A listening ear
One pair of ears draws dry a hundred tongues.George Herbert, "Proverbs" in The Complete English Works, 272. This saying points out that the ratio of…
Selflessness
Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call ‘humble’ nowadays: he will not be a…
Onward
C.S. Lewis is a compassionate writer. He remembers his unhappy childhood well enough to engage his readers (whatever their age) with impressive empathy. I wrote…
Home
His house was perfect, whether you liked food, or sleep, or work, or story-telling, or singing, or just sitting and thinking best, or a pleasant…
Heavenly mindedness
There's an old cliche that goes like this: "They're so heavenly minded they're no earthly good." It's a criticism of religious folks who are all…
Scroll not, lest ye be anxious
I saw a quote last week that I can't find today. It went something like this: "Whenever our awareness exceeds our agency we'll feel anxiety."…
In person
As a leader, I've found that sensitive conversations go about one thousand percent better in person. It's important for people to be able to see…
Keep your promises
"That promise I did not keep." "Well, then, it was jolly rotten of you," said Digory. "Rotten?" said Uncle Andrew with a puzzled look "Oh…
Grandpa’s study
Sometimes, on overnights at Grandma and Grandpa's house, I'd sleep down in the basement. They had a cool, dark, extremely cozy bedroom all the way…
Manners
While you were growing up, did it seem like your parents were constantly reminding you of your manners? "Mind your Ps and Qs." "Don't chew…