No word makes me happier than the word “daddy” when it’s directed to me.
Character is not only doing the right thing when no one is looking, it’s doing the right thing when everyone is looking. It’s being willing to do the right thing even when it costs more than you want to pay.
Ethics is not for wimps. It’s not easy being a good person. That’s why it’s such a lofty goal and an admirable achievement.
Expressed gratitude encourages further giving; ingratitude drains vitality out of the spirit of generosity.
There’s some wisdom and no moral deficiency to one who holds courage in reserve and uses it as a last resort. Before we take the kind of risks that require courage, we ought to exhaust other less risky alternatives.
The kind of courage that is strengthened or created by concern about what others will think is really a form of fear. Fear of disapproval or dishonor becoming stronger than fear of injury or even death.
For many of us gratitude to others comes with a sense of debt that can never be fully paid and therefore the things we are thankful for are never really ours.
Gratitude is most treasured when it is unexpected. When we expect, even demand gratitude, we treat it simply as payment due for some service we rendered and we squeeze any good feeling out of it.
Success or failure can only be measured in terms of a particular objective. The success of a person whose life objective is money or status will look very different than the success of one who sets out to make a positive difference in the world.
The opposite of success is not failure. Unsuccessful efforts are not failures unless they so discourage you that you abandon further efforts to achieve your goal. Even then, the venture or effort may be a failure but you are not. Failure is an event not a character trait.
It is better to be unsuccessful pursuing a significant goal that being successful attaining an insignificant one.
There is no objective criteria for either success or failure. People who achieve their goals are successful, those who don’t are not.
Your life is your ship and you are the captain. Choose your course, take the wheel firmly and get on your way.
If one insists on calling all unsuccessful efforts failures the meaning of failure is really quite benign. When trying anything new or taking on any challenge, unsuccessful efforts are an essential aspect of skill building.
Failure is much easier to handle if you just think of it as feedback to guide your next effort.
A certain formula for an unhappy life is pursue someone else’s definition of success. Until you define your own goals and purposes your life is not your own and there can be no sense of fulfillment no matter how much you achieve.
America is a song that sounds the best when we all sing together – at least for a while.
Someone who lies for you will also lie to you. The occasional benefit your business may gain from a successful deception or concealment is always outweighed by the encouragement it provides to those willing to risk trust for success.
Neither the intensity of your feelings nor the certainty of your convictions is any assurance that you are right.
Not everything that is good for you is fun and not everything that is fun is good for you.