The Fault
One man gets nothing but discord out of a piano; another gets harmony. No one claims the piano is at fault. Life is about the same. The discord is there, but so is the harmony. Study to play it correctly, and it will give forth the beauty; play is falsely, and it will give forth the ugliness. Life is not at fault.
Fear Enlarges
Fear makes the wolf seem bigger than he is.
Done with Reluctance
There is nothing so easy but that it becomes difficult when you do it with reluctance.
Think Impossible
Attempt something so impossible that, unless God is in it, it is doomed to failure.–John Haggai
Aiming High
Who shoots at the midday sun, though he be sure he shall never hit the mark, yet as sure he is he shall shoot higher than he who aims at a bush. –Sir Philip Sidney
The Impulse
One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar. –Helen Keller
Eyes to See
Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor, was once working on a head of Lincoln. A woman who was sweeping out his studio wondered what he was doing. One day she finally recognized the face of Abraham Lincoln emerging from the stone. Very much surprised, she turned to Borglum and asked, “How did you know that Mr. Lincoln was in that piece of stone?”
Positive Mental Attitude
A little boy was overheard talking to himself as he strutted through the backyard, baseball cap in place, toting ball and bat. He was heard to say, “I’m the greatest hitter in the world!” Then he tossed the ball into the air, swung at it and missed. “Strike one!” Undaunted he picked up the ball, threw it in the air, swung at it and missed. “Strike two!” He paused a moment to examine his bat and ball carefully. Then a third time he threw the ball into the air. “I’m the greatest hitter who ever lived,” he said. He swung the bat hard again, missed a third time. He cried out, “Wow! Strike three! What a pitcher! I’m the greatest pitcher in the world!”
Life’s Deeper Meaning
Examining life for Deeper Meanings is a twentieth century preoccupation. We assume that things are not what they seem. Words disguise Hidden Feelings. Actions symbolize Something Else. We sometimes try too hard to discover the hidden meanings, when there just might not be anymore to it than what is on the surface. Tom Mullen illustrates this at the very beginning of his book:
An engineer, a psychologist, and a theologian were hunting in the wilds of northern Canada. They came across an isolated cabin, far removed from any town. Because friendly hospitality is a virtue practiced by those who live in the wilderness, the hunters knocked on the door to ask permission to rest. No one answered their knocks, but, discovering the cabin was unlocked, they entered. It was a simple place–two rooms with a minimum of furniture and household equipment. Nothing was surprising about the cabin except the stove. It was large, potbellied, and made of cast iron. What was unusual was its location: it was suspended in midair by wires attached to the ceiling beams. “Fascinating,” said the psychologist. “It is obvious that this lonely trapper, isolated from humanity, has elevated his stove so he can curl up under it and vicariously experience a return to the womb.” “Nonsense!” replied the engineer. “The man is practicing the laws of thermodynamics. By elevating his stove, he has discovered a way to distribute hear more evenly throughout the cabin.” “With all due respect,” interrupted the theologian. “I’m sure that hanging his stove from the ceiling has religious meaning. Fire ‘lifted up’ has been a religious symbol for centuries.” The three debated the point for several minutes without resolving the issue. When the trapper finally returned, they immediately asked him why he had hung his heavy potbellied stove by wires from the ceiling. His answer was succinct: “Had plenty of wire, not much stove pipe!” –Tom Mullen.
What Are You Looking For?
If you only look for holes, you will think a screen is useless; yet it keeps the flies out.
Choosing One’s Way
We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms–to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” –Viktor Frankl
The Difference
There are two types of people in the world–those who come into a room and say, “Here I am!” and those who say, “Ah, there you are!”
Napoleon’s Advertising
When Napoleon was an artillery officer at the siege of Toulon, he built a battery in such an exposed position that he was told he would never find men to man it. But Napoleon had a sure instinct for what was required. He put up a sign saying The Battery of Men without Fear, and the battery was always manned.
The Attitude of Youth
Youth is not a time of life, it is a state of mind, a product of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions, a predominance of courage over timidity, and appetite for adventure.
Nobody grows old by living a number of years. People grow old when they desert their ideals. Years wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.
Worry, self-doubt, fear, and anxiety–these are the culprits that bow the head and break the spirit.
Whether seventeen or seventy, there exists in the heart of every person who loves life the thrill of a new challenge, the insatiable appetite for what is coming next. You are as young as your faith and as old as your doubts.
So long as your heart receives from your head messages that reflect beauty, courage, joy, and excitement, you are young. When your thinking becomes clouded with pessimism and prevents you from taking risks, then you are old.
Pleasure Seeking
Thinking the world should entertain you leads to boredom and sloth. Thinking you should entertain the world leads to bright clothes, odd graffiti, and amazing grace in running for the bus.
Percentage Prayers
Three Indians–a Navajo, a Hopi, and an Apache–were speaking about how powerful their prayers were. The Navajo said, “You know, we Navajos pray for healing, and the patients get well about half the time.” The Hopi said, “Well, we Hopis pray for rain, and it happens about 70 percent of the time.” Finally, the Apache spoke up: “Yes, but we Apaches have the sunrise prayer dance, and it works every time.”