~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

One of the hardest things to do is love your enemy. If you really ponder the fact that all our enemies are just like we are in that they desire the same things we desire. They want freedom, power, peace, love, a place to call their homeland, money, religious rights, etc. just like we do. But for many centuries, people have been fighting amongst themselves and with other cultures and nations creating havoc, unspeakable tragedies, and untold sufferings. What can we attribute this to? Is it because men dominate world affairs and women don’t? Is it because humans are more animalistic than they are spiritual? Is it because this is man’s destiny — to always be at war? Whatever the reason, it’s pitiful that people of all races, religions, and creed do not look for ways to live in harmony as much as they look for ways to become more powerful and destructive. If people in power took the time to look into the hearts of their “enemies” perhaps they would find the answers the perplexing questions posed above. Peace to all.

~ Wang Yang-Ming (1472-1529) Chinese Philosopher

Wang Yangming (1472–1529), considered the most influential Confucian thinker since Zhu Xi.

Correcting mistakes you’ve made is more important than making them in the first place. We all know that life isn’t perfect, so there’s no point in trying not to make any mistakes. Instead, be very aware of all the mistakes you make in life so that you can make sure you don’t make them anymore. This is very simple in theory to understand but not so easy to physically do. I suppose it’s because humans are creatures of habit and can’t easily change or adapt themselves to a new environment. The ones that can will surely succeed in ways that most cannot. Part of being a wise person is knowing where and when to navigate in the path of life. The mistakes we have made (and will continue to make!) in life will teach us how to be wise as souls and happier as people. To me, life is simply about trying to be better human beings, and to be better we must constantly be sharpening our souls so that we can live renewed lives as much as possible.

A poor man reached middle age without becoming the success he envisioned as a young man. He decided early the next morning he would ask a rich friend of his what the secret of success was.

The rich friend pointed down a rough path near the edge of town and said walk down that path and you will find the answer. Trusting his friend, the poor man set off down that rough path.

He walked and walked in the hot sun, on and on until he had blisters on his heels. The path twisted this way then that through some low hills, never giving him a good view of how far there was to go. The path was so rough he lost his footing a few times, but he kept on going.

As he turned a bend he saw a sign on the side of the path. As he drew nearer he saw that it said: ‘Not far to go now.’ Encouraged, he continued walking.

A little further he saw another sign that read: ‘Keep going.’ He felt a renewed sense of energy and determination even though he was hot and exhausted.

A little while later he came upon a third sign saying: ‘Nearly there.’ A little stream ran alongside and he decided to take some refreshment before continuing.

After many more hours he sat down for a rest. He was in real discomfort and his ehthusiasm was beginning to wane. Sign after sign had urged him onwards but still he could not see the answer to success. ‘My so called friend has played a joke on me.’ he thought. The answer is not down this path. There’s only discomfort, frustration and endless false promises down this path.

At that moment he decided to head back home and give his rich friend a piece of his mind for making him look like a fool.

Meanwhile, the rich man was sitting on the porch of his beautiful country home waiting for his friend to arrive. A cool glass of lemonade in his hand and an expectant smile on his face.

He waited and waited, until eventually the sun started going down. Disappointed, he walked across the lawn and up to the gate of his house. He opened it and walked down the rough path that ran near a little stream. He stopped at the sign he had erected there. The sign read: ‘You’re here.’

He gazed one last time down the long and winding path but there was no sign of his friend.

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.“

~ Calvin Coolidge

~ H. W. Brands, in his biography of Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin 1767

Today’s Lesson: “Letting Go of Attachments”
This goes along with simplifying your life. And the act of simplifying certainly helps you recognize your attachments. You’ll see what I mean when you start to give away a perfectly good suit that you haven’t worn in ten years. Suddenly that suit looks really necessary. But once you do let go, you never look back. And suddenly you are lighter and freer than ever before.

Using this same thinking will help you to not be attached to money. The greatest asset money has is that it allows us to live our lives more richer because of the free time it gives us in life. Enjoying interesting and useful time with good friends, family and loved ones. One must remember to be wise when money and free time are available in excess because they can destroy a person very easily if one isn’t careful. Go find your purpose, and then be wealthy.

To speak or not to speak? This is the question.

Justice Louis Brandeis, in his compelling opinion nearly seventy-five years ago in the criminal syndication case of Whitney v. California, in which he articulated the premise of what today is known as the “Doctrine of Counterspeech.” Here is a brief excerpt from his opinion (at the URL below):

“When it came to expression that was perceived by some to be dangerous, threatening, or harmful, Brandeis famously wrote, “If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence.”

Brigham Young University’s 2000 Law Review (archives) titled “Counterspeech 2000: A New Look at the Old Remedy for “Bad” Speech” by Robert D. Richards and Clay Calvert. The article has a lot of interesting points worth considering. Tell us what you think and say what you will, while we all get educated from your speech.

lawreview.byu.edu

~ Aristotle

Aristotle

Such a poignant statement that sums up how we should truly measure ourselves. As I celebrate my 54th birthday today, I will take these words by Aristotle with me as a reminder to live my life each day as someone who lives rightly. Doing so will help me be an excellent human being who has chosen to develop habits that are conducive to a life of excellence. After all, isn’t that what we all want to achieve with our lives? Today, choose to be an excellent person who inspires others to live their life in excellence. This is a most excellent idea. 

~  Benjamin Black

There’s a school of psychology which holds that happiness is subjective. Good or bad things happen in life, but people return to the same base level of happiness. Researchers found evidence that people adapt completely to marriage, divorce, widowhood, birth of a child, and layoffs.

Death of a spouse, for instance, is a terrible event characterized by a radical drop in happiness, but in the year that follows happiness rises, and within two years happiness returns to normal and may even rise above the baseline (as the subject gets caught in another hedonic cycle). A similar hedonic pattern follows most negative events—and positive ones too. People get over them. In almost every unhappy situation that people are faced with, the happiness level reverts to the baseline. 

Because people have the strength to eventually rebound after any tragedy, they can depend on themselves, and others can depend on them to get them through the difficult times in life. Choose to be a happy person no matter what happens in your life and people will know they can depend on you. It just depends on you.

~ Helen Keller (1880-1968) American Writer

Cover of The Story of My Life

Such a powerful statement by someone who faced so many difficult challenges in her life. This is how Helen overcame her physical “blindness” to the world around her and enabled her to see things in such a way that most who have sight cannot. Everyone is either born with or faces some deficiencies in their life, so learning how to properly overcome them is essential to living a life that is physically, emotionally and spiritually healthy. To learn how to do this, just read Helen Keller’s book entitled, “The Story of My Life” and you’ll be uplifted, overjoyed and renewed with life. Then all you’ll need to do is share your new found abundance for life with everyone you can, and you’ll see your deficiencies disappear for good. You will then become the master of your life. 

Here is something to think about as you ponder what you can do to change your life for the better. My advice to you is to live and love in the NOW. The truth is found in the moment NOW and is soon forgotten in the mad dash for NEXT… planning, hoping, worrying, dreaming, leaving the truth unnoticed when it is right NOW to be had in all its glory and wonder.

~ Psychologist Robert Sternberg

How we react to something determines the outcome of a certain situation which can have a great impact on us immediately or some time after. It all depends on how quickly or slowly you act. How you act–and react–shows how intelligent you really are. Smart people typically don’t get themselves in trouble because they have thought about what their actions will manifest and the consequences they’ll have to live with thereafter. So, next time you’re in a situation that requires critical thinking and quick judgement, try your best not to make a decision either too quickly or too slowly. Whatever you decide though, make sure your course of action is based on how it effects the lives of those involved in your decision. It will end up being the best decision of all.