Contentment is a Choice

 

Blessed is he who has learned to admire but not envy,
to follow but not imitate, to praise but not flatter,
and to lead but not manipulate.
- William Arthur Ward (1921-1994 writer, educator, and church lay leader)

The more generous we are, the more joyous we become.
The more cooperative we are, the more valuable we become.
The more enthusiastic we are, the more productive we become.
The more serving we are, the more prosperous we become.
- William Arthur Ward

He who is contented is rich.
- Lao Tzu

It is not our circumstances that create
our discontent or contentment.
It is us.
- Vivian Greene

It is not the man who has too little,
but the man who craves more, that is poor.
- Lucius Annaeus Seneca

A good life isn't measured in material goods.
There is no quicker path to misery than coveting your neighbors' stuff.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: What You Have That Money Can't Buy

Simple Joys, the Essence of Life

Contentment in Ourselves
    

Gratitude for the Small Miracles

 

The best portion of a good man's life
is his little, nameless, unremembered
acts of kindness and of love.
- William Wordsworth

A coincidence is a small miracle in which God chooses to remain anonymous.
- Anonymous

Miracles happen everyday,
change your perception of what a miracle is
and you'll see them all around you.
- Jon Bon Jovi

Our "Rainbows and Butterflies" are the small miracles of our life -
the little things that are so easy to overlook,
yet so awe inspiring when we take a moment
to notice and to pay attention.
Give thanks for the rainbows, for the butterflies,
for all God's creatures - large and small,
for the bright blue sky and the soft fog and the gentle rain,
for the tree veiled in the season's first frost,
for the baby's laugh,
for the touch of a hand and the whispered "I love you."
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: Everything is a Miracle

Appreciate Your Blessings

Appreciate Today

Have Gratitude for All Life
       

The Vice of Hypocrisy

 

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye;
and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
- Matthew 7:5

The only vice that cannot be forgiven is hypocrisy.
- William Hazlitt

The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

We are all hypocrites.
We cannot see ourselves or judge ourselves the way we see and judge others.
- José Emilio Pacheco

Judge not, that ye be not judged.
- Matthew 7:1

He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her.
- Jesus of Nazareth (John 8:7)

Further reading: The Essence of Jesus' Teaching

Grant That I May Radiate
      

The Illusion of Knowledge

 

Beware of false knowledge;
it is more dangerous than ignorance.
- George Bernard Shaw

The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance -
it is the illusion of knowledge.
- Daniel J. Boorstin

When you have a very strong FEELING that something is true, often it isn't.
WANTING something to be true doesn't make it true.
Likewise, being AFRAID that something is true doesn't make it true either.

Truth is not defined by
how many people believe something.
Ask. Question. Think.
Decide - for yourself.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

We want the facts to fit the preconceptions.
When they don't, it is easier to ignore the facts
than to change the preconceptions.
- Jessamyn West

Further reading: Perspective on Tradition: An Open Mind

The Danger of Assumptions

Truth isn't True. Reality isn't Real.
    

Practice Excellence

 

We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence then is not an act, but a habit.
- Will Durant (commonly attributed to Aristotle)

Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is wise,
risking more than others think is safe,
dreaming more than others think is practical,
and expecting more than others think is possible.
- Anonymous

Excellence is not a destination to be arrived at,
but a path of continual attention and improvement.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Today's affirmation:
While I choose never to be dissatisfied or unhappy
with my current level of knowledge or accomplishment,
I constantly seek excellence in all domains that truly matter to me.

Further reading: Creating Your Future

Choose Your Habits, Choose Your Life - 5 Secrets For Breaking Your Bad Habits

Choice

Play to win, but be a good loser