“What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” – Langston Hughes, “Harlem”
What Are You Doing?
“Doing what you must is duty Doing what you should is virtue Doing what you can is service Doing what you are afraid of is courage Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.” – Author Unknown
COMMENTARY: Everyday Ethics: What You Do in the Grocery Store
You can tell a lot about people’s character by how they act at the grocery store. I remember being in a crowded store when there was a shortage of shopping carts. A prosperous-looking fellow was pushing a cart when another man stopped him. “Excuse me,” the second man said, “but this is my cart.” The first guy looked really annoyed. …
What Will Matter
“What will matter in the end is not what you bought but what you built; not what you got but what you gave; not what you learned but what you taught. What will matter is not your competence but your character.” – Michael Josephson Get a free printable pdf of the poem at https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_n_XyBBF7beNlZnd2NraVowSWs/view
Keep Moving Forward
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
COMMENTARY: Can Prolonging Life Be a Mistake? Who Are You to Judge?
Revised 8/8/15 I once heard a story about an emergency medical technician I’ll call Jake who was summoned to help an unconscious woman. When he arrived, she had no pulse. From her color and dilated eyes, he could tell she’d suffered serious brain damage. Still, he did his job exceptionally well, trying over and over to restart her heart. She …
Think About Solutions
“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” – William James Don’t dwell on negative thoughts that cause stress. Think about solutions.
COMMENTARY: School Principal: The Most Difficult CEO Job in the Nation
Schools all over the nation are struggling to modify their strategies to meet the Common Core demands regarding critical thinking and problem solving. They must also find ways to teach 21st Century workplace skills, enhance students’ social and emotional development, and, of course, build their character so they become responsible and productive citizens. Oh, they must also be sure to create an …
Big Difference
There’s a big difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.
Be the Best You Can Be
“Be ASSERTIVE, but not abrasive. Be BOLD, but not reckless. Be CANDID, but not cruel. Be CAUTIOUS, but not timid. Be CONFIDENT, but not conceited. Be PROUD, but not vain. Be STEADFAST, but not stubborn.” – Michael Josephson
Being Alone Without Being Lonely
“If you want to be happy, learn to be alone without being lonely. Learn that being alone does not mean being unhappy. The world is full of plenty of interesting and enjoyable things to learn, things to do, and people who can enrich your life.” – Michael Josephson
Pursue Excellence
Demand excellence from yourself! It’s your responsibility. “If you don’t do it excellently, don’t do it at all. Because if it’s no excellent, it won’t be profitable or fun. And if you’re not in business for fun or profit, what the hell are you doing there?” – Robert Townsend
Against the Wind
“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” – Henry Ford
COMMENTARY: God’s Plan to Heal the World: “He Made You”
It’s almost impossible to find a responsible adult who is happy with the moral state of the world. And it’s even harder if you are attentive to the daily
The Need for Balance
To live and enjoy a good life, find a healthy balance between wanting more and appreciating enough. Realize that what you have is worthy of gratitude and appreciation, even as you strive for more. It’s both a strength and weakness of human nature that we’re never satisfied for long. Whatever we have, wherever we are, most of us want more …
This is NOT the Way the Story is Going To End.
Don’t ever forget, as bad as things may feel, as gloomy as the future looks, at any given moment… You have the POWER to say, “This is not the way the story is going to END.”
COMMENTARY: Justin’s Introduction to Candor
When my son Justin was in high school, I went to an open house to meet his teachers. I was taken aback when one teacher casually mentioned that she had disciplined my son for cheating on a homework assignment. I asked my son why he hadn’t told me about this incident. “You didn’t ask,” he said. To say the least, …
Be.
“Be ASSERTIVE, but not abrasive Be BOLD, but not reckless Be CANDID, but not cruel Be CAUTIOUS, but not timid Be CONFIDENT, but not conceited Be PROUD, but not vain Be STEADFAST, but not stubborn.” – Michael Josephson
Before You Do This, Do That.
“Before you speak, listen. Before you write, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you criticize, wait. Before you quit, try. Before you retire, save. Before you die, give.” – William Arthur Ward
COMMENTARY: Parents Are Teachers First
When John Wooden, the legendary basketball coach, referred to the last game he “ever taught,” he was asked about this phrasing. He said simply that a coach is first and foremost a teacher who should not only improve his players’ athletic skills, but also help them become better people. And he was a superb teacher whose lasting influence is reflected …
Be Flexible.
“A wise man adapts himself to circumstances as water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it.” – Chinese Proverb
An Open Mind.
A mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it is not open.” – Frank Zappa
Deferred Dreams.
“What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” – Langston Hughes “Harlem”
To Have Lived Well.
“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
Understanding Life
“Sometimes you have to talk with a two-year-old just understand life again.” – Patricia Love
Live Backwards.
“If you want to know how to live your life, think about what you want people to say about you after you die, and then live backwards.” – Michael Josephson
Be Relentlessly Generous
“Be relentlessly generous in your judgments and actions. Give others the benefit of the doubt and stop being so hard on yourself.” – Michael Josephson
COMMENTARY: The Parable of Brother Leo
An old legend tells of a monastery in France well-known throughout Europe because of the extraordinary leadership of a man known only as Brother Leo. Several monks began a pilgrimage to visit Brother Leo to learn from him. Almost immediately the monks began to bicker over who should do various chores.
Change Happens
If things never changed, there would be no butterflies. Change happens whether you want it or not, so embrace it and make the best of it.
What We Do Can Change Lives Forever
“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.” – Albert Pike