“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” – John 15:13 While this quote is commonly referred to in the context of the crucifixion of Jesus, there are many other levels of “laying down [one’s] life for [one’s] friends” which are worthy of consideration and actualization. …
Roman philosopher Musonius Rufus made a number of astute observations on the condition of man some 2,000 years ago. One that strikes me as timely is this: To share the common notion that we shall be despised by others if in every way we do not strive to harm the first enemies we meet is …
"Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. The desire to take of an eye for an eye is an almost instinctive reaction. It is one of the trademarks of an emotionally stunted adult, and …
"If you want to make enemies, try to change something." ~ Woodrow Wilson Funny enough, the first enemy you will likely encounter when changing something, anything, is yourself. Inertia is a powerful force in human nature and the legions of the status quo will quickly train their weapons on you should you threaten their possessions …
"It is wonderful how much time good people spend fighting the devil. If they would only expend the same amount of energy loving their fellow men, the devil would die in his own tracks of ennui." ~ Helen Keller What would a day look like were you to expend the entirety of your energies loving …
"The soul of our happiness may be—love. This love may be so fine and great and simple and it so fills our life that it leaves no room for pain, as light crowds out darkness. It may, with its Midas touch, turn even our trials and troubles into the gold of sweetness, strength and consolation. …
"Unhappiness is the hunger to get; Happiness is the hunger to give. True happiness must ever have the tinge of sorrow outlived, the sense of pain softened by the mellowing years, the chastening of loss that in the wondrous mystery of time transmutes our suffering into love and sympathy with others. If the individual should …
Learning how to channel your energy into constructive purposes is one of the greatest skills you can master in life. As with so many valuable life lessons, we needn't look further than the common flea to recognize the potential inherent in storing and releasing energy in the right place at the right time. Fleas jump …
"I have believed the best of every man. And find that to believe is enough to make a bad man show him at his best, or even a good man swings his lantern higher." ~ William Butler Yeats You are making a grave error if you love your friends and hate your enemies. Both love …
Politics is the gizzard of society, full of grit and gravel, and the two political parties are its opposite halves - sometimes split into quarters - which grind on each other. Not only individuals but states have thus a confirmed dyspepsia. ~ Henry David Thoreau One of the microphones came on prematurely during a performance …
Gregory Hake 