Many years ago, I began capturing my observations on a wide variety of events, subjects, or experiences I happened to encounter. I eventually self-published a small book of thoughts; the following are excerpts from that book.
“The secret to raising good children is to satisfy their curiosity without passing on your ignorance.”
Fm
“Never be fearful of speaking your mind. Instead, be fearful of the consequences for not doing so.”
Fm
“The danger in letting ignorance flourish is that it emboldens mediocrity and makes heroes out of fools.”
Fm
“Where you’ll end up because of a leap of faith is nowhere near as dangerous as where you’d land when jumping to conclusions.”
Fm
“Love is very much like a circle: It keeps in what it holds or keeps out what doesn’t belong. It favors no special part of itself, nor does it ever take sides. And if drawn correctly, it shows no signs of possessing an end.”
Fm
“Words are like an ocean – it’s not their size that gives way to inspiration, but rather their depth.”
Fm
“Happiness is a state of find.”
Fm
“A rose, when cut, still never gives up its thorns.“
Fm
“Aging is the process by which experience and memories grow in personal numbers yet decrease in social value.”
Fm
“A fist can serve as a weapon, tool, or symbol of hope. The mind dictates its use; emotions drive the execution; time determines the consequences.”
Fm
“A straight answer is the shortest distance between two hearts.”
Fm
“Biology ages the body; boredom ages the mind.”
Fm
“A life that is lived in fear is one that chooses a graveyard as its home.”
Fm
“The ability to think is the one gift we value the least, yet it’s the one which most people are willing to steal.”
Fm
“If you give of yourself, you lose nothing. If you keep to yourself, you gain nothing.”
Fm
“There are no colors; only shades of ignorance.”
Fm
“Ripping the heart out of your enemy causes two deaths.”
Fm
“More people need to work on closing the rage gap.”
Fm
“Never allow fear to turn your life into the greatest story never told.”
Fm
“The more you are stubborn like a mule, the more closely you resemble an ass.”
Fm
“Bullies are people who push because they are afraid to move.”
Fm
“Worst reason ever for pursuing your passion: “That’s where the money is.”“
Fm
“Deprecation is just a form of social defecation.”
Fm
“Money is the leading cause of blindness.”
Fm
“Worms make meals of princes and paupers.”
Fm
“Warning: Conscience may have shifted during fright.”
Fm
“Failure exists for two reasons: To teach you the wisdom of persistence, and to remind you that there are no gods on earth.”
Fm
“Adversity is a golden opportunity wrapped in an ugly package.”
Fm
“The strongest muscle will never take you farther than a gentle push from your imagination.”
Fm
“An ugly duckling is as such only to a swan with no imagination.”
Fm
“Poverty is a sad state of being; ignorance is a sad state of mind.”
Fm
“Hatred doesn’t exist because of human nature; it exists because of a lack of humanity.”
Fm
“I know what the world is made of; I often wonder if it knows what it’s made of itself.”
Fm
“Age grants experience by default, and wisdom by choice.”
Fm
“Aging is a process of divestiture. It starts with the things we own and ends with the things that ultimately own us.”
Fm
“You will regret what you’ve become the moment you forget who you are.”
Fm
“Nature provides every lesson; humanity provides every cautionary tale.”
Fm
“Popularity always appeals to the lowest common denominator.”
Fm
“An angry heart is an empty vessel.”
Fm
“There is no greater enemy than fear. It motivates for all the wrong reasons, inspires all the wrong goals, and incites all the wrong emotions.”
Fm
“Consider your choices carefully. Be a builder of dreams, and not an architect of regrets.”
Fm
“The person who believes the lies of lesser minds is the greater fool.”
Fm
“A sudden change in direction requires twice as much vigilance.”
Fm
“How little we credit the lessons of the past, yet constantly bemoan the consequences of their future.”
Fm
Ponti’s Law of a Supply and Demand: The more you attempt to demand, the less the world is willing to supply.
Fm
“Never underestimate the power of an underdeveloped idea.”
Fm
“Practice random acts of teaching.”
Fm
“An act of faith in favor of one’s own ability is in and of itself an act of redemption.”
Fm
“Playing it safe doesn’t keep you safe; it keeps you hidden.”
Fm
“Looking out for yourself is what you do to survive in this world; looking within yourself is what you do to grow in it.”
Fm
“No one truly suffers from bad luck – only bad decisions.“
Fm
“Those who succeed do so by making reality conform to their imagination, and not the other way around.”
Fm
“If you want to climb to the top, be sure to first make friends with the person holding the ladder.”
Fm
“To be aware is to be wise; to understand is to be blessed.”
Fm
“A show of strength almost always lacks common sense.”
Fm
“To generate a positive thought in the mind of another individual is the single most powerful act in the life of any human being.”
Fm
“Hatred makes you ugly.”
Fm
“Information is not a benchmark for intellect, nor humor a sign of wisdom.”
Fm
“No matter how imposing or impenetrable a door may seem, they all open with a single key.”
Fm
“The only bad ideas are those that go through life untested, unchallenged or undermined by prejudices.“
Fm
“Distance should never be an issue; direction, should.“
Fm
“There are immeasurable opportunities for doing something good, but rarely any opportunities for recanting something bad.”
Fm
“The greater the fear, the smaller the legacy.”
Fm
“You’ll always know when you’re on the right track by the amount of obstacles you’ll encounter. No one is bound to stop you when the path you’re on is destined to fail.”
Fm
“You cannot be at peace for very long with the world if you’re waging a war within yourself.”
Fm
“Sensing is subliminal sight.”
Fm
“You cannot achieve a better future when weighed down by the regrets of the past.”
Fm
“The quality of your happiness is directly proportional to the importance you ascribe to money.”
Fm
“A nation ruled by money and powered by thugs will always see enlightenment as a threat. Evil does not like to be brought out into the light.”
Fm
“The hardship of an experience should always be of lesser or equal value to that of its capacity to teach. Anything else is either a vain attempt at notoriety, or a selfish bid for sainthood.”
Fm
“Introspection is what occurs over time when you realize the futility of fighting windmills.“
Fm
“One basic issue must be understood before all others: we are all of the same kind, of the same flesh, of the same beginning. Your interpretation of this rule does not diminish its worth, change its meaning, nor does it allow you to condemn it to anonymity or disarray.”
Fm
“If you can’t find a way to manage the bull, find a way to move the cow.”
Fm
“If you want to conquer a child’s heart, be like an ice cream sundae – sweet, fun, and just a bit nutty on top.”
Fm
“When casting aspersions, keep in mind that they are indeed like stones – they will always sink to the bottom along with your reputation.”
Fm
“The concept of writing is a joyously slippery one. We think of it, dream of it, obsess over it, yet find it almost impossible to start. But once the first thread of that elusive tapestry is woven, we are enslaved by the very characters we create. Writing is nothing more than being an indentured servant to the dreams and desires of one’s imagination.”
Fm
“You cannot be at peace with the world for very long if you’re waging a war within yourself.”
Fm
“Sometimes, the single most important person in history dies at the side of an unmarked road, in an unknown town, in a forgotten country.”
Fm
“How telling it is when you see so much of interest in the world, and the world sees so little of interest in you.”
Fm
“Once in pain, twice in doubt.”
Fm
“The past will teach you nothing if you choose to treat it like a shadow.”
Fm
“The larger the wallet, the bigger the ass.”
Fm
“Love is at its best when life is at its ugliest.”
Fm
“The only true purpose in life should be to find that which provides the greatest joy for the most amount of people, and in the least complicated manner possible.”
Fm