Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness. --Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Genuine Leader
A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus. --Martin Luther King, Jr.
True Friendship
There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship. --Thomas Aquinas
Causing Happiness
Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go. --Oscar Wilde
Fear and Love
It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both. --Niccolo Machiavelli
The Good Wolf
Characteristics of a good wolf:
He prioritizes and protects his own pack.
His stated values are in alignment with those in his pack.
He acts according to his values, with rare exception.
He takes immediate responsibility and makes amends for mistakes.
—Steven R. Hobbs
Living Messages
Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see. --Neil Postman
Lasting Business
“All lasting business is built on friendship.” --Alfred A. Montapert
Learning to Trust
“Learning to trust is one of life’s most difficult tasks.” --Isaac Watts
Essential Components
Three essential components of psychological health are 1. the ability to openly and honestly communicate thoughts, feelings, and behaviors with another, 2. the ability to honor agreements and disagreements, commonalities and distinctions, and 3. the ability to use personal resources to accomplish values-directed goals. --Steven R. Hobbs
Other People's Faults
“It’s silly to escape other people’s faults. They are inescapable. Just try to escape your own.” — Marcus Aurelius
Build Me a Son
“Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory.
“Build me a son whose wishes will not take the place of deeds; a son who will know Thee - and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.
“Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail.
“Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.
“And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, and the weakness of true strength.
“Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, ‘I have not lived in vain.’” —General Douglas MacArthur, a prayer for his son
5 Behaviors Guaranteed to Increase Happiness: #2 of 5
“Keep positive thoughts and perceptions about others, even when they disappoint you.” —Dr. Stephen Marmer; December 9, 2022; The Dennis Prager Show