The mind that is anxious about the future is miserable. – Seneca What does that mean? Anxious. Nervous. Worried. The future can be a scary thing. However, being anxious doesn’t make it any less scary. Nor does it change the possibility that things will turn out in a less-than-pleasant manner. Worrying about what the future will…
Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love. – Lao Tzu What does that mean? Many aspects of our life and our actions are linked. This quote describes how kindness impacts our lives in many different ways. It starts by drawing a comparison between kind words, and the building…
Time and money spent in helping men to do more for themselves is far better than mere giving. – Henry Ford What does that mean? This quote is about giving, or being charitable. We generally like to give to those less fortunate, or who are having a hard time. That’s just the in the nature for most…
Control thy passions lest they take vengeance on thee. – Epictetus What does that mean? This quote is about passions and how too much of a good thing can be a real problem for some people. The quote urges us to control our passions. That is, to reign them in, and to not let them rule…
In everything truth surpasses the imitation and copy. – Cicero What does that mean? I’m not an expert in how Latin is translated, and I was unable to find the exact source of the quote, so I’m going to have to guess a little. The quote, read as written, sounds awkward. I’m going to put…
In switching to new Internet service, my router died. I am almost back to functional, but not quite. After 8 hours of reconfiguring the entire home network, I’m going to bed. I will do what is necessary to be back to normal by tomorrow. Period. Even if it means e-mailing the post to my phone…
When we develop care and concern by thinking of others not as ‘them’ but ‘us’, there is no room for bullying, exploitation or deceit. – Dalai Lama What does that mean? This is another ‘Big Family’ quote. It starts by urging us to develop more care and concern for others. The quote implores us to think of…
Enjoy present pleasures in such a way as not to injure future ones. – Seneca What does that mean? This is a great quote for the weekend. Consider the pleasure, as some call it, of a few drinks. That can be fun, even pleasurable. Now consider making the mistake of trusting your judgement while intoxicated. How…
Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it. – Groucho Marx What does that mean? A slightly longer version of the quote is as follows: “Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me…
Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t. – Margaret Thatcher What does that mean? This quote is interesting, as it draws an analogy which I would never have considered. But that’s probably because I’m a guy. The quote starts off talking about being a lady. In this…
Running away from your problems is a race you will never win, so just face them head on, and overcome them. – Unknown What does that mean? I’ve heard a number of variants on this one, but the most common has been “you can’t outrun trouble.” And even as fast as I once was, it’s always…
Two things define you: Your patience when you have nothing and your attitude when you have everything. – Unknown What does that mean? That is the real question of life, isn’t it? “Who are you?” How are you defined and how do you define yourself? It’s hard to know in the quiet times. It is only…
If I had a flower for every time I thought of you… I could walk through my garden forever. – Alfred Lord Tennyson What does that mean? While I couldn’t find the book or poem this is from, nor the words missing from the middle, if the BBC says it’s one of Tennyson’s best quotes, it can’t…
Our real guide is our own mind, our sense of reason. – Dalai Lama What does that mean? This quote covers nearly all of humanity. Yes, there are some who have issues, and who cannot behave or be reasonable. But they are few and far between, no matter how often they show up in the news….
It is the failing of youth not to be able to restrain its own violence. – Seneca What does that mean? Ah, the joys of youth. While often times described as misspent, if one both survives and manages to learn from it, then is it really misspent? That is true of most aspects of our growing and…
