When Mahatma Gandhi was asked what he thought of Western civilization, he was reported to have said: "I think it would be a good idea." Thumbing through the last five centuries, I am inclined to agree. Consider this slice of history from the Jamaican perspective, for example. Jamaica, or Xaymaca as it was called by …
Tag: greg hake
Your Inmost Concern
"To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right." - Confucius As much as I …
Career Advice
One of the most important pieces of advice I received when I was striking off on my own was to get a broad base of experience before I made any hard and fast decisions about my career. I was not one who knew from birth what I would do and in many ways I am …
Personal Growth
In my experience I've found my most significant personal growth opportunities came when I was least expecting them. Moreover, they often came when I was at my busiest. Either God is sadistic or there is a principle hidden from sight that could usefully be uncovered and brought to light through a focused consideration. I suspect …
Thoughtlessness to Neurosis
An article entitled "Healthy, Meet Delicious" in the New York Times on American dietary habits caught my eye and interest yesterday. I liked it because it encapsulated to a certain degree my approach to eating and indeed living, but also because of the author's mention of a spectrum - from thoughtlessness to neurosis - along …
Meticulous Forbearance
Forbearance by Ralph Waldo Emerson Hast thou named all the birds without a gun? Loved the wood-rose, and left it on its stalk? At rich men's tables eaten bread and pulse? Unarmed, faced danger with a heart of trust? And loved so well a high behavior, In man or maid, that thou from speech refrained, …
Forbearance
Forbearance by Samuel Taylor Coleridge Gently I took that which ungently came, And without scorn forgave:--Do thou the same. A wrong done to thee think a cat's-eye spark Thou wouldst not see, were not thine own heart dark Thine own keen sense of wrong that thirsts for sin, Fear that--the spark self-kindled from within, Which …
Kindness and Compassion
A core human compulsion is longing to belong. We love to define ourselves by our associations - religious beliefs, political persuasions, socio-economic status, race, color, favorite sports teams, age and more - yet that which connects also divides. There are, however, a few qualities which have universal appeal. Two I can think of are kindness …
The Development of the Heart
Of all the things you can do to truly get ahead in life, none is more valuable than the development of your heart. I imagine that you, like me, spent a great deal of time refining your mental faculties in school, but what of your heart's capacity for compassion? Anger and hatred can consume you …
Good for Something
"Aim above morality. Be not simply good, be good for something." - Henry David Thoreau Most men strive to be good, but how many could truly say they are good for something? My greatest joy in life is helping others to discover what they are good for. It takes something. People generally don't feel safe …
Gregory Hake 