Grace and Rude Will

Within the infant rind of this small flower  Poison hath residence, and medicine power;  For this, being smelt, with that part cheers each part;  Being tasted, slays all senses with the heart.  Two such opposed kings encamp them still  In man as well as herbs—grace and rude will;  And where the worser is predominant,  Full …

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Proceed Prosperously and Reign

When in the depths of despair, When life is clearly unfair, Proceed prosperously and reign. If your vision grows dim, If your chances look slim, Proceed prosperously and reign.

Moral Energy

"Every conquering temptation represents a new fund of moral energy. Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before."- William Butler Yeats Life, in a nutshell, is the passage from innocence through temptation to either virtue or vice. What will you make of your life …

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Dethrone the Tyrant

Rebecca Gilliver, principal cellist of the London Symphony Orchestra tells the story of a conversation she had with Sandro Laffrancini, principal cellist at La Scala about a particularly challenging top shift he played flawlessly over and over again in her LSO Master Class for the Cello. She asked what his secret was and he said …

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Give yourself a chance!

Thanks to a generous new acquaintance, I've just started reading Lt. Col. A.L. D'Endrödy's classic work on the training of horse and rider "Give Your Horse a Chance." D'Endrödy explains in the introduction that "I drafted the first outline of my book while in captivity at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains, on the shores …

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Simplest Terms

Even the most difficult problems can be overcome if you approach them in the right way. One of the many life lessons I've found to be extremely valuable is the fact that you can parlay success in one area of your life into other areas. The translation into application in a new area may not …

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A Healthy World

While I am incredibly grateful for the education I received at the Carroll Graduate School of Management at Boston College, I must admit that there was one area of function that I was not adequately prepared for as I moved on from school to the "real world" of owning and managing small businesses. I was …

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Fresh Activity

"The only use of an obstacle is to be overcome. All that an obstacle does with brave men is, not to frighten them, but to challenge them." ~ Woodrow Wilson One of my greatest delights is watching my children face and overcome obstacles. It is an essential part of the learning process and for that …

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The Warrior Spirit

Every so often you meet someone who embodies the warrior spirit. You know the type. They are rugged, dogged and intrepid, and they possess a remarkable capacity to overcome obstacles and move through difficulties that would crush the ordinary man. Such men are rarely bellicose in nature, in fact, they tend to be pacifists at …

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Known to Unknown

I had two conversations yesterday that carried a common thread. While I was the common denominator in both, the principle outlined came from my riding coach and a new business associate, not from me. I couldn’t help but notice the coincidence and I am compelled to share it with you this morning. When you understand …

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