Wisdom
Wisdom
Integrity and Wisdom
"My boy," said the store owner to his new employee, "wisdom and integrity are essential to the retail business. By 'integrity'I mean if you promise a customer something, you have got to keep that promise-even if it means we lose money."
"And what," asked the teenager, "is wisdom?"
"That," answered the boss, "is not making any stupid promises."
Ten Rules for Happier Living
Give something away (no strings attached).
Do a kindness (and forget it).
Spend a few minutes with the aged (their experience can be priceless guidance).
Look intently into the face of a baby (and marvel).
Laugh often (it is life's lubricant).
Give thanks (a thousand times a day is not enough).
Pray (or you will lose the way).
Work (with vim and vigor).
Plan as though you will live forever (because you will).
Live as though you will die tomorrow (because you will die on some tomorrow).
Lessons From Teardrops
Two little teardrops were floating down the river of life. One said to the other, "Who are you?" It replied, "I am a teardrop from a girl who loved a man and lost him. Who are you?" The first responded, "Well, I am a teardrop from the girl who got him!"
Life is like that. We cry over things we cannot have. If we only knew it, we would probably cry more if we had received them. Paul had the right idea when he said, "I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content" (Philippians 4:11).
Wise Advice from Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln once said, "You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by encouraging class hatred. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn. You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.
Seek Counsel from More Than One
Here is a caution about seeking experienced counsel: It's dangerous to go on just one person's experience. Mark Twain told about a cat who sat on a hot stove lid. That experience taught the cat never to sit on a hot stove lid again. But further, that cat never sat on a cold stove lid either. He took more from the experience than it had to offer. If we're going to talk about experiences, we would be wise to talk to a number of people who have faced similar decisions and extract direction from their combined counsel.
Motivation behind Choices
There are a great many actions which, in and of themselves, are neither right nor wrong. They are made right when we act in love. They become wrong if we act in selfishness.
It's like playing the piano. There are no right or wrong notes. There are only right or wrong notes in the context of the musical score. We many not like G or F, or be very favorable to middle C, but the note is only wrong in the context of what is being played. Likewise, choices become right or wrong based on the motivation behind them.