“It is much easier to repent of sins we have committed than to repent of those we intend to commit.” – Josh Billings
Just think how much easier life would be if we could learn to do this! Of course, it might not be as much fun either, but it certainly would lessen the grief we go through.
Drawing © 2022 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com
“A penny will hide the biggest star in the universe if you hold it close enough to your eye.” – Samuel Grafton
The item of smallest value, of no consequence, something you will not bend over to pick up, can still end up blinding you to the largest, most magnificent of thoughts if it is taking up your mind space.
I am guilty of this all the time, of letting myself get distracted simply because the big picture is obscured, not immediately in front of me. Instead there are time wasters, irrelevant emails, excessive TV, trivia, chatter and a million other things that take the attention away from what my end goal really is.
I don’t mean to say any of those things are wrong, just that they need to be kept in their place and in their time.
What pennies are obscuring your view of the heavens?
p.s. Thanks to Stephen Covey for his list of ‘not important/not urgent’ activities as discussed in ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’.
Drawing © 2022 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com
“What a strange illusion it is to suppose that beauty is goodness.” – Leo Tolstoy
Do you suppose this? Explain. Write back to me or post to the blog your thoughts on this. I will post some of the ideas I get onto the blog thread.
Drawing © 2022 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com
“I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of it.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes
Drawing © 2022 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com
“May our eyes be no keener when we look upon the faults of others than when we survey our own.” – Anonymous
I have discovered that in many, including myself, the eyesight can sometimes be just
as keen when looking upon my own shortcomings as upon others. But that is only half
the equation. There is more arithmetic to do.
What is keener though is my understanding. I understand what I do and why better
than I understand another.
And, finally, based on that understanding, I am willing to forgive myself more
readily than another doing the same thing. If I could have 1/10 the forgiveness for
other’s flaws and failures as I am for myself, I would living out this dictum in a
much truer fashion.
The first part of the equation is perception, the second part is understanding and the
third is forgiveness.
It’s when they are added together that you become a person who is fair about all three
and end up with a fair judgment of both yourself and the other.
Drawing and Commentary © 2022 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com
“You make the world a better place by making yourself a better person.” – Sorrell
Becoming who you want to be is a deliberate act. It does not happen by accident and it
does not happen just because you want to be a certain way. It comes about because you
practice being that way. It is no different than exercise or practicing an instrument or
a technique. You don’t become kinder, more loving, more empathetic, merciful,
understanding, helpful, strong, patient, or compassionate unless you ACT those things
out in real life.
Drawing © 2022 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com
Notice it doesn’t say ”…and who doesn’t tell people they are…”. It only refers to them
knowing they are.
The question behind the question is, of course, How do you define genius? The next question
is, Do you know any? If so, How do you know they are? That sort of puts the abstract
definition to the test.
The final question is, What is the value to the world of the genius?
Quote by Stanislaw Lec.
“A man who is a genius and doesn’t know it, probably isn’t.”
“The person who knows how will always have a job. The person who knows why will always be their boss.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Those who know always resent those who why, unless they know how they got their whyledge
(just made that up and trademarked it!) and enroll in the School of Why to get some
themselves.
I looked into it and the B.Y., M.Y. and Y.D. degrees takes between 1 milisecond and 110 years to
complete, depending on why (and how) the person is learning. There is no charge for classes,
you can take them anywhere, anytime.
Enroll soon and you too can know why!
Drawing and Commentary © 2022 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com
Drawing © 2022 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com
“Sometimes you’re blinded by the very thing you need to see.” – Mary Chapin Carpenter
I love this line from the song ‘The Last Word’ by Mary Chapin-Carpenter.
What it really seems to say is that you see what you want to see;
infatuated love, the possibility of wealth, the dreams of fame, and
seeing those things blind you to seeing the emotional desperation,
the selfish greed, or the empty loneliness that might come along with
those things.
Desire often begets blindness. Where are your blind spots?
Drawing © 2022 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com
