Life’s Lessons  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Arthur Ward

"The curious learn most;
the cheerful give most;
the patient teach most;
the courageous live most."

Kindness  . . . . . . . . . . Ann Landers, Soundings, Oct. 2, '90

     "Be kind to people. The world needs kindness so much. You never know what sort of battles people are fighting. Often a soft word or a warm compliment can be immensely supportive. You can do a great deal of good by just being considerate, by extending a little friendship, going out of your way to do just one nice thing, or saying one good word."

On Character  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brian Tracy

     "Character is the ability to follow through on a resolution long after the emotion with which it was made has passed."

Essence of Leadership  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.W. Prentis, Jr.,

     "There was a time in my life when I thought that all a good executive had to do was to think up good plans, and then to execute them. But I soon found through experience that there was another function — of equal or perhaps surpassing importance. And that is to create and maintain an atmosphere — a climate, if you will — of sympathetic understanding among one's associates that will give you a chance to put your ideas into effect. Creating this climate is the very essence of leadership."

Being Drawn to God  . . . . . . . . Carroll Stuhlmueller, CP, Easter Meditations

     "We must have confidence that God is always drawing us closer…In each moment of our lives God is summoning us from hate or displeasure to love or joy, from fear to peace, from isolation to companionship, from sin to grace, from being ‘good’ to being ‘much better.’ We must have the same faith in others that they too are being attracted by God to a more fervent way of life and to a holier attitude. We must be a ‘God-fearer,’ awesome and in wonder at what God is doing with ourselves and our lives."

Do With Purpose  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pablo Casals

"The first thing to do in life is to do with purpose what one proposes to do."

Pursuit of Excellence  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ted Engstrom

     "What are you doing to ensure that your life is holding all the splendor and promise God has intended for you? Are you devoting your energies toward a pursuit of excellence in every area of your life?

     You can, and you can start today."

On Prayer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rev. Robert Schuller

"The purpose of prayer is not to get what ‘I’ want,
but to become what I should be."

"This Day"  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fr. Brian Cavanaugh, TOR

"Make today — this day, a day…

• to discover opportunities for you to grow,
• to seek your horizon,
• to become aware of this great gift of life.

For this day is special.
It is unique.
Today is the dream and the hope of yesterday’s tomorrow."

Winners Think  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Denis Waitley

     "The winners in life think constantly in terms of I can, I will and I am. Losers, on the other hand, concentrate their waking thoughts on what they should have or would have done, or what they didn’t do."

Distilled Wisdom  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A.A. Montapert, p. 24

"The fool wonders
but the wise person asks."
~ Disraeli

Meaning of Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Elton Trueblood

     "A person has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he or she plants shade trees under which one knows full well one will never sit."

Creative Transformation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thomas Merton

     "The Resurrection is not a doctrine we try to prove or a problem we argue about; it is the life and action of Christ himself in us by his Holy Spirit. True encounter with Christ in the Word of God awakens something in the depth of our being, something we did not know was there.

     True encounter with Christ liberates something in us, a power we did not know we had, a hope, a capacity for life, a resilience, an ability to bounce back when we thought we were completely defeated, a capacity to grow and change, a power of creative transformation."

Sow – Reap  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Source Unknown

     "We often sow our wild oats and then pray for crop failure, rather than seed quality into our lives and work for a mature harvest."

Appreciation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Soundings, Vol. D. #4, 9

     "People are not machines; they need more than oil and grease and not only when they are breaking into a job or having problems. They like a show of interest and personal attention from the boss day after day, and they work better and enjoy their jobs more when they get it. Appreciation is most certainly appreciated."

Amiable Mediocrity  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Gardner

"The idea for which this nation stands will not survive if the highest goal that free men and women can set for themselves is an amiable mediocrity."

Life Lesson from a Beach Rock  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Gilbert, Win Your Day!

     "These days when I feel challenged by life or worried about the future, I reach into my pocket and take out a small rock.

     I found it one morning while walking along the beach last year. It is amazingly smooth, but if you look at it closely you can see where it once had been rough.

     It took the rock a long time to wash up on that beach and it no doubt had many rough edges to it when it started its ocean journey. But over time it was tossed by waves, crashed into by other rocks and rubbed by coarse sand.

     So, when I feel the smoothness of the rock between my fingers it reminds me that whatever challenge I’m facing is just part of my journey and an opportunity to smooth out my own rough edges and get better.

     Today, if you find yourself facing a challenge remind yourself that you can use the experience to learn and grow, to smooth out your rough edges."

     At a T-ball game the first baseman, age 7, fielded a ground ball and tried to tag a runner going from first to second base. The umpire called the runner out, but the first baseman immediately approached the ump and said, "Ma’am, I didn’t tag the runner." The ump awarded the runner base and the coach gave the first baseman the game ball for his honesty and character.

     In a game two weeks later with the same umpire a similar play occurred. This time the ump thought the tag was missed on the runner going to second, and she called the runner safe. The first baseman glanced at her and, without saying a word, flipped the ball to the pitcher and returned to his position. The umpire sensed something was wrong. "Did you tag the runner?" she asked.

     "Yes I did," he replied.

     The umpire then called the runner out. The opposing coaches protested the switch in the call until the ump explained what had happened two weeks earlier. Then, she said, "If a kid is that honest, I have to give it to him. T-ball, after all, is supposed to be for kids and to develop their values."