Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure.

Posted on 11 February 2013 by philosiblog

Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure. – Thomas Edison

Looks like this guy has figured out how to make a light-bulb with no wires. Perhaps he is working on it with Tesla?

Looks like this guy has figured out how to make a light-bulb with no wires. Perhaps he is working on it with Tesla? But seriously, are you satisfied with yourself and where you are?

What does that mean?
This is another Twitter friendly quote, taken from a longer passage in his diary. “Restlessness is discontent — and discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly satisfied man — and I will show you a failure.”

Now that sounds just a little harsh, doesn’t it? A failure? But if you think about it, someone who is thoroughly satisfied is in need or want of nothing. What will motivate them to do anything? As a consequence, they will do very little, if anything.

Conversely, a restless person, or one who is discontented, will have a motivation and a desire to do something, as they have a want or a need. This action is what defines success and the lack thereof what defines failure in the eyes of one of the worlds greatest inventors.

His measure of worth had to do with industry, or the action which a person would take to acquire what they wanted or to finish a task. Those who were motivated did good work, those who were satisfied did not.

Why is being industrious important?  Continue reading →

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Scientists are discovering that while anger and hatred eat into our immune system, warm-heartedness and compassion are good for our health.

Posted on 10 February 2013 by philosiblog

Scientists are discovering that while anger and hatred eat into our immune system, warm-heartedness and compassion are good for our health. – Dalai Lama

Anger and hatred don't show up on an X-Ray. But the damage they do to our health sometimes shows up. Help yourself be healthy, avoid anger and hate.

Anger and hatred don’t show up on an X-Ray. But the damage they do to our health sometimes shows up. Help yourself be healthy, avoid anger and hate.

What does that mean?
There have been a number of studies that link the ‘negative’ emotions with stress and related health system difficulties. They have even gone so far as to show a link to our immune system and our ability not just to feel healthy, but to be healthy.

In an expected symmetry, there are studies which also show a link between an absence of the ‘negative’ emotions and an improvement in our levels of stress and general health. This health also went as far as to include our immune system, and our ability to remain healthy.

In short, science has proven what many have been saying for centuries and even millennia. Be positive, be happy, and it will help you be healthy. Avoid negative attitudes and emotions like hate and anger, for they are not helpful and can even be hurtful. Sounds pretty simple, right?

Why is staying positive important?  Continue reading →

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Life, if well lived, is long enough.

Posted on 9 February 2013 by philosiblog

Life, if well lived, is long enough. – Seneca

Would helping someone, and then getting this response from them, be fulfilling?

Would helping someone, and then getting this response from them, be fulfilling? If it happened often, would this help you feel that you had lived well?

What does that mean?
This quote is an answer to the eternal question: How long should a life be? Yes, we’d all like to think that we will live for a very long time, but one never knows when it will end. And that is the point of this quote, whatever we get is enough, if it is well lived.

If we live our lives “well,” the quote says, we will have lived long enough. That might not sound very comforting, but it is, in my opinion, a pretty good guideline for living what time we do have allotted to us. After all, what are our other options?

That, I believe, is what we should learn from this quote. By living our lives a fulfilling manner and living it well, whatever our time may be, it will have been long enough. The idea is to live so that we have no regrets, that we live as full and happy a life as we possibly can manage in the time allotted.

Why is living well important?  Continue reading →

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Remember: courage, unused, diminishes. Commitment, unexercised, wanes. Love, unshared, dissipates.

Posted on 8 February 2013 by philosiblog

Remember: courage, unused, diminishes. Commitment, unexercised, wanes. Love, unshared, dissipates. – Tony Robbins and here

How long can you hesitate before you lose your courage?

How long can you hesitate before you lose your courage?

What does that mean?
This quote reminds me of how fleeting the moment can be. It’s like the expression “strike while the iron is hot” for iron cools quickly and is more easily worked while hot.

It’s fairly easy to be brave for a moment, but more difficult to remain brave, if you don’t act on it. And the longer you wait, the tougher it is to remain brave.

It’s fairly easy to say you’re going to do something, but more difficult to do the task, if you don’t act on it. And the longer you wait, the tougher it is actually do it.

It’s fairly easy to feel love, but more difficult to continue to feel it, if you don’t act on it. And the longer you wait, the tougher it is to classify it as love.

Why is avoiding delay important?  Continue reading →

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If honor were profitable, everybody would be honorable.

Posted on 7 February 2013 by philosiblog

If honor were profitable, everybody would be honorable. – Thomas More

I know there are honorable used car salesmen out there, I just haven't been lucky enough to find one yet.

I know there are honorable used car salesmen out there, it’s just that I haven’t been lucky enough to find one yet. To me, this can easily become profit at the expense of honor.

What does that mean?
I like this quote, for both what it says, and what it does not say. It states that were honorable deeds held as quite valuable, everyone would be honorable and acting as if they were of great value, or had great quantities of the attribute called honor.

What it doesn’t say is that honor, even in the early days of the Renaissance, was falling out of favor. It was no longer considered very valuable. Honor had been supplanted in the hearts, and souls (unfortunately), of many of the people of his era.

The implication is that honor was not pursued with the same energy and vigor as was profit. It also implies that those who pursue profit are often less than honorable people. Unfortunately, both of these are as true today as they were back then, if not more so.

Why is being honorable important?  Continue reading →

Posted in character, honest, judgement, money, motivation, setting an example | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.

Posted on 6 February 2013 by philosiblog

We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone. – Ronald Reagan

Here a couple of volunteers help rebuild a house in Gulfport Mississippi after Katrina. This is one way to help in one disaster. But there are so many other ways.

Here a couple of volunteers help rebuild a house in Gulfport Mississippi after Katrina. This is one way to help in one disaster. But there are so many other ways. What can you do?

What does that mean?
This is a simple truism stated with a slight twist. The quote starts by reminding us that we can’t help everyone, as not everyone wants help. There are also those who are beyond help. What can we do for them? Not a lot. That doesn’t even include the difficulties of how many helpers there are, and the numbers of people in need of help.

The quote finishes with another truism, completing the chiastic figure. It reminds us that each and every one of us can find a someone out there to help. We can all do something, even if it is a small thing. For some, that is their job. For others, helping others is the last thing on their minds.

This quote is about raising our awareness, and helping us to see what we can do to help others. Each of us see so small a portion of our cities, and an even smaller part of the world. There are plenty of people who need help, and that can be anything from an encouraging word to a meal or a new friend.

Why is helping others important?  Continue reading →

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Failure is a part of success.

Posted on 5 February 2013 by philosiblog

Failure is a part of success. – Hank Aaron

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Then what? Learn from your experience and try again!

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Then what? Learn from your experience and try again! That’s what I try to do.

What does that mean?
This quote is from one of America’s leading baseball players in the mid 1950’s through the mid 1970’s. He made the All-Star team for 21 consecutive seasons. He won 3 Golden Glove awards for best fielder.

He won the Most Valuable Player award. He and his team won the World Series. He was a two-time Batting Champion, and four-time Home Run Champion. Yes, he knew success. The list of honors and achievements would fill this post, but you can look those up online (click on his name).

He also knew failure. He knew that despite his abilities as a hitter, he was still going to fail to get on base more often than not. He knew that he wasn’t going to win every game. But he also knew that failure what part of success, and that without working through the failures, you’d never know success.

Why is failure important?  Continue reading →

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Each person must live their life as a model for others.

Posted on 4 February 2013 by philosiblog

Each person must live their life as a model for others. – Rosa Parks

Where do you think he learned that pose? He modeled it from someone. Be a good role model.

Where do you think he learned that pose? He modeled it from someone. That is why I believe it’s important to be a good role model.

What does that mean?
Think about that for a moment. There are people who have famously said that they are not a role model, but they are exactly that, even if they don’t want the title.

Someone out there, someone is watching. Someone thinks you are something special. So many of us are role models, whether we want it or not. We *are* being modeled by the next generation, or others looking to learn what does and does not work.

This quote is from someone who refused to be bullied. She took a stand, even though she was sitting down. In this way, she became a model for millions of people in the USA, and to others all across the globe. The world became a better place because the example was an exceptional one.

Whether it’s your kids, the kids down the street, or your friends. Everyone is looking for someone to whom they can look up. The only question is what will they see? Will they see something good, or something less so?

Why is proper behavior important?  Continue reading →

Posted in conscience, exceptionalism, leadership, reflection, setting an example, virtue | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Past history clearly shows that violence cannot solve problems.

Posted on 3 February 2013 by philosiblog

Past history clearly shows that violence cannot solve problems. – Dalai Lama

It's a slab from the Berlin Wall, and it says 'change your life.' Violence didn't end the Cold War.

This is a slab from the Berlin Wall, and it says ‘change your life.’ Violence didn’t end the Cold War, understanding did.

What does that mean?
With the world suffering from war in nearly every corner, the quote is pretty obviously true. It has been true through out history. War and civil unrest in the Middle East. Can you name a recent century where that headline would have been unprecedented?

Yes, there have been peaceful times in human history, like the famous ‘Pax Romana‘. But that was only peaceful for those away from the borders of the Empire. There was still war, there was still violence, it just wasn’t talked about much.

Other than wars of genocide, the underlying problem is rarely solved. All that has been changed is who is in charge of the mess. It takes lots of hard work, and willing partners, to bring a lasting peace. It takes fundamental change, and that’s not easy, but it’s the only way.

Why is understanding each-other important?  Continue reading →

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A gift consists not in what is done or given, but in the intention of the giver or doer.

Posted on 2 February 2013 by philosiblog

A gift consists not in what is done or given, but in the intention of the giver or doer. – Seneca

While Donald Trump might be able to give a house as a gift without any ulterior motive, could you accept it without reservation?

While Donald Trump might be able to give a house as a gift without an ulterior motive, could you accept it without reservation or feeling of obligation?

What does that mean?
This is similar to other quotes that urge us to look beyond the gift, and consider the motive or motivation of the giver. Was the gift given to place you under a presumed obligation to the giver, that they might take advantage of you at a future point in time?

That’s why the quote asks us to examine the intention of the person giving the gift (or giving you a benefit, in some translations). Is it a gift or a trap? Or is it solely being given to show how great a person the giver is, that they would give away such a large/nice/etc gift? That might be something to think about.

The quote also reminds us, in a slightly dry manner, that it’s the thought that counts, not the gift itself. I’m sure that you have heard something like that before, and I believe that it is quite true. Some of our most treasured possessions are the silly little gifts that were heartfelt. At least that’s the way it is in my family.

Why is knowing the intention important?  Continue reading →

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Inspirational quotes are sweet and feel good for about 3 seconds after you read them. But a Quote is worthless without action.

Posted on 1 February 2013 by philosiblog

Inspirational quotes are sweet and feel good for about 3 seconds after you read them. But a Quote is worthless without action. – Tony Robbins and here

Another way of saying this quote. However, it is just a quote until you actually act.

Another way of saying this quote. However, it is just a quote until you actually get up and take action. What will you do?

What does that mean?
This quote is the whole point of this blog. Quotes on Twitter are the junk food of the modern mind. As the quote says, the sayings are good for a few seconds, and then they’re gone. Yep, they’re sweet, and they make you feel good as they play through your mind, but then what? They’re gone just as fast.

This blog tries to make something of those snacks-of-the-mind and make them a bit more substantive. That usually includes asking the reader to take some action relating to the quote at the end of the post. And that’s what today’s quote is talking about. Do something, or it’s just a brief mental exercise.

To make the point a little more specifically, what do you do when you read a quote, weather on Twitter, the internet, a bumper sticker, or in a book? How often are you spurred into action? Or is it just a quick mental pleasure?

Why is taking action important?  Continue reading →

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The difficulty, the ordeal, is to start.

Posted on 31 January 2013 by philosiblog

The difficulty, the ordeal, is to start. – Zane Grey

It can be hard to press the START button. But if you don't, who will?

It can be hard to press the START button. But if you don’t, who will? When will you start if not now?

What does that mean?
The author of today’s quote was also the author of more than 90 books, so I would dare say he knows of which he speaks. The thought of writing a book, a whole book, is quite daunting to me, even though I write a little each day.

But it’s not just writers that feel this hesitation, this difficulty, this ordeal, as he puts it. Some sports figures have something like this before the big game. Even rock stars report having difficulties psyching themselves up to go on stage, so it can happen to any of us.

However, it’s just the start. The quote doesn’t say what happens after that point, does it? I imagine that from our personal experiences, that most of the time, it gets a lot easier, and most of the fears we expected never materialize. The cure to the ordeal, it is implied, is to actually start.

Why is getting started important?  Continue reading →

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All things excellent are as difficult as they are rare.

Posted on 30 January 2013 by philosiblog

All things excellent are as difficult as they are rare. – Baruch Spinoza

This is both rare and most excellent. This is the Twelve Monograms Fabergé egg, given by Tsar Nicholas to his mother.

This is both rare and most excellent. This is the Twelve Monograms Fabergé egg, given by Tsar Nicholas to his mother for Easter in 1885. All that detail in a 3″ tall egg!

What does that mean?
Depending on your age and background, ‘excellent’ may have become part of your vocabulary as a simple statement of agreement. However, it really means that the item in question is of the best or finest quality.

The quote says that excellent things are quite rare, a statement with which I would agree. While the most common items can be of high quality, the word excellent is used to define the very best of the best. Even in a field where there are very high quality standards, some will still stand out, and they are what is excellent.

The other reason for excellent items being rare is the level of effort or difficulty in creating them. Anything shiny can go from common to excellent if you are willing to put in the hours necessary to polish it to the finest shine possible. That is the difficult part, isn’t it?

Why is putting forth the effort to achieve excellence important?  Continue reading →

Posted in accomplishment, effort, exceptionalism, plan, self improvement, work | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Character is much easier kept than recovered.

Posted on 29 January 2013 by philosiblog

Character is much easier kept than recovered. – Thomas Paine

How do you recover after your character has been shattered? Or would it have been better to never have done it in the first place?

How do you recover after your character has been shattered? Or would it have been better to never have done it in the first place? Which would be easier to do?

What does that mean?
This quote is about that most public of private things, our reputation, or the public perception of our character. The quote says that once you have developed your character, that it is fairly fragile, and needs to be carefully maintained.

How many times to you have to lie to seriously damage your character? Conversely, how long will it take to regain it? Does that give you another way of looking at today’s quote?

The quote is urging us to be careful not to mess up our reputation or our character by doing stupid things or things that are out of character. By doing something stupid, we end up having to recover or rebuild our reputation and our character piece by piece, a long and laborious task.

Instead, the quote urges us to consider simply maintaining our character and our reputation. To do this, we need to think about the consequences of our actions, and develop the habits which support acting in good character.

Why is maintaining our reputation important?  Continue reading →

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Reach for it. Push yourself as far as you can.

Posted on 28 January 2013 by philosiblog

Reach for it. Push yourself as far as you can. – Christa McAuliffe

She won the Teacher In Space contest. She pushed herself as far as she could.

She won the Teacher In Space contest. She pushed herself as far as she could. RIP

What does that mean?
This quote, I believe, is fairly straight forward. It is urging us not to settle, not to wait, not to hesitate. It says to reach for it, where ‘it’ is anything and everything you might want in life.

It also urges us to push ourselves as far as possible. It urges to not settle for whatever happens in our lives, but to go as far as we can, to push the limits and to break free from the bonds of the ordinary. In short, it urges us to become our best possible selves.

It also implies that there will be a certain level of regret if you don’t follow the quote. What would have happened if you had asked that person to dance? What would have happened if you had taken the job in another city? What would have happened if you had dared to start your own company?

If you don’t reach for it, you will never know, will you?

Why is striving for excellence important?  Continue reading →

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