Author Archives: Patricia Ann

Pay It Forward

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Have you ever wondered what we can do to make the world a better place? With all the shenanigans going on all over the planet, we feel so helpless and inadequate in whatever we try to do to make a small difference.

It’s been said over and over again that the way to eradicate violence and hatred of any kind is to start in our own country, city, state, province, neighborhood, community, family, inner circle, church…wherever…and do whatever it takes to sow peace in place of dissension.

It’s not always an easy thing to do but the smallest step in the right direction may be what it takes to change the direction our world seems to be headed in.

As a concerned citizen of Planet Earth, I urge one and all to take every blessing we have received in a lifetime…every kindness, forgiveness, helping hand, gift of love…every good thing, (nothing bad), and offer it up as our contribution to a better world…in other words, pay it forward.

Peace.

A Saturday Prayer

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Some of us don’t always have the energy we need to fulfill the tasks set before us, and some of us become spiritually depleted. Even a weekend doesn’t seem to energize us. Here is a prayer from Norman Vincent Peale which I may have posted before but is always helpful. Happy Saturday.

A Prayer for Energy

Dear Lord, I need more energy and strength. I seem drained and tired and do not seem to possess what it takes to do all that I must do. I know that the wrong kind of thoughts can make one tired. Change my thoughts that they may be in harmony with your power. 

Nature walks:

The Many Faces of Arrogance

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The other day I wrote about the art of being humble. Today we’ll tackle arrogance…quite the opposite of humility. Unlike how difficult it is to be humble, arrogance seems to come quite easily to some. There is no reason for one person to belittle another because of education, social status, wealth, hierarchy, religion, or whatever it is that makes him or her feel superior in any way.

Here are some definitions of arrogance taken from several online dictionaries:

“having or showing an exaggerated opinion of one’s own importance, merit, ability, etc; conceited; overbearingly proud”

“full of or due to unwarranted pride and self-importance; overbearing; haughty”

“Someone who is arrogant behaves in a proud, unpleasant way toward other people because they believe that they are more important than others.”

An arrogant person is pretty easy to spot…haughty carriage, superior tone of voice, rude, insulting, disrespectful, condescending, disdainful, etc. One thing an arrogant person does not possess is wisdom.

So there you have it, the many faces of arrogance. To those who choose to wear one of them…perhaps it’s time for a face-lift.

 

An Oldie But Goodie

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Getting The Most Out of Life. A selection of personally helpful articles from past issues of The Readers Digest is the sub-title of this book, published in 1955. It belonged to my mother and has been in my possession since her death in 1972.

Because I love to learn life lessons every day, books like this keep me on the right track. Among its many chapters is one written by A. Cressy Morrison (1864-1951) an American chemist and one time president of the New York Academy of Sciences. The thought provoking chapter is called Seven Reasons Why A Scientist Believes In God and is condensed from his book “Man Does Not Stand Alone”. Morrison makes a compelling case. “By unwavering mathematical law we can prove that our universe was designed and executed by a great engineering Intelligence.”

Other chapters include:

When It’s Best to Forget…W.E.Sangster “No man should hope to forget the wrong things he’s done till he has done also whatever he can to put them right.”

Stop Worrying…A.J.Cronin “For worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow; it only saps today of its strength”.

On Being A Real Person…Harry Emerson Fosdick, D.D. “The central business of every human being is to be a real person.”

Three Steps to Personal Peace…Norman Vincent Peale, D.D. “As Thomas Carlyle said; ‘Silence is the element in which great things fashion themselves.'”

Your Mind Can Keep You Young…George Lawton “At 80 you can be just as productive mentally as you were at 30–and you should know a lot more. Older people frequently suffer some loss of memory, but creative imagination is ageless…take an interest in the world around you and make a point of learning at least one new thing every day.”

I have gleaned a lot from this book over the years and, believe it or not, it is still available. I saw it on Amazon for various prices depending on its condition. It really is an oldie but goodie.

 

 

 

It’s Hard To Be Humble

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Just like patience, forgiveness, tolerance, and other virtues, humility needs a lot of work. It’s not always easy to put someone else’s feelings ahead of our own, or to stay quiet when we want to correct someone. It’s definitely difficult for some to acknowledge that the creator of the universe is deserving of a bowed knee, and an outstretched hand.

Here are a few quotes on humility:

True humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less. C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity

There is no respect for others without humility in one’s self. Henri Frederic Amie

It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels. Saint Augustine

Self praise is no recommendation.  Romanian (on flattery and praise) 

Be the change you wish to see in the world. Ghandi    

“A man should never be ashamed to own that he has been in the wrong, which is but saying in other words that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.” Alexander Pope

…but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 11:2

And now for a little humble humor from Mac Davis and the Muppets

 

 

 

 

More Life Lessons

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Life is about learning. Here are some gems from Elisabeth Kubler Ross from her book Life Lessons:

Our lessons in life involve working on our smallness, getting rid of our negativity, and finding the best in ourselves and each other.

Deep inside all of us, we know there is someone we are meant to be.

There are dreams of love, life and adventure in all of us.

When we face the worst that can happen in any situation, we grow.

We don’t realize that each of us has the power of the universe within us.

Our personal power is our inherent gift and our real strength.

A grateful person is a powerful person, for gratitude generates power. All abundance is based on being grateful for what we have.

We often teach just what we need to learn. (David Kessler)

Endings are just beginnings backwards.