Motivational vignettes

Proverbs, platitudes, snappy one-liners... call 'em what you will, I love 'em. Not everything I hear strikes a chord with me, mind you, but I've heard some terrific motivational comments lately that I thought I'd share. I'm sharing them for two reasons - one for your enjoyment/edification/amusement and two - so I can remember them since I found them so moving and inspirational. I hope you agree.


From a Weight Watchers meeting:

"If you change the way you look at things, the way things look change." (Wayne Dyer)

"Don't worry about failure. Worry about the chances you miss when you don't even try." (Anonymous)



On teshuvah (repentance) from the High Holy Day machzor (prayerbook):

"Even if it seems inadequate in your eyes, none of the good you do is ever lost." (Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav)

"To have found God is not an end, but is in itself, a beginning." (Franz Rosenzweig)


A tale is told of one who sat in study before the great tzaddik (righteous one) Rabbi Mordechai of Nadvorna of blessed memory. Before Rosh HaShanah the student came to seek dispensation to be dismissed early.

Reb Mordechai asked, "Why are you hurrying?
The student said, "I am the reader for Rosh Hashanah and I must go home and look over my festival prayer book to put my prayers in order."

To this Reb Mordechai offered this response: "To he who would learn, the prayer book and the prayers are still in the same order as they were last year. Perhaps it would be better for you to look into your own deeds and put yourself in order." (S.Y. Agnon)

From Dhammakaya (Thai) Meditation, which I now practice (although not as regularly as I should):

Samma (sah'-mah) Arahang (ah-rah-hahng') which means "Purify the mind" in an effort to free yourself from suffering in life.

Just about anything from Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks, the husband and wife relationship expert team, both of whom have Ph.D.s; Here are a few of my favorites from them:

"We can choose to operate from a place of radical responsibility. In every moment of life, we get exactly what we are committed to getting."

"We believe that complete transparency is the best aphrodisiac ever discovered, as well as the best way to get a good night's sleep."

"People commit to outcomes, which are beyond their control. Instead they need to commit to processes."

And since none of these wonderful jewels of wisdom came from me and so I don't want to accept kudos for them, I would be remiss if I didn't share one more that sums them all up and has helped me immensely in my life over the last several months: "Teamwork - It is amazing how much you can accomplish when it doesn't matter who gets the credit."