“I think one of the primary reasons people fail to come up with fresh ideas is because they don’t take the time to sit quietly somewhere, observe their surroundings and then think about what they have observed.”
“Guilt is not without its usefulness, if only we know how to use it. Like all emotions, it is intended to call our attention to something which needs addressing. To wallow in it is worse than useless. Ask yourself: ‘Why am I feeling guilty? Is the feeling justified? What should I do in response?”
“I feel sorry for people who feel pilloried (look it up) to their jobs. I never experienced that. I feel very fortunate. I have managed somehow to drive my own bus and not simply be a passenger.”
“I was studying a river recently (the Pigeon Forge River in Tennessee to be precise) and realized for the very first time that the beautiful sounds the river was making were the result of obstructions (mostly rocks but occasionally logs) in the river’s flow. Thus, no obstructions, no beautiful music. I then began to wonder if it is possible for you and I to make beautiful music without our own obstructions (problems, setbacks, disappointments and tragedies). Somehow, I don’t think so.”
“Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent. Most talents are, to some extent, a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to build it piece by piece – by thought, choice, courage and determination.”
“The question: ‘Why is there poverty?’ is not a very good one. Two better questions are: ‘Why are some people affluent?’ and ‘Why are some people still poor while others have managed to escape poverty?’”
“The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts. Think only on those things in line with your principles and that can bear the light of day. The content of your character is your choice. Day by day, what you do is who you become. Your integrity is your destiny – it is the light that guides your way.”
“The proper aim of education is to promote significant learning. It entails development. Development means successively asking broader and deeper questions regarding the relationship between oneself and the world.”
“While too much or the wrong type of anxiety (free floating) is unhealthy, a certain amount of the right type of anxiety (focused) is both necessary and useful for a well rounded life.
