“Words and Deeds. To Say Something is Easy; To Do Something is Difficult”
“Words and deeds make the consummate person. It is to voice, what is good and to do what is honorable; the first evidences a good head, the second a good heart. Together they give birth to a great soul. Words are the ghosts of deeds: the former are the ewes, the latter the rams. Of greater moment to be cheered, than to be the cheerleader. To say something is easy, but to do something is difficult. Achievement is the substance of life, and praise, its decoration. Greatness in action endures, greatness in words passes. For deeds are the fruits of the mind, which when wise, make triumphant.” (Baltasar Gracián, The Art of Wordly Wisdom, 1647)
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“The person in life that you will always be with the most is yourself. Because even when you are with others, you are still with yourself, too! When you wake up in the morning, you are with yourself, lying in bed at night you are with yourself, walking down the street in the sunlight you are with yourself. What kind of person do you want to walk down the street with? What kind of person do you want to wake up in the morning with? What kind of person do you want to see at the end of the day before you fall asleep? Because that person is yourself, and it’s your responsibility to be that person you want to be with. I know I want to spend my life with a person who knows how to let things go, who’s not full of hate, who’s able to smile and be carefree. So that’s who I have to be.” (C. JoyBell C.)
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“If you want to interact effectively with me, to influence me – your spouse, your child, your neighbor, your boss, your worker, your friend – your first need to understand me. And you can’t do that with technique alone. If I sense you’re using some technique, I sense duplicity, manipulation. I wonder why you’re using it, what your motives are. And I don’t feel safe enough to open myself up to you.” (Stephen R. Covey, Daily Reflections for Highly Effective People)
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“Live your dreams now to any degree that you can. With every purchase. Every decision. Every hello and goodbye. Every assignment. Every conversation. Every meal. Every morning, afternoon, and evening. And never, ever, ever look back. Reframe every thought, word, and deed from the perspective of the person you’ve always dreamed you’d be, as if your life was already as you’ve always dreamed it would be. Die to yesterday’s illusions and be reborn to the truth of your vision.
And let’s just see if you can handle the torrent of treasures I send your way. Thrilling you is what I live for.
Your greatest admirer, biggest fan, and truest friend.
(signed) The Universe” (Mike Dooley, ‘Notes from the Universe’, 6.20.14)
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“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” (Oscar Wilde)
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