“If you make friends with yourself you will never be alone.” Maxwell Maltz. One of my favorite authors, Martz has an amazing storehouse of quotes that will cause you to rethink many life areas. This is one of my favorites of his and why? For starters, for years I was concerned with how many friends I had as I kept reading that the number of friends I had was dependent on how friendly I was. Then I learned that the only people who generally friended me were those who I supported, agreed with, validated, and so much more than I realized “if you don’t like me that’s not my problem that’s your problem” or how about a short scripture message, “when you judge others that doesn’t define them it defines you.” We all spend more alone time than we do with others and that includes spouses, kids, relatives, etc. so if you are uncomfortable with your own company, thoughts, etc. you might want to consider therapy (just kidding) – but seriously learning to like yourself, accept yourself, etc doesn’t mean you are perfect or don’t need some molding, growth or improvements but it does mean that we do these when we are ready and on our terms not those of others.
“Liberty without learning is always in peril; learning without liberty is always in vain.” J. F. Kennedy. As a life learner most of my life, this quote has always been in the back of my mind. As I have traveled the world, often to many countries that had a high degree of poverty, I have always wondered what good is learning if you can’t use or apply what you learn. What good is learning if you don’t become wiser because of what you learn? And, what if you leave here never sharing with others some of the things you learned? This is part two of the previous liberty issue. Or, the flip side – what if society will not let you learn because it burns books, stifles free speech, throws you out of college because of a youthful silly mistake or, prevents you from entering your local library because you don’t have a membership or are not wearing a mask, etc.? You might be amazed at how many millions of people have been impacted by the above and how it has ultimately hurt them and society. Learning is a gift and a right, but it does not give anyone the right to hurt others because they have not been able to enjoy the opportunity of learning.
“You make a living by what you get, you make a life by what you give.” Winston Churchill. No, he was by no means a perfect human but what he was, was courageous, focused, and dedicated (in my opinion). We all have our views and interpretations of others and often these can depend on what we know about them – the good, the bad, the ugly, and the great. This quote is a simple but straightforward and basic premise that can describe many lives if you choose to consider them. I don’t care if it’s politicians, sports stars, famous media or actors or actresses, or even inventors and business leaders, or medical folks. In my opinion, we will be remembered by either of the above categories that dominated our lives. Consider; Danny Thomas the founder of St. Jude, or Mother Teresa – giving is not just about money but includes; compassion, time, support, understanding, kindness, empathy and so much more. Was Thomas a better giver than Mother Teresa? Is bill Gates a better giver than someone who has helped you in the past in some way? I’m just asking you to consider – what are you using as your standards as you go through the years – what you are getting or what you are giving?