This I Believe

I received this in a Kirk Weisler "Thought 4 the Day" email this week, and I thought it was worth sharing.

This I Believe

“Socially connected people live longer than those that are not” and “Empathy can be learned”…  are notes I captured in my leadership learning notebook.   What follows is a powerful quote from Thomas Paine followed by some great “I Believe” statements that are most likely a result of someone who wisely followed Paine’s counsel.  When we reflect on life and take the time to capture it by writing it down we can learn more while simultaneously becoming more able to share it with others.  Don’t you just love people who love to learn and are willing to share their wisdom?  Can you see how many of the “I Believe” statements may have been the result of growing better by the reflection of difficulty?  Enjoy!

I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection.  — Thomas Paine (1737-1809) British-American Writer

I believe - That we don’t have to change friends . . . if we understand that friends change.

I believe: That no matter how good a friend is, they are going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I believe:  That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. The same goes for true love.

I believe:   That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I believe:  That it’s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I believe:  That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I believe:  We have too many smart people in the world and too few good people.

I believe:  That you can keep going long after you can’t.

I believe:  That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I believe:  That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I believe:  That regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

I believe:  That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I believe:  That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I believe:  We should talk softly to our children regardless of how angry we are with them.

I believe:  That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I believe:  That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you’re down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I believe:  That sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.

I believe:  That just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.

I believe:  That it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I believe:  That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief.

I believe:  That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are; but we are responsible for who we become.

I believe:  That just because two people argue, it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other. And just because they don’t argue, it doesn’t mean they do.

I believe:  That two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I believe:  That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don’t even know you.

I believe:  That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out you will find the strength to help.

I believe:  That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I believe:  That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I believe:  That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you’ve had and what you’ve learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.