“I never meet a ragged boy in the street without feeling I may owe him a salute, for I know not what possibilities may be buttoned up under his coat.” - James A. Garfield When you refrain from judging others you find that they come to you wearing the judgments they've accumulated over the years. …
An Exceptional Person
With expenditures projected at $5,800,000,000 the 2012 presidential and congressional elections will be the most expensive on record, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. Campaign strategists estimate that 80% of the money spent is wasted, but the 20% which does hit its mark somehow does so through a public which has historically proven …
Flow Forward
I spent the better part of two days this weekend and last behind a chainsaw. My brother-in-law are clearing out the old and unsalvageable landscaping around my house in preparation for a new look. It's one of those projects that takes time, that unfolds in stages, and that requires patience, diligence and careful attention to …
The Unshakeable of Soul: Doctors
Doctors by Rudyard Kipling Man dies too soon, beside his works half-planned. His days are counted and reprieve is vain: Who shall entreat with Death to stay his hand; Or cloke the shameful nakedness of pain? Send here the bold, the seekers of the way-- The passionless, the unshakeable of soul, Who serve the inmost …
Character of the Happy Warrior
Character development is a deeply personal matter. Others can provide guidance and go a long way in setting the conditions conducive to healthy development, but at the end of the day your character is built in the little choices you make from moment to moment. Character is not built overnight and it does not come …
Duty-First
"The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life." - Theodore Roosevelt Call it a midwestern bias, but to my mind the most important quality of the American spirit is the notion of "duty-first." Moreover, the degree to which an …
Heart Leaps Up
my Heart Leaps Up When I Behold by William Wordsworth My heart leaps up when I behold A rainbow in the sky: So was it when my life began; So is it now that I am a man; So be it when I shall grow old, Or let me die! The Child is father of …
A Blessed Unrest
"There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and (will) be lost. The world will not have it. It …
Conventional Wisdom and Common Sense
"The universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any human accomplishment an incredible miracle." Col. John Stapp My cousin tells the story of a South American who had recently moved to Atlanta to work at her company. He called in one day, having gotten lost while driving around the city (likely on one of the 71 streets …
Proceed Prosperously and Reign
When in the depths of despair, When life is clearly unfair, Proceed prosperously and reign. If your vision grows dim, If your chances look slim, Proceed prosperously and reign.
Gregory Hake 