“Who is wise? One who learns from all.” ~ The Talmud My thought is morning is a simple one: learn from everything. Woe to the fool who learns lessons only when they arrive wrapped in gold or coated in sugar, for the best lessons life can give are frequently bitter to the belly, repulsive to …
Category: Observations on Life
The Currents of Inspiration
"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty." ~ Henry Ford I am a firm believer in the power of lifelong learning. That said, I agree with Thoreau's assertion that "It is only when we forget all our learning that we begin to know." This may seem contradictory, but allow me to …
Constant Transformation
"When one door closes another door opens, but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us." ~ Alexander Graham Bell A lovely letter accompanied the recent mailing of a catalog I enjoy perusing and I am compelled this morning to …
The Cult of the Individual
"In our personal ambitions we are individualists. But in our seeking for economic and political progress as a nation, we all go up or else all go down as one people." ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt The world economy has shifted significantly over the last few hundred years, particularly in the West. As feudalism gave way …
Masterful Living
"The winds and waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators." ~ Edward Gibbon Wise is the man who uses every type of circumstance to greatest possible advantage. When others complain, he handles the discomfort quietly while looking for the openings. When others curse he gives thanks, no matter how grim the outlook. …
The Errand of Your Life
"You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand." ~ Woodrow Wilson Your body, your …
Beatific Vision
"Truth is the beginning of every good thing, both in heaven and on earth; and he who would be blessed and happy should be from the first a partaker of truth, for then he can be trusted." ~ Plato I've frequently argued that man suffers greatly whenever his understanding is distorted by false and limiting …
Rhythmic Procession
"Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop." ~ Ovid It is so easy in today's complex world to get caught up in a constant stream of activity. Goals beget goals, bigger and more are assumed to be better, and rest, relaxation and serenity are somehow lost in the mix. As Margaret …
Beware of Limiting Assumptions
“There is no use trying,” said Alice; “one can’t believe impossible things.” “I dare say you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” ~ Lewis Carroll Sometimes the …
Your Inner Life
My Inner Life by Robert William Service 'Tis true my garments threadbare are, And sorry poor I seem; But inly I am richer far Than any poet's dream. For I've a hidden life no one Can ever hope to see; A sacred sanctuary none May share with me. Aloof I stand from out the strife, …
Gregory Hake 