Skip to main content

How to Understand People: Quotes of the Day

Over the last few days, several of you have shared inspirational stories about rebounding from potentially life-shattering circumstances to become not only a much stronger person, but a shining role model to your family and friends.

I selected today's quotes with you in mind.

"A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties."
- Harry S. Truman (1884-1972), 33rd President of the United States

"When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it."
- Henry Ford (1863-1947), American industrialist and founder of Ford Motor Company

You certainly embody Truman's definition of an optimist, and you've demonstrated a relentless poise to overcome hardship -- an airplane that has made it through the worst kind of turbulence.

Just know that I -- along with other fellow posters on this board -- are here to help you. We're all here to help each other through life's toughest challenges. If you ever have something personal you need advice on but would rather keep it confidential, send me a private message and I'll respond as soon as possible.

We should all strive for optimism. We should never lose hope. We should all believe in ourselves -- and in our capacity to create a good life for ourselves and an even better one for our kids.

At the end of the day, though we may be very different people, we all strive toward the same fundamental goals. As Thomas Jefferson noted, the pursuit of happiness is one of our inalienable rights. Never let anyone stop you from attaining the happiness you deserve.





Comments

Popular posts from this blog

This will spell the end of your relationship

When asked to think about the most common culprits for a relationship's going south, most people will point to cheating, complacency, and taking one's partner for granted. While these are all valid -- and documented in various posts on this blog -- there are certain habits on the part of partners that may not kill the relationship right away, but cause it to erode more gradually.  Among the most egregious of these is expecting your significant other to be perfect. They pick at your follies any chance they get. Nothing you do is ever good enough. In fact, you will never measure up to an ex, neighbor, or accomplished co-worker.  Perhaps this all sounds a bit familiar.  When you feel as though you're constantly being put under the microscope, it can inflict lasting damage on the relationship and your self-esteem. You're walking on eggshells all the time, praying you don't say or do something that's going to trigger your partner. This is no way to live, let alone ca

No response from someone IS a response

Make no mistake about it: When you don't get a response from someone -- whether they fail to answer your texts or return your phone calls -- it is  still a response, and a powerful one at that. When a person fails to respond, it's a direct reflection of their interest -- or lack thereof -- in the relationship. Few things are more aggravating than having to hound a partner, friend, or relative for some sort of reply after we've reached out to them. Yes, we get busy from time to time, but that doesn't give anyone the right to leave the other person hanging. A terse text with something like "Been busy, will reach out soon" doesn't say much, but at least it shows some effort to bring the other person up to speed on why they've fallen off the radar. Failing to provide a response for weeks -- if not months -- communicates that you are just not a priority, and that you'll have to wait your turn to get this individual's attention. This is n

Misconceptions about quiet people

Earlier today, I came across a Facebook page that features motivational quotes intended to improve people's moods and enhance their overall self-esteem. Interestingly, I noticed two quotes that focus specifically on quiet people: "Be afraid of quiet people; they're the ones who actually think." "The quietest people have the loudest minds." I've observed that most people's views of quiet individuals can fall under one of two categories: 1. The ones who say quiet people are antisocial, suspicious, snobbish, and/or full of themselves. 2. The people who say their introspective nature and propensity to be deep in thought makes them smarter than their more garrulous peers. The quotes above speak to this mindset. As an introvert known to be quiet at work and at social functions where I might not know anyone, I feel I'm well positioned to dispel any inaccuracies surrounding quiet folks. First of all, the above statements misguidedly put