@DAVIDVGOLIATH brings this Chinese proverb to the table: A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials. Nobody is born perfect.  We all need to be shaped to change from the helpless creature that is first held in his mother’s arms to the mature adult that we become.  Along the way, [...]

This proverb comes courtesy of @Natalie_Potter: The scalded dog fears cold water. I don’t recommend burning Fido to test the truth of this one.  The dog will associate any water with the water that hurt him; if it was a human-applied scald, then he will fear any human-borne water, whatever the temperature. Similarly, if all [...]

@Alyssa_Milano brings us this Father’s Day-appropriate quote from the Knights of Pythagoras: A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child. Long before I became a father, I was working with children, and was always amazed at the number of challenges they faced.  How many people, when they see a [...]

@thehrphenomenal brings us this quote from Leo Tolstoy: Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. When looking for a goal, many people look as big as possible.  They want to be famous, make a lasting effect on the world. Very people look within the boundaries of their own neighborhood, [...]

@LittleWonderLee brings this Egyptian proverb to the table: Because we focused on the snake, we missed the scorpion. Dangers come in many forms; some obvious, others not so much.  And not only dangers; opportunities, as well, may be missed as you focus on one task. This is easier for an organization to handle than for [...]

Winston Churchill, through @jonathanmast: So you have some enemies … Good, that means you stood up for something! It is impossible to make it through life without upsetting people.  Sometimes, being on Alice’s good side means being on Bob’s bad side.  Additionally, you will have opinions and views that differ from those around you. The [...]

@DAVIDVGOLIATH brings a quote from Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit: The more we sweat in peace, the less we bleed in war. This is appropriate to me, as I am a member of the military, currently undergoing training.  However, this sentiment is not only limited to military applications. I have heard this quote many times in my [...]

@IngridTalks brings us this Chinese proverb: Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still I don’t know how many times I’ve heard someone complain about slow progress; or ask what’s the point of doing something that has no apparent, immediate effect. Change and progress take time.  People often forget this, and [...]

An African proverb, from @CallUsCupid: Nobody will think you’re somebody if you don’t think so yourself Recognition of yourself and your qualities begins with yourself.  If you don’t see your qualities, how can you expect anybody else to? This doesn’t mean that you need to point out everything good about yourself.  Just know that those [...]

@KattyBlum brings this quote from Orson Scott Card‘s Ender’s Game: Sometimes lies were more dependable than the truth. I don’t have my copy right here in front of my, but as far as I can remember, Ender has just been told, by a doctor “This will sting a little” (or words to that effect).  Ender [...]