The Necklace

-
Image
  “SHE WAS one of those pretty, charming young ladies, born, as if through an error of destiny, into a family of clerks. She had no dowry, no hopes, no means of becoming known, appreciated, loved, and married by a man either rich or distinguished; and she allowed herself to marry a petty clerk in the office of the Board of Education. . . .  She had neither frocks nor jewels, nothing. And she loved only those things. She felt that she was made for them. She had such a desire to please, to be sought after, to be clever, and courted.” —THE NECKLACE Guy de Maupassant    France, 1884 (pic by Grok) Read this short story here:  https://americanliterature.com/author/guy-de-maupassant/short-story/the-necklace

"The Wisdom Of A Third Grade Drop Out"

-
Yesterday my wife shared this video with me. She watched it in her Public Speaking course with a view toward understanding the power of words. We've watched it many times already. It's worth the time. There are golden nuggets in what this man has to say.

Words are powerful and why shouldn't they be? God created all things with a word (God said . . . and there was). Have you ever noticed that when God created, He named what He created--except for the animals. After God formed man with His hands, He said (in so many words), "You name them. Be creative with words." That's why words are powerful.

That's why they get stuck in your head, in your heart. Used properly or poorly, words are powerful. Silence is powerful, too, which is why a wise man takes time to choose his words before speaking. Or at least he should. One should value silence as much as the words he chooses.

The point I'd like to make, to include this in my blog series is this: be moved to do something different with your life.

"If you think you can or think you can't, you're right." (Henry Ford)

Popular posts from this blog

Rock Me, Epictetus!

-
Image
“Keep constant guard over your perceptions, for it is no small thing you are protecting, but your respect, trustworthiness and steadiness, peace of mind, freedom from pain and fear, in a word your freedom. For what would you sell these things?” EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 4.3.6 b –8 
Read more

The Smooth-flowing Life

-
Image
Legend has it that the astronomer Ptolemy (1st century A.D.) suggested that falling stars were caused by the gods moving in the heavens, thus knocking stars out of their places. Somehow people reasoned that that if the gods were moving, they must be getting close to earth so they would lift their "prayers" or "wishes" (literally, "desires") whenever they saw the stars falling in hopes the gods would notice and grant a favorable answer. But how does one wish on falling star? Once you see it, it's gone before the wish or prayer can be made! The answer is simple: meteor shower. That's how to get your wish. Mrs. Ann Hodges had a wish fall right into her lap. Sort of. In 1954 Mrs. Hodges was sleeping on the couch when a 8 1/2 pound meteorite fell through her house and into her living room where it bounced off the radio and struck her left hip leaving her with a bruise. Not sure what she was wishing, but that's not how to do it. Epictetus hel...
Read more