LIFE WITH COURAGE

Of all the virtues man acquires, I believe Courage is the most universally respected and admired. Contrary to popular opinion, Courage is not dealing with a situation with reckless abandon, nor meeting a challenge without regard to consequences. To me, courage is a much more complex and comprehensive set of behavioral characteristics arising from one’s beliefs about life and how you chose to live life. Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher, described it accurately as:

“Courage is the first of human qualities;
Because it is the quality which guarantees the others”.

The act of Courage is much more than facing a danger or taking on a challenge. It is a quality of spirit that enables you to act appropriately in the face of the unexpected challenges.
It is the strength of character that allows you to face apparent obstacles or dangers or the unknown, with measured responses and a commitment to succeed. Equally, it can also be, facing defeat and knowing that you will come out of the encounter wiser and richer.

Like most human characteristics, courage is not inherited and is not present at birth, but is developed and nurtured gradually by learning and by exposure to risk taking. Children who are not afforded the opportunity to meet and deal with challenges run the risk of lacking this ability and invariably find difficulty in responding to situations with the level of courage needed.

Courage, to be managed successfully, requires the use of all the components of human behavior. Unlike the blind, impulsive response of a rage reaction which is no different than an animal response, true courage draws on a complex mix of human characteristics including experience, maturity, intelligence, confidence and logic. To be successful the response must be balanced and directed, with a definitive, realistic goal.

Examples of Courage and Courageous behavior abound all around us but most of the time we do not recognize them. Some are easy to recognize such as when a police officer faces an armed assailant, his action is one of supreme courage, similarly when a soldier is sent in harm’s way, he carries his courage each time, for they know they risk serious consequences. In other situations Courage is expressed in the form of commitment. When Muhammad Ali refused
Army conscription because of his religious beliefs and suffered the indignities of loss of his reputation and recognition, that was an act of courage. No different than when John McCain refused freedom from a North Vietnam prison in solidarity with the other prisoners who were not offered the same opportunity. They showed the courage of principle over convenience.

The truth is that courage is expressed in millions of diverse ways by so many of us without any concern of gain or reward. The only consideration is the intention to do the right thing at all cost. This above all others, is the most essential component for leading a life of fulfillment and satisfaction. As Maya Angelou, the celebrated Florida-based, African-American poet, noted:

“One isn't necessarily born with Courage, but one is born with potential.
Without Courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency.
We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest”.

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Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak,
Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
……Sir Winston Churchill

Often the test of courage is not to die but to live.
……. Vittorio Alfieri

Courage is simply the willingness to be afraid and act anyway.
……. Robert Anthony

It is a wise man who knows where courage ends and stupidity begins.

…….Jerome Cady

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.

…… Walt Disney

From caring comes courage.

……. Lao Tzu

Courage is the greatest of all the virtues.
Because if you haven't courage,
you may not have an opportunity to use any of the others

………Samuel Johnson

The courage to be, is the courage to accept oneself,
in spite of being unacceptable.

…….Paul Tillich

Optimism is the foundation of Courage.
…… Nicholas Butler

Courage is the price that Life exacts for granting Peace

…….Amelia Earhart

Courage is never to let your actions be influenced by your fears.

…….Arnold Koesttler

It isn't life that matters! It is the Courage you bring to it.

……Sir Hugh Walpole

Courage is the capacity to move ahead in spite of despair.

…..Rollo May

Courage does not always roar like a lion;
Sometimes it is the quiet voice inside that is saying;
. “I will try again tomorrow.”
…..Mary Ann Radmachar

The greatest test of Courage on earth,
is to bear defeat without losing heart.
…..R. G. Ingersoll

He who does not have courage to take risks,

will accomplish nothing in life.

........Muhammad Ali

A man of Courage is also full of faith.

……Cicero

Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand,
the spines of others are often stiffened
……Billy Graham

I’ve learned that Courage was not the absence of fear,
but the triumph over it.
…….Nelson Mandela

Courage is not the absence of despair;
it is, rather, the capacity to move ahead in spite of despair.
……Rollo May

Courage is almost a contradiction in terms.
It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die.

…..G.K. Chesterton

Courage is the first of human qualities
because it is the quality which guarantees the others.

……..Aristotle

Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities;
- because it is the quality which guarantees all others.
…….Joseph Chamberlain

Courage, above all things, is the first quality of a warrior.
……. Karl Von Clausewitz

LIFE ON GROWING OLD

The following was sent to me by a very good friend.
I don’t know its source, but I believe it is worth sharing with everyone.

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly.

As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 &70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten, And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day (if I feel like it).

MAY OUR FRIENDSHIP NEVER COME APART,
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART.

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Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be.

The last of life, for which the first was made.
……..Robert Browning

Old age isn't so bad when you consider the alternative.
……..Maurice Chevalier

A man must have grown old and lived long,
in order to see how short life is.

………Arthur Schopenhauer

We get too soon old and too late smart.
…….Pennsylvania Dutch proverb

Every man desires to live long;

but no man would be old.

…….Jonathan Swift

The young are slaves to dreams;

The old are servants of regrets.

……Author Unknown

Do not regret growing older.
It is a privilege denied to many.
…….Author Unknown

Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon,

and wise too late.

……Benjamin Franklin

LIFE'S INTEGRITY

”Integrity is not a conditional word.
It doesn't blow in the wind or change with the weather.
It is your inner image of yourself,
and if you look in there and see a man who won't cheat,
then you know he never will.”

This quotation, written by John D. MacDonald the prolific American author, very clearly defines the true meaning of Integrity.

To me, integrity goes hand-in-hand with character and honesty, and comprises the personal inner sense of "wholeness" derived from consistent moral soundness in thought and action. Integrity to be genuine and consistent, must possess a continuous or unbroken completeness or totality with nothing wanting or missing. It is an all or none possession and cannot be used as a tool of convenience. That would be manipulation.

In everyday life, integrity can be seen in every aspect of living. It is that inner drive that compels you to do the right thing at all cost. It forces you do the petty or unpopular things, even when no one was looking and no one cared, because it is just the right thing to do. It is also the feeling of satisfaction you experience after completing the right task, even though this may have been to your disadvantage. It is also knowing that although doing the right thing may be tough and demanding, in the end, only good feelings, not guilt or regret, results from it. It is having to stand against your friends and associates if their actions compromise what you know is right and appropriate. It often makes you very unpopular and sometimes leads to isolation and criticism, but everyone recognizes this is the price you must be prepared to pay to secure you integrity.

But integrity, to be used effectively, must be tempered with good sense and fairness. At all times, it must be free of the blind and indiscriminate rage of the Fanatic, whose actions are not based on reason or good sense, but rather on irrational enthusiasm or uncritical zeal.
Where the fanatic’s actions are invariably selfish and contrary to the well being of society, the exact opposite is seen in an environment where integrity is dominant. If more people in this world were to practice genuine integrity, the world would be a better and safer place. Unfortunately today’s society as a whole, has sacrificed its principles of integrity on the altar of convenience and individual domination. As a result we are faced with a world consumed with hate and rage and anger and distrust, where the only solution seems to be in mutual suspicion and destruction. Where even among the leaders of the nations, integrity is as rare as a snow storm in July and where lying and cheating and deceit is the norm. Are you then surprised that we are consumed with conflict and wars among and within most of the world's nations?

And yet there is no shortage of people of integrity in the world. Each one of us can readily identify people whose behavior has engendered profound respect and admiration. They come from all sections of the society irrespective of age, sex, race or levels of education.
But integrity must first begin with each one of us and with our relationship with the people around us, our family, our friends, our neighbors and others close to us. We must commit to live in truth to oneself, in the way we think, we act and live and to everyone in our life. It means establishing standards and refusing to compromise even if it affects us negatively. It means that you avoid any situation where the behavior of others creates conflict, or agree to act in any way that is not true and correct. It means not tolerating any behavior that is not consistent with the highest levels and being willing to move away rather than continue.

A life without integrity where your life is in turmoil, your actions are inconsistent, your behavior is unpredictable, where you are behaving and saying one thing on the outside while feeling and believing something quite different on the inside is surely a formula for emotional distress. And yet we chose to continue to live under this cloud of negativity so that we could easily conform with the majority. This indeed is the real curse of our civilization.

In the final analysis, Alan K. Simpson, the American politician from Wyoming was very correct when he wrote:

“If you have Integrity, nothing else matters.
If you don't have Integrity, nothing else matters”.


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The time is always right, to do what is right.
…Martin Luther King, Jr.

To know what is right and not do it,
Is the worst cowardice,
….Confucius

Laws control the lesser man.
Integrity controls the greater one.
........Chinese Proverb


A life lived with Integrity - even if it lacks the trappings
of fame and fortune, is a shinning star in whose light
others may follow in the years to come.
……Denis Waitley

Integrity is the essence of everything successful.
…….R. Buckminster Fuller

If everyone were clothed with Integrity;
If every heart were just, frank, kindly;
then the other virtues would be well-nigh useless.
……..Jean Baptiste Molière

One of the truest tests of Integrity
is its blunt refusal to be compromised.
…….Chinua Achebe

Honor your commitments with integrity.
…….Les Brown

Nothing so completely baffles one who is full of trick and duplicity himself,
than straightforward and simple Integrity in another.
…….Charles Caleb Colton

A single lie destroys a whole reputation of integrity.
……..Baltasar Gracian


“Achievement of your happiness is the only moral purpose of your life,
and that happiness, not pain or mindless self-indulgence,
is the proof of your moral integrity,
since it is the proof and the result of your loyalty to the achievement of your values.”

…….Ayn Rand

LIFE'S HISTORY

”History with its flickering lamp, stumbles along the trail of the past,
trying to reconstruct its scenes, to revive its echoes,
and kindle with pale gleams the passion of former days.”

These eloquent words written by one of the world’s elder statesmen and Nobel Prize Laureate, Sir Winston Churchill, exquisitely paints a true picture of the role of history in our lives, as we try to recount the events of the past and their impact on our future lives.

Life is really a continuum of events occurring in succession, leading from the past to the present and even into the future. All of human history is but a narrative description or record of these events, not as they actually occurred, but rather as we have interpreted and assimilated them.

As we travel along the road of life we learn and grow by the experiences of the moment, and the lessons derived from them. Equally important to us is the knowledge of events of the past and our recall of them. Our historical perception is invariably subjective and as such our subsequent behavior is necessarily subjective. Contrary to conventional wisdom, our concept of history is therefore flawed and so too are our interpretation of events. Because of this we need to exercise caution in the use of history in our lives.
James Baldwin, the famous black activist, was perhaps somewhat overdone, but still correct when he noted:

“People are trapped in history,
and history is trapped in them.”

Most historians will not hesitate to caution you to be careful how you use information derived from historical sources. Since they are merely records or interpretations of past events by people who may or may not have witnessed them, they are subject to the personal biases of the authors. Franklin P. Jones, the celebrated American humorist is credited with the following:

“Perhaps nobody has changed the course of History
as much as the historians”

Any review of different accounts of the same historical event will quickly confirm this fact.

The same situation exists in our personal experiences. Too often we find ourselves in situations where we adopt life-changing decisions on the basis of an historical account, without questioning its validity or authenticity. We assume that because we know the source then that’s good enough. I am sure that we can all think of examples of having come to conclusions based on certain accounts only to find out later that we were wrong, either because our information was biased, or our interpretations were inaccurate. I certainly admit to many such examples.

The moral of this is that although we must rely on history to help us recall the past events affecting our lives and learn from them, we must however temper any conclusion arrived at with the knowledge that the information acquired is subject to bias and not necessarily accurate.
In the end, we will all do very well if we learn this fundamental fact contained in the following quotation whose author is unknown:

"Man learns from History that
Man does not learn from History."


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History is a set of lies agreed upon.
…….Napoleon Bonaparte

History is the sum total of the things
that could have been avoided.
……Konrad Adenauer

History never looks like history
when you are living through it.
……..John W. Gardner





Every true History must force us to remember that the past
was once as real as the present and as uncertain as the future.
……George Macaulay Trevelyan


History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time;
It illumines reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance in daily life,
and brings us tidings of antiquity.
……..Cicero
All the ancient histories, as one of our wits say,
are just fables that have been agreed upon.
…..Voltaire

History is a kind of introduction to more interesting people
than we can possibly meet in our restricted lives;
Let us not neglect the opportunity.
……..Dexter Perkins

More History is made by secret handshakes,
than by battles, bills, and proclamations.
…….John Barth,

Sin writes Histories; Goodness is silent.
……..Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Men have need of History because, without it,
the past threatens to overwhelm them.
………Guy Fregaull

History does not unfold: it piles up.
………Robert M. Adams,

Even the most painstaking History,
is a bridge across an eternal mystery.
……..Bruce Catton,

There is nothing more dangerous than History used as a defense,
or History used for preaching;
History used as a tool is no longer history.
……..Marcel Trudel

DARE TO LIVE LIFE

Every one of us can easily think of somebody whose behavior or attitude has so impressed us that we stand in awe of them. They are neither superhuman nor are they endowed with special gifts. They come from among us and share our weaknesses and our strengths. The only difference is that in a very special situation and under very special conditions, they faced and dealt with adversity at a level far above our comfort levels. They dared to rise above their catastrophic obstacles and live life above and beyond their normal
expectations.
Of the very many examples that have crossed my life over the past years, two have impressed me, each for a different reason;
The first is the world renowned theoretical physicist Stephen William Hawking, whose

contributions to the fields of cosmology and quantum gravity was hailed by the world's community of scientists. He opened up our understanding of the origin of the universe and facilitated space exploration.
At the age of 21 years, while still a student at Cambridge University, he was diagnosed with a serious neuromuscular disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). This is a uniformly fatal disease, characterized by progressive paralysis of all the body’s muscles leading to total incapacity.
Despite this catastrophe, he continued to lead an active academic life, lecturing all over the world, publishing many original and ground breaking papers and scholarly books. Further he amazingly was able to lead a full and rewarding personal life, he is married with three children, traveled to many countries and participated in a range of lifestyle experiences, including traveling into space.
All of this was done while being almost completely paralysed and confined totally to a wheelchair. He communicates by using his eyelids and a very sophisticated computer system. Despite this, he continues to combine a full family life with his teaching and research into theoretical physics together with an extensive program of travel and public lectures.
To meet this man is awesome, not only for the brilliance of his mind, but even much more, to witness the way he was able to overcome the gargantuan obstacles with an aura confidence and optimism, even as he appears as a “crumpled bundle of humanity” with only a flutter of his eyelids to communicate to the world.

Indeed his is a story of a man who defiantly faced his obstacles and dared to live his life.

The second is someone with whom I have a close relationship. He is a man who, for as long as I have known him, has been an indefatigably ambitious man who has never flinched from a challenge and very rarely lost anyone of them. By dint of intense personal effort and hard work he has developed a very successful enterprise and an equally enviable reputation. He has earned the highest respect from his community for his generous philanthropy.
However as a result of a series of unfortunate accidents and questionable management he suffered a serious neck injury leading to almost complete paralysis of the upper and lower body, resulting in total dependence on others and confinement to bed.
To any other man, myself included, this would have precipitated such disappointment and antagonism as to cause a profound anger and resentment. But in this case this did not happen. Rather one witnessed a change that was at once philosophical as it was an acceptance of a “new life”. Instead of resentment, there was a genuine desire to accommodate, and instead of anger, there was an urgent effort to learn so that he could teach others by example and experience.

Here again, a unique example of a man who refused to succumb to life-changing adversity
And instead grabbed it with both hands and dared to live his new life to the fullest.

These are but two examples of thousands that exist around us. They may be inspiring to us as witnesses, but to all of them they are merely natural responses to the circumstances of life. In the end, it really demonstrates our basic differences. In this context, I am reminded of the quotation of the great Roman Philosopher, Seneca who wrote:

“It is not because things are difficult, that we do not Dare,
it is because we do not Dare, that they are difficult.”

Ultimately, the fundamental difference lies in our willingness to dare or not to dare when faced with adversity, and to no other reason.

Perhaps we can all do well to heed the advice of the former Secretary of State to President George H.W. Bush, General Alexander Haig who wrote:

Practice rather than preach.
Make of your life an affirmation,
Defined by your ideals, not the negation of others.
Dare to the level of your capability then go beyond to a higher level.

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Where is the man who has Dared to do such a thing?
……..Esther 7:5

Dare to be naive. \
…….Buckminster Fuller

Only those who Dare to fail greatly,
can ever achieve greatly.
……..Robert F. Kennedy


We fail more often by timidity than by Daring.
…….David Grayson


Stand upright, speak thy thoughts, declare The truth thou hast, that all may share;
Be bold, proclaim it everywhere: They only live who Dare.
…….V oltaire

To Dare is to lose one's footing momentarily.
To not Dare is to lose oneself.
…….Soren Kierkegaard


One must work and Dare if one really wants to live.
…….Vincent Van Gogh

There's something liberating about not pretending.
Dare to embarrass yourself…. Risk.
…….Drew Barrymore

Power is given only to those who Dare to lower themselves and pick it up.
Only one thing matters, one thing; to be able to Dare!
…….Fyodor Dostoevsky


Dare and the world yields,
or if it beats you sometimes,
Dare it again and you will succeed.
………William Makepeace Thakeray

LIFE AS A LIGHTHOUSE - a father's role

“You represent that Lighthouse to me, because no matter how stormy
the seas of life became you were always that pillar, that beacon of light,
to guide me through the trying times. No matter how rough or dark things
may seem, your strength and your unmistakable guiding light brought me
to a sound conclusion.”

These words, written by my son Ted on the occasion of my 75th birthday, touched me more than anything else I heard that night. I can think of nothing that so completely describes the role of a successful father.

A lighthouse is a structure placed by the maker to guide and protect its people as they navigate through life’s treacherous and stormy waters. To provide the necessary light and signals by word, by action and by example to guide them into safe harbors. To be successful, it must stand as a monument to motivation, and be consistent and unwavering in its standards. To be effective, it must remain tall and strong, and must be able to withstand the pounding of the waves, the onslaught of the rain and the terror of lightning and thunder, all the while its tireless beacon showing the way without change or interruption.

As I see it, a father’s role is no different and no less sacred. But he must first recognize that his children are sacred responsibilities merely entrusted to him for care and guidance, as Khalil Gibran so beautifully described:

"Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They came through you, but not from you, and
Though they are with you, yet they belong not to you."

Like the Lighthouse, a father must be committed to provide the guiding light to help them navigate through the troubled and daunting road to maturity. The way each person sees the world depends on the experiences and lessons acquired on their journey through life, and like the lighthouse, their success or failure is directly related to the omnipresent structure and its guiding light over every character and every action. This is the true role of the father.

Nothing is more unsettling than to encounter fathers whose selfish motivation drive them to compete rather than guide their child. Or worse still, the absent father whose callous, wanton abandonment of his responsibility makes him worse than an animal. They all hide behind such statements as “my father never helped me and I did very well”. This is very unfortunate and to my mind unacceptable.

I rather favor the role of a true father as being present to provide guidance and direction without control or domination. while allowing the child to develop to its full potential. Clarence B. Kellard, the author recorded this in eloquent simplicity:

"My Father didn’t tell me how to live;
He lived, and let me watch him do it."

There is an indescribable honor and pride in every father who is blessed with children in whom he is able to reap the reward of his efforts. No amount of material wealth or personal possessions can match the feeling of a proud father, or for that matter, replace the desolation and disappointment of disenchanted children.

In this context, like all very successful lighthouses, there has to be constant attention paid to maintaining the highest levels of performance and a willingness to adapt and adjust to the prevailing changes.

A father’s biggest mistake is to continue to take things for granted and not recognize that as circumstances change, so do needs and expectations. To be worthy of the respect of his children, demands eternal vigilance and flexibility.

For myself, I often recall a prayer written by an unknown author to constantly remind me of this noble responsibility. I strongly recommend it to all true fathers:

One night a father overheard his son pray:
“Dear God, make me the kind of man my Dad is”.
Later that night, the father prayed:
“Dear God, make me the kind of man my son wants me to be.”


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And you Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath;
Bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
…..Ephesians 6:4

A Father’s words are like a thermostat;
That sets the temperature in the house.
…..Paul Lewis

Good Fathers make good sons.
….Author Unknown

I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong,
as the need for a Father’s protection.
….Sigmund Freud

It is a wise Father, who knows his child.
….William Shakespeare

It is much easier to become a Father, than to be one.
…..Kent Nerburn


When you teach your son, you teach your son’s son.
…..The Talmud


I talk, and talk, and talk, and I haven't taught people in 50 years,
what my father taught by example in one week."

…..Mario Cuomo

LIFE AFTER THE PIN DROPS

The following was sent to me by a good friend under the caption “You could hear a pin drop.”
It deals with how some of our former patriots handled negative comments about our country.

I prefer to offer them as examples of the insensitivity of man to the sacrifices of others and a total lack of gratitude for the pain and suffering endured on their behalf. It proves, beyond any question of a doubt, that the battles you fight today are today’s battles, and will have no effect on anyone else when the sun comes up tomorrow.

1. France, after WWII
JFK'S Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, was in France in the early 60's when DeGaule decided to pull out of NATO. DeGaule said he wanted all US military out of France as soon as possible.Rusk responded, "Does that include those who are buried here?" DeGaule did not respond.…………..You could have heard a pin drop.

2. Empire Building in Iraq
When in England , at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of 'empire building' by George Bush.He answered by saying, "Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return."
…………You could have heard a pin drop.

3. U.S. Might at Sea
There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break, one of the French engineers came back into the room saying, "Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intend to do, bomb them?"
A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: "Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?"
………You could have heard a pin drop.

4. Speaking English only
A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S. , English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English. He then asked, "Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?"
Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied, "Maybe it's because the Brit's, Canadians, Aussie's and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German."
………..You could have heard a pin drop.

5. Return Visit
Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on."You have been to France before, monsieur?" the customs officer asked sarcastically.Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously."Then you should know enough to have your passport ready."The American said, "The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it."
"Impossible. Americans always have to show their passports on arrival in France !"
The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained,
''Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate
this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to."
……….You could have heard a pin drop.

HOW QUICKLY WE FORGET!!!!!
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The legacy of heroes is the Memory of a great name;
- And the inheritance of a great example.
…….Benjamin Disraeli

Who kept the faith and fought the fight;

The glory theirs, the duty ours.

…….Wallace Bruce

The patriot's blood is the seed of Freedom's tree.
…….Thomas Campbell

On thy grave the rain shall fall from the eyes of a mighty nation!

……Thomas William Parsons

With the tears a Land hath shed,Their graves should ever be green.
……. Thomas Bailey Aldrich

LIFE WITH HONOR

Life, every man holds dear;
But the dear man holds honor far more precious than life.

The above statement written by William Shakespeare, which appeared in one of his lesser known tragedies, Troilus and Cressida, defines the true meaning of Honor among men.

Honor can be defined in many ways. It means respect and esteem earned by an individual through deed and reputation. It does not mean an automatic recognition of one’s right to great respect, and does not come by simply doing remarkable things in impossible situations. Rather it comes by acquisition of respect among others, slowly. As good deeds accumulate respect turns in something more, and before you know it, the person has earned honor.

Honor can also be subjective and relates to a person having Integrity. In plain language, an honorable person avoids deception whenever possible, treats others with respect and sticks to his beliefs no matter how others think or act. This is a priceless gift that everyone in the world can achieve. It cannot be bought, or sold or traded, and can only be gained by the respect earned from his peers. It is a code of behavior characterized by a sense of ethical and moral conduct, loyalty and integrity. It means establishing a reputation and a moral identity that are consistent and predictable, and keeping them at all cost.

Honor cannot be inherited from generation to generation, nor can it be learnt from reading books. It however can be taught by example and model and by providing the right milieu. A child growing up in a home where respect, loyalty and commitment is the norm, will much more likely develop these principles than one who does not. Similarly, a society which recognizes the importance of Honor is more likely to produce similar behavior among its members than one which does not.

In my own life, for as long as I can recall the concept of Honor has been an integral part of my life. Growing up in a home where I witnessed my father who lived by his word and who took every opportunity to impart this to his children, it seemed quite easy to follow. He often related to us his reason why he dropped his family name and adopted his middle name, because of the social behavior of his cousins whose action were unacceptable to him and he could not tolerate the embarrassment. To me this action was totally commendable and appropriate, though many others disagreed.

During my life, I have encountered many men of honor and have consistently admired and respected the way they conducted their lives. By contrast, I have been associated with many more who spend their lives in deceit, selfish gain and unprincipled behavior and who have earned and continue to earn my unreserved contempt. I can think of one family, whose offspring have consistently lived by deceit, manipulation and scheming and who have the uncanny ability to pass this on to subsequent generations. Although highly successful, their lives are strewn with unending disastrous relationships and hardships. They have consistently earned my contempt and rejection.

In the end however, I believe that to live with honor is a very personal choice that each and everyone of us must make or reject. To adapt a famous statement;

For those who live with Honor, no explanation is necessary,
For those who don’t, no explanation is possible.

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Be honorable yourself if you wish to associate with honorable people. …..Welsh Proverb

The difference between a Moral man and a Man of Honor
is that the latter regrets a discreditable act;
even when it has worked and he has not been caught.
…….H.L. Menken


Be not ashamed of thy virtues;
Honor's a good brooch to wear in a man's hat at all times.
……Ben Johnson

A life spent making mistakes is not only more Honorable,
but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.
………George Bernard Shaw

Honor does not have to be defended.
……Robert J. Sawyer

If you stand straight, do not fear a crooked shadow.
…..Chinese Proverb

A man has honor if he holds himself to an ideal of conduct;
Though it is inconvenient, unprofitable, or dangerous to do so.
…….Walter Lippman

Integrity is not a conditional word.
It doesn't blow in the wind or change with the weather.
It is your inner image of yourself,
and if you look in there and see a man who won't cheat,
then you know he never will.
……Author Unknown

LIFE AFTER FAILURE

"The successes of today are built, not on the spires of early triumphs,
but upon the rubble of earlier failures".

This statement was made to me many years ago and although I do not recall the source, it has so impressed me that I consider it one of my core quotations.

The history books are overflowing with examples of this and to my knowledge, many if not all of the most successful people arrive there along a road strewn with multiple rocks of failure.

As a young man, Abraham Lincoln went to war a captain and returned a private. He failed in several business ventures and as a Lawyer was only able to earn money by becoming an itinerant attorney. As a politician, he was no less successful. He was defeated in his attempt to be elected to congress, and twice to the senate as well in his first attempt for the vice-presidency. Yet as the 16th President he successfully presided over the most difficult period of American History.

Sir Winston Churchill failed as a student, was defeated in every election for public office although he was appointed to several cabinet posts, until his election as Prime Minister in 1940. His leadership is credited with saving England in WWII. In addition his was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his work as an author.

Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company and father of modern assembly lines used in mass production, failed and went broke five times before he succeeded. He recorded his experience thus:

"Failure is only the opportunity to begin again,
This time, more intelligently".

Sigmund Freud, the father of Psychotherapy, was booed from the podium when he first presented his ideas to the scientific community, but eventually gained much acceptance and respect after he persisted.

Despite this however, most people approach failure with great caution and trepidation. So often the thought of failure weighs so heavily that many potentially successful ventures never see the light of day. To them, the “shame of failure” is worse than death itself. I recall my own father spending long hours in deep thought and consultation over a business opportunity because of the risk of failing, rather than the real potential for reward.

These people are described as “cautious and conservative”and the "pillars of the community".
They form the backbone of our society, which universally frowns on risk takers and failures. But the truth is that the most successful and the most progressive are found among the risk takers and failure-prone. That is indeed the secret weapon of all successful people. To them, the risk of failure like so many other intangibles, is “part of doing business”. In fact, they will readily refer you to the words of Paul Tillich, the Christian Theologian and Philosopher:

“He who risks and fails can be forgiven.

He who never risks and never fails,

is a failure in his whole being.”

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Failure is success if we learn from it.
…..Malcolm S. Forbes

It is fine to celebrate success, but
It is more important to heed the lessons of failure
….Bill Gates

Failure is an event, never a person.
…….William D. Brown,

Failure is the condiment that gives Success its flavor.
.…Truman Capote

There are two kinds of Failure;
Those who thought but never did,
and those who did but never thought.
......Lawrence E. Peters.

The men who try to do something and fail are infinitely better
than those who try to do nothing and succeed.
…..Lloyd Jones

Rather Fail with honor than succeed by Fraud.
...Sophocles

It does not matter how many times you fall,
What matters above all, is the first time you do not get up,
For then, and only then, you will have failed

…..Edward A. Moses

No man is a failure who has friends.
…….Clarence, “It’s a Wonderful Life”

Understand that failure is not the opposite of Success,
It's part of Success.
…..Ariana Huffington

LIFE'S ADVERSITIES

Malcolm X, the famous Black Power advocate and Nation of Islam convert spoke of dealing with Adversity in the following terms:

"There is no better than Adversity.
Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson;
On how to improve your performance the next time."

Adversities are a part of living, and how we choose to deal with each adversity determines the quality of our lives. Most of us are content to spend our lives avoiding them as much as we can, and when we cannot, we try to accommodate or adapt to them. We hide behind a multitude of excuses or explanations designed to conceal our inner fears or anxieties and in the process, lose more and more of ourselves.

The truth is that Adversity is an intergral part of life and like learning to walk and talk and laugh or cry, must be faced and dealt with correctly as part of our growth and development.
I would be the last to deny that adversities can be exceedingly difficult. Many times they will be senseless, unfair, painful, and beyond our control. But they come into our lives for a reason, and we can choose to learn valuable lessons from each adversity we encounter or not. To me as tough as life's lessons sometimes are, each holds the seed of an equal or greater blessing, a pathway to new growth as a human being. We owe it to ourselves to deal with our adversities and to learn from them. Equally important, we must use every opportunity to teach our children, by word and by example, the importance of coping with their adversities.

In dealing with adversity we must learn to bury our hurt and grief and insecurity deep inside our egos and focus on the benefits which can accrue. Each adversity we encounter can bring new insights into human nature, we become wiser to life's ways, our ways, and people's ways. The result is that we can gain in strength and confidence and will be better able to face the next one.

I am sure we can all recall a multitude of examples of adversity in our lives as well as in others. It is important that wherever possible, we take the time to analyse the outcome if only to learn future lessons. Of all my encounters, I recall one incident which occurred almost 50 years ago and remains indelibly imprinted in my memory as an outstanding example of the depth of adversity to which a young man was exposed and his brave and steadfast response.
Over a short period of time through no fault of his own, he lost his infant daughter in an auto accident, then his home in a fire and his fledgling business and yet, by dint of faith and personal strength he was able to overcome these tragedies and subsequently prosper.

This reminds me so much of the popular quotation by Lou Holtz, Notre Dame University's most successful football coach:

“Show me someone who has done something worthwhile,
And I'll show you someone who has overcome adversity.”

We should make use of every opportunity to deal with every adversity that presents itself, for there can be no better way to grow on this road of life.

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Adversity is like a strong wind.
It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn,
so that we see ourselves as we really are.
……. Arthur Golden

Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it
the seed on an equal or greater benefit.
…… Napoleon Hill

He knows not his own strength that has not met adversity.
…….Ben Johnson

You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday.
You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.
……. Epicurus


In adversity, we acquire the strength we have overcome.
..…Ralph Waldo Emerson

He knows not his own strength that hath not met Adversity.
….Cesare Pavese

Fire is the test of gold; Adversity, of strong men.
Prosperity tries the fortunate, Adversity the great.
……..Lord Byron

Adversity is the trial of principle.
Without it, a man hardly knows whether he is honest or not.
……Henry Fielding

Little minds are tamed and subdued by Adversity,
But Great minds rise above them

.……Washington Irving

LIFE IN THE TIME OF JOAN BAEZ

In 1959, as a recent Medical Graduate newly returned to my home in Trinidad, my attention was drawn to a young American woman named Joan Baez, who had briefly visited Trinidad. She was described as a folk singer with a beautiful voice. Indeed when I heard her rendition of “We are crossing the Jordan River” at the Newport Folk Festival, I immediately recognized the beauty and clarity of her voice and have continued to enjoy her work since then. I have followed her career over the last 50 years and have made every effort to acquire her complete works. Despite the passage of time, she continues to amaze me with her renditions and remains my favorite artist.

Yet however successful her singing career has become, it is dwarfed by her life-long and determined drive to make this world better by her continued activism in the areas of Nonviolence, Civil and Human rights. She is a wonderful example of a true humanitarian. Quite unlike the great majority of successful artists who choose to advertise their success with notoriety, drug and alcohol abuse and sexual adventures. One only has to compare the life styles and histories of Madonna or Britney Spears to that of Joan Baez to appreciate her true contribution to society, as compared to the grossly negative contributions of the others.

Her early years were spent deeply involved in supporting the civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King Jr. Her rendition of “We shall overcome” at the 1963 March on Washington remains a classic, as it moved the hundreds of thousands of protesters to tumultuous applause. She participated in many of these marches, entertaining the crowds with her songs and her singing.

She was also very prominent in the anti-Vietnam war protests and rallies. She organized a free concert at the Washington Monument in Washington, DC, attended by a crowd of over 30,000, to the loud objections of the establishment.

She was also very involved in local and international human rights violations. In 1970 she helped in establishing the U.S. branch of Amnesty International and worked to expose violations in the US as well as places as diverse as Vietnam, Cambodia, Chile, Brazil and Argentina. She established her own human rights group, Humanitas International, to target oppression anywhere it occurred.

Her struggles have not slowed with age, presently she remains active in such diverse causes as Gay rights, Environmental abuses, Death penalty and the Iraq war and shows no sign of slowing down.

She has received many acknowledgements and honors along the way including honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Antioch and Rutgers Universities for her “political activism and her music”.

Perhaps you will now understand why I have chosen to call the last 50 years “The Time of Joan Baez” and can appreciate how this one single woman, blessed with the gift of a beautiful voice, could do so much to help her world and its people.

….Can you say the same for Madonna or Britney Spears or for that matter, Oprah Winfrey?

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To love means you also trust.

You don't get to choose how you're going to die…or When.
You can only decide how you're going to live…and How.

Action is the antidote to despair.

I do not believe in war.
I do not believe in the weapons of war

I've been obsessed withstopping people fromblowing each other's brainsout since I was ten."

You may not know it, but at the far end of despair,
there is a white clearing where one is almost happy.

That's all nonviolence is - organized love

My concern has always been for the people who are victimized,
Unable to speak for themselves and who need outside help

As long as one keeps searching, the answers come.

LIFE'S LESSONS

As we travel along the road of Life we come in contact with a large and varied mix of people, situations and experiences. Most of these, like passing clouds, will impact us for a fleeting moment and then move on, leaving little or no memory.

However, from time to time, someone, or something or some experience occurs and so affects us, that from then on our lives are changed permanently and irreversibly. We can all relate to the thousands of such occurrences that have taken place in our personal lives and recall the impact of each one on us. Often they remain visible as milestones along the way.

In my own life, among the very many examples, I can think of My Parents, who by word and by example taught me the meaning of honesty, loyalty and family commitment. My late Uncle, from whom I gratefully acknowledge the true meaning of responsibility and justice and to Fr. Graf, my High School Science teacher, who instilled the love of learning and sacrifice in my young mind. Even now, having crossed my 75th year, I still recall these experiences gratefully and fondly, and try always to pass on the lessons learnt to succeeding generations.

Brett Favre, the hall-of-fame quarterback who led the Green Bay Packers successfully for several years has been quoted as follows:

“Life deals you a lot of Lessons;
Some people learn from it, some people don't.”

This simple statement crystallizes in a few words the real meaning of the lessons of life. As we proceed along the road of life, we are all constantly exposed to opportunities to learn and grow in knowledge and insight. Lessons are all around us and opportunities surface in every aspect of our lives. How we meet them and how we make use of them makes the difference.

Most of us blunder through life expecting everything will be done for us and unwilling to expend energy or effort toward our growth and improvement. What a pity, for we end up living out our lives in blissful ignorance, cheated from rewards to which we are capable. Others welcome the opportunities, irrespective of difficulty, as valuable chances to learn more and be more. These are the people who will benefit from all of life’s blessings. They are the leaders, the innovators, the inventors, the thinkers and all other successful people to whom the rest of us look with awe and admiration.
Abigail Adams, the wife of John Adams, the second president of the United States, in one of her essays wrote:

“Learning is not attained by chance;
It must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence”

Perhaps we can learn from this advice, and be more alert and diligent to the lessons of life as we continue our travels along the road.

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There are no mistakes or failures; -only Lessons
…….Denis Waitley

The greatest Lesson in life;
is to know that even fools can sometimes be right
……..Horace

The Lessons of the past are ignored and obliterated,
In a contemporary antagonism known as the generation gap.
…….Spiro T. Agnew

There are no regrets in life; - just Lessons.
……Jennifer Aniston

He who follows his Lessons tastes a profound peace.
…….Moliere

Lessons are not given, they are taken.
……..Cesare Pavese

LIFE'S BLESSINGS

Pierre Pradervand in his wonderful book, The Gentle Art of Blessing, described blessings in these simple but eloquent terms:

"To bless means to wish unconditionally, and from the deepest chamber of your heart, unrestricted good for others and events; It means to hallow, to hold in reverence. To bless is to invoke divine care upon, to speak or think gratefully for, or to confer happiness upon.

We ourselves are never the bestowers, but simply the joyful witnesses of life's abundance.”

The concept of blessing is the one universal action that is recognized, believed and practiced by all the world’s religions and people, through the common invocation of a Supreme God. It constitutes a single thread that binds the three major religions, Christianity, Judaism and Islam through the common origin of the Prophet Abraham. Act3:25 reflects a version of this theme:

"You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God gave to your fathers,
saying to Abraham;`In your posterity shall all the families of the earth be blessed.'"

So too, in the other major Religious civilizations, Hinduism and Buddhism, as well as the myriad of Minor religions, the act of offering blessings in the name of the Supreme Gods forms a fundamental part of their belief structure.

The verb 'to bless' means to treat as holy, to honor someone or something for its
Own self. It is an expression of love and respect and gratitude and honor to the entity and by extension, to ask God to shower his benefits. It should be no surprise to know that irrespective of your religious or cultural background a blessing is universally offered and accepted and is the one singular act that could serve as a platform for understanding and unity among all peoples.

Blessings take on all kinds of forms in peoples’ hearts, depending on the individual’s upbringing, experience and environment. It is essential to recognize that extending a blessing to others must be a random act of kindness inspired by an impulse from within, and offered unconditionally without expectation of reward or gain. Any other way does not constitute a blessing.

For as long as I can recall, a blessing has always carried a sacred and solemn meaning.
Growing up in a family tradition that laid emphasis on a Father’s blessing, I have cherished the times that I received his blessings, as he did, receiving them from his father, and as I hope, my own children will receive from me.

One of the greatest teachings of Jesus Christ was based on the subject of Blessing, when he addressed the multitude on the Eight Beatitudes during the Sermon on the Mount, in which he spelled out in great detail God's expectations in Matthew 5 : 3-10:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.



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Prayers go up, and Blessings come down.

…..Yiddish Proverb

Every burden is a Blessing.

……Walt Kelly

When I started counting my Blessings,
My whole life turned around.

…..Willie Nelson

What seems to us as bitter trials, are often Blessings in disguise.

….Oscar Wilde

There is no disaster that can’t become a Blessing;
And no Blessing that can’t become a disaster.

……Richard Bach

Men are slower to recognize Blessings than evils.

…..Titus Livy

We should certainly count our Blessings;
But we should also make our Blessings count.

…..Neil A. Maxwell

LIFE'S KINDNESS

Kindness in words creates confidence;
Kindness in thinking creates profoundness;
Kindness in giving creates love.

These words attributed to the ancient Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu, clearly highlight the far-reaching impact of Kindness on human behavior. It truly encompasses the global effect that an act of kindness can exert on the environment.

Kindness is defined as a quality of being caring and considerate and sympathetic and forgiving. It is an act that is directed to understanding the needs of others and providing help and support. It is a state that requires your providing strength and understanding of the problems of others in need, and if possible providing solutions to benefit them. It is the single, most universal act that “makes the world go around”.

Throughout the ages, the world has had examples of people of exceptional kindness who have devoted their lives in the service of others. They come from every culture and every level of society. All of them exhibit the constant attribute of kindness and love for their fellow being and an unconditional desire to help.

Although the history books are overflowing with information of their lives and works yet somehow we have never tried to follow their examples. It seems that we prefer to confine them to oblivion as we continue to lead our lives of conflict and selfishness. Consider the great humanitarian physician, Albert Schweitzer who devoted his Life to caring for the sick in Africa, and Mother Teresa, who cared for unfortunates in India. Despite all the good works done, few people think of them any more. What a shame!

But kindness should not be limited exclusively to these wonderful people. Each one of us has the propensity and ability to exhibit kindness and in our own way be a source of help to others, as for that matter, others can be a source of good for us. Just by being more aware of the needs of others around us, more considerate and more willing to understand them and above all, more willing to give of ourselves, we can significantly achieve changes. The result will be rewarding to you and to them. For wherever you go, kind people are liked by everybody.

An anonymous author noted that one random act of kindness has the ability to change the world by inspiring others to help. Kindness is contagious and the more people who are “infected” the greater chance we have of spreading it around and beyond. In this context I can do no better than to quote the Dalai Lama who in a speech he delivered on September 11, 2001 after the bombing of the World Trade Center. He stated:

“Those others are waiting for you.

They are looking to you for guidance, for help,
for courage, for strength, for understanding, and for assurance at this hour.
Most of all, they are looking to you for love.
My religion is very simple.
My religion is kindness.”

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Kindness is the golden key that unlocks the hearts of others.
….George MacDonald

There is no such thing as a small act of Kindness;
Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.
…….Scott Adams

No act of kindness is ever wasted.
……Aesop (from “The lion and the Mouse”)
Kind words can be short and easy to speak,
but their echoes are truly endless.
…..Mother Teresa

A single act of Kindness throws out roots in all directions,
and the roots spring up and make new trees.
…..Amelia Erhart

Kindness can become its own motive.
We are made Kind by being Kind.
……Eric Hoffer.

LIFE'S ANGER

The intoxication of anger, like that of the grape,
shows us to others, but hides us from ourselves.

These words, written by John Dryden, crystallize the true impact of anger upon the individual.

Most Psychologists view anger as a primary, natural, and mature emotion experienced by all humans at times, and as something that is an integral part of the “flight or fight” survival mechanism. In the right context, anger can be used to mobilize psychological resources for corrective action.

However, Uncontrolled Anger is a strong word describing a serious human emotion to which we are all subject to varying degrees. It is a feeling that is oriented toward some real or supposed grievance, associated with distrust and displeasure. It is usually caused by the loss of control of a particular person over himself and his attempt to regain it. It negatively affects personal or social well-being and seriously compromises quality of life.

Except in situations of “righteous indignation”, society universally frowns on anger and people who use it indiscriminately. So too do all the religions. Christianity considers it a Cardinal Sin and in Hinduism, anger is equated with sorrow as a form of “Unrequited Desire”. The Quran attributes anger as an Enemy of the Prophet and the Torah records “he that is hasty of temper Exalteth Folly”. Buddhism rejects anger, including it as one of the “Five Hindrances”. In all of them anger is reserved solely for the Gods.

I cannot think of anyone, including myself, who is not guilty of responding to threatened situations with inappropriate anger over and over again only to find that rather than solve the conflict, we inevitably aggravate the situation. Anger is never productive, because we inevitably lose a lot more than we ever gain. My own personal experience confirms this. So many times I responded in anger to situations which at the time I felt justified, only to realize that subsequently no resolution occurred and worse, the situation was further compromised.

As I have grown older I have gradually acquired the maturity to learn that in conflict situations patience is a far greater asset than anger, and that much more resolution is achieved by resisting the impulse to explode, than any other action. I am often guided by the advice of a good friend and relative; “don’t get angry, get even”. Whenever I can, I take every opportunity to pass this advice to all.

In the end you can do no better than to be guided by the words of the Bible contained in Romans 12:19:
“Never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God”

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He who angers you conquers you.

…….Elizabeth Kenny

Anger dwells only in the bosom of fools.
…….Albert Einstein

Anger blows out the lamp of the mind.
…….Robert G. Ingersoll

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else;
you are the one who gets burned.

………Buddha

Consider how much more you often suffer from your anger and grief,
than from those very things for which you are angry and grieved.

………Marcus Antonius

Anger is one letter short of danger.
………Author Unknown

For every minute you remain angry,
you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind.
……..Ralph Waldo Emerson

How much more grievous are the consequences of anger
than the causes of it.
………. Marcus Aurelius

When anger rises, think of the consequences.

………Confucius

Anger is a wind which blows out the lamp of the mind.
……… Robert Ingersol

An angry man is again angry with himself when he returns to reason
……..Publilius Syrius

An angry man opens his mouth and shuts his eyes.
Anger and intolerance are the twin enemies of correct understanding.

......Mahatma Gandhi

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