Not now to be redeemed! ye sting not less,Because …
"Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose." - Helen Keller There are a great many purposes to which you can dedicate your life. Some purposes will prove to broaden the scope of human achievement while others will bring …
Thinking about what to do with your life can be a bit daunting at times. For starters, the average person lives to be 80 years old or so these days, which is really quite a long time. If you do the math, that's over 29,000 days! Even if you discount that total by a few …
One of the great statements we have out of antiquity is this: "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (King James Version, John 8:32) It is a great promise in one sense, and a great threat to human moralism in another. It is as compelling as it is daunting. …
There is a widespread belief that we are more or less creatures of chance, that we are subject to whatever happens, and that all we can do is hope for the best. This ignorant philosophy--the concept of kismet, fatalism--is something that we need to counteract. To be effective in this you must develop a sense …
To celebrate the failure of another to live to full potential is a form of self-harm. Every human being is a member of the body of humanity. I am a part of your body just as you are a part of mine. Your friends, your enemies, and those whom you have not yet met or …
When was the last time you experienced wonderment? If the answer doesn't come immediately to mind, I highly recommend that you create the space and time to reflect on this question. Pause and ask yourself, "When was the last time I experienced wonderment--a state of awed admiration or respect for someone or something?" When you …
If you do not forgive, you will not be forgiven. There are no exceptions to this rule. All must be forgiven—however spiteful, however cruel, however often they are repeated. If we do not forgive, we shall not be forgiven. That said, forgiving and excusing are two different things. Forgiveness says, “I forgive you completely, without …
Forgiveness is defined in many ways, but no matter how you look it, forgiveness brings about a change in your future. From this standpoint, nothing is too big to be forgiven. That which you do not forgive stands as a judgement over you. God does not judge you, you judge yourself by virtue of your …
The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either -- but right through every human heart -- and through all human hearts. This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years. And even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained. …
Gregory Hake 