“Now in myth and ritual the great instinctive forces of civilized life have their origin: law and order, commerce and profit, craft and art, poetry, wisdom and science. All are rooted in the primeval soil of play.” ― Johan Huizinga, Dutch historian My mother specialized in early childhood development, which I count as one of …
The Garden of Life by Gregg Hake A new acquaintance: a germinated seed, A recent friend: a delicate shoot. A bitter enemy: a choking weed, A tight-knit family: a webbed root. A lifelong confidant: a perennial flower, A restored relationship: a spring shower.
"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 …
"The lack of emotional security of our American young people is due, I believe, to their isolation from the larger family unit. No two people - no mere father and mother - as I have often said, are enough to provide emotional security for a child. He needs to feel himself one in a world …
"Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage." ~ Maya Angelou My father is a man of quiet courage. I've always admired his graciousness and desire to help others, his love of family …
Have you ever noticed how easily children make friends? I’m always impressed by their untempered ability to walk up to another child and say “I’m Jack, do you want to play?” Young children are especially facile in this regard, perhaps because they have yet to develop complexes, self-image issues, prejudices and bad habits. I have …
In giving advice, seek to help, not please, your friend. ~ Solon Some of the hardest things I've had to hear about myself came clothed as advice. Advice, pointers, tips and hints stream from every direction on a regular basis, if you are listening. Delivered by the mouths and pens of both friends and strangers, …
There is nothing more humbling than raising a child. Children are both a reflection of you - your values, your expectations, your worldview - and a fountain of self-expression. They offer constant reminders of the need to refine your own capacity of self-expression while challenging you to grow and develop as they do. I had …
Continue reading Obedience, Respect and The Future of Humanity
Would you say that you spend more time focusing on the past, the present or the future? Your tendencies in this regard provide a framework through which you interact with your world. Professor Philip Zimbardo (http://www.zimbardo.com) of Stanford University offers a thought-provoking analysis of what he calls "The Secret Powers of Time." He argues that our …
Continue reading The Secret Powers of Time: Save our Families
Gregory Hake 