"Well done is better than well said" is a popular axiom you may have heard before. Can you guess who came up with it? (Hint: He appears in the image featured in this post.) Well, it is attributed to none other than Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790). To say this Founding Father of the United States had an impressive is an understatement. He was a printer, author, political theorist, postmaster, diplomat, inventor, scientist, humorist, civic activist, statesman, among other things. Essentially, what Franklin is saying that, while words are nice, one's actions ultimately carry far more meaning. Put simply, actions speak louder than words. And we all know from experience that while many people can talk the talk, not everyone can walk the walk. Maybe you were once in a relationship with someone who claimed he cared about you, but never invested the time and energy you did. Or perhaps you had a friend who never seemed to be there when you needed her most, even tho...

Yesterday, I came across the word "slake" in a book I'm currently reading on Thomas Jefferson. I'd never heard or used the word before, prompting me to look up its meaning. It turns out that slake means to satisfy a craving, to quench. For example, when you want to slake your thirst, you may drink from a fountain or grab a can of soda. Other synonyms include satisfy, sate, assuage, and allay. Had you ever heard of the word before reading this post?

The word of the day is perspicacious. I first heard the word used by Bill O'Reilly as he was interviewing then-Senator Barack Obama on the Fox News Channel a month or two prior to the 2008 presidential election. O'Reilly commended Obama on being perspicacious in his "original assessment of the battlefield" in Iraq. Perspicacious means "having a ready insight to and understanding of things." Synonyms include discerning, shrewd, perceptive, astute, sharp, clear-sighted, insightful, and discriminating. From what I've seen, the word isn't used often, but it is a handy one to have nonetheless in case you want something in lieu of "insightful" or "sharp," which tend to come up more in daily conversation. Had you ever heard of or used the word perspicacious before?

Whatever makes you happy, do more of it today. Whatever brings a smile to your face, do more of it today. Whatever you're passionate about, do more of it today. Whatever you enjoy fighting for, do more of it today. Whatever lifts your spirits, do more of it today. Whatever makes you grateful to live another day, do more of it today. Whatever makes you feel energized, do more of it today. Whatever enhances your well-being, do more of it today. Whatever bolsters your self-esteem, do more of it today. Whatever brings you closer to those you love the most, do it today. Whatever makes you laugh, do more of it today. Whatever enlivens your day, do more of it today. Life is short. Why put off until tomorrow doing the things that give your life meaning and purpose? Whether you love reading, writing, cooking, playing the guitar, volunteering at the local shelter, playing video games, or traveling to a new hotspot every so often, never cease doing the things you l...

On this day in 1884, the first portion, or fascicle, of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), widely regarded as the most accurate and comprehensive dictionary of the English language, is published. Today, the OED is the definitive authority on the history, meaning, and pronunciation of more than half a million words, past and present. Plans for the dictionary got underway in 1857 when members of London’s Philological Society, who believed there were no error-free, up-to-date English dictionaries available, chose to produce one that would encompass all vocabulary from the Anglo-Saxon period (1150 A.D.) to the present. Conceived of as a four-volume, 6,400-page work, it was estimated the project would take 10 years to complete. But the 125th and final fascicle wasn't published until April 1928. It boasted 400,000 words and phrases in 10 volumes and was published under the title A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles. Unlike most English dictionaries, which only list pre...

If you're like me, you sometimes give what others do or say far too much importance. I wanted to share a quote I recently stumbled upon, which, I feel, holds a great deal of truth and meaning: "Don't let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace." - Dalai Lama As I've stated in other posts, there's no reason why we should let people "hijack" our thoughts and emotions. Why should we get so bogged down that a friend left us hanging?  Why should the fact that our partners don't always think like we do irritate us? The reason we do these things is simple: It's because we care. Some of us can't help but to wear our hearts on our sleeves. Unfortunately, this can leave us feeling quite disheartened. The solution? We must strive to think rationally as opposed to thinking with our emotions. We must take the attitude that no matter what our friends or partners do to us, we will still be happy and at peace with ourselves. Why? ...