The irony of commitment is that it's deeply liberating - in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life.

--Anne Morriss
Starbucks customer from New York City.
She ( Read more... )

It will do us little good to wire the world if we short-circuit our souls.  There is no delete button for racism, poverty or sectarian violence.  No keystroke can ever clean the air, save a river, preserve a forest.  This transformational new technology must be an extension of our hearts as well as of our minds.  The old rules still apply.  Love ( Read more... )

By the time executives get married, take on a mortgage, raise kids, cope with the crabgrass, climb the corporate ladder, do their best to manage career pressures, build their net worth and get into their 40s, they've lost touch with what they believe in and care about most deeply ( Read more... )

Can we laugh at cancer?  Is it funny to lose your breasts?  Am I crazy to have humor when I lose my hair?  Should I ignore the giggles while receiving chemo?  What if I nudge someone and sneak a smile, even though I have no eyebrows?  Is it inappropriate?  Don't be offended, it beats waxing ( Read more... )

The world bursts at the seams with people ready to tell you you're not good enough.  On occasion, some may be correct.  But do not do their work for them.  Seek any job; ask anyone out; pursue any goal.  Don't take it personally when they say "no" - they may not be smart enough to say "yes ( Read more... )

So-called "global warming" is just a secret ploy by wacko tree-huggers to make America energy independent, clean our air and water, improve the fuel efficiency of our vehicles, kick-start 21st-century industries, and make our cities safer and more livable.  Don't let them get away with it ( Read more... )

 "Because true conservatives are pessimists, they are happier than liberals, for three reasons.  First, pessimists are rarely surprised.  Second, when they are wrong they are delighted to be so.  Third, pessimists do not put their faith in princes - in government.  They understand that happiness is a function of fending for oneself.  Happiness is ( Read more... )

"People say, oh I could never do that! But when you meet cancer patients you understand the bravery and spirit those people show each and every day. Their struggles motivate and inspire you to test the limits of your endurance and to cross that finish line. You'll be surprised by what you can do ( Read more... )

"Let's do a better job of exposing the children to our rich musical history, so they know more than hip-hop samples of artists like Curtis Mayfield, Jackie Wilson and Billy Preston. Help them appreciate Duke Ellington and his peers, like Count Basie, for being more than lyrics in a "back in the day" Stevie Wonder song."

--Sam Moore
Recoring

"Once, when excavating the house of a medieval sailor on the coast of the Red Sea in Egypt, I found a still-preserved reed mat in front of a door. Under the doormat was a wooden key with the name of the owner painted on it. It was an extraordinary sense of connection with the last person to walk out of that building 700 years ago ( Read more... )