Collected Wisdom

Here is some of the wisdom I've collected during my nearly 38 years on this planet:

When the size of our faith exceeds the size of our problems, happiness is the inevitable consequence.

Kindness is the oil that keeps the delicate machinery of human society from seizing up.

Every human life is inherently valuable, and everyone’s story deserves to be told.

I can’t make a difference for everyone, but I can make a difference for someone, and I can do it today.

Change for the better is not only possible, it’s happening right now. Someone somewhere just got an idea that will make the world a better place, and they’re about take their first courageous steps.

No darkness is so complete that a single ray of sunshine cannot dispel it.

Respect is the beginning of understanding, understanding the beginning of love.

Judgment is the disease and compassion is the cure.

There is beauty and inspiration everywhere, for those who choose to see it.

Life is sacred.

It is possible to find joy in the midst of suffering.

Outer peace begins with inner peace.

Service is a two-way street. We must be willing to both accept and offer it freely.

Empathy heals wounds.

Human connection saves lives.

Human love can transform the world.

Words are powerful. Use them to help, not hurt.

The words “if only” are two of the most painful words in the English language.

There is no cause, belief, organization, or idea so important that it can justify the intentional malicious treatment of innocent people.

It is possible to find inner peace in the midst of outer chaos.

In the long run, we always reap what we sow.

It is far better to be good than to look good.

Much of the dissatisfaction we experience in life is the result of misalignment between values and actions.

People can change, and they do it all the time. Real, lasting change is difficult, but it’s worth the effort.

Everything we need to be happy is already inside us.

We cannot completely suppress or be utterly ruled by our emotions. There must be a balance between instinct and reason.

Forgiveness is essential to happiness.

Few gifts are more precious than the gift of a loyal friend.

Fear, worry and anxiety destroy peace. Courage and faith restore it.

Intense grief is usually temporary, but it always leaves scars. We are never the same at the end of that journey as we are at the start.

The better we become at dealing with the inevitable uncertainty and discomfort in life, the happier we will be.

Expectations are a source of pain in life, especially expectations of entitlement. Meeting life on its own terms instead of wishing it could be different diminishes the need for destructive escapes.

No one sees the world as it actually it is. All we experience and all we think and feel is filtered through our perceptions.

God is real. Every time someone loves and serves another person, God is there. He is there in our joy and He is there in our pain. Trust Him.