“The individual can attain self-control in great things only through self-control in little things. He must study himself to discover what is the weak point in his armor, what is the element within him that ever keeps him from his fullest success. This is the characteristic upon which he should begin his exercise in self-control. …
Tag: character
The Kingship of Self-Control III
"Any man may attain self-control if he only will. He must not expect to gain it save by long continued payment of price, in small progressive expenditures of energy. Nature is a thorough believer in the installment plan in her relations with the individual. No man is so poor that he cannot begin to pay …
Attitude and Character
"Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character." ~ Albert Einstein Character flaws don't just happen. They are formed over time like stalactites in a cave. They are rigid, yet ultimately fragile and they invariably complicate the passage from this moment to the next. Character flaws are not a necessity, only an unfortunate side-effect of careless …
Power of Personal Influence II
Ignorance is no excuse for violation of any law. Realizing this, we must take greater care to educate ourselves on the power of personal influence, for people often undermine their own stated goals and desires without even knowing it. William George Jordan offers a plateful of food for thought on the matter in Chapter 3 …
New Experiences
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." ~ Mark Twain I was speaking with fellow yesterday who had spent the …
Work Worth Doing
"Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." ~ Theodore Roosevelt How would you define work worth doing? In my mind work worth doing is anything that contributes to the betterment of mankind. It is a broad definition, I know, but mankind …
Polished to Perfection
"A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials." - Seneca While I am not so sure that our trials in life are deliberately imposed upon us as a test of our character or will intentionally by another being or entity, I have witnessed time and time again that the mechanism …
The Art of Expression
"It is not enough that a man has clearness of vision, and reliance on sincerity, he must also have the art of expression, or he will remain obscure." ~ George Henry Lewes You can have the best product in the world, but if you don't package it correctly, it will be lost in the crowd. …
A Fundamental Shift in Values
Speaking of the need of a fundamental shift in values, I read an interesting article in the NY Times yesterday afternoon entitled: “The Modesty Manifesto.” The author, David Brooks, observed that we are an overconfident species, especially the part of humanity now living in the United States. Brooks (somewhat tongue in cheek I expect) noted …
Pushing through to Victory
When you are approaching the border of your present capability, you have three options. You can: 1) go backwards, 2) stay where you are or 3) continue to move forward. The choice is yours to make and you must remember that your habits are formed according to the pattern of your choices. How you handle …
Gregory Hake 