Observations
- Enemies
Ebenezer Hoar was the Attorney General of the U.S. He once said about someone who died: “I did not attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.” - Maya Angelou “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
- Living Life fully
“Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely, in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting “Holy Shit, what a ride!” - Choosing your battles wisely
“You don’t tug on Superman’s cape You don’t spit into the wind You don’t pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger And you don’t mess around with Jim” Lyrics by James Croce - Judging others
“If Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world, that’s probably not our mission either” Our Daily Bread - Courage “Keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart” Isaiah 7:4 Zechariah 8:14
“Do not be afraid. These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts…” - What others think about us
“For most people the voice of their neighbors is louder than the voice of God.” H.G. Wells We worry too much about “what will people say?” when it comes to courageous challenges - “The purpose of life The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) Philosopher, Poet, Author, Essayist
- Communication
“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said” Peter Drucker - Make the other person feel important
“Talk to a man about himself and he will listen for hours.” Benjamin Disraeli - The Art of Gratitude
Gracious acceptance is an art – an art which most never bother to cultivate.We think that we have to learn how to give, but we forget about accepting things, which can be much harder than giving…Accepting another person’s gift is allowing him to express his feelings for you (Alexander McCall Smith) - Pascal’s wager
A 1660 mathematician, Blaise Pascal was known for his “Pascal’s Wager” which was that you might as well believe in God, because believing carries no risk and potentially plenty of reward. - The power of being irrational
The American Journalist Murray Kempton once wrote that the rise of the Ayatollah Khomeini “demonstrated the iron rule that in international relations the drunk driver has the right of way.” - Offending others
Diogenes: “He who never offended anyone never did anyone any good” - Listening
I never met a good listener I didn’t like - The power of being irrational
American Journalist Murray Kempton once wrote that the rise of the Ayatollah Khomeini demonstrated the iron rule that “in international relations, the drunk driver has the right of way” - Blessed Padre Pio advice about prayer
“Pray, hope and don’t worry” - Charles MacKay “No Enemies?”
You have no enemies, you say? Alas, my friend, the boast is poor; He who has mingled in the fray Of duty, that the brave endure, Must have made foes! If you have none, Small is the work that you have done. You’ve hit no traitor on the hip, You’ve dashed no cup from perjured lip, You’ve never turned the wrong to right, You’ve been a coward in the fight.” - John Maxwell
A big man is one who makes us feel bigger when we are with him - Coach Bear Bryant
You never know how a horse will pull until you hook him to a heavy load - St Catherine of Siena:
“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire” - William Barclay: Scottish professor, observed “it is a curious paradox of learning that the more one learns about any subject the more one realizes there is still much to learn. In the Academy at Athens there was a three year course. In the first year students were called “The wise men.” In the second year they were called “Those who loved wisdom” But in the third year they were called simply “The learners.”
- Henry David Thoreau
“Most men live lives of quiet desperation and die with their song inside.” - Helping others
How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world. – Shakespeare - Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons.” - Famous Jesuit adage:
“When arguing, never deny, seldom affirm, always distinguish.” - From Robert Service The Cremation of Sam McGee
“A promise made is a debt unpaid” - Never be intimidated:
“Always remember …..Goliath was a 40 point favorite over David.” Shug Jordan football coach at Auburn - Aging
John Mortimer, the creator of “Rumpole” died in January at age 85. He wrote about the indignities of dying: “Dying is a matter of slap-stick and pratfalls. The aging process is not gradual or gentle. It rushes up, pushes you over and runs off laughing. No one should grow old who isn’t ready to appear ridiculous.” - William Holden’s character says in the movie Network “It’s all suddenly closer to the end than to the beginning and death is a perceptible thing to me with definable features “
- Will Rogers
“Everything is funny as long as it happens to somebody else” - Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant carried this prayer in his wallet
This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste or use it for good. What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, Leaving something in its place I have traded for it. I want it to be a gain not a loss – good, not evil. I shall not forget the price I paid for it. - Your Purpose in Life
It has been said that every person is a “dream of God” who has been sent into the world to do some special task - Be who you really are
- “But by the grace of God, I am what I am…” 1 Corinthians 15:10
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind” Popeye cartoon character: “I yam what I yam!” - Beaten but not defeated
“Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise…” Micah 7:8 John Dryden’s poem: Johnnie Armstrong Last Goodnight: Fight on, my merry men all, I’m a little wounded, but I am not slain; I will lay me down for to bleed a while, Then I’ll rise and fight with you again. Invictus William Ernest Henley Under the bludgeoning of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. - The search for meaning
“The human heart has a hole only God can fill” Unknown Augustine: ” “God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you” - Anger President Eisenhower said that after an angry outburst his mother quoted Proverbs 16:32 to him: “He who is slow to anger is better then the mighty and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” Seneca once said: “he is most powerful who has power over himself.” Good advice for all of us
- Royal Law
James 2:8 “If you really keep the royal law found in scripture, “love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.” - St Teresa of Avila
Outspoken and courageous Catholic religious of the 1500’s : “God preserve us from stupid nuns!” - Love Spouse:
Churchill once wrote his wife Clementine: “Thank you for being rash enough to marry me. Foolish enough to stay with me and for loving me in a way I thought I would never be loved.” On another occasion he was asked about would he would like to be in a second life. He said: “If I could not be who I am, I would most like to be Mrs. Churchill’s second husband.” The late Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield of Montana said about his wife Maureen “What we did, we did together. In short, I am what I am because of her.” When the legislature erected a statue of him he agreed only if she was cast along side him and her name go first. - Feeling Guilty
In his book “Let’s Face It” Kirk Douglas talks about the pain of having a son commit suicide. He says the doctors told them to apply the “three C’s” test: They didn’t cause it, they couldn’t cure it and they couldn’t control it. Excellent advice - Children
Henny Youngman used to say: “I’ve got two wonderful children” and then he would pause and add: “two out of five ain’t bad.” - Attitude Shakespeare: “Our doubts are traitors, And make us lose the good we oft might win By fearing to attempt.”
- What would Jesus do? National Catholic Reporter:
“When someone tells you to ask yourself, ‘What would Jesus do?’ remember that one valid answer is ‘Freak out and knock over tables’ - David Rockefeller:
“A family advisor once said the two most expensive things a Rockefeller can do are run for public office and get divorced. Nelson, did both.” - Random Thoughts:
Flannery O’Connor once said of riding the subways of New York: “You see few people you wish you knew and thousands you are glad you don’t know.” The title of David Craig’s song “You don’t miss your water until the well runs dry” is a profound observation. - Friends & enemies:
When Warren Harding discovered the friends he had appointed had been guilty of government theft and fraud he said to a friend “My God, this is a hell of a job.. I have no trouble with my enemies. But, my damn friends…They’re the ones that keep me walking the floor at nights” - War vs Peace
France’s Clemenceau once observed: “Ii is much easier to make war than peace.” - Short Course in Public Relations:
The six most important words are: “I admit that I was wrong.” The five most important words are: “You did a great job!” The four most important words are: “What do you think?” The three most important words are: “Could you please…” The two most important words are “Thank you.” The least important word is: “I” - Know thyself
“We have met the enemy and it is us” Walt Kelly comic strip Pogo Earth Day 1971 - Great deeds live on after death: In the movie Gladiator Maximus tells his troops: “What we do in life echoes in eternity”
- When it is time to quit
John Davidson, the poet, The fires are out and I must hammer the cold iron.” - The Civil Jury System:
“Whenever our civilization wants a library to be catalogued, or a solar system to be discovered, or any other trifle of this kind, it uses its specialists. But when it wishes anything done which is really serious, it collects tweleve ordinary men standing around. Jesus did exactly this.” G.K. Chesterton - First Fig
“My candle burns at both ends; it will not last the night; But, ah, my foes, and, oh, my friends – It gives a lovely light” (Edna St. Vincent Millay) - Life Challenges:
Dr. Bernie’s Segal’s mother used to say to him every time he complained that something bad had happened had happened to him : “God has redirected your life. Good things will come from this”