Spite of all do you still chafe and complain, not understanding that, in all the evils to which you refer, there is really only one – the fact that you do chafe and complain? If you ask me, I think that for a man there is no misery unless there be something in the universe …
Category: General
Making the most of it
As much as I’ll miss watching college basketball (or sports of any kind) and doing different things around town, the reality is that these things are gone for the foreseeable future. Which presents a choice. We can certainly spend the next few weeks looking for ways to pass the time, or we can use this …
Misinterpreting discounts
What’s the impact when we offer a 10% discount? Let’s assume our product sells for $100, but we decide to offer it 10% off. We make $10 less than usual, so we “lose” 10%. Right? Well, not so fast. We don’t usually profit $100 by making a $100 sale. We have internal costs to incur. …
All from the same roots
An interest in learning usually starts on a predictable path. We get drawn into the popular thoughts of our time. The bestsellers lists and popular podcasts give us a taste of what it’s like to think critically about the world around us and to seek a better understanding. This, by itself, is a useful process. …
Patience
Are you playing the short game or the long game? If the goal is short term, then our actions should reflect that. We should push for immediate results and play all the cards we can to encourage quick action from others. That’s when we call in our favors and apply pressure. But if we’re willing …
Reflecting – Being and Seeming
“…the hero fears not that if he withhold the avowal of a just and brave act it will go unwitnessed and unloved. One knows it – himself – and is pledged by it to sweetness of peace and to nobleness of aim which will prove in the end a better proclamation of it than the …
Choosing beauty
The difference between the thoughtful architecture of a beautiful old church compared to a utilitarian office building is shocking. The church inspires us. Almost instantly, it helps to bring us to a state of peace and joy. The office building does the opposite. It’s dark and demoralizing. On paper, the rational for an ugly, uninspired …
The joy of letting it go
What’s the youngest age at which a US president took office? The beauty of the connected world we live in is that you can look that up right now. If you’re sitting on the couch and you think of a random question, the answer is just a simple Google search away. If you’re with friends …
Infectious
We carry a persona with us. Even after limited interaction with someone, we can often sense their “vibe.” So why not makes ours positive? Why not make it our goal to exude honesty? And virtue. And wisdom. And serenity. We have the opportunity to make a positive impact on those around us if we can …
The humility of reading
We get to live one life. We enjoy, and learn from, one set of experiences. But there’s a whole world at our fingertips of people similar to us in nature, yet who have had the opportunity to learn and think about vastly different things. I’ll likely never know what it’s like to be a world-class …