Below you'll find a list of all posts from March, 2016
I get lots of emails containing words of wisdom. I appreciate every one of them, but one time I got a real keeper. Here are 17 incredibly powerful observations attributed to the Dalai Lama worth posting on your bathroom mirror. Learn them and live them. They will improve your life. 1. Follow the three Rs: respect for self, respect for …
Don’t give up what you want most for what you want right now. Learn to say no to yourself. Think long-term.
“Fear is often more damaging than the thing feared. Most things you fear will never happen. And even if they do, they are rarely as bad as anticipated. What’s more, even if bad things occur, you can handle it. Perspective is an antidote to fear.” – Michael Josephson
Here’s a riddle: You can hardly ever find it anymore — especially in politics or business. Lots of schools don’t teach it anymore. We want more of it in our children and in all the adults who interact with them. We want it from our bosses and the people who fix our cars. And most of us believe we have …
“Don’t do anything today that will darken tomorrow.” – Michael Josephson
What do you remember about the “Know Nothing” movement in the 1850’s? I rarely get political on this blog but What Will Matter is about my personal philosophy and, though it will doubtless alienate some of you who thought you liked me before,there are times when I believe the ethical aspects of a political issue are so compelling that I …
There are all kinds of love. The passionate romantic love immortalized and often fantasized by poets and novelists; Platonic love among friends, the love of humanity preached by missionaries and ministers, the love of country, and even the love of our work. I’ve been fortunate to have experienced all of these forms but none has impressed me more than the deep, enduring …
“When a door closes, try to re-open it. If it does not yield, look for another door. If you can’t find one, look for a window. If there is no window, poke a hole in the wall and make one. There is always a way out. NOTHING THAT CONFINES YOU IS STRONGER THAN YOUR WILL TO BE FREE.” – Michael …
Ethics are about the ought, not the is. Ethics are not about the way things are, but about the way they should be.
“The most important reason to know who you are is that it’s the first step in becoming who you CAN be.” – Michael Josephson
“The intensity of our belief that we are right does not convert our opinions into truth.” – Michael Josephson Self-righteousness often results from believing that the more certain we are, the more likely we are to be right. The contrary is often true. Our certainty blinds us to other points of view, perceptions and new evidence. It is best to …
Five birds are sitting on a telephone wire. Two of them decide to fly south. How many are left? Three, you say? No, it’s five. You see, deciding to fly south is not the same as doing it. If a bird really wants to go somewhere, it’s got to point itself in the right direction, jump off the wire and …
“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” – Dalai Lama
— Compiled by Michael Josephson — My Top 21 Quotes on Kindness Plus A Lot more A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.
“A true friend wants the best for you; Brings the best out of you; Expects the best from you.” – Michael Josephson
“Happiness is like a butterfly: The more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.” – Henry David Thoreau
People don’t always remember what you say or even what you do, but they always remember how you made them feel. – Maya Angelou When I had four teenagers
“My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.” – Henry Ford
“The one who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The one who walks alone, is likely to find himself in places no one has even been.” – Albert Einstein
“Good companions are people you spend time with when you want to have a good time; True friends are the ones you want to be with when you’ve had a bad time.” – Michael Josephson
As the previous post, “The Cult of Ignorance,” was quite depressing… Here is one that is quite uplifting!
The Cult of Ignorance in the United States … Anti-Intellectualism and the “Dumbing-Down” of America
“Be cautious but not timid; Believe you will succeed, But don’t be afraid of failing. Remember, every meaningful achievement is built on the foundation stones of false starts and failure.” – Michael Josephson
“Sometimes life doesn’t turn out the way you expected. That doesn’t mean you can’t or won’t be happy. If you don’t limit yourself to your first version of your life, there is always a bright future ahead. If you believe the best is yet to come, you will be right.” – Michael Josephson
“Don’t let others DEFINE YOU. Don’t let the past CONFINE YOU. Take charge OF YOUR LIFE – With CONFIDENCE and DETERMINATION, There are NO LIMITS on what you can do or be.” – Michael Josephson
What do you think? In today’s society, does a person have to lie or cheat at least occasionally to succeed?
“I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel alone.” – Robin Williams
Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting. – Elizabeth Bibesco
“I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore, that I can do, or any kindness I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer it, for I shall not pass this way again.” – Stephen Grellet
As a society we have become almost obsessed with identifying and asserting our rights – to think, say, and do what we want. That’s not surprising, given the history of our country and the prominent role the Constitution and Bill of Rights have played in shaping our culture. We have a right to be unkind, thoughtless, and disrespectful — but …
