Words of Wisdom

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven; a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

Anger is a weed; hate is the tree. (St. Augustine)

Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be. (Thomas A Kempis)

My friend, judge not me,Thou seest I judge not thee. Betwixt the stirrup and the ground mercy I asked, and mercy found. (William Camden)

O God, give us serenity to accept what cannot be changed, courage to change what should be changed, and wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. (Reinhold Niebuhr)

The more people have studied different methods of bringing up children the more they have come to the conclusion that what good mothers and fathers instinctively feel like doing for their babies is the best after all. (Benjamin Spock)

What is the first business of one who practices philosophy? To get rid of self-conceit. For it is impossible for ayone to begin to learn that which he thinks he already knows. (Epictetus)

It is difficulties that show what men are. (Ib)

Appearances to the mind are of four kinds. Things either are what they appear to be; or they neither are, nor appear to be; or they are, and do not appear to be; or they are not, and yet appear to be. Rightly to aim in all these cases is the wise man's task. (Ib)

There are some faults which men readily admit, but others not so readily. (Ib)

First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do. (Ib)

Everything has two handles--by one of which it ought to be carried and by the other not. (Ib)

Remember that you ought to behave in life as you would at a banquet. As something is being passed around it comes to you; stretch out your hand, take a portion of it politely. It passes on; do not detain it. Or it has not come to you yet; do not project your desire to meet it, but wait until it comes in front of you. So act toward children, so toward a mate, so toward office, so toward wealth. (Ib)