Random Food for Thought

Sometimes short, pithy quotations make one pause and think. That often leads to self-examination. And self-examination sometimes leads to making changes in one's life that make a difference. For example, here are a few such quotations from success guru Napoleon Hill that I've run across over the years. They've helped me; maybe they'll help you, too.

"Human faults are like garden weeds. They grow without cultivation and soon take over the place if they aren't thinned out."

Such faults are often habits that are formed without our knowing they're developing until they are strongly entrenched in our lives. Once realized, we must root them out lest they lead to greater faults and mistakes. It's not an easy or pleasant job. Just as I hated weeding the strawberry patch when I was a kid, weeding out bad habits is unpleasant, hard work. But it must be done. What "weeds" of bad habits do you need to remove from your life?

"Honesty is a spiritual quality that cannot be evaluated in terms of money."

This is a truth that my parents taught me early in my childhood, both by precept and by their personal example. Honesty and integrity were hallmarks of not only their lives but also that of my grandfather, and my parents were insistent that it become a hallmark of my life, too. Honesty is not only about our relationships with others but also about being honest with ourselves. If we aren't honest with ourselves, we are deceiving ourselves. Someone famous said, "Honesty is not the best policy; it's the only policy." It's easy to be honest because it requires less effort than the alternative. The risks are fewer, and the rewards are greater.

"If you are an American citizen, don't let anyone tell you that you are downtrodden."

Despite our nation's numerous problems, we still live in the greatest country on earth. The poorest among us is still far richer than the richest in other countries. If we aren't where we want to be economically, educationally, or spiritually, we can still overcome our circumstances and improve our situation. It all begins with our mindset. We must have a positive faith attitude about things; then we will rise, with God's help, to reach our potential.

Think about it!