1. "The web allows us to leave artifacts behind for others to find."
-- Chris Heuer
2. "Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards."
-- Bob Jiwakacau
3. "Life is not a series of situations, but a series of choices."
-- Charles Krueger
4. "Don't buy cheap suits or tires."
-- WGN Radio
5. The Four Agreements (see the following)
-- The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz and Maggie Mason
A. Be impeccable with your word.
Words have immeasurable power, so use them with care. Say only what you mean, and remember your opinion isn’t fact. Silence is better than saying something you’ll regret.
B. Don’t take anything personally.
Here I’ll quote the book, “Nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves.†That guy honking at you just spilled scalding coffee all over his lap, the boss screaming at you is going through a divorce. Their stuff has nothing to do with your stuff, and assuming you’re the root cause of someone’s behavior is not only self-centered, it’s also a big waste of energy.
C. Don’t make assumptions.
You can spend hours generating theories about why someone did something, or you can just ask. When someone lashes or does something unexpected, save time by seeking clarification.
D. Do your best.
Do the best you can with the conflict in front of you, and you won’t need to waste brain power on self-judgements or regrets.
When I can keep these guidelines in mind, I’m almost always able to diffuse a situation. Other benefits:
* Resolution comes more quickly because you ask for clarification instead of jumping to conclusions.
* You reduce time lost to stress because you don’t feel personally responsible for the other person’s anxiety or anger.
* Initial conflict often turns into a productive conversation and leads to a deeper relationship, because you come from a more compassionate place.
* You ideally come away without regrets, having resolved the situation instead of escalating it.
6. "Life’s Journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body,
but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting, “holy s*** what a ride!!!â€
-- Mark Van der Gaag
7. "Where ever two minds join in a single purpose, solutions are born"
-- Mark Van der Gaag
8. "Excellence is the willingness to be caught learning."
-- Alyn Pen
9. "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
-- Martin Luther King, Jr.
10. "Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery,
Today is a Gift – That’s why it's called The Present."
-- James Ward
11. "Listen, here's the thing. If you can't spot the sucker in your first half hour at the table, then you are the sucker."
-- Mike McDermott
12. "I believe that you measure yourself by the people that measure themselves by you."
-- Morgan Freeman and "The Bucket List"
13. "If God be for us, who could be against us."
-- "Saving Private Ryan"
14. "War educates the senses, calls into action the will, perfects the physical constitution, brings men into such swift and close collision in critical moments that man measures man."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
15. "Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another."
--Walter Elliott
16. 2/19/2010 "I rate enthusiasm even above professional skill" [enthusiasm can drive a person to gain the skills]
-- Edward Appleton
