Can’t is the Worst Word that’s Written or Spoken

Can’t is the worst word that’s written or spoken;

Doing more harm here than slander and lies;
On it is many a strong spirit broken,
And with it many a good purpose dies.
It springs from the lips of the thoughtless each morning
And robs us of courage we need through the day;
It rings in our ears like a timely sent warning
And laughs when we falter and fall by the way.

Can’t is the father of feeble endeavor,
The parent of terror and halfhearted work;
It weakens the efforts of artisans clever,
And makes of the toiler an indolent shirk.
It poisons the soul of the man with a vision,
It stifles in infancy many a plan;
It greets honest toiling with open derision
And mocks at the hopes and the dreams of a man.

Can’t is a word none should speak without blushing;
To utter it should be a symbol of shame;
Ambition and courage it daily is crushing;
It blights a man’s purpose and shortens his aim.
Despise it with all of your hatred of error;
Refuse it the lodgement it seeks in your brain;
Arm against it as a creature of terror,
And all that you dream of you someday shall gain.

Can’t is the word that is foe to ambition
An enemy ambushed to shatter your will;
Its prey is forever the man with a mission
And bows but to courage and patience and skill.
Hate it, with hatred that’s deep and undying,
For once it is welcomed ’twill break any man;
Whatever the goal you are seeking, keep trying
And answer this demon by saying: “I can.”

The Grumble Family

There’s a family nobody likes to meet;
They live, it is said, on Complaining Street
In the city of Never-Are-Satisfied,
The River of Discontent beside.

They growl at that and they growl at this;
Whatever comes, there is something amiss;
And whether their station be high or humble,
They are all known by the name of grumble.

The weather is always too hot or cold;
Summer and winter alike they scold.
Nothing goes right with the folks you meet
Down on that gloomy Complaining Street.

They growl at the rain and they growl at the sun;
In fact, their growling is never done.
And if everything pleased them, there isn’t a doubt
They’d growl that they’d nothing to grumble about!

But the queerest thing is that not one of the same
Can be brought to acknowledge his family name;
For never a Grumbler will own that he
Is connected with it at all, you see.

The worst thing is that if anyone stays
Among them too long, he will Learn their ways;
And before he dreams of the terrible jumble
He’s adopted into the family of Grumble.

And so it were wisest to keep our feet
From wandering into Complaining Street;
And never to growl, whatever we do,
Lest we be mistaken for Grumblers, too.

Let us learn to walk with a smile and song,
No matter if things do sometimes go wrong;
And then, be our station high or humble,
We’ll never belong to the family of Grumble!

By L. M. Montgomery

Six Witty Quotes and Commentaries

Witty and inspirational thoughts and ideas helped me many times in tough situations and in serious hardships.  These might, hopefully, help you in one or another way.

Just don’t take it deep into your heart. If you take something, you will most probably want to keep it. And you cannot retain anything. (E. M. Remarque)

Someone also said that a strong attachment is the best way to stop developing oneself. Our life is a constant progress and movement and we should move on with our lives despite our problems and trials. To some it might be some fatal sickness, to others – a loss of a loved one. I know, it is very hard to get loose of someone who was very close to you. One has to live with all the  memories tearing the heart apart. However, when he or she is gone, you have to move on – it’s what he would wish for you.

The one who finds new in old things is worthy to be a teacher.(Confucius)

Our life is full of revelations and new things, even though we might not be able notice it. You can look at the same diamond from different angles and it’s going to shine in different colors. The same stone will look different. Our lives can be a series of discoveries and revelations and it’s up to us, whether we are open to it or close our eyes and hearts. That’s what a true teacher does – he shows it to those who are not able to see.

The longer I study the depths of the universe and its architecture details, the more proofs I find that the universe knew in some way that we were going to appear. (F. Dyson).

The famous scientist Einstein, who came up with the relativity theory, also said that the harmony of the universe architecture is too obvious and leading to the idea, that it must have been created. Scientists are still guessing how was is possible for the Earth to appear the way it is now – as a mind blowing perfect life oasis in the limitless cold and rigorous universe. They are also making theories about the existence of a humankind. Even though the classical thought of the amebic origin prevails, I try to keep to the idea that someone far greater, powerful and wise (God) made us not only for a purpose of pure existence, but also for a particular calling.

If you want to rule peacefully, you have to surround yourself with the love of the nation rather than weapons. (Periander)

I could not agree with it more. You don’t have to look very far – just a few decades ago Stalin was a leader of a Russian nation. The whole nation was filled with fear, tyranny, oppression and torture. The ones who did not obey were sent to Siberia, concentration camps, killed in prisons or tortured. If Stalin ever considered any of his comrades a traitor, a poor man would be killed or exiled the next day without any court trial. On the other hand, he must have been a very lonely and unhappy man. Life is not easy, when there is no one to trust and everyone looks like a potential enemy.

We find in life what we give to it. (R. V. Emmerson)

Give and it shall be given to you. You will reap what you sow. Many quotes of this kind you can find in the Bible. The principle works everywhere – in business, marriage, health – you name it. The more we give, the more we can take. The less we sacrifice, the less we can take. It’s up to us to decide what and to what extend should we give. I always like to think of my life as a river. It always has to flow to sustain life and it always has to give some water to get some water. If it was not giving anything, it would soon become a swamp.

I will speak badly of no men, but I will tell every good deed I know about everyone. (B. Franklin)

It is in our nature to slander and defame each other. There is not one human who is absolutely blameless and pure. We are all wicked in one way or another, but there is one particular action which is disgusting in any way you think about it. The Bible tells that scandal is like honey to men, though it becomes sour in their stomach, once they swallow (say) it. We are humans, after all, and the only way to stop the bad talk is realizing what consequences the backbiting has. Imagine that it was you, who was being talked about behind your back. Not a very comfortable feeling, is it?

I suggest reading daily at least few motivational quotes and evenfunny quotes to brighten up your day. They were written by personalities, the ones who made a difference in their lives and history. They, surely, would have something to teach us.

Uninstructed

“I am going to send you down to earth,”
Said God to me one day,
“I’m giving you what men call ‘birth’– 
Tonight you’ll start away; 
I want you there to live with men; 
Until I call you back again.”

I trembled as I heard him speak,
Yet I know that I must go;
I felt His hand upon my cheek, 
And wished that I might know –
Just what on earth would be my task,
And timidly I dared to ask.

“Tell me before I start away, 
What thou would have me do;
What message would you have me say?
When shall my work be through? 
That I may serve on earth, 
Tell me the purpose of my birth.”

God smiled at me and softly said:
“Oh,  you shall find your task.
I want you on life’s path to tread, 
So do not stay to ask.
Remember,  if your best you do, 
That I shall ask no more of you.”

How often, as my work I do, 
So commonplace and grim, 
I sit and sigh and wish I knew 
If I am pleasing Him.
I wonder if, with every test, 
I’ve truly tried to do my best.

-Edgar A. Guest