GEMS TO LIVE BY
March 7, 2004 | 12:00am
We of this generation are very lucky. We have a wealth of information written by great thinkers and philosophers readily accessible for our guidance and inspiration. If we only took time to read and digest these gems of wisdom, we would not be so lost and confused as most of us are in our journey through life.
Here are some of the wisest words from some of the world’s brightest minds offering life’s most valuable lessons for free!
1) Fear not that thy life shall come to an end, but rather fear that it shall never have a beginning. – J. H. Newman
Many of us live a life that has not begun. We don’t know what we really want, where we want to go, what we truly want to do. Most of us float and drift through our days. Start your life today by plotting out a life plan that will give you great fulfillment and happiness, and bring you to your brightest destiny. Then live it! Your life begins the moment you start to take control over it.
2) When you can do the common things of life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world. – George W. Carver
Some of the most outstanding and memorable men that ever lived just took the most common thing and with a little twist, transformed it into something remarkable. Want to be successful and famous? Take some everyday thing; redesign or reinvent it, give it a little style or innovate it. Then watch people’s attention (and money!) shift to you. The world will always need a better paper clip, a more clever mousetrap, a sweeter Valentine’s card.
3) It is right to be contented with what we have, but never with what we are. – Sir James Mackintosh
Most of us don’t realize that we have more material possessions than we will ever need to live. The rush for money and wealth becomes a greedy daily pursuit and often, we forget to enhance ourselves. There is always room for personal improvement – better health, education, personality, outlook, attitudes and wisdom. Never stop at improving the man that you are, and truly enrich your life.
4) A man is not hurt so much by what happens, as by his opinion of what happens. – Michel De Montaigne
We may not have any control over things that happen in our life but we certainly have control over how we react to them. We often over-react to situations and this causes much of our misery. Learn to control your emotions so you don’t end up shattered and lost. The sooner you let go of the negative emotions brought about by an unfortunate event, the faster you can heal and move on.
5) When we forget ourselves, we usually do something that everyone else remembers. – Anonymous
Something about our culture has made us self-centered beings. Everything we think and do always has a selfish ulterior motive. Truly great are those who forget themselves and selflessly give to others. Often, they end up doing something that will forever be engraved in the hearts of those whose lives they’ve touched. You will never die if people hold good memories of you in their hearts.
6) You cannot climb uphill with downhill thoughts. – Anonymous
Only bright, positive and inspiring thoughts can help you up the mountain of success. Give up negative, self-defeating thoughts, beliefs and attitudes for these will just weigh you down and anchor you to failure and defeat. Stop negative self-talk and most of all, avoid jealous people who discourage and push you down.
7) Sympathy is never wasted except when you give it to yourself. – John W. Raper
Sympathy is a great virtue that should be given to others who need it but must never be wasted on your self. Self-pity is for losers. It makes you dwell on the negative consequences of your misfortune, making you feel helpless, hopeless and worthless. Winners never spend time lamenting over defeat; they get up with greater resolve to do better the next time around.
8) Sometimes life has a way of putting us on our backs in order to force us to look up. – Charles L. Allen
Life isn’t always a soft, fragrant bed of roses. Sometimes we fall hard on our backs hitting rough, cold, depressing and discouraging stone. Life slaps us out of our miseries with these painful adversities. It usually takes for us to fall flat on our backs to realize that there are stars of hope if we only shift our gaze. When you are down, you are forced to look up. Failure changes your perspective and can teach you priceless lessons.
9) It is a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it. – W. Somerset Maugham
We all have the same chances for a rich, beautiful and meaningful life but some people don’t end up living comfortably and gloriously as others. A secret that many people don’t realize is that the universe gives you what you think you deserve; it gives you what you settle for. What you get from life is really all up to you! You create your own happiness or misery.
10) If you have a talent, use it in every way possible. Don’t hoard it. Don’t dole it out like a miser. Spend it lavishly like a millionaire intent on going broke. – Brendan Francis
Talent that is not shared is a gift unused and wasted. Find out what your true talents are, hone them, and share them generously with others. You will find out that the more you give of your talents, the more you have to share. And the easiest, most enjoyable way to make money is to use your talents for people to enjoy and benefit from them.
11) Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves. – James M. Barrie
When you light up somebody else’s life, you will inevitably light up yours, too. Teach someone and you, too, will learn. Make someone feel beautiful and you, too, will be beautiful. The best way to be happy is to make someone else happy. And the surest way to get rich is to make other people rich!
12. Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less, breathe more; talk less, say more; hate less, love more; and all good things are yours. – Swedish proverb
Truly, there is so much fear in this world and there certainly is too much noise. We whine and complain but do less; we talk and babble but say less. We have even forgotten to breathe. We seem to be doing all the wrong things nowadays. We need to redirect our focus on the things that are really important and meaningful in our lives. To this gem of a proverb, I say, "Amen!"
Take time out to still your body and quiet your mind daily. Take deep relaxing breaths and spend a few minutes of introspection and meditative reflection. Believe it or not, you will be revitalized, less stressed, healthier, and have a sharper mind.
We create our own pandemonium and confusion in life. We need moments of quiet stillness just as a great musical symphony needs silence in between the notes. Otherwise life would be discordant, irritating and unintelligible.
Should you wish to forward this article to friends, please acknowledge the author and The Philippine Star. Reproduction in any form for commercial purposes requires the copyright permission of the author.
Here are some of the wisest words from some of the world’s brightest minds offering life’s most valuable lessons for free!
1) Fear not that thy life shall come to an end, but rather fear that it shall never have a beginning. – J. H. Newman
Many of us live a life that has not begun. We don’t know what we really want, where we want to go, what we truly want to do. Most of us float and drift through our days. Start your life today by plotting out a life plan that will give you great fulfillment and happiness, and bring you to your brightest destiny. Then live it! Your life begins the moment you start to take control over it.
2) When you can do the common things of life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world. – George W. Carver
Some of the most outstanding and memorable men that ever lived just took the most common thing and with a little twist, transformed it into something remarkable. Want to be successful and famous? Take some everyday thing; redesign or reinvent it, give it a little style or innovate it. Then watch people’s attention (and money!) shift to you. The world will always need a better paper clip, a more clever mousetrap, a sweeter Valentine’s card.
3) It is right to be contented with what we have, but never with what we are. – Sir James Mackintosh
Most of us don’t realize that we have more material possessions than we will ever need to live. The rush for money and wealth becomes a greedy daily pursuit and often, we forget to enhance ourselves. There is always room for personal improvement – better health, education, personality, outlook, attitudes and wisdom. Never stop at improving the man that you are, and truly enrich your life.
4) A man is not hurt so much by what happens, as by his opinion of what happens. – Michel De Montaigne
We may not have any control over things that happen in our life but we certainly have control over how we react to them. We often over-react to situations and this causes much of our misery. Learn to control your emotions so you don’t end up shattered and lost. The sooner you let go of the negative emotions brought about by an unfortunate event, the faster you can heal and move on.
5) When we forget ourselves, we usually do something that everyone else remembers. – Anonymous
Something about our culture has made us self-centered beings. Everything we think and do always has a selfish ulterior motive. Truly great are those who forget themselves and selflessly give to others. Often, they end up doing something that will forever be engraved in the hearts of those whose lives they’ve touched. You will never die if people hold good memories of you in their hearts.
6) You cannot climb uphill with downhill thoughts. – Anonymous
Only bright, positive and inspiring thoughts can help you up the mountain of success. Give up negative, self-defeating thoughts, beliefs and attitudes for these will just weigh you down and anchor you to failure and defeat. Stop negative self-talk and most of all, avoid jealous people who discourage and push you down.
7) Sympathy is never wasted except when you give it to yourself. – John W. Raper
Sympathy is a great virtue that should be given to others who need it but must never be wasted on your self. Self-pity is for losers. It makes you dwell on the negative consequences of your misfortune, making you feel helpless, hopeless and worthless. Winners never spend time lamenting over defeat; they get up with greater resolve to do better the next time around.
8) Sometimes life has a way of putting us on our backs in order to force us to look up. – Charles L. Allen
Life isn’t always a soft, fragrant bed of roses. Sometimes we fall hard on our backs hitting rough, cold, depressing and discouraging stone. Life slaps us out of our miseries with these painful adversities. It usually takes for us to fall flat on our backs to realize that there are stars of hope if we only shift our gaze. When you are down, you are forced to look up. Failure changes your perspective and can teach you priceless lessons.
9) It is a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it. – W. Somerset Maugham
We all have the same chances for a rich, beautiful and meaningful life but some people don’t end up living comfortably and gloriously as others. A secret that many people don’t realize is that the universe gives you what you think you deserve; it gives you what you settle for. What you get from life is really all up to you! You create your own happiness or misery.
10) If you have a talent, use it in every way possible. Don’t hoard it. Don’t dole it out like a miser. Spend it lavishly like a millionaire intent on going broke. – Brendan Francis
Talent that is not shared is a gift unused and wasted. Find out what your true talents are, hone them, and share them generously with others. You will find out that the more you give of your talents, the more you have to share. And the easiest, most enjoyable way to make money is to use your talents for people to enjoy and benefit from them.
11) Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves. – James M. Barrie
When you light up somebody else’s life, you will inevitably light up yours, too. Teach someone and you, too, will learn. Make someone feel beautiful and you, too, will be beautiful. The best way to be happy is to make someone else happy. And the surest way to get rich is to make other people rich!
12. Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less, breathe more; talk less, say more; hate less, love more; and all good things are yours. – Swedish proverb
Truly, there is so much fear in this world and there certainly is too much noise. We whine and complain but do less; we talk and babble but say less. We have even forgotten to breathe. We seem to be doing all the wrong things nowadays. We need to redirect our focus on the things that are really important and meaningful in our lives. To this gem of a proverb, I say, "Amen!"
We create our own pandemonium and confusion in life. We need moments of quiet stillness just as a great musical symphony needs silence in between the notes. Otherwise life would be discordant, irritating and unintelligible.
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