"The measure of a man is the way he bears up under misfortune." ~ Plutarch When you come across a patch of bad luck, do you tend to blame, complain, regret, disdain or collapse in futility? If so, you are likely missing a HUGE opportunity. How you handle misfortune sows the seeds for the next …
Tag: life
An Ode to my Friends on a Hot Summer’s Morn’
"I don't need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better." ~Plutarch Sympathy is the death knell of a good friendship. Empathy, on the other hand, is a restorative balm that heals life's cuts and scrapes. Sympathy says to another "you are right to …
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What matters more than your talents.
Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com, recently gave a graduation address at his alma mater, Princeton University. He made the case that our character is defined not by the gifts we're born with, but by the choices we make as we move through life. Each of us is endowed with a unique combination of …
Life is not a dream so dark
Life by Charlotte Bronte Life, believe, is not a dream So dark as sages say; Oft a little morning rain Foretells a pleasant day. Sometimes there are clouds of gloom, But these are transient all; If the shower will make the roses bloom, O why lament its fall? Rapidly, merrily, Life's sunny hours flit by, …
What makes life worthwhile?
What makes life worthwhile? What matters to you? What counts in your life? In this fascinating TED2010 talk, Chip Conley, CEO, author and founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, makes a persuasive case for the reconsideration of the metrics used to guide our companies and our nation. At what point do we get off of …
Patience and Life: Practical Matters
My wife gave me a fascinating book called "Leonardo's Notebooks" by H. Anna Suh. The book is a rich collection of artwork and writings, arranged in three sections: Beauty, Reason and Art; Observation and Order; and Practical Matters. I'm delighted to borrow from the third section this morning, Practical Matters. Da Vinci possessed one of the greatest …
All’s right with the world…tranquility as a point of departure
Pippa's Song, by Robert Browning The year 's at the spring, And day 's at the morn; Morning 's at seven; The hill-side 's dew-pearl'd; The lark 's on the wing; The snail 's on the thorn; God 's in His heaven— All 's right with the world! I love this little poem as it …
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Our Planet is a Curious Place: Change, Grudges and Forgiveness
Our planet is a curious place. Filled with a remarkable array of both animate and inanimate objects, its surface and all that dwell thereupon morph from moment to moment. Never were there two moments exactly the same in history. A snapshot taken today of the earth in its fulness would be hardly recognizable if shown …
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Life: The Most Precious of Gifts
If you haven't had the opportunity to watch an episode of the 11 part series, "Life," narrated by Oprah Winfrey, you're missing something special. Presented on the Discovery Channel, the series "reveals the most spectacular, bizarre and fascinating behaviors that living things have devised in order to thrive," according to a http://www.discovery.com press release. The …
What has your heart has you.
"What has your heart has you." A simple phrase, isn't it? What has your heart has you. How many times have you snapped out of a moment (or perhaps longer) of obsessing about something that was probably not worth giving the time of day? I once heard someone say that what lies in the center of your thoughts is your …