Mother of All Blogs

As I noted in my entry on our testimonial page in 2022, due to a severe personal setback and work-related chronic stress I jumped on the road to enhanced well-being and began the pursuit of better brain-mind-body system coherence. I also decided as a form of therapy to capture my evolution in words. In a three-week period, I did just that, composing these quotes that in many ways actually do capture the trajectory of my journey. 
 - George

“The armor of emotional and mental resilience keeps from being lethal, the piercing barbs of trauma, adversity, and stress.”  

"Hope and perseverance are the mortal enemies of personal failure."

“Like dew touched by the radiant glimmer of a morning’s rise, the gloom of personal distress and futility fade when warmed by the steady glow of a determined and buoyant spirit of hope.”

“Self-awareness and self-reflection provide the stimuli for self-improvement.” 

“Seeking personal perfection is a forlorn quest that for most will end in disappointment; accepting the reality of imperfection will fuel a journey of self-improvement that for many will provide a bounty of happiness.”

"Like the snuffer to the candle, negativity extinguishes the presence of light and trades it with the ominous specter of darkness”

“Respect, akin to an honest wage, once earned can only be preserved through sincere effort and sustained endeavor”

“An expectation of success without effort will deliver failure despite the loftiest assumption” 

“While true that to banish a chronic demon one must first recognize the adversary with honesty, ensuring its demise is only possible with a relentless application of self-control and a willingness to endure interim ache to achieve the promise of eternal liberty.”  

“In the equation of one's life, limitless capacity is the summation of thoughtful desire to evolve additive to constant application of the instruments of change”

“Failure as a noun is an admission of defeat. Failing as an adjective should provide the motivation to overcome and succeed.  When in doubt, always defer to the adjective.” 

“Love and respect are the elixirs that remedy the contagion of hatred and disdain.” 

“In my life, I have both succeeded and failed. While, yes, the former has often provided the most immediate reward, as I change, grow, and evolve, I comprehend with the stark realization that it is the latter experience that conditions me to most allow me to realize my boundless capacity to be my best.  And, achieving my best is the ultimate endstate.”

“Possessing the acuity to realize a need to change is enlightening.  Demonstrating the courage to actually do it is cathartic. When done in tandem, the result of both is simply transformative.”

“Just as one lone star can provide a speck of light within the darkest sky, so too the slightest hope in one’s most desolate moment.” 

“Happiness in life is not the absence of sadness but instead the existence of the fortitude needed to repel the sustained depletion of its presence.” 

“The caring heart provides succor while the rigid heart demands accountability. The loving heart allows for both and comprehends with precise ardor the situations in which to apply either.”

“The longer I live the more I realize the brevity of life. That which was important in the short term, really, has little consequence on the final chapter.  The watermark of our ending is ultimately what shapes the final portrait of our being.  Certainly not the beginning nor what transpires in between.  Strive to make your best effort, the final effort.”  

“There is no certainty in life save the disenchantment one will realize when that assurance is their foremost quest.”

“Amplifying the faults of others is a baseless enterprise that underscores more a flaw in the felon than any shortcoming of the victim.” 

“When deep listening feeds the receptive ear and gentle heart, the thoughtful mind is nourished by the rich sustenance of concern, insight, and understanding.” 

“Measure not your life defined by personal gain; instead, seek a destiny fueled by the vigor to serve others”  

“Fortuitous are those who peer through a personal aperture tinged with kindness for the landscape of their lives will be painted with the empathetic shades of compassion.” 

“Before it can mean anything, love must be everything.” 

“Like the rudder to the schooner and the sextant to the sailor, positivity is an attitude that helps one navigate and sail through turbulent seas.”

“When a closed mind escapes the restraints of self-imposed bondage a wondrous trajectory of growth and evolution ensues.” 

“No challenge is too great when the body is fit and the mind, well” 

“Keen is the intellect smitten by a zest for cognition.”

“Just as the helmsman trusts the compass to chaperon a prosperous journey, so too must we allow our heart to plot a path towards internal happiness.” 

“Curiosity is the yeast that yields the spores of knowledge.”  

“Hubris is believing you are the smartest person in the room; truthful, admitting this folly.  Prudence is harnessing those who are, for success will likely follow.”  

“Beauty, captured by the eyes and processed through the heart, gains immortality in the soul of the finder.” 

“Character, like an artist’s pallet, is a kaleidoscope of defining blushes and hues that when melded together results in a canvas of singular uniqueness.” 

“The commitment to change, though perhaps a costly expenditure, affords a dividend of growth necessary to attain the payout of personal evolution” 

“Internal motivation seeds the inspiration that fuels the dedication essential for personal change.”

“When ensnared in the yoke of despair remember that self-confidence ensures the bullish prospect of hope.”

“Empathy is a virtuous wellspring from which flows the rivulets of affective and cognitive understanding.”

“The optimistic seed germinates a sapling of idealism from which blossoms a wondrous bough of confidence, enthusiasm, and hopefulness.”  

“The courage to change is the initial footstep along the passageway to personal growth, evolution, and the attainment of limitless capacity.” 

“Positive attitude is the infallible balm that soothes the heartbreak of setback and distress.”  

"No task is mundane when one’s passion is the energy driving it to completion.” 

“Forgiveness is a selfless expression of love that for the benefactor ensures what is reaped far surpasses that which is sowed.”

“Kindness is an omnipotent act; for one, a benevolent display of giving and the other, a comforting realization of love.”

“Like the sloop braked by tattered sails moves with listless motion, just as languid a spirit broken by despair.  But as the canvases can be mended with watchful devotion so to the shattered heart with vigilant resolve.”

“Failure is benign when the brain, mind, and body are fit, flexible, and sturdy with resolve.”

“Never ignore the experience of the past but cherish more the gift of the present; of the future's ambiguity, worry not.” 

“When the emotions of happiness and kindness nurture a caring heart no antidote for intolerance is required.”  

“For a leader, respect in the eyes of subordinates is vital for success if genuinely earned, not casually bestowed.  Absence of the same can be the harbinger of failure.”  

“By deed, word or, most effectively, setting the example, the successful leader motivates and achieves results minus threat or coercion.”

“Fortunate is the leader who possesses either compassion or empathy; Successful is the leader enjoying the benefit of both along with the prowess to realize the difference of application.”  

“The skill to motivate is the ally of the fruitful leader; to intimidate, the foe.”  

“Always aspire to be your best.  Be hopeful others do the same.  But, as you will oftentimes miss the mark, know that so too will they.  Thus, as you excuse your shortcomings, so also, absolve them of theirs.” 

“Foolish is the person who ignores that sadness exists. More enlightened, those who understand that gloom not only prevails but for all, is a sporadic certainty. Most fortunate, those who accept the inevitability of this absolute yet somehow corral the resiliency to overcome and grow from the experience.”  

“I love therefore, I live.” 

“The thirst for knowledge should never be quenched.” 

"Wondrous is the irony that the strongest people are oftentimes the gentlest.”  

"To grow and evolve one must demonstrate the fearless and audacious resolve to change."   “I once met a truly perfect person.  Of this, I am convinced because they told me so.”  

“Though not every stumble ends in a great fall, lacking the resilience to recover from either will result in a similar plummet.”  

“The pain one reaps from causing another suffering lasts far longer than even the most magnanimous application of the salve of forgiveness.”

“The understanding of the words received is as important as the intent of spoken words.”

“Blind is a heart that refuses to glimpse the beauty of life.”

“Toxicity can be a mind swayed by the fumes of a noxious brain.” 

“Hope is to despair like a candle to an unlit room. Darkness is vanquished and replaced by the lucent rays of brightness.” 

“Life is filled with cruel irony.  The saddest being the intellectually eminent of species - humankind - is also the most thoughtless, careless, and destructive.”   

 “Admitting the need for self-improvement is a bold concession; though it is not nearly as resolute as the vim expended seeing it through.” 

“Ultimate success is not avoiding failure; instead, it is growing from the experience that most determine one’s accomplishment.”

“It is far too easy to criticize and demean.  More difficult is the willingness to both critique and elevate.  Those who march the more onerous route will prosper – so too will the recipients of their honest appraisal” 

“Embrace compliments like luminous and enduring stars in the galaxy and they will radiate within you forever. Rebuke insults as fleeting meteors and their spark, though initially intense and ablaze, will vaporize from your life in a flash.”  

“Always be generous in praise and frugal in scorn; your life will likely be cheerful and sparsely forlorn.”  

“Frequently, those most humble are also just as impressive; regrettably, this is rarely the case with those brimming with arrogance.” 

“An apology minus sincere contrition is like a melody deficient in pitch and duration.  The words, akin to lyrics, though heard, will likely be fleeting and fail to resonate.” 

“The line between confidence and hubris though narrow, is one that must be carefully straddled.  Crossing it creates the ambiguity that one possesses either the attribute of tenacity or the onus of pretension.”  

 “Bias is an impenetrable barrier to reason and an equally firm obstacle to compromise.  Regrettably, progress suffers the consequence.” 

“A buoyant attitude can keep afloat one’s drowning spirit regardless of how weighty the payload.”

“When descended upon by a shroud of gloom allow the radiant beams of positive thought to puncture the darkness and shine a way ahead.” 

 “When the purpose of the field sport is simply to uncover fault in others, it is the hunter who is far more laid bare than the intended prey.” 

“The first step towards making a dream come true is believing that it can.”

“The solution to any problem begins with a desire to find it.”  

“Destiny is born of dreams and shaped by desire.”  

“When the door to dissent is flung open, anger and discord are the uninvited guests who typically enter.”

“When negative and positive opinions are at the apex of discourse, this is the hour when we must admit emotion, not intellect, will control the destiny of the debate.”  

“The smallest accolade earnestly achieved dwarfs the tallest kudo casually bestowed.” 

“It is wonderfully ironic that most of the time the quietest laurels resonate far louder than the most deafening criticisms.”

“Be like a trellis in the lives of others; that is, a supportive edifice, nurturing individual growth extending outward and upward, providing direction and stability.”

“Always strive to embrace those qualities you most admire in others.”  

“There is no individual achievement more Pyrrhic than that which is self-promoted minus the contributions of others.”  

“Lasting relationships, like the voice of a grand piano, though difficult to master and requiring constant tuning, can, with the diligence of effort, always yield the tonal colors of a splendid harmony.”  

“That one is able to ask the question “What am I most grateful for?” should provide the first answer: ``Being alive to ponder it.” 

“Before one can begin to understand others, they must first possess the self-awareness to know themselves.”

“Like the writer uses pen and paper to expose a tale, the emotionally astute person leverages brain, mind, and heart to uncover empathy.” 

“Strive to look inward as a start point for improving how you are perceived outward.” 

“Like relatives, stress can be both beneficial and adverse.  Thus, it is not essential to eliminate it from your life; instead, the goal is to learn to manage and cast aside that which is harmful to you.”  

“A glance into a mirror should never reflect perfection; the view, like an unfinished painting, should behold a work in progress, never a finished masterpiece.” 

“When the effort expended far exceeds the expected return, consider yourself enlightened and successful and your cause worthy.” 

“If you fear failure, you will never realize success.” 

“Like cement to concrete, so too, loyalty to relationships; both are vital elements needed to solidify a lasting foundation.” 

“When discourse is present, a mindful thought before a stern reaction is the surest means of avoiding the need for a chastened apology after a brash retort.” 

“While mediocrity is the descendent of the lazy mind, distinction is the child of an industrious.” 

“A daunting challenge is a deceptively disguised opportunity to shine.”  

“Far more disappointing than a promise not made, a promise not kept bears the imprint of contempt.”

“Measure personal success not so much by the end result but more by the effort expended attempting the task.”

“Deceit deceives the doer far more than the intended victim.” 

“As the global community contracts, cultural awareness must expand.” 

“Like pollinators to flora, curiosity to the mind is an attraction that germinates growth and change.”

“Letting go of mistakes is far more beneficial than dwelling on achievements.”

“The angst of pain and sorrow amplifies the serenity of joy and happiness.”

“Strive to make each recurring dawn in your life a New Year’s Day.” 

“As one can turn a frown into a smile, so too, it is hoped, they can pivot anguish into happiness.” 

“The summation of one’s life should not be finalized by the scope of their accomplishments or the frequency of their failures.  Instead, let the final measure of their being manifest in the lives and actions of those they positively influenced.”  

“Let the postscript of your life’s narrative be one shaped by a continuum of gracious actions and unselfish deeds.”   

“Negativity is a shackle that leads to sadness while positivity is a tether to happiness; always reach for the tether over the shackle.” 

“There is no more honest expression of love than friendship.”

“When the baggage of family weighs you down, look to friends to lighten the load.” 

“Unconditional love sires a condition of absolute happiness.” 

“Perception is no more a reality than expectation is an assurance.” 

“When faced with adversity, look at it, not as a challenge to overcome; instead, see it as an opportunity to prosper.” 

 “Do not accept despair as stark darkness; more so, welcome it as a less subtle shade of light. For it is in the latter that hope resides.”

“Emotionally hardy is the person who demonstrates sensitivity to the feelings of others.” 

“Expressing gratitude is that rare act that provides the messenger with the same degree of fulfillment as the recipient.”

"When you love one and they do not reciprocate, devastating can be the result. But it is far more crushing, never having that feeling to express to anyone.”

“An act of loyalty carries the weight of an expression of love.” 

“Do not dwell on the past because you cannot alter or the future since you cannot predict.  Instead, be present in the current experience for then you can begin to accept what has happened and be more prepared for what has yet to occur.”  

“Betrayal, like death, is unavoidable. The sooner you recognize this inevitability, the more prepared you will be to accept it.”  

“The sincere willingness to accept responsibility for a mistake is far more useful to one’s emotional maturity than an overzealous quest to never make one.” 

“Before you can expect more from others you must demand more from yourself.” 

“Self-confidence tells you anything is possible. Self-acceptance exposes your limitations. Self-awareness allows you to notice and accept the offset.” 

“Knowing one’s strengths and limitations helps sire self-awareness.”  

“A single smile unseats a thousand frowns.”

“To best tend to the needs of others one must first address their own.”

“The smallest act of kindness is far mightier than the topmost display of indifference.” 

“Most honest is the friend who amplifies both your merits and flaws with equal fervor.” 

“Do not gauge one’s life by the scope of accomplishment, rather, measure it by the diligence and effort expended in their quest to achieve.”

“Do not equate the significance of one’s life with longevity.  Instead, use productivity as the barometer of success. For what one accomplished is far greater than how long they had to achieve that result.”

“It is not the eyes that fail to see the misfortune of others, it is the heart that is actually culpable.”  

“So blind and deaf is the person who only sees and hears that which is most beneficial to them.” 

“I have found that the braggart who claims to know it all, usually also possesses a short-term memory. 

“In life, always anticipating a fortuitous outcome is illusory.  In reality, there is no certainty of perpetual success and an expectation of such is a fool’s delusion.” 

“A lofty ego only impresses the proprietor.”  

“Dreams are born of wishes; hopes and desires are the offspring of both.”  

“As critical the single flake to the densest snowbank so to the individual to the collective.” 

“Failing to attempt is the safest way of avoiding failure; ironically, it is also the surest means of not realizing success.”

“Trying but failing is a far more noble result than not failing by not trying.”  

“Deceit is an insidious malady that attacks one’s reputation. Alas, honesty is vanquished and so is trust.”  

“Humble is the doer of prodigious deeds yet whose tongue remains silent of the acts.”  

“Highlighting the mistakes of others while ignoring one’s own faults is a flagrant act of self-betrayal.”

“Arrogance is a crippling blight on one’s entity.” 

“May I always remember that the strive is not to be perfect; instead, it is to be perfect in the strive.”    

“Succumbing to one’s own anger is needless defeat – rebuking the anger of others, a mindful retreat.”

“When one’s set menu of character traits includes entrées like gratitude, kindness, benevolence, and compassion, the recipe of their life’s main course will include abundant servings of grace, bliss, mercy, and love.”

“True love is like a shovel.  The spade of which has pierced two hearts and kneaded each into one.”

“Sometimes friends, though not by birthright, more by act of deed and commitment, are actually the truest essence of family.” 

“Measure personal courage not so much by the willingness to do the right thing when fashionable, but more, the insistence on demanding the same when it is contrary.” 

“Though having blessings in life is a divine reward, being the source of this same awareness in the lives of others delivers a far richer bounty.”

“Measure not one’s life upon a single action. Instead, let cumulative merits be the final quota of their worldly existence.”

“Just as the Sun’s radiant rays can thaw even the densest glacier, so, hopefully, an application of forgiveness melts away the impenetrable hurt of betrayal.”

“While oftentimes it is not what is said but how it is spoken that cuts the deepest, so too, what is heard is not always as piercing as how it is discerned.”   

“In life, when stumbles occur don’t despair; instead recall that long before the Giant Sequoia sprouted skyward to pierce the clouds, its journey began with the downward spiral of a seed cone to the soil below.”

“When one’s quiver of traits includes the arrows of persistence, tenacity, determination, and confidence, missing the target does not spell defeat; it merely means another pull of the bow is in order to score the bull’s eye.”  

“A human, not a deity, I know I am not infallible. But though far from perfect, I realize I can change, grow and evolve if my desire is earnest.”  

“Tender is the heart that can be callous in the face of injustice to others.”  

“In life, most opportunities are self-created not bestowed; the same, I have discovered, is true for foibles.”

“Negative feedback, if thoughtfully rendered, is many times more useful than a positive reaction cavalierly offered.”

“Despite any pureness of intention, resist the temptation of others to fully shape your life. In this regard, be the foremost architect of your final design.  As such, the structure, though perhaps not perfect, will endure as the edifice of your life.”

“When the pathway you stride is paved with the flagstones of affection, compassion, empathy, and respect, regardless of destination, your journey will always pass through the crossroads of benevolence and grace.”  

“It is the heart, not the eyes and mind, that most times fail to see and feel the suffering of others.”

“Expecting a life free from setbacks is a forlorn surmise. Instead, anticipate, learn and flourish from disappointment. Make growth the progeny of failure.”     

“The outstretched arm and open hand of comfort extended to those most in need are borne of a mind uncluttered by the harmful baggage of bias, antipathy, and contempt.” 

“A bountiful life is not one free from regret and defeat. Instead, it is that life in which difficulty is conquered by an enfolded brain, a stalwart mind, and a centered body. In essence, the WHOLE of ONE.” 

“The openness to change should never abate.”

“When the presence of goodness and compassion are aligned like the Sun and the Earth, hatred, if, like the Moon, similarly positioned, is eclipsed and cast into the shadows.  As it should be.”

“I question, thus I learn. I learn, thus I change. I change, thus I evolve. So, always question. For evolution leads to the realization of boundless capacity.”  

“When a heart is open the closed mind is vanquished” 

“When a body is sown with the kernels of confidence, humility, compassion, optimism, and love, happiness will likely be the life’s harvest.” 

“The curiosity to ask and sincerely listen is the kindling that could spark the embers of care and love in even the most dampened relationship.”  

“Seeking perfection in one’s life is a worthy desire. But expecting the delivery of this wish can be the most forlorn of hopes. So instead focus not on what should be but pursue that which can be.  For what can be, in the end, is really what should be.”

“Failing to achieve a stout task is not a blemish for it is the courage in making the attempt that best reflects the complexion of one’s character.”  

“Never retreat from a challenge even if success is not a guarantee. For even if failure is the outcome of that endeavor, the awareness realized is far more valuable to personal growth than never having exhibited the pluck to try.”  

“A life free from the occasional setback creates the artificial visage of infallibility. Alas, this is an illusory expectation. For not only is sporadic failure a certainty, but it is also essential to forging the spirit of resiliency that will propel one to eventual triumph in the harsh and ambiguous circle of life.”

“The best leaders do not dictate or demand. Instead, they motivate, inspire, and empower their subordinates to achieve their very best; they encourage individual thought and action. In so doing, objectives are met but just as importantly, each having waved the sickle, all directly reap the harvest of success.”

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------