“Always place your becoming above your current being.” ― Jordan B. Peterson
Dare Mighty Things
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” --Theodore Roosevelt
Education and Ignorance
“Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.” --Will Durant
Nothing Will Work
“Nothing will work unless you do.” --Maya Angelou
Be Brave
“Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience.” --Paulo Coelho
Heaven and Hell
“No tree, it is said, can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell.” ― Carl Jung
Other People's Faults
“It’s silly to escape other people’s faults. They are inescapable. Just try to escape your own.” — Marcus Aurelius
Light and Darkness
“The light that you discover in your life is proportionate to the amount of the darkness you are willing to forthrightly confront.” ― Jordan B. Peterson
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: #4 of 5
“Fill your life with positive, uplifting events.” —Dr. Stephen Marmer; December 9, 2022; The Dennis Prager Show
Many events, large and small, can contribute to this; focus on events that involve beauty, transcendence, and growth. Examples include: music, art, holidays, worship, literature, exercise, learning, spiritual moments, mentorships, and loyal friends. Anything screen-time related is highly unlikely to fall into this category.
5 Behaviors Guaranteed to Increase Happiness: #3 of 5
“View yourself as actively capable of making changes in your life, rather than as a passive, helpless victim. Make use of your own agency. Take responsibility for being the architect of much of your own misery, and choose to build success instead.” —Dr. Stephen Marmer; December 9, 2022; The Dennis Prager Show
5 Behaviors Guaranteed to Increase Happiness: #1 of 5
“Learn to tolerate increased anxiety and stress without acting out.” —Dr. Stephen Marmer; December 22, 2022; The Dennis Prager Show
Small Dreams
Dream no small dreams, for they have no power to move the hearts of men. --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Life-Giving Correction
“Whoever heeds life-giving correction will be at home among the wise. Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.” —Proverbs 15:31-32
Regret
Regret is the experience of acknowledging an unrealized opportunity that could have led to avoiding an unfortunate reality. —Steven R. Hobbs
He Who Knows Best
“He who knows best knows how little he knows.” —Thomas Jefferson
Up and Down
“The man who will get up will be helped up; and the man who will not get up will be allowed to stay down.” —Frederick Douglass
Learn from Defeat
“If you learn from defeat, you haven’t really lost.” —Zig Ziglar
Patience and Time
“Patience and time do more than strength or passion.” —Jean de La Fontaine
A Chance
“Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.” —Albert Camus