Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.
Butler Yeats
Nurture your own fire. You will never have learned enough, not to speak of too much.
Read, listen, talk to older people, talk to younger people, be open-minded, try out new concepts, meditate, try different sports, get new hobbies, travel, experience. The world is your playground, why sit in one place and don’t move in any direction? Go for it!
/phil
A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.
Erin Majors
It is easy to inspire people as long as they want to be inspired. People willing to enhance the quality of their lives want to be inspired. They crave for new stuff that gets their brain working, they always need information to process.
/phil
When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the marmelade jar and the 2 cans of beer.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty marmelade jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous “yes.”
The professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
“Now,” said the professor as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things–your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions–and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.
The sand is everything else–the small stuff. “If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
“Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first–the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for one or two cans of beer with a friend.”
/phil
Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.
Lao Tzu
/phil
Advice from an older person:
Start lifting weights yesterday
I personally do not like lifting weights but this is not about hitting the gym or not it is about getting in shape, staying fit and healthy and starting at least right now.
You are either good at looking for solutions or good at looking for excuses, don’t chose the latter one!
/phil
You may theorize and memorize and postulate all you want… but until you finally do, you will never truly know.
As I wrote in a post about the difference between theoretical and practical learning roughly a year ago there is a huge difference between theory and reality.
In order to master skills you have to get active! Reading and educating yourself is good but not enough at all. You have to get on your feet and start active practise!
phil
Consider the postage stamp… it secures success through its ability to stick to one thing till it gets there.
Josh Billings
Be like a postage stamp! Pick your destination and stick to hard work until you get there!
/phil
Simetimes life is hell. But hey! Whatever gets the marshmallows toasty.
J. Andrew Helt
Loving this attitude! Just keep your head up, smile and have fun. In the end you’ll have toasty and therefore tasty marshmallows 🙂
/phil
Failures are like skinned knees: painful but superficial.
H. Ross Perot
/phil
Especially in the dark and cold time of the year it happens to people that they get sad. Right after they realize the alarm clock is ringing, demanding to start the day, people lose themselves in thoughts about life, about how senseless it is, how hard, the list goes on and on.
When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy and to love.
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
You have to realize how grateful you should be for being alive.
The world is a super awesome place, a big playground and you can do whatever you like. Why waste your chances, aim for the moon!
/phil
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