Dignity is a product of internal choices. It is not conferred or situationally-dependent and no one one, no matter how cruel or heartless he or she may be, can strip you of your dignity. Dignity is the reward of righteousness. You can wear the crown of your soul no matter how much you are mocked, …
"This is the true joy in life - being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote …
"The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.”~ Epictetus I discovered this simple truth the other day and despite its simplicity it is one of the most profound statements I've come across in a while. To follow this advice you needn't be hardhearted, you just …
I am inclined to agree more with Theodore Roosevelt's assessment that courtesy is "as much a mark of a gentleman" than with Honore de Balzac's less encouraging assessment of courtesy being "only a thin veneer on the general selfishness." While the latter may be more predominantly the case, the former holds in it the promise …
"If a man receives a counterfeit dollar he does not straightway lose his faith in all money,—at least there are not such instances on record in this country. If he has a run of three or four days of dull weather he does not say 'the sun ceases to exist, there are surely no bright …
It seems to me that it is becoming increasingly difficult to be of sound mind and body in the world we've created for ourselves. We surround ourselves with all types of toxic substances - plastics, VOCs, chemicals and impurities - all the while increasingly isolating ourselves form the experience of the great outdoors. More often …
As human beings endowed with the capacity of free will we are faced with a profound responsibility and an uncommon privilege. If you’ve lived any amount of time you realize that you occasionally make good choices and every so often you make a bad one. The good choices are as instructive as the bad ones, …
Whether you believe that man was created to have dominion over the earth or that he evolved to dominate the food chain through a process of natural selection, it is in man's best interest to exercise control in a way that promotes balance, sustainability and prosperity. Being at the top of the food chain has …
"A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body." ~ Benjamin Franklin Of the things that you do at home, how many are truly enriching versus simply entertaining? Entertainment options have proliferated over the last few decades. Cable and satellite television. The internet. iPhone, …
Being in the service industry, I can tell you that how a server maintains his self-composure in the face of self-obsessed patrons of his locale speaks volumes about the character of the individual. Over the years I’ve noticed that there are three common reactions: 1) the server maintains his calmness and equanimity all the way …
Gregory Hake 