We can never be sure how long anything around us is going to stay the same. In this kind of environment, nearly every day generates some new crisis that threatens to throw us off-balance. Do we have enough poise to survive life as it now is?
Many good things we don’t have and many things we don’t know, because we didn’t ask. Whether it’s pride or some other reason, our failure to ask cuts us off from valuable knowledge that could open doors and introduce us to worlds we’ve never known.
All people hold equal value, created in God’s image, and deserve respect beyond appearance or circumstance. True equality requires love — a commitment to treating each person with dignity, as God sees no one as unimportant.
Many things are beyond our control, but proactive people are glad to exert a good influence wherever they can, and they recognize that the one thing that always lies in their control is also the most important: their inward character.
Rightly considered, solitude is not a bad thing. It is in solitude that we have the opportunity to ponder the world we live in, meditate on our principles, and adjust our lives so that they benefit from a better alignment with our principles.
Serious thinking usually requires some quietness. In this busy, noisy age, it is hard to find the personal quietness necessary for profound thoughts to reveal themselves to us. Yet wonderful insights await the person who will take time for silence.
If worthy work is to be done, enthusiasm must be matched by expertise. There is simply no shortcut to excellence. To be productive, we must undergo training, accept discipline, and learn how to do what we do in a skillful way.
When a person burns with passion, and knows how to discipline that passion, there isn’t much he can’t do. That person will move mountains quicker than ten thousand who know about mountain-moving but don’t care whether they get moved or not.
Affability is a gift that combines gentleness and amiability, making life and communication smoother. Affable people, like Sir Thomas More, enrich our lives with kindness, easing difficult conversations and adding grace to everyday interactions.
Dedication to a cause is a uniquely human trait, but it’s vital to choose causes wisely and ensure they are just. Prioritize major issues, avoid harmful tactics, and act with integrity. Defending a good cause poorly can do more harm than its opposition.
