More Lessons

In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life. It goes on.
- Robert Frost

I HAVE LEARNED THAT…

… Success is not permanent and failure is not incurable. Don’t rest on your laurels and don’t cry over spilt milk. Like everything else in this material world, whatever we go through today – win or lose, happy or sad – will be over tomorrow, whether we like it or not.

… Things are not always what they seem. A book should not be judged by its cover, or a person by the clothes he wears. There are diamonds in the rough waiting to be polished, and ugly ducklings have the inherent potential to transform themselves into swans.

… Silent waters run deep, and they forebode either profundity or peril. What lies beneath the surface may astound or confound, bewitch or bewilder, inspire goose bumps or raise alarm bells. A man who doesn’t say a lot knows a lot, or he may be carrying a stick.

… Respect is earned, not solicited. It is bestowed upon you without asking for it, if you deserve it. Demanding respect is totally inappropriate, neither is it the way to achieve it.

… Flattery will get you nowhere, but honesty has its own just rewards. Insincerity rings hollow, and hypocrisy is an annoyance. Being true to oneself, no matter how humbling, can be invigorating; truthfulness might be a lonesome task, but lying is far more pathetic.

… What goes out of our mouth comes from our heart, and more often than not, they defile rather than honor another. From our hearts emanate thoughts of love or hatred, good or evil, compassion or cruelty, understanding or revenge. Idle talk often turns into gossip, and back talk is the most deceitful act of all.

… Beauty is all in the eye of the beholder. It may be skin-deep, or it may radiate from within. It is ephemeral because it fades in time, but it can be everlasting when nurtured with a gentle heart.

… While it is nice to have money, it isn’t everything. It should only be the means to an end, not the end in itself; as one moment you have it, another moment it’s gone. It may be the root of all evils but it can also be an instrument for good.

… Mothers always know best, give much, take little, love greatly, suffer a lot. They know it when you are in trouble, they feel it when you are in pain; they make life easier for us, in their own inimitable way, without fanfare, without thanks. Yes, God couldn’t be everywhere, so He created mothers.

… The wheels of fortune are never constant; they grind unpredictably, at times so exceedingly slow. What goes up must come down, what comes in must go out – in the wink of an eye, in a wave of the hand. Because what the Lord gives, He also takes away.

… Everyone has their own 15 minutes of fame, their own time in the spotlight, their own place in the morning sun. Better seize the moment when it comes for there might not be a second helping. The ice cream on your plate melts, and it doesn’t taste the same.

… Kids do declare the darnedest things. Straight from the mouths of babes often burst forth the most outrageous but philosophically sensible statements – innocent remarks that make us laugh until we cry because they hit close to home, often at our expense. Who says wisdom is the consequence of age?

… Genuine style doesn’t scream for attention, and simplicity is almost an anomaly in this era of excess. One’s true colors will shine through, for better or worse, effortlessly, naturally. Empty cans rattle the noisiest, and loudness is terribly unbecoming.

… Greed is the scourge of the weak in spirit. Is humanity’s thirst for the riches of this earth insatiable, the lust for power and renown unquenchable? But what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and suffers the loss of his own soul?

… Laughter is indeed the best medicine and music is the best cure for stress. Laughter that erupts from the bowels of your soul is always music to the ears, and music that stimulates the senses inspires a cloudburst of hope and deliverance. It is a beautiful world, why sulk?

… If there’s a will, there’s a way. From rock bottom, there is a path that leads to the mountain top, and though the path be long and narrow, it eventually leads you there. Persist in spite of hindrances, persevere in the face of hopelessness.

… The glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we stumble. Never quit, your turn will come, don’t be afraid to not succeed. For a virtuous man falls many times, and gets up again and again…

… When the sun shines, it shines for everyone. All men are created equal, and opportunities flourish for those who have the strength of mind and muscle to take them all in. No pain, no gain; nothing ventured, nothing attained.