Plain and Simple

"God made us plain and simple,

but we have made ourselves very complicated."
Ecclesiastes 7:29

Banking Institutions, by Thomas Jefferson

“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.”

Thomas Jefferson 1802

Winston Churchill's Quotes

War

God exists

Plain and Simple

"God made us plain and simple,

but we have made ourselves very complicated."
Ecclesiastes 7:29

Commitment

I will do more

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The triple Filter of Socrates

In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom. One day the great philosopher came upon an acquaintance who ran up to him excitedly and said:

- "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students?"

- "Wait a moment," Socrates replied. "Before you tell me I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test."

- "Triple filter?" asked the acquaintance.

- "That's right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my student let's take a moment to filter what you're going to say. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"

- "No," the man said, "actually I just heard about it."

- "All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my student something good?"

- "No, on the contrary ".

- "So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, even though you're not certain it's true?"

The man shrugged, a little embarrassed.

Socrates continued.

- " You may still pass the test though, because there is a third filter - the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?"

- "No, not really..."

- "Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good nor even Useful, why tell it to me at all?"

The man was defeated and ashamed.

This is the reason Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem. It also explains why he never found out that Plato was shagging his wife.

Attitude..always!

"Whenever you're in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it.

That factor is attitude."

- William James -

Crisis - Albert Einstein

Let's not pretend that things will change if we keep doing the same things. A crisis can be a real blessing to any person, to any nation. For all crises bring progress.

Creativity is born from anguish, just like the day is born form the dark night. It's in crisis that inventive is born, as well as discoveries, and big strategies. Who overcomes crisis, overcomes himself, without getting overcome. Who blames his failure to a crisis neglects his own talent, and is more respectful to problems than to solutions. Incompetence is the true crisis.

The greatest inconvenience of people and nations is the laziness with which they attempt to find the solutions to their problems. There's no challenge without a crisis. Without challenges, life becomes a routine, a slow agony. There’s no merit without crisis. It's in the crisis where we can show the very best in us. Without a crisis, any wind becomes a tender touch. To speak about a crisis is to promote it. Not to speak about it is to exalt conformism. Let us work hard instead.

Let us stop, once and for all, the menacing crisis that represents the tragedy of not being willing to overcome it.

Live as if this is all there is

Forgiveness

Forgiveness of everybody, especially yourself, for every action, is your path to happiness. Resentments and regrets cause suffering. Forgiveness and gratitude make life joyful. It is that basic.

It is not always easy to forgive, but make the effort again and again. Nothing else you can ever do in life will repay you as richly as forgiving and loving those you have called enemy.

Affirmation: “ I forgive everyone, especially myself, for all actions and all inactions throughout my entire life.”

Friendship

Abraham Lincoln

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God will ask you

Be grateful

Tomorrow is a new day

Phase of Life

Everything happens for a reason