First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.
–Epictetus, Greek Philosopher, 55 AD – 135 AD
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Droll Friday
In the name of Hypocrites, doctors have invented the most exquisite form of torture ever known to man: survival. —Edward Everett Hale (1901, G.P. Putnam & Sons; Public Domain)
One Attribute of True Leadership
Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others. —Robert Louis Stevenson (by Henry Walter Barnett; Public Domain)
Choose Understanding Over the Emotional Response
Do not weep; do not wax indignant. Understand. —Baruch Spinoza, Enlightenment philosopher (1665, by anonymous; Public Domain)
The Human Connection
Society exists only as a mental concept; in the real world there are only individuals. —Oscar Wilde (Image licensed by Penn Wealth) This realization highlights the importance of our positive...
Focus Your Energies on the Task at Hand
Only the guy who isn’t rowing has time to rock the boat. —Jean-Paul Sartre (Image licensed by Penn Wealth) It is amazing to watch the restorative effects of uncovering and then throwing oneself...
Humor Friday
Don’t say you can’t swear off drinking; it’s easy. I’ve done it a thousand times. —W.C. Fields (1938, by CBS Radio; Public Domain)
A Good Litmus Test for the Presence of Envy
When men are full of envy they disparage everything, whether it be good or bad. —Tacitus (Image licensed by Penn Wealth)
The Spiritual Serenity of the Unencumbered Life
Fear not for the future; weep not for the past. —Percy Bysshe Shelley (Image licensed by Penn Wealth)
Make the Most of the Here and Now
The present time has one advantage over every other – it is our own. —Charles Caleb Colton (Image licensed by Penn Wealth)
Humor Friday
I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn’t learn something from him. —Galileo Galilei (1636, by Justus Sustermans; Public Domain)
Let Calculated Boldness be Your Maxim
Let a man who has yet to make his fortune in life remember this maxim: Attacking is the only secret. Dare and the world yields; or, if it beats you sometimes, dare it again and you will succeed....
The Purpose for Gaining Knowledge: Applying it Through Intelligent Action
The great end of life is not knowledge, but action. —Francis Bacon (Image licensed by Penn Wealth) …but action without the proper supporting knowledge is a recipe for disaster. —Mike Hazell
Knowledge vs Application
The miracle, or the power, that elevates the few is to be found in their industry, application, and perseverance under the promptings of a brave, determined spirit. —Mark Twain (1871, by Mathew...
The Self-Directed Life
Misfortune seldom intrudes upon the wise man; his greatest and highest interests are directed by reason throughout the course of life. —Epicurus (Image Licensed by Penn Wealth) No matter the...
Humor Friday
Help someone in trouble and they will be sure and remember you when they are in trouble again. —John Wayne (Public Domain)
Ruskin on Work Ethic
The highest reward for a person’s toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it. —John Ruskin (1863, by W. & D. Downey; Public Domain)
Simple Acts of Kindness
That best portion of a man’s life: his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love. —William Wordsworth (1842, by Benjamin Haydon; Public Domain)
Ignore Your Detractors and Stay the Course
Abuse, if you slight it, will gradually die away; but if you show yourself irritated, you will be thought to have deserved it. —Tacitus (Image licensed by Penn Wealth) What your detractors desire...
Embrace the Here and Now
The illusion that times that were are better than those that are, has probably pervaded all ages. —Horace Greeley (Image licensed by Penn Wealth)
Humor Friday
Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo. —H.G. Wells (1920, by George Charles Beresford; Public Domain)