Truth
There are only two ways of telling the complete truth--anonymously and posthumously.
- Thomas Sowell
- Thomas Sowell
Dr. Kardasz: I found these three great quotes at www.charactercounts.org
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The older I get, the less I listen to what people say and the more I look at what they do.
- Andrew Carnegie
By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.
- Confucius
The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently.
- Friedrich Nietzsche
One nice thing about egotists is they don't talk about other people.
- Lucille S. Harper
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Everybody worships truth and unselfishness because they have no experience with them.
- George Bernard Shaw, Irish critic, poet (1856-1950)
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Here is an interesting poem about helping others;
By William Allen Dromgoole:
An old man going a lone highway
Came at the evening, cold and grey,
To a chasm, vast and deep and wide,
Through which was flowing a swollen tide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim,
That swollen stream held no fears for him.
But he paused when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.
"Old man," said a fellow pilgrim near,
"You're wasting strength with building here.
Your journey ends with the ending day.
You never again must pass this way.
You've crossed this chasm deep and wide.
Why build this bridge at the even' tide?"
The builder lifted his old grey head.
"Good friend, in the path I have come," he said,
"There followeth after me today
A youth, whose feet must pass this way.
This swollen stream that was naught for me,
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.
He too must cross in the twilight dim.
Good friend, I am building the bridge for him."
In your striving, be mindful to preserve good conduct.
In your deliberations, discover it is your staunchest ally.
-Tirukkural 14:132
Excerpted from the Tirukkural, translated by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami.
Himalayan Academy Publications.
Retrieved November 2, 2006 from beliefnet.com
Quotes about truth from http://www.heartquotes.net/Truth.html
Harry Truman
I never give them hell. I just tell the truth and they think it's hell.
Proverb
Truth fears no trial.
Winston Churchill
Men stumble over the truth from time to time, but most pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened.
Confucious
Three things cannot long be hidden the sun, the moon, and the truth.
Susan Sontag
Lying is the most simple form of self-defence.
Albert Schweitzer
Truth has not special time of its own. Its hour is now—always and indeed then most truly when it seems unsuitable to actual circumstances.
Martin Luther King
I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
... when you have eliminated the impossible, that which remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
Malcolm X
I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it's for or against.
Charles Colton
The greatest friend of truth is time, her greatest enemy is prejudice, and her constant companion humility.
Carl Jung
We should not pretend to understand the world only by the intellect; we apprehend it just as much by feeling. Therefore, the judgement of the intellect is, at best, only the half of truth, as must, if it be honest, also come an understanding of its inadequacy.
Oscar Wilde
The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple.
In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.
-Robert Frost
Yesterday is ashes; tomorrow is wood. Only today does the fire burn brightly.
-Old Eskimo proverb
Retrieved July 7, 2006 from http://www.beliefnet.com
When your heart is dark as iron,
steadily polish yourself
that the heart may become a mirror,
a beautiful shine relecting from within.
Although iron is dark and dismal,
polishing clears the darkness away.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
From "The Bounty of Allah," translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed. From the Croosroad Publishing Company, New York. Retrieved July 4, 2006 from http://www.beliefnet.com
-Chinese Epigram
Retrieved June 27 2006 from http:/www.beliefnet.com
Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length.
-Robert Frost
Fools, their wisdom weak,
are their own enemies
as they go through life,
doing evil
that bears
bitter fruit.
-Dhammapada, 66, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Retrieved June 17, 2006 from http://www.beliefnet.com
To trust a stranger without investigation invites troubles
so endless that even descendants must endure them.
Without investigation, trust no one. Having investigated,
entrust a man with matters for which he is trustworthy.
To trust a man who has not been tested and to suspect a man
who has proven trustworthy lead alike to endless ills.
-Tirukkural 51: 508-510
Excerpted from the Tirukkural, translated by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. Himalayan Academy Publications, www.himalayanacademy.com. Retrieved June 18. 2006 from http://www.beliefnet.com
We can forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.
- Plato
A candle loses none of its light by lighting another candle.
- Unknown
Retrieved June 16, 2006 from http://www.josephsoninstitute.org/
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
-Hymn, "It Is Well With My Soul"
Retrieved June 16, 2006 from http://www.beliefnet.com
The finest of the believers conduct themselves with honorable bearing. And the finest of the finest are those who treat their mates with affection.
-The Prophet Muhammad, as reported by Abu Hurairah
From "The Bounty of Allah." Hadith translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed.
Retrieved June 16, 2006 from http//:www.beliefnet.com
Those whose hearts are drawn toward compassion
Will never be drawn into the dark and woeful world.
Evil deeds dreaded by the soul will not afflict
The compassionate who foster and protect all life.
-Tirukkural 25: 243-244
Retrieved June 15 2006 from http://www.beliefnet.com
After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box.
Fear is a state of darkness in which the soul wanders, bewildered, seeking help, and then comes hope as a ray of light, and grace prevails.
-Al-Sarraj, "Rabi'a the Mystic"
From "The Bounty of Allah." Translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed.
Though you speak unkind words to a man's face,
Do not speak words behind his back heedless of consequent harm.
Though every word is full of kindly virtue,
A man's mean back-biting will betray his empty heart.
If a man spreads tales of others' faults,
His own worst faults will be exposed and spread.
-Tirukkural 19: 184-186
Excerpted from the Tirukkural, translated by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. www.himalayanacademy.com.
Vain, boastful talk repels acts of kindness
and tears the branch of mercy from the trunk of the tree.
Speak honestly or else be silent,
and then behold grace and delight in it.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi" [III, 751-752]
From "Jewels of Remembrance," by Rumi, selected and translated by Camille and Kabir Helminski.
More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren't so busy denying them.
-Harold J. Smith
A kind word of forgiveness is better than charity accompanied by insults.
-Qur'an, Al-Baqara, Surah 2:263
From "366 Readings From Islam," translated by Robert Van der Weyer.
The best gifts to give:
To your friend, loyalty;
To your enemy, forgiveness;
To your boss, service;
To a child, a good example;
To your parents, gratitude and devotion;
To your mate, love and faithfulness;
To all men and women, charity.
-Oren Arnold
You must train yourselves, saying: 'We will become unsullied in our conduct, brilliant and pure. We will neither exalt ourselves nor look down on anyone else.'
-Digha Nikaya
From "The Pocket Buddha Reader," edited by Anne Bancroft, 2000.
I--like an elephant in battle,
enduring an arrow shot from a bow--
will endure a false accusation,
for the mass of people
have no principles.
The tamed is the one
they take into assemblies.
The tamed is the one
the king mounts.
The tamed who endures a false accusation
is, among human beings,
the best.
-Dhammapada, 23, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Patience serves as a protection against wrongs as clothes do against cold. For if you put on more clothes as the cold increases, it will have no power to hurt you. So in like manner you must grow in patience when you meet with great wrongs, and they will then be powerless to vex your mind.
-Leonardo Da Vinci
Search others for virtues, thyself for vices.
- English proverb
People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.
- Andrew Carnegie, Scottish businessman, philanthropist (1835-1919)
If opportunity doesn`t knock, build a door.
- Milton Berle, comedian (1908-2002)
In my own experience, the period of greatest gain in knowledge and experience is the most difficult period in one's life. ...Through a difficult period, you can learn, you can develop inner strength, determination, and courage to face the problem. Who gives you this chance? Your enemy.
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama
From "The Pocket Dalai Lama," edited by Mary Craig, 2002. Reprinted by arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Boston, www.shambhala.com.
Be quick in doing
what's admirable.
Restrain your mind
from what's evil.
When you're slow
in making merit,
evil delights the mind.
-Dhammapada, 9, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Retrived May 22, 2006 from www.Beliefnet.com
All human knowledge takes the form of interpretation.
- Walter Benjamin (1892–1940), German critic, philosopher. letter, Dec. 9, 1923, quoted in Susan Sontag, “Under the Sign of Saturn,” introductory essay to One-Way Street and Other Writings (1978). Briefe (Frankfurt, 1966), no. 126.
If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out to it.
-Jonathan Winters
You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose.
- Indira Gandhi -
Nine Ways to Find Peace of Mind - All of us can live a fulfilling life in the middle of the turmoil.
By Susan Jeffers, Ph.D.
We are an anxious nation…in fact, we are an anxious world. There is no question that uncertainty seems to have increased dramatically in the last few years. We worry about terrorism. We worry about war. We worry about losing our jobs. We worry about the dangers confronting our children. And on and on and on.
This worry is understandable, given the state of the world at the present time, but there is no question in my mind that, with the right tools…
All of us can rise above any situation that life hands us.
All of us can live a fulfilling life in the middle of the turmoil.
All of us can find a sense of peace and purpose.
In my newest book, Embracing Uncertainty, I provide the tools that I have found most effective in helping us see the world in a more life-affirming and powerful way. Here is a taste of a few of the many tools I include in the book.
1. “Un-set" your heart. Un-setting your heart means letting go of your picture of how you want it all to be. It means letting go of trying to control things over which you have no control. One of the prime causes of our suffering is our wanting things to be different than they are. Yes, we all want a peaceful world instead of a world filled with weapons of mass destruction. Yes, we all want health instead of illness. Yes, we all want healthy, happy children instead of children who break our hearts. But sometimes life doesn't hand us what we want. And when we un-set our hearts from our needing it all to be a certain way, we can breathe a sigh of relief and open the door to a more powerful way of living.
2. Create a "wondering" life instead of a "hoping" life. It helps us un-set our hearts when we replace the words "I hope" with the words "I wonder." Let me demonstrate. Instead of "I hope the war ends quickly," make it "I wonder if the war will end quickly." Instead of "I hope the stock market goes up," make it "I wonder if the stock market will go up." Instead of "I hope I keep my job," make it "I wonder if I'll keep my job." Notice the relief in this simple shift. Even with difficult situations in our lives, substituting “I wonder” for “I hope” keeps our hopes from being dashed and opens up the possibility of our learning and growing from whatever happens.
3. Choose the path of trust. When you fully understand that you have little control of the external world, you then have two choices: you can choose to see yourself as a "poor-me" victim at the mercy of circumstances or you can choose to develop the trust that, no matter what happens in your life or in the world, you will have the inner strength to create something good from it all. Hopefully you will choose the latter!
4. Increase your inner sense of power. One way to help you develop trust in yourself is to cut off negativity in the mind by saying to yourself over and over again, "Whatever happens in my life, I'll handle it!" Those of you who are familiar with my work know that it is one of my favorite affirmations. I suggest you emblazon this powerful affirmation on your mind. If you say it often enough, you will ultimately believe it. And if you really believe that you can handle anything that happens in your life and in the world, what could you possibly have to fear? Nothing!
So when the "what-if's" are driving you mad, simply cut them off by saying over and over again, "Whatever happens, I'll handle it!" You'll feel a sense of confidence wash over you. "What if I lose my job? I'll handle it." "What if my children have difficult times? I'll handle it. Whatever happens in my life, I'll handle it!"
5. Collect "heroes" who have learned to "handle it." Heroes to me are people who have created much good in this world as a result of horrible experiences in their lives. A few heroes come to mind: Christopher Reeve, who created so much good as a result of his paralyzing accident; Viktor Frankl, who created so much good out of his experience in a concentration camp; Ram Dass, who created so much good as a result of his debilitating stroke; Marc Klaas, who created so much good after the murder of his daughter. As you collect heroes, you understand this important thought, "If they can learn and grow from their experiences, I certainly can learn and grow from mine!" As you collect your heroes, your trust grows and your worry about the future gets smaller and smaller.
6. Focus on the learning that can come from any situation in your life. Yes, you can learn and find strength from anything that happens to you, just as the heroes mentioned above have done. I certainly learned from and found strength as a result of my own experiences with cancer and divorce. If you see ALL situations in life as a way of learning and growing, it helps you let go of your need for things to be a certain way.
War............a way of learning
Peace..........a way of learning
Illness..........a way of learning
Health..........a way of learning
Poverty........a way of learning
Wealth.........a way of learning
Depression.....a way of learning
Joy.............a way of learning
So despite what is happening in your life and in the world, constantly remind yourself "I can learn from this." When you can see the opportunities inherent in all situations, good or bad, it truly helps you embrace all the uncertainty in your life.
7. Embrace the thought "It's all happening perfectly." This is another affirmation I use over and over. And it truly helps me let go of my needing things to be a certain way. "Susan, how can things be happening perfectly when there is possibility of war, terrorism, illness, poverty, and violence?" My answer to that is that we cannot know the “Grand Design,” the great mystery of it all, and as we say "It's all happening perfectly," we begin looking for the good in any situation that life hands us. When we look for the good, we always find it. Yes, so much good can come from so much that is bad. In that, it truly is happening perfectly.
So when things seem very difficult in your life or in the world, just keep repeating this reassuring statement until it becomes an automatic part of your thinking. This always helps me to have trust, not only in myself, but also the Grand Design.
8. Focus on the blessings. I have learned from my heroes that, no matter how horrible life may seem on the outside, it is so important to focus on the beauty. As we go about our daily lives, we take so many wonderful things for granted. It's now time to notice. Strangely, this is hard to do, especially when we have our eyes focused on the bad. It sounds ridiculous, but we actually have to train ourselves to notice all the beauty in our lives. And train ourselves, we must…because focusing on the blessings is an absolute necessity for diffusing our fears about the future.
A suggestion: As you go about your day, stop for a moment and notice when something wonderful happens. Then say to yourself while still in the glory of the moment, "I have had this." This is the acknowledgment that "No matter what happens tomorrow, I have had this today." It is in the noticing of the little things that you truly get the feeling of a life well-lived … that wonderful hot shower, that kiss from a loved one, the fact that your car started, that great dinner you are eating, the warm rays of the sun, a candy bar, a wonderful television show ….
9. Get involved. Positive action has an amazing effect on our psyche. As we take action, we begin to feel more powerful and our fear about the future decreases considerably. Keep repeating to yourself: "My life has meaning and I will do whatever I can to make this a better world."
Then ask yourself, "What am I called to do?" Make a list of what comes to mind, and begin taking action. When you remember that your life has meaning, it makes it so much easier to push through the fear and live a life that matters. And your self-esteem grows and grows. Just as importantly, you will have found the secret of creating a joyous and fulfilling life.
As you make these tools a part of your daily life, you experience a whole new sense of purpose and power emerging from within, and you look forward to the future with an attitude of great possibility -- for yourself and for your world.
Retrieved March 29, 2006 from http://www.beliefnet.com/nllp/Inspiration.aspx?date=03-29-2006
From "The Pocket Dalai Lama," edited by Mary Craig, 2002. Reprinted by arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Boston, www.shambhala.com.
A long life may not be good enough but a good life is long enough.
Peter Pierobon
Excerpted from the Tirukkural, translated by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. Copyright Himalayan Academy Publications, www.himalayanacademy.com.
I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies, for the hardest victory is over self.
Aristotle, (384-322 B.C.)
A man of character finds a special attractiveness in difficulty, since it is only by coming to grips with difficulty that he can realize his potentialities.
— Charles de Gaulle
Good actions ennoble us, and we are the children of our own deeds.
— Miguel de Cervantes
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
Retrieved January 13, 2006 from www.charactercounts.org.
Turn away from mischief.
Again and again, turn away,
Before sorrow befalls you.
Set your heart on doing good.
Do it over and over again,
And you will be filled with joy.
-Dhammapada 117-118
From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations," edited by Jeff Schmidt. Reprinted by arrangement with Tarcher/Putnam, a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.
THE GOLDEN RULE
"Do onto others as you would have them do onto you."
Historically, law enforcement officers in the United States were mostly of Judeo-Christian religious backgrounds. With the shift in recent years towards hiring officers whose backgrounds and beliefs more closely approximate the community they serve, the demographics are changing. In and around the workplace, public employers must maintain the separation between church and state. In most workplaces, employees are discouraged or prohibited from advocating their personal religious beliefs during working hours.
A common theme found in many of the world's religions is the "golden rule", treating others as you wish to be treated. A variation of this theme found it's way into police dogma in 1930 when George Fletcher Chandler, the first superintendent of the New York State Police wrote The Policeman's Manual: A Standard Guide to the Latest Methods and Duties of American Police. (1) In it, he wrote,
In a police officer, common sense is more than a virtue; it is invaluable. Putting yourself in the other fellow's place and dealing with him as you would wish a member of your family dealt with, is a principle of good police work. (ibid.)
In the field, officers sometimes encounter citizen-advocates holding strong religious beliefs. Officers should have an understanding of various religions in order to interact professionally with members of each religious group. Finding common ground is an important element towards professional community relations and ethical treatment. Where can common ground be found between contending religions?
The following excerpts from the beliefs of ten different religions are all variations on The Golden Rule:
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(1) Chandler, G. F. (1930). The policeman's manual: A standard guide to the latest methods and duties of the american police. New York: Funk and Wagnalls. 22.
Seek a true friend,
for a friend seeks the benefit of a friend,
Do good to the people for the sake of God
or for the peace of your own soul
that you may always see what is pure
and save your heart from the darkness of hate.
-Rumi, "Mathnawi"
From "The Bounty of Allah," translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed. Copyright 1999. All rights reserved. Used with permission of The Crossroad Publishing Company, New York.
Turn away from mischief.
Again and again, turn away,
Before sorrow befalls you.
Set your heart on doing good.
Do it over and over again,
And you will be filled with joy.
-Dhammapada 117-118
From "365