Contentment ;
The state of being contented, satisfaction, ease of mind.
Thus situated, many hundred miles from our families in the howling wilderness, I believe few would have equally enjoyed the happiness we experienced. You see how little human nature really requires to be satisfied. Felicity is the companion of content, and is to be found in our own breasts, rather than the things around us. I firmly believe it takes but a little philosophy to make a man happy, in whatever state, fortune may place him. It only takes a perfect resignation to the will of providence, and a resigned soul will find pleasure even in a path strewn with thorns and briers.
Daniel Boone 1770
"Be always sure you are right, then go ahead"
Davy Crockett
" I am still determined to be cheerful, and to be happy in whatever situation I may be. For I have also learnt from experience, that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances."
Martha Washington
Martha Washington
Museum of the Waxhaws, Waxhaw, North Carolina ------------------------
Tu Ne Cede Malis = Yield Not To Misfortunes
A Creed for the Discouraged
I believe that God Created me to be happy, to enjoy the blessings of life, to be useful to my fellow-beings, and a honor to my country.
I believe that the trials that beset me today are but the fiery tests by which my character is strengthened, ennobled and made worthy to enjoy the higher things of life, which I believe are in store for me.
I believe that my soul is too grand to be crushed by defeat; I will rise above it.
I believe that I am the architect of my own fate; therefore,
I will be master of circumstances and surroundings and not their slave.
I will not yield to discouragements , I will trample them under foot and make them serve as steppingstones to success. I will conquer my obstacles and turn them into opportunities.
My failures of today will help to guide me on to victory on the morrow.
The morrow will bring new strength, new hopes, new opportunities and new beginnings. I will be ready to meet it with a brave heart, a calm mind and an undaunted spirit.
In all things I will do my best, and leave the rest to the infinite.
I will not waste my mental energies by useless worry.
I will learn to dominate my restless thoughts and look on the bright side of things.
I will face the world bravely.
Virginia Opal Myers ( Heart Throbs Vol. 2. 1911 )
Desiderata
Go placidly amidst the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its shams, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy
Max Ehrmann
King James Version (KJV)
11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthen me.
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
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| Woodrow Wilson Boyhood Home Augusta, Georgia --------------------------- |
“It's faith in something and enthusiasm for something that makes life worth living.”
Enthusiasm
The word "enthusiasm" stems from the Greek word "enthous" meaning " inspired," and the word "enthous"
is derived from an even more ancient Greek word that combines " theos,' which means God, and " entos," meaning
" within." So, the original use of the term "enthusiasm"
literally means "the spirit of God within you."
God, who created all the beauty of this earth and in the heavens, who is the source of all goodness, truth, and love,
is the spirit who energizes you, encourages you, enriches
you with the fervor to excel yourself. When you come to
understand that God's spirit is always within, you'll be
surprised by the joy and unbounded enthusiasm you have
burning inside you.
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| Gen Coffee State Park, Coffee County, Georgia --------------------------------------------------------- |
Faith
Here is a power that is open to all people...
Faith is an unquestioning belief. Faith is complete trust and confidence. Faith is positive, enriching life in the here and now.
Faith can be found in all houses of spiritual belief and also in
nature. Most importantly, faith is found in the hearts and souls
of each of us. Faith is the key to unlock the door of success and happiness for every human being....
"According to your faith be it unto you " Matthew 9:29 "
Have faith and all things are possible. Faith is the source of all
human strength and courage.
"The Joy of Working"
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| Hofwyl Broadfield, Glynn County, Georgia --------------------------------------------- |
The Beauty Born of Storms
Archibald Rutledge
The beauty born of storms has a nobility about it; perhaps this is because it is associated with strength. It has been tested and found true.... For a storm, whether it be physical or spiritual, is always
a challenge; and there is something in the heart that rises up to
meet it. No other kind of occasion calls it forth. Storms rend and mar; but they strengthen, they build, and they may bring forth
serene and changeless beauty.... Times of storms and peril are
the ones that show what we are made of....The strength of the
body, the quality of the spirit - these need testing in order to
bring them into greater strength and beauty, They need to be
opposed by storms in order to prove their mastery and to emerge
triumphant from the encounter. But storms not only develop us
into new strength and beauty; they enlarge our hearts with
sympathy for others... Always there is something masterful and
mighty about a storm. And whatever strength it manifests, calls
forth within us the same kind of virtue to meet it....
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| Woodrow Wilson Boyhood Home Augusta, Georgia ---------------------------------------------- |
Worrying and daydreaming are futile and
merely waste valuable time, take constructive
action to meet each problem, do your best,
and make the best of the consequences.
Samuel Smith, editor
"Best Method of Study"
1938
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| Fort Clinch / 1847 / Amelia Island, Florida ------------------------------------------------------------- |
Integrity
Integrity is more than just being honest or trustworthy. It’s having strength and consistency, being unwavering in your character.
Proverbs 28:6, “Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than he who is crooked though he be rich.”
God holds character with great importance and He judges your integrity. He hates the lack of it. Weather it is in business or everyday dealings, God calls you to a life of integrity.
Deuteronomy 5:15, “You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”
Why falsify “weights and measures” just to get a deal done or make a little money? It’s not worth what you lose in your character.
A builder describes a structure as having integrity when it is unwavering, consistent, and solid, much like a person who has the same quality.
God tries your heart and delights in your uprightness as integrity is also protection against evil. Scripture addresses this in Matthew, Proverbs, and the Psalms.
Matthew 5:37, “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
Proverbs 2:7-8, “He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.”
Psalm 7:8, “Vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me.”
Integrity isn’t something you can try on and take off like a garment when it’s convenient – it must be the moral fiber that weaves you together and makes you who you are. Incorruptible, stable, consistent, and steadfast – this is the kind of integrity that should be your way of life.
Proverbs 28:6, “Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than he who is crooked though he be rich.”
God holds character with great importance and He judges your integrity. He hates the lack of it. Weather it is in business or everyday dealings, God calls you to a life of integrity.
Deuteronomy 5:15, “You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”
Why falsify “weights and measures” just to get a deal done or make a little money? It’s not worth what you lose in your character.
A builder describes a structure as having integrity when it is unwavering, consistent, and solid, much like a person who has the same quality.
God tries your heart and delights in your uprightness as integrity is also protection against evil. Scripture addresses this in Matthew, Proverbs, and the Psalms.
Matthew 5:37, “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
Proverbs 2:7-8, “He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.”
Psalm 7:8, “Vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me.”
Integrity isn’t something you can try on and take off like a garment when it’s convenient – it must be the moral fiber that weaves you together and makes you who you are. Incorruptible, stable, consistent, and steadfast – this is the kind of integrity that should be your way of life.
Character of the Happy Warrior
Who is the happy Warrior? Who is he
That every man in arms should wish to be?
—It is the generous Spirit, who, when brought
Among the tasks of real life, hath wrought
Upon the plan that pleased his boyish thought:
Whose high endeavors are an inward light
That makes the path before him always bright;
Who, with a natural instinct to discern
What knowledge can perform, is diligent to learn;
Abides by this resolve, and stops not there,
But makes his moral being his prime care;
Who, doomed to go in company with Pain,
And Fear, and Bloodshed, miserable train!
Turns his necessity to glorious gain;
In face of these doth exercise a power
Which is our human nature's highest dower:
Controls them and subdues, transmutes, bereaves
Of their bad influence, and their good receives:
By objects, which might force the soul to abate
Her feeling, rendered more compassionate;
Is placable—because occasions rise
So often that demand such sacrifice;
More skilful in self-knowledge, even more pure,
As tempted more; more able to endure,
As more exposed to suffering and distress;
Thence, also, more alive to tenderness.
—'Tis he whose law is reason; who depends
Upon that law as on the best of friends;
Whence, in a state where men are tempted still
To evil for a guard against worse ill,
And what in quality or act is best
Doth seldom on a right foundation rest,
He labors good on good to fix, and owes
To virtue every triumph that he knows:
—Who, if he rise to station of command,
Rises by open means; and there will stand
On honorable terms, or else retire,
And in himself possess his own desire;
Who comprehends his trust, and to the same
Keeps faithful with a singleness of aim;
And therefore does not stoop, nor lie in wait
For wealth, or honors, or for worldly state;
Whom they must follow; on whose head must fall,
Like showers of manna, if they come at all:
Whose powers shed round him in the common strife,
Or mild concerns of ordinary life,
A constant influence, a peculiar grace;
But who, if he be called upon to face
Some awful moment to which Heaven has joined
Great issues, good or bad for human kind,
Is happy as a Lover; and attired
With sudden brightness, like a Man inspired;
And, through the heat of conflict, keeps the law
In calmness made, and sees what he foresaw;
Or if an unexpected call succeed,
Come when it will, is equal to the need:
—He who, though thus endued as with a sense
And faculty for storm and turbulence,
Is yet a Soul whose master-bias leans
To home-felt pleasures and to gentle scenes;
Sweet images! which, where-so-ever he be,
Are at his heart; and such fidelity
It is his darling passion to approve;
More brave for this, that he hath much to love:—
'Tis, finally, the Man, who, lifted high,
Conspicuous object in a Nation's eye,
Or left un-thought-of in obscurity,—
Who, with a toward or untoward lot,
Prosperous or adverse, to his wish or not—
Plays, in the many games of life, that one
Where what he most doth value must be won:
Whom neither shape or danger can dismay,
Nor thought of tender happiness betray;
Who, not content that former worth stand fast,
Looks forward, persevering to the last,
From well to better, daily self-surpassed:
Who, whether praise of him must walk the earth
For ever, and to noble deeds give birth,
Or he must fall, to sleep without his fame,
And leave a dead unprofitable name—
Finds comfort in himself and in his cause;
And, while the mortal mist is gathering, draws
His breath in confidence of Heaven's applause:
This is the happy Warrior; this is he
That every man in arms should wish to be.
Galatians 5:22-23King James Version (KJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
