"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt In the course of life you will encounter those who love you, those who hate you and many more who will fall somewhere in the middle. Realizing this, it is easy to see that basing your sense of self on the opinions …
Tag: gregg hake
To Move Forward
Of all the impediments to spiritual, mental and physical development in the individual, none is more hobbling than faults which were allowed to become habits during childhood and early adulthood. In fact, it is much more difficult to break old, self-destructive habits than it is to form new, constructive ones. To move forward, you must …
Righteousness
Righteousness, a poem by Gregg Hake Righteousness, thou bittersweet remedy To all ills which men bring upon themselves. Blaming the gods for that which they create− Blasphemous scoundrels covering their tracks! Who now shall rise and take up the banner From those who led the charge and are now gone? The enemy is shameless vanity …
The Banner of Blessing
The next time someone cuts you off in traffic, speaks negatively about you behind your back or plays unfairly to get ahead of you, consider these wise words from Socrates: It is never right to do wrong or to requite wrong with wrong, or when we suffer evil to defend ourselves by doing evil in …
Right Action
When you do anything from a clear judgment that it ought to be done, never shun the being seen to do it, even though the world should make a wrong supposition about it; for, if you don't act right, shun the action itself; but, if you do, why are you afraid of those who censure …
Command Yourself
Remember, that not he who gives ill language or a blow insults, but the principle which represents these things as insulting. When, therefore, anyone provokes you, be assured that it is your own opinion which provokes you. Try, therefore, in the first place, not to be hurried away with the appearance. For if you once …
A Fresh Perspective
My message today may come as a surprise to you this morning, but my hope is not to confirm your beliefs, rather to encourage you to test your beliefs and square your worldview to truth. The message today is this: you need not fear loss. Consider this timeless gem from Epictetus: Never say of anything, …
It seemed so to him.
No man escapes life without having been judged wrongly by some person, somewhere, at some time. It is wise, therefore, to learn how to handle such situations in advance of their arrival, for as Benjamin Franklin said, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." As with any challenge in life, the correct handling …
The Proof of Worship
It is often said that "actions speak louder than words." So it is with the matter of worship. Many claim to worship a God of love, for instance. Examine their actions, however, and it quickly becomes clear that: (1) they either do no truly worship that God consistently or (2) they worship Him imperfectly. Ill-tempered …
The Noblest Life
Asked how a man should best grieve his enemy, Epictetus replied, "By setting himself to live the noblest life himself." To set one's mind to vengeance is to bid adieu to that which expands the heart. Noble living grows the heart; there is no substitute.
Gregory Hake 