One could write a history of science in reverse by assembling the solemn pronouncements of highest authority about what could not be done and could never happen.
—Robert A. Heinlein
Previous Article
Confucius on Moving Forward
It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop. —Confucius
Next Article
Walt Disney on Ability
It’s kind of fun to do the impossible. —Walt Disney
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. —Winston Churchill (BiblioArchives; Public Domain) Look at the difficulty, define the...
I don’t want to tell you how much insurance I carry with the Prudential, but all I can say is: when I go, they go too. —Jack Benny (in 1964; Public Domain)
Words are the voice of the heart. —Confucius (Public Domain) We generally don’t realize it, but our words form a clear pattern for others to see. We have all been around individuals who believe...
Our habitual thoughts form who and what we ultimately become
Such as are thy habitual thoughts, such also will be the character of thy soul—for the soul is dyed by the thoughts. Dye it then, with a continuous series of such thoughts as these—that where a...
“Look around you,” said the citizen. “This is the largest market in the world.” “Oh surely not,” said the traveler. “Well, perhaps not the largest,” said the citizen, “but much the best.” “You are...
Proactively Seek Out Life’s Experiences—on Your Terms, and with a Clear Purpose in Mind
The person who has lived the most is not the one with the most years but the one with the richest experiences. —Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1753, By Maurice Quentin de La Tour; Public Domain)
I must lose myself in action, lest I wither in despair. —Alfred Lord Tennyson (by George Frederic Watts; Public Domain) I admit it, I much prefer happy, uplifting quotes. But more importantly, I...
There are certain people and certain things in life which are anathema to one’s happiness and success. They need to be recognized, and then cut from one’s life to the greatest possible degree....
The backdrop: Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky desperately wanted to become the nominee and win the presidential election of 1840. In an effort to appease both sides on the issue of slavery, he sang...
In order to have an enemy, one must be somebody. One must be a force before they can be resisted by another force. A malicious enemy is better than an aloof friend. —Madame Sophie Swetchine (pron...
If you ask me which is the real hereditary sin of human nature, do you imagine I shall answer pride, or luxury, or ambition, or egotism? No; I shall answer indolence. Who conquers indolence will...
Build What is Good, and that Which is Bad will Wither Away
You will find it less easy to uproot faults than to choke them by gaining virtues. Do not think of your faults, still less of others’ faults. In every person who comes near you look for what is...
Don’t give up emotional power to circumstances outside of your control; retain the ability to move into a mental state of your own choosing. —Mike Hazell (Image Licensed) I recall being at a...
True Personal Strength Comes from a Combination of Clarity and Fortitude
The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it. —Thucydides (Greek philosopher, 460 bc – 400...