On Taking Action . . . . . . . . . . . Epictetus, Art of Living

     "Now is the time to get serious about living your ideals. How long can you afford to put off who you really want to be? Your nobler self cannot wait any longer.

     Put your principles into practice — now. Stop the excuses and the procrastination. This is your life! You aren’t a child anymore. The sooner you set yourself to your spiritual program, the happier you will be. The longer you wait, the more you’ll be vulnerable to mediocrity and feel filled with shame and regret, because you know you are capable of better.

     From this instant on, vow to stop disappointing yourself. Separate yourself from the mob. Decide to be extraordinary and do what you need to do — now."

Educated Awareness . . . . . . . . . Aldo Leopold, Sand County Almanac

     "A March morning is only as drab as the person who walks in it without a glance skyward, ear listening for geese. I once knew an educated lady, a Phi Beta Kappa, who told me that she had never heard or seen the geese that twice a year proclaim the revolving seasons to her well-insulated roof. Is education possibly a process of trading awareness for things of lesser worth?"

Daily Goal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maxwell Maltz

     "We, whoever we are, must have a daily goal in our lives, no matter how small or great, to make that day mean something."

This Day Is Mine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Douglas A. Cox

     "Today, I will re-open my heart to the world. Whatever the hurts of yesterday, I will be myself and believe in myself. I am not what I own and I am not defined or limited by my surroundings. Today I will find joy in the accomplishments of others, for envy will keep me in their shadow.…I will forgive those things done to me in ignorance or anger, and magnify my own inner strength by promising never to inflict such pain on others. Today I will give up my hatred and desire for revenge, for these above all else are the thieves of my power. This day is mine!"

     "If we build our lives and what we do during our days on truth and justice, we’ll live the kind of lives we can be proud of, that will take us to the goals we seek in good time, without worry or frustration."

Slumbering Talents  . . . . . . . . . . Rev. Robert Schuller

     "Only God knows what slumbering talents are waiting to be aroused within you! Whatever you do, always let your future desires, and never your past defeats set your goals for you."

Lenten Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . via EWTN

What to Give up for Lent…

"Give up complaining – focus on gratitude.
Give up pessimism – become an optimist.
Give up harsh judgments – think kindly thoughts.
Give up worry – trust Divine Providence.
Give up discouragement – be full of hope.
Give up bitterness – turn to forgiveness.
Give up hatred – return good for evil.
Give up being negative – be positive.
Give up anger – be more patient.
Give up pettiness – become mature.
Give up gloom – enjoy the beauty that is all around you.
Give up jealousy – pray for trust.
Give up gossiping – control your tongue.
Give up sin – turn to virtue.
Give up giving up – hang in there!"

A Good Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sallie M. Te Selle

     "We all love a good story because in a sense any story is about ourselves, and a good story is good precisely because somehow it rings true to human life.…We recognize our pilgrimage from here to there in a good story."

     "Forgiveness always takes a ‘first-stepper.’ Someone has to initiate the action of mending a broken fence. It will not just happen. It takes character to be a forgiver, and a ‘first stepper.’ Without character there can be no real forgiveness."

Goals vs. Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sheldon Bowles

"Goals are for the future; values are for the now.
Goals we set; values are lived.
Goals change; values are rocks that you can count on."

Be a Reliable Pillar . . . . . . . . . . . William Raspberry

     "If you want to be thought of as a solid, reliable pillar of your community when you’re fifty, you can’t be an irresponsible, corner-cutting exploiter at twenty-five.…You determine your reputation by deciding who and what you are and by keeping that lofty vision of your self in mind, even when you’re having a rip-roaring good time."

An Old Legend . . . . . . . . . . . Will Roger Speaks

     "There’s an old legend that years ago there was a person elected to Congress who voted according to their conscience. At least that’s what the legend holds."

Dumb – Stupid . . . . . . . . . . Fr. Brian Cavanaugh, TOR

     "Have you ever had an experience like duffing a pitching wedge and then quickly whacking at the ball again, only to have, now, an even worse shot. Or, how about stubbing your toe on a chair and then kicking the chair, only to have, now, a sore foot and a broken chair. If you have had similar experiences, or others, take heed to remember this advice: Whenever you do something dumb, please, make certain that you don’t add something stupid on top of it."

St. Patrick & the Shamrock . . . . . . . . . Ulick O’Connor, Irish Tales & Sagas

     The hall at Tara was long and lofty. At the top sat the king surrounded by his courtiers, lawyers, druids, poets, singers and harpists. His queen and daughters sat on his left side.…

     Patrick walked up the hall without looking left or right until he reached the king. Then he and his group stopped while everyone waited to see who would speak first.

     "Here I am," said Patrick.

     The king took him by the hand and cautiously kissed his cheek. Then they sat down together. The druids were furious; there was no doubt about that. To be fair to them, they would be out of a job if Patrick succeeded in convincing King Laoghaire. They determined somehow to show up Patrick.…

     Then the king asked Patrick to tell the court something about the religion he had brought with him and which he wished the Irish people to accept. Patrick explained to the Court that, instead of having many Gods as the Gaels did, Christians believed in only one God. This God of the Christians, Patrick explained, had three persons: the Father, and the Son and the Holy Ghost. The druids, seizing their chance, went into great cackling laughter at this and sneeringly asked Patrick to explain how one God could have three persons.

     Patrick prayed to God to give him inspiration so that he might confound the sarcasm of the druids. The Trinity was a mystical idea, not easy to put into words. As he looked down at his feet, thinking furiously, his eye fell on a sprig of shamrock which was growing there. He reached down and picked up a shamrock. "Here, " he said, taking up the three-leaved clover, "there is one stem but there are three leaves on it. So it is with the Blessed Trinity. There is one God but three Persons stemming from the same divinity." Even to this day the shamrock grows only in Ireland.

     King Laoghaire was impressed by Patrick. As a result, he gave Patrick permission to preach his gospel in Ireland. He told Patrick he would not himself become a Christian as his father, Niall, had left in his hands the traditions of the Irish which had been there for many thousands of years, and he would not himself be a party to changing it for another culture or way of life. But he would not stop Patrick from preaching his gospel."