* “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage — to move in the opposite direction.”
* “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
* “Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love.”
* “I want to know God’s thoughts; the rest are details.”
* “The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.”
* “Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.”
* “The only real valuable thing is intuition.”
* “A person starts to live when he can live outside himself.”
* “I am convinced that He (God) does not play dice.”
* “God is subtle but he is not malicious.”
* “Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.”
* “I never think of the future. It comes soon enough.”
* “The eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility.”
* “Sometimes one pays most for the things one gets for nothing.”
* “Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind.”
* “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”
* “Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from weak minds.”
* “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.”
* “Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen.”
* “Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one’s living at it.”
* “The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.”
* “The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.” Read the rest of this entry »

Are you controlling them or vice-versa?
We humans spend much of our time trying to control every aspect of our lives.
Unfortunately, too often we try and control things that are simply beyond our control.
The list of what we can control is quite short, but once you know these 10 things you will be able to take control of your own life.

1. What you do: Your actions are yours alone.
You choose to make them or not make them and you are responsible for the effects of those actions.

2. What you say: Likewise, the words you speak (or write) are also consciously chosen.
Like actions, they have an impact on your life and the lives of those you contact.

3. What you think:
Yes, there are some subconscious thoughts that you can’t control.
But the things that you really think about, your beliefs, your ideals, etc. are concepts you have chosen to accept and believe in.

4. Your work:
Many people like to overlook this one, it being much easier to say, “Oh, I’m! trapped in my job because I don’t have a degree, experience, etc.”
That’s simple a way of denying one’s responsibility in having chosen the job in the first place.
It’s your job and you chose it.
If you stay (or go), that’s a choice as well.

5. The people you associate with:
There’s a famous T-shirt that states: “It’s hard to soar like an eagle when you’re surrounded by turkeys.”
Colloquial is very often correct!
Your friends can either lift you up or bring you down.
You make the decision which type of friends you wish to have.
Read the rest of this entry »

Here are seven C’s as they relate to effective writing:

1. Be Clear: have a definite purpose for writing and make sure it is clearly communicated up front. Be bold and connect quickly..

2. Be Complete: include all the necessary facts and background information to support the message you are communicating. Partial instructions would not work if we were to survive.

3. Be Concise: keep in mind the reader’s knowledge of the subject and their time constraints. Convey the information as quickly and easily as possible.

4. Be Creative: use different formats (vs. straight narrative) to communicate your message. Q & A format, graphics, Idea lists, etc.

5. Be Considerate: keep your reader’s needs in mind as you write. Ask yourself, ‘Why should my reader spend time reading this?’

6. Be Correct: by checking all your information is accurate and timely. Double- check your spelling, punctuation and grammar. Proof read it before you send it!

7. Be Credible: strive to present yourself from a position of reliability and competence. Write to reinforce your message and make it more believable.