I believe that we are who we choose to be. Nobody is going to come and save you. You’ve got to save yourself. Nobody is going to give you anything. You’ve got to go out and fight for it. Nobody knows what you want except you, and nobody will be as sorry as you if you don’t get it. So don’t give up on your dreams.
Barry Manilow, Sweet Life: Adventures on the Way to Paradise
If you are able to figure out how to be truly interested in someone you meet with the goal of building up a friendship instead of trying to get something out of that person, the funny things is that almost always, something happens later down the line that ends up benefiting either your business or yourself personally. Stop trying to “network” in the traditional business sense, and instead, just try and build up the number and depth of your friendships, where the friendship itself is its own reward.
—Tony Hsieh, Zappos founder and president
The Paradoxical Commandments
by Dr. Kent M. Keith
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway. If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway. The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds. Think big anyway. People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway. People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway. Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.
Too many Christians have a commitment of convenience. They’ll stay faithful as long as it’s safe and doesn’t involve risk, rejection, or criticism. Instead of standing alone in the face of challenge or temptation, they check to see which way their friends are going. —Dr. Charles Stanley
Word: ¹conjecture
Part of Speech: ²noun, verb
Noun
Verb (used with object), conjectured, conjecturing
Verb (used without object), conjectured, conjecturing
Word Usage:
It seems lately people are making conjecturing comments on social topics about health care in America.
¹Thesaurus.com/browse/conjecture
²Dictionary.com/browse/conjecture
You are one of the rare people who can separate your observation from your perception…you see what is, where most people see what they expect. —Tsitsi Dangarembga
Lawyers should never ask a Southern grandma a question if they aren’t prepared for the answer.
In a trial, a southern small-town prosecuting attorney called his first witness, a grandmotherly, elderly woman to the stand. He approached her and asked, “Mrs. Sanders, do you know me?”
She responded, “Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Desmond. I’ve known you since you were a young boy and frankly, you’ve been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, and you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you’re a big shot when you haven’t the brains to realize you never will amount to anything more than a two-bit, paper pusher. Yes, I know you.”
The lawyer was stunned! Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, “Mrs. Sanders, do you know the defense attorney?” She again replied, “Why yes, I do. I’ve known Mr. Cristofaro, since he was youngster, too. He’s lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. He can’t build a normal relationship with anyone and his law practice is one of the worst in the entire state. Not to mention he cheated on his wife with three different women. One of them was your wife. Yes, I know him.”
The defense attorney almost died.
The judge asked both counselors to approach the bench and in a very quiet voice said, “If either of you fools asks her if she knows me, I’ll send you to the electric chair.” —Author Unknown
Today I got a question asking if my husband’s daughter got the email we sent her nearly a week ago. Yes, she got the email and with her dad’s permission I’m posting her response.
I am not upset at all. Every statement is the truth. I know that about myself. I put unrealistic expectations on Jake. A friend of mine (who likes to counsel me for free) helped me see through the crap that I believe should be true. She helped me realize that I was spoon fed to be totally dependant on a man and he should take care of your every need. You shouldn’t have to work and you should be in tons of debt to reach that ‘American dream.’ The exact line is..’you aren’t a real member of society unless..’ And for so long I have believed that. I am 22 years old and have a monstrous amount of debt because I was told at a young age that that is how you are successful. No, it makes you stressed arena sick. There are ways to have those great things, like a house or a new car, without being overcome with a great amount of debt. It is called saving. Something Jake and I were never taught and are trying to teach ourselves now. It is very difficult. Because we were taught you weren’t anyone unless you have tons of material items. His step-dad is very materialistic. His mom isn’t but his step-dad, just like my mother, make you feel terrible about your accomplishments if they aren’t to their standards. I am working on my attitude everyday. Every morning I wake up and I think of something I am thankful for. I may not like my job but my coworke just gave me all of her Thursdays and my Fridays back. That means 30 hours a week instead of 10. And that means I will also quality for insurance through the union. I may hate getting up early but it keeps a roof over my head, it keeps food in my cabinets and so that I am able to buy Layla’s meds. I am working on not being too hard on Jake. That one is really hard because he isn’t great at staying on top of important things. And when he doesn’t stay on top of it it makes me feel like he has not been truthful with me. So many times in the past he has not been. We are working on it and d everyday is a new day.
I love you!
A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities, and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties. —US 33 President Harry Truman
Black Women Have It Going On 