"It is the custom of grateful states and nations to present swords as tokens of Ithe highest honor to the victorious leaders of their armies and navies. The sword presented to Admiral Schley by the people of Philadelphia, at the close of America’s war with Spain, cost over $3,500, the greater part of which was …
Tag: respect
The Canon of the Way and the Power
"The skilful traveller leaves no traces of his wheels or footsteps; the skilful speaker says nothing that can be found fault with or blamed; the skilful reckoner uses no tallies; the skilful closer needs no bolts or bars, while to open what he has shut will be impossible; the skilful binder uses no strings or …
The Right Door
"You never know till you try to reach them how accessible men are; but you must approach each man by the right door." ~ Henry Ward Beecher Office dynamics are fascinating. Put a bunch of unrelated people together in a pressure cooker environment and you have a recipe for a complex blend of interpersonal relationships. …
Good Deeds
"How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world." ~ William Shakespeare I was backing out of my office the other day and my view was blocked by the landscaping crew's truck and trailer. I backed slowly and as soon as my tailgate had cleared their trailer …
Working Together
"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success." ~ Henry Ford It is interesting to watch teams form up in the workplace. The phases a group of individuals move through as they bond to form a unified team are somewhat predictable, yet the pace of that development varies wildly from …
Freedom from Fear
Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is. ~ German Proverb No reasonable person would deny that there are dangerous elements in the world we inhabit. Whether part of the natural state or the product of having mismanaged the natural state over the ages, these perils are a regular part of everyday living. Children must …
Happiness and Righteousness Redefined
As a young man approaching middle age, I often ask myself what it is that human beings truly seek. Material wealth and comfort appear on the surface to shape the thoughts and dictate the actions of many, but scratch a little deeper and you will find that the common goal of man is happiness and …
Road Sign or Road Block?
As a follow up to my previous post on the matter of learning to work more effectively with others, Time to Think, I'd like to share a quote from the book of the same name, written by Nancy Kline. Ms. Kline described why it is so vitally important not to interrupt others while in a …
Empathy: A Cure for Self-righteous Rage?
Empathetic capacity is one of man's greatest gifts. Whatever its provenance, the ability to empathize is one of the central tools necessary for creative living. As a father, I am deeply concerned that we find ways to encourage the development of this capacity in our youth, for their sake and for the sake of the …
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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Gregory Hake 