When life is less than happy, we focus on whatever improvements we can make, leaving the rest in God’s hands. In short, we take responsibility for our own choices. For it is a well-known fact: when we blame others, we give up our power to change.
True meekness is not weakness, but strength under control. Often misunderstood as passivity, meekness is the power to hold back when needed, like a knight’s restraint. It requires more strength to exercise patience and humility than to act impulsively.
“A friend is one who knows you as you are, understands where you’ve been, accepts who you’ve become, and still gently invites you to grow.” All of us want friends like that, surely. The question is: will we BE friends like that?
When we look back, we can often see that the circumstances we most dreaded were often those that produced the most growth in us. So if we must suffer, let’s be grateful for the fresh start that hard experiences can give us.
Discrimination is discerning differences wisely. While the term often carries negative meaning, making distinctions is essential in life. The challenge lies in judging fairly, humbly, and truthfully, discerning not only good from bad but best from good.
Thoreau was right: “To be a philosopher is . . . so to love wisdom as to live according to its dictates, a life of simplicity, independence, magnanimity, and trust. It is to solve some of the problems of life not only theoretically, but practically.”
Greatness lies, not in being strong, but in the right use of strength. Most people think of greatness as power of one kind or another, but true greatness consists in the right use of whatever power we have, whether it is much or little.
In the grand scheme of things, the world will be what it will be with or without our help. But the individuals whom we can help will have their load lightened even if our act of service does not transform the experience of humanity as a whole.
We all — without exception — have been the recipients of more goodness than our own merits have earned. Of the many threads that have been woven together in these lives that we call our own, many of them wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for grace.
Decency is more than just following social norms; it’s about respect and kindness. In a world that glorifies nonconformity, we should remember that decency — acting with moral and modest consideration for others — remains a timeless virtue.
