"Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses." ~ George Washington The lasting measure of a man is established in the way he meets the difficulties in life. In my estimation, life's challenges earn the appellation by virtue of the fact that they push the limits of present …
Tag: greg hake
I swear I’m done cursing!
"The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing is a vice so mean and low that every person of sense and character detests and despises it." ~ George Washington My father once told me that people swear whenever they are too lazy to speak with dignity. I don't know if he would recall …
Return to Sender, Address Unknown
"A moral, sensible and well-bred man will not affront me, - and no other can." ~ William Cowper My wife was humming a tune yesterday that got me thinking. You've probably heard Elvis Presley sing Return to Sender and if you're anything like me, you only recall one line from the song..."return to sender, address …
The Almost Right Word
"The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter--it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning." ~ Mark Twain, Letter to George Bainton, 10/15/1888 So the reading of the Constitution was interesting, as much for what they left out as for the fact that they read it …
Humility and Repentance
"I confess that there are several parts of this Constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them. For having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged by better information, or fuller consideration, to change opinions even on important subjects, which I once …
Always be willing to be surprised
If there is one thing I've learned from both parenting children and managing people it is to always leave room to be surprised. Expect the unexpected and while you're at it, never fear the worst. While I would be the first to admit that people do tend to let themselves get into ruts of behavior, …
The Profound Peace of Self-composure
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 …
The least in your world
"The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do." ~ Galileo Galilei I sat on the beach today thinking about my mentors over the years and the thought came to mind that each …
There is no substitute for wisdom
There is absolutely no substitute for wisdom. Wisdom, the sense of the fitness of things, is what allows you to say the right thing at the right time, to do the right thing at the right time or to refrain from speaking or acting when the time is right. The alternatives to wisdom, namely, the …
Orientation is Everything
You are wise to consider your motivations before you resolve to change the course of your life and the world. If the sole purpose of the resolutions you plan to make is to better yourself - physically, aesthetically, mentally or spiritually - as an end rather than a means to an end, the first step …
Gregory Hake 