“
There are many goals but one path - the path of compassion.
”
”
Amit Ray (Nonviolence: The Transforming Power)
“
Open the window of your mind. Allow the fresh air, new lights and new truths to enter.
”
”
Amit Ray (Walking the Path of Compassion)
“
It is not until you change your identity to match your life blueprint that you will understand why everything in the past never worked.
”
”
Shannon L. Alder
“
Live your life in such a way that you'll be remembered for your kindness, compassion, fairness, character, benevolence, and a force for good who had much respect for life, in general.
”
”
Germany Kent
“
The Anatomy of Conflict:
If there is no communication then there is no respect. If there is no respect then there is no caring. If there is no caring then there is no understanding. If there is no understanding then there is no compassion. If there is no compassion then there is no empathy. If there is no empathy then there is no forgiveness. If there is no forgiveness then there is no kindness. If there is no kindness then there is no honesty. If there is no honesty then there is no love. If there is no love then God doesn't reside there. If God doesn't reside there then there is no peace. If there is no peace then there is no happiness. If there is no happiness ----then there IS CONFLICT BECAUSE THERE IS NO COMMUNICATION!
”
”
Shannon L. Alder
“
There is too much negativity in the world. Do your best to make sure you aren't contributing to it.
”
”
Germany Kent
“
God has a way of picking a “nobody” and turning their world upside down, in order to create a “somebody” that will remove the obstacles they encountered out of the pathway for others.
”
”
Shannon L. Alder
“
Be nice to people... maybe it'll be unappreciated, unreciprocated, or ignored, but spread the love anyway. We rise by lifting others.
”
”
Germany Kent
“
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream was a manifestation of hope that humanity might one day get out of its own way by finding the courage to realize that love and nonviolence are not indicators of weakness but gifts of significant strength.
”
”
Aberjhani (Illuminated Corners: Collected Essays and Articles Volume I.)
“
Power without compassion is like a giant that blocks the sunlight.
”
”
Criss Jami (Healology)
“
Seek a man that doesn't ask you to prove your love. Seek a man that will prove God's love.
”
”
Shannon L. Alder
“
Poetry empowers the simplest of lives to confront the most extreme sorrows with courage, and motivates the mightiest of offices to humbly heed lessons in compassion.
”
”
Aberjhani (Splendid Literarium: A Treasury of Stories, Aphorisms, Poems, and Essays)
“
The three jewels of Tao: compassion, moderation, and humility. Balthasar said compassion leads to courage, moderation leads to generosity, and humility leads to leadership.
”
”
Christopher Moore (Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal)
“
Lyra had never seen such a sight, never heard such a bellow; it was like a mountain laughing.
”
”
Philip Pullman (The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, #1))
“
Do some small acts of kindness every day consistently, and over time it will have an exponential effect on the world.
”
”
Amit Ray (Power of Exponential Mindset for Success and Leadership)
“
Tomorrow's leaders will not lead dictating from the front, nor pushing from the back. They will lead from the centre - from the heart
”
”
Rasheed Ogunlaru (Soul Trader)
“
At the different stages of recognition, reflection, and redress, practicing compassion provides potentially world-saving opportunities which otherwise likely would not exist.
”
”
Aberjhani (Illuminated Corners: Collected Essays and Articles Volume I.)
“
If you compromise your core values, you go nowhere.
”
”
Roy T. Bennett
“
Compassion makes you strong, caring and creative. It creates a different attitude, a level of maturity and understanding, where you do something which makes you stand out of crowd.
”
”
Amit Ray (Walking the Path of Compassion)
“
If you want more kindness in the world, put some there.
”
”
Zero Dean (Lessons Learned from The Path Less Traveled Volume 1: Get motivated & overcome obstacles with courage, confidence & self-discipline)
“
Your values create your internal compass that can navigate how you make decisions in your life. If you compromise your core values, you go nowhere.
”
”
Roy T. Bennett (The Light in the Heart)
“
If given a choice between stoic justice and compassion, I choose compassion. And if given a choice between worldly leadership and heaven at my feet—I choose heaven.
”
”
Yasmin Mogahed (Reclaim Your Heart: Personal Insights on Breaking Free from Life's Shackles)
“
No less a bold and pugnacious figure than Winston Churchill broke down and was unable to finish his remarks at the sendoff of the British Expeditionary Force into the maelstrom of World War I in Europe.
”
”
Barbara W. Tuchman (The Guns of August)
“
It is not blindly pushing your own agenda that will enrich the world. It’s is your ability and willingness to understand, appreciate, anticipate, address, serve and support the lives of others that will.
”
”
Rasheed Ogunlaru
“
In an age when nations and individuals routinely exchange murder for murder, when the healing grace of authentic spirituality is usurped by the divisive politics of religious organizations, and when broken hearts bleed pain in darkness without the relief of compassion, the voice of an exceptional poet producing exceptional work is not something the world can afford to dismiss.
”
”
Aberjhani (The American Poet Who Went Home Again)
“
I probably felt more resentment for what I personally was to suffer than for the wrong they were doing to anyone and everyone. But at that time I was determined not to put up with badly behaved people more out of my own interest than because I wanted them to become good people.
”
”
Augustine of Hippo (Confessions)
“
Compassion needs new approach and new outlook with the way you see the world.
”
”
Amit Ray (Walking the Path of Compassion)
“
Purpose drives the process by which we become what we are capable of being.
”
”
Lolly Daskal
“
The difference between impossible and possible is a willing heart.
”
”
Lolly Daskal (Thoughts Spoken From The Heart)
“
There is enough mystery in human nature to keep the world stuck in a perpetual state of righteous speculation. Only the wise and compassionate will rise above it, with enough vision to see that inconsistency is a normal occurrence, during the spiritual battle of forgiveness and justice.
”
”
Shannon L. Alder
“
A compassionate leader always feel motivated to bring happiness and relieve the suffering of customers, investors, suppliers, employees, government and the communities.
”
”
Amit Ray (Mindfulness Meditation for Corporate Leadership and Management)
“
Leadership requires kindness and empathy.
”
”
Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr.
“
followers have a very clear picture of what they want and need from the most influential leaders in their lives: trust, compassion, stability, and hope
”
”
Tom Rath (Strengths Based Leadership (Brand New Copies Include Access Code))
“
I don't want to be rich and famous but I want to die knowing I stood infront of a broken man and gave him one reason to smile again.
”
”
Nikki Rowe
“
Being a leader is not about finding ways to get others to serve you, but knowing how to serve your followers.
”
”
A.J. Darkholme (Rise of the Morningstar (The Morningstar Chronicles, #1))
“
You can unlock spiritual things only from within.
”
”
Richard Rohr (Adam's Return: The Five Promises of Male Initiation)
“
Waiting for perfect time and opportunity. It comes never - start now.
”
”
Amit Ray (Walking the Path of Compassion)
“
The highest purpose of education is to unlearn what we once took for granted, to replace certainty with subtlety, prejudice with compassion, and destiny with possibility.
”
”
Neel Burton
“
In the path of compassion our patience, resilience and endurance are often challenged. Sometimes we may fail but we have to stand up again because ultimate joy of compassion is immeasurable for us and the whole world.
”
”
Amit Ray (Walking the Path of Compassion)
“
The sign of a good leader is easy to recognize, though it is hardly ever seen. For the greatest leaders are those who share as equals in the trials and struggles, the demands and expectations, the hills and trenches, the laws and punishments placed upon the backs of those governed. A great leader is motivated not by power but by compassion. Therefore he can do nothing but make himself a servant to those whom he rules. Such a leader is unequivocally respected, and loved for loving.
”
”
Richelle E. Goodrich (Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year)
“
Exercising leadership is an expression of your aliveness... But when you cover yourself up, you risk losing something as well. In the struggle to save yourself, you can give up too many of those qualities that are the essence of being alive, like innocence, curiosity, and compassion.
”
”
Ronald A. Heifetz (Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive through the Dangers of Leading)
“
Even the strongest and bravest must sometimes weep. It shows they have a great heart, one that can feel compassion for others. You are brave, Matthias. Already you have done great things for one so young. I am only a simple country-bred fieldmouse, but even I can see the courage and leadership in you. A burning brand shows the way, and each day your flame grows brighter. There is none like you, Matthias. You have the sign of greatness upon you. One day Redwall and all the land will be indebted to you. Matthias, you are a true Warrior.
”
”
Brian Jacques (Redwall (Redwall, #1))
“
Christian leadership should include integrity, honesty, compassion, diplomacy, perception, common sense, and forgiveness. Serving as a Christian leader involves servant leadership, which is a radical commitment to their follower’s life that requires acting in love no matter what it costs that leader.
”
”
Scott S. Haraburda (Christian Controversies: Seeking the Truth)
“
Leadership is not about control, it's about love and empathy and courage and compassion.
”
”
Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr.
“
He keeps his voice kindly but remote. A cross between a pedagogue, soothsayer, and a benevolent uncle – that should be his tone.
”
”
Margaret Atwood (Oryx and Crake (MaddAddam, #1))
“
One-time rival and subsequent usurper Secretary of State Seward finally settled into an assessment of Lincoln that, "His confidence and compassion increase every day.
”
”
Doris Kearns Goodwin (Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln)
“
To make your Opinion Count,
you have to do something more
than just making Money.
”
”
Vineet Raj Kapoor
“
Outer world is just the mirror image of your inner world.
”
”
Amit Ray (Walking the Path of Compassion)
“
Your greatest weakness lies in your demotivated mindset, mostly created by the opinions of others, not in your abilities.
”
”
Amit Ray (Power of Exponential Mindset for Success and Leadership)
“
A visitor asked Lincoln what good news he could take home from an audience with the august executive. The president spun a story about a machine that baffled a chess champion by beating him thrice. The stunned champ cried while inspecting the machine, "There's a man in there!"Lincoln's good news, he confided from the heights of leadership, was that there was in fact a man in there.
”
”
Shelby Foote (The Civil War, Vol. 1: Fort Sumter to Perryville)
“
Compassion does not need any special preparation, place or time. You can start it anywhere and anytime. Try it at home, work, school —or anywhere! The more you cultivate compassion the more will be your fulfillment, resilience, patience, grit, endurance and equanimity.
”
”
Amit Ray (Walking the Path of Compassion)
“
Most of us care about one another. Human beings have considerably more in common with one another than they do differences. One’s religion, political persuasion, family, financial and social status, or vocation does not hamper the common thread of personal decency running through most of humankind.
”
”
Jon M. Huntsman Sr. (Essential Lessons on Leadership (Collection))
“
Your personal values are the best compass for your unique journey.
”
”
Chris Hutchinson (Ripple: A Field Manual for Leadership that Works)
“
A leader who allows their subordinates to suffer as proof of who is the boss likely quenches their thirst with salt water from a rusted canteen.
”
”
Donavan Nelson Butler
“
There are two powerful fuels, two forces; motivation and inspiration. To be motivated you need to know what your motives are. Over time - and to sustain you through it - your motivation must become an inner energy; a 'motor' driving you forward, passionately, purposefully, wisely and compassionately... come what may, every day. Inspiration is an outer - worldly - energy that you breathe and draw in. It may come from many places, faces, spaces and stages - right across the ages. It is where nature, spirit, science, mind and time meet, dance, play and speak. It keeps you outward facing and life embracing. But you must be open-minded and open-hearted to first let it in and then let it out again. Together - blended, combined and re-entwined - motivation and inspiration bring connectivity, productivity, creativity and boundless possibilities that is not just 'self' serving but enriching to all humanity and societies...just as it should be.
”
”
Rasheed Ogunlaru
“
I have come to learn,
that when people of money and power organize
to set upon to break a person they seek to silence,
and the person seems but a shadow of what they were,
under the endless barrage,
in the end when laid to rest,
the dignity, compassion and presence of the person
somehow endures,
and their words awaken to speak clearer than before.
As if torches ignite, when their flame is gone,
and the light of their truth,
Is brilliantly lit and once more born.
”
”
Tom Althouse
“
In my community, we are taught that leadership qualities include humility, compassion, a sense of fairness, the ability to listen, preparation and carry-through, a love for the people, and a strong spiritual center that begins with a connection to Earth.
”
”
Joy Harjo (Catching the Light (Why I Write))
“
Compassion encompasses everything that eliminates the sufferings of humanity
”
”
Amit Ray (Compassionate Artificial Superintelligence AI 5.0)
“
At the end of the day, we all live in this world together and to practice bringing peace onto Twitter is a huge step into bringing peace into our world.
”
”
Germany Kent
“
I'd always follow Nixon's orders, but you can't order somebody to be happy.
”
”
Charles W. Colson (Born Again)
“
Emotional intelligence is the foundation of leadership. It balances flexibility with toughness, vision with passion, compassion with justice.
”
”
Amit Ray (Mindfulness Meditation for Corporate Leadership and Management)
“
Every crisis demands self-discipline, patience, early adaptation and adjustment to the changing situation.
”
”
Amit Ray (Mindfulness Meditation for Corporate Leadership and Management)
“
Critics work for you;
they reveal your weaknesses.
Critics work against you;
they envy your strengths.
Wisdom works for you;
it counters your weaknesses.
Faith works for you;
it increases your strengths.
Forgive those who hurt you;
compassion is the offspring of blessings.
Love those who hate you;
love is the offspring of great blessings.
Be grateful for whatever you have;
much is made from little.
Be grateful for the plenty you have;
thankfulness makes room for more.
”
”
Matshona Dhliwayo
“
Leadership is a highly personal, individual matter. Each leader must establish his own approach based on an internal compass using a method geared to his personality, his capabilities but always oriented towards accomplishing the mission while knowing and taking care of his men.
”
”
Harold G. Moore (Hal Moore on Leadership: Winning When Outgunned and Outmanned)
“
In an era of globalization, we recognize that we are part of a global society, but we have no idea how to make such a society work. So far, no unified vision or leadership has emerged to guide us in this endeavor. We have not yet found a way to expand the spiritual ideals of democracy so that they pertain to every human being, every animal, and every plant. Until we do, human civilization and the Earth's ecosystem will continue to be in peril.
”
”
Victor Shamas (The Way of Play: Reclaiming Divine Fun & Celebration)
“
The six pillars of yoga are: health, harmony, compassion, creativity, integrity, and truth.
”
”
Amit Ray (Yoga The Science of Well-Being)
“
The compass of growth always points to authenticity in company culture and integrity in leadership.
”
”
Enamul Haque
“
Never embarrass a student in front of others. Embarrass yourself often to relieve the tension, but do not paint them into a corner.
”
”
Harry Gilbert
“
Every single creature on earth manages to survive one way or another, but not every creature truly lives.
”
”
Abhijit Naskar
“
Your world needs heroes. Be Heroes!
”
”
Abhijit Naskar (The Education Decree)
“
True North is the internal compass that guides you successfully through life.
”
”
Bill George (True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership (J-B Warren Bennis Series Book 143))
“
A self-compassionate leadership practice can put the focus back on a company’s most precious asset: its people.
”
”
Massimo Backus (Human First, Leader Second: How Self-Compassion Outperforms Self-Criticism)
“
Lincoln never forgot that in a democracy the leader’s strength ultimately depends on the strength of his bond with the people. In the mornings he set aside several hours to hear the needs of the ordinary people lined up outside his office, his time of “public opinion baths.” Kindness, empathy, humor, humility, passion, and ambition all marked him from the start. But he grew, and continued to grow, into a leader who became so powerfully fused with the problems tearing his country apart that his desire to lead and his need to serve coalesced into a single indomitable force. That force has not only enriched subsequent leaders but has provided our people with a moral compass to guide us. Such leadership offers us humanity, purpose, and wisdom, not in turbulent times alone, but also in our everyday lives.
”
”
Doris Kearns Goodwin (Leadership: In Turbulent Times)
“
God, gather me5 to be with you as you are with me. Keep me in touch with myself, with my needs, my anxieties, my angers, my pains, my corruptions, that I may claim them as my own rather than blame them on someone else. O Lord, deepen my wounds into wisdom; shape my weaknesses into compassion; gentle my envy into enjoyment, my fear into trust, my guilt into honesty. O God, gather me to be with you as you are with me.
”
”
Ruth Haley Barton (Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry (Transforming Resources))
“
A compassionate government does not need to pay too much attention to those who don't have needs. True leadership is to fulfill a need of the needy. People who have needs need attention indeed! Be a true leader!
”
”
Israelmore Ayivor (The Great Hand Book of Quotes)
“
If you have a million fans and no talent,
you’re still not a success.
a million students and no lesson,
you’re still not a teacher.
a million sermons and no compassion,
you’re still not a priest.
a million children and no affection,
you’re still not a father.
a million anniversaries and no devotion,
you’re still not a husband.
If you have a million sheep and no courage,
you’re still not a shepherd.
a million seeds and no harvest,
you’re still not a farmer.
a million titles and no integrity,
you’re still not a champion.
a million thoughts and no insights,
you’re still not a philosopher.
a million predictions and no prophecy,
you’re still not a prophet.
If you have a million soldiers and no unity,
you’re still not an army.
a million monks and no camaraderie,
you’re still not a monastery.
a million cities and no borders,
you’re still not a country.
a million musicians and no harmony,
you’re still not an orchestra.
a million armies and no strategy,
you’re still not a general.
If you have a million titles, and no influence,
you’re still not a leader;
a million ideas and no creations,
you’re still not an artist.
a million theories, and no facts,
you’re still not a scholar;
a million books, and no wisdom,
you’re still not a sage;
a million virtues, and no love,
you’re still not a saint.
”
”
Matshona Dhliwayo
“
I’ve seen many times over the years how liars get so good at lying, they lose the ability to distinguish between what’s true and what’s not. They surround themselves with other liars. The circle becomes closer and smaller, with those unwilling to surrender their moral compasses pushed out and those willing to tolerate deceit brought closer to the center of power. Perks and access are given to those willing to lie and tolerate lies. This creates a culture, which becomes an entire way of life. The easy, casual lies—those are a very dangerous thing. They open up the path to the bigger lies, in more important places, where the consequences aren’t so harmless.
”
”
James Comey (A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership)
“
A saint or monk can afford to be compassionate to all, but a leader or boss cannot always be kind. He may soon be without a job himself if he is unduly compassionate, and chances are, no one would show him any compassion then.
”
”
Awdhesh Singh (The Secret Red Book of Leadership)
“
is because you are kind and good, not a hard-hearted pitiless rat like Cluny. Please listen to me. Even the strongest and bravest must sometimes weep. It shows they have a great heart, one that can feel compassion for others. You are brave, Matthias. Already you have done great things for one so young. I am only a simple country-bred fieldmouse, but even I can see the courage and leadership in you. A burning brand shows the way, and each day your flame grows brighter.
”
”
Brian Jacques (Redwall)
“
Mind you, o braveheart sibling of mine, courage, conscience and compassion, these are the real Trinity of a civilized society. One who has these three flowing in one’s veins, is the one who can build a real world of peace, love and harmony.
”
”
Abhijit Naskar (Let The Poor Be Your God)
“
A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the quality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.
[Leadership]
”
”
Leomenza
“
Most people are honest, loyal, law-abiding citizens who focus their energy on making a living, raising a family, and contributing to society. Others are more selfish, concerned only about themselves, and appear to lack a moral compass. These individuals display little regard for others, allowing their need for power and prestige to override their sense of fairness and equity.1 Unfortunately, some individuals in the business world allow the responsibilities of leadership and the perquisites of power to override their moral sense.
”
”
Paul Babiak (Snakes in Suits, Revised Edition: Understanding and Surviving the Psychopaths in Your Office)
“
UN-Impressives
• Lying.
• Bragging.
• Gossiping.
• Cursing and using foul language.
• Making self-deprecating comments.
• Regularly expressing worry and anxiety.
• Criticizing and condemning people and situations.
• Demonstrating a lack of emotional intelligence or compassion.
”
”
Susan C. Young (The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact(The Art of First Impressions for Positive Impact, #5))
“
Please listen to me. Even the strongest and bravest must sometimes weep. It shows they have a great heart, one that can feel compassion for others. You are brave, Matthias. Already you have done great things for one so young. I am only a simple country-bred fieldmouse, but even I can see the courage and leadership in you. A burning brand shows the way, and each day your flame grows brighter. There is none like you, Matthias. You have the sign of greatness upon you. One day Redwall and all the land will be indebted to you. Matthias, you are a true Warrior.
”
”
Brian Jacques (Redwall (Redwall, #1))
“
I guess what concerned me most about the small lie was the danger of it becoming a habit. I’ve seen many times over the years how liars get so good at lying, they lose the ability to distinguish between what’s true and what’s not. They surround themselves with other liars. The circle becomes closer and smaller, with those unwilling to surrender their moral compasses pushed out and those willing to tolerate deceit brought closer to the center of power. Perks and access are given to those willing to lie and tolerate lies. This creates a culture, which becomes an entire way of life.
”
”
James Comey (A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership)
“
O my brave Almighty Human, with the ever-effulgent flow of courage, conscience and compassion, turn yourself into a vivacious humanizer, and start walking with bold footsteps while eliminating racism, terminating misogyny, destroying homophobia and all other primitiveness that have turned humanity into the most inhuman species on earth.
”
”
Abhijit Naskar (I Am The Thread: My Mission)
“
An old Cherokee chief is teaching his grandson about life: “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. “One is evil—he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, self-pity, arrogance, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego. “The other is good—he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, truth, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, compassion and faith. “This same fight is going on inside you—and inside every other person, too.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The old chief simply replied, “The one you feed.
”
”
Dusan Djukich (Straight-Line Leadership: Tools for Living with Velocity and Power in Turbulent Times)
“
Harry Howell had power, and he wielded it with compassion and understanding. That wasn’t always easy for him, because he had to deal with a lot of immature kids. Others had power, like the bullies at school, and they found it far easier to wield it against those who were defenseless and to just go along with the group rather than stand up to it.
”
”
James Comey (A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership)
“
Mostly we think of people with great authority as higher up, far away, hard to reach. But spiritual authority comes from compassion and emerges from deep inner solidarity with those who are 'subject' to authority. The one who is fully like us, who deeply understands our joys and pains or hopes and desires, and who is willing and able to walk with us, that is the one to whom we gladly give authority and whose 'subjects' we are willing to be.
It is the compassionate authority that empowers, encourages, calls forth hidden gifts, and enables great things to happen. True spiritual authorities are located in the point of an upside-down triangle, supporting and holding into the light everyone they offer their leadership to.
”
”
Henri J.M. Nouwen (Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith)
“
If we ask a random orthodox religious person, what is the best religion, he or she would proudly claim his or her own religion to be the best. A Christian would say Christianity is the best, a Muslim would say Islam is the best, a Jewish would say Judaism is the best and a Hindu would say Hinduism is the best. It takes a lot of mental exercise to get rid of such biases.
”
”
Abhijit Naskar (Neurons of Jesus: Mind of A Teacher, Spouse & Thinker)
“
I guess what concerned me most about the small lie was the danger of it becoming a habit. I’ve seen many times over the years how liars get so good at lying, they lose the ability to distinguish between what’s true and what’s not. They surround themselves with other liars. The circle becomes closer and smaller, with those unwilling to surrender their moral compasses pushed out and those willing to tolerate deceit brought closer to the center of power. Perks and access are given to those willing to lie and tolerate lies. This creates a culture, which becomes an entire way of life. The easy, casual lies—those are a very dangerous thing. They open up the path to the bigger lies, in more important places, where the consequences aren’t so harmless.
”
”
James Comey (A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership)
“
Human beings are not separate from nature. We are nature. The beauty of the sunset is your own beauty. The power of the ocean is your power. We are inseparable from the beauty of the mountains, rivers, and forests that surround us. The more that you can allow your natural self to come out – to honour your natural beauty, your natural creativity, your natural thirst for leadership and compassion – the happier and healthier you’ll be.
”
”
Vironika Tugaleva
“
As we leave our youth, there’s a pull toward complacency. We can start to coast, settle for what’s familiar and lose the juicy desire to expand our frontiers. We adopt the paradigm of a victim. We make excuses and then recite them so many times we train our subconscious mind to think they are true. We blame other people and outer conditions for our struggles, and we condemn past events for our private wars. We grow cynical and lose the curiosity, wonder, compassion and innocence we knew as kids. We become apathetic. Critical. Hardened. Within this personal ecosystem the majority of us create for ourselves, mediocrity then becomes acceptable. And because this mindset is running within us each day, the viewpoint seems so very real to us. We truly believe that the story we are running reveals the truth—because we’re so close to it. So, rather than showing leadership in our fields, owning our crafts by producing dazzling work and handcrafting delicious lives, we resign ourselves to average.
”
”
Robin S. Sharma (The 5 AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life)
“
The Dalai Lama’s Principles for Ethical Strategies3 Ensure that compassion is the motivation. Any problem must take into account the big picture and long-term consequences rather than short-term feasibility. In applying reason, we must stay honest, unbiased, and self-aware, vigilant to avoid self-delusion. Stay humble—know the limits of our knowledge and also realize we can easily be misguided in a rapidly changing reality. The foremost concern is the well-being of humanity and the planet we inhabit.
”
”
Margaret J. Wheatley (Who Do We Choose to Be?: Facing Reality, Claiming Leadership, Restoring Sanity)
“
Or, as the united Buddhist leadership phrased it at the time: In order to establish eternal peace in East Asia, arousing the great benevolence and compassion of Buddhism, we are sometimes accepting and sometimes forceful. We now have no choice but to exercise the benevolent forcefulness of “killing one in order that many may live” (issatsu tasho). This is something which Mahayana Buddhism approves of only with the greatest of seriousness. No “holy war” or “Crusade” advocate could have put it better. The “eternal peace” bit is particularly excellent. By the end of the dreadful conflict that Japan had started, it was Buddhist and Shinto priests who were recruiting and training the suicide bombers, or Kamikaze (“Divine Wind”), fanatics, assuring them that the emperor was a “Golden Wheel-Turning Sacred King,” one indeed of the four manifestations of the ideal Buddhist monarch and a Tathagata, or “fully enlightened being,” of the material world. And since “Zen treats life and death indifferently,” why not abandon the cares of this world and adopt a policy of prostration at the feet of a homicidal dictator? This
”
”
Christopher Hitchens (God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything)
“
my advice is;
Let’s join the caravan of humanity, and ally ourselves with a conscious progress, let’s join the secular non-sectarian societies, lets distant ourselves from military tradition, and join the human race in benefiting humanity as a whole, let’s heal our environment, and adapt social justices, that will empower the poor and the oppressed to gain his or her fundamental human rights, let’s find mercy and compassion in our souls without reference to any religious fanaticism or national extremism…if we could do that, only then we can begin the return journey back to civilization….
”
”
Husam Wafaei (Honourable Defection)
“
While belonging to the church, you will be hurt. You will have to learn to love people who look different from you, who have different interests, passions, and languages. You’ll have to give sacrificially to support people who in a strict meritocracy don’t “deserve” your compassion or aid. You’ll have to submit to the right leadership of elders. You’ll have to get over yourself and get out of your head. Maybe hardest of all, you’ll have to do all this while rejecting the lie that it is your love and service that makes you righteous or important or justified. You are righteous because Christ is righteous. You love and serve because He loved and served you.
”
”
Alan Noble (You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World)
“
Being an outsider, being picked on, was very painful, but in hindsight it made me a better judge of people. In my life I would spend a lot of time assessing threats, judging tone of voice, and figuring out the shifting dynamic in a hallway or locker room crowd. Surviving a bully requires constant learning and adaptation. Which is why bullies are so powerful, because it’s so much easier to be a follower, to go with the crowd, to just blend in. Those years of bullying added up, minor indignity after indignity, making clear the consequences of power. Harry Howell had power, and he wielded it with compassion and understanding. That wasn’t always easy for him, because he had to deal with a lot of immature kids. Others had power, like the bullies at school, and they found it far easier to wield it against those who were defenseless and to just go along with the group rather than stand up to it. I learned this lesson, too, in one of the great early mistakes of my life. * * * In 1978, I attended the College of William & Mary. I was one of many insecure, homesick, frightened kids living away from home for the first time, although we would admit none of that to one another, or even to ourselves. Because of overcrowding, I was among seventeen freshman boys living in a
”
”
James Comey (A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership)
“
But here we must be aware of the great temptation that faces Christian ministers. Everywhere Christian leaders, men and women alike, have become increasingly aware of the need for more specific training and formation. This need is realistic, and the desire for more professionalism in the ministry is understandable. But the danger is that instead of becoming free to let the spirit grow, ministers may entangle themselves in the complications of their own assumed competence and use their specialism as an excuse to avoid the much more difficult task of being compassionate. The task of Christian leaders is to bring out the best in everyone and to lead them forward to a more human community; the danger is that their skillful diagnostic eye will become more an eye for distant and detailed analysis than the eye of a compassionate partner. And if priests and ministers think that more skill training is the solution for the problem of Christian leadership, they may end up being more frustrated and disappointed than the leaders of the past. More training and structure are just as necessary as more bread for the hungry. But just as bread given without love can bring war instead of peace, professionalism without compassion will turn forgiveness into a gimmick, and the kingdom to come, into a blindfold.
”
”
Henri J.M. Nouwen (The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society (Doubleday Image Book. an Image Book))
“
Heracles was the strongest man who ever lived. No human, and almost no immortal creature, ever subdued him physically. With uncomplaining patience he bore the trials and catastrophes that were heaped upon him in his turbulent lifetime. With his strength came, as we have seen, a clumsiness which, allied to his apocalyptic bursts of temper, could cause death or injury to anyone who got in the way. Where others were cunning and clever, he was direct and simple. Where they planned ahead he blundered in, swinging his club and roaring like a bull. Mostly these shortcomings were more endearing than alienating. He was not, as the duping Atlas and the manipulation of Hades showed, entirely without that quality of sense, gumption and practical imagination that the Greeks called 'nous'. He possessed saving graces that more than made up for his exasperating faults. His sympathy for others and willingness to help those in distress was bottomless, as were the sorrow and shame that overcame him when he made mistakes and people got hurt. He proved himself prepared to sacrifice his own happiness for years at a stretch in order to make amends for the (usually unintentional) harm he caused. His childishness, therefore, was offset by a childlike lack of guile or pretence as well as a quality that is often overlooked when we catalogue the virtues: fortitude -the capacity to endure without complaint. For all his life he was persecuted, plagued and tormented by a cruel, malicious and remorseless deity pursuing a vendetta which punished him for a crime for which he could be in no way held responsible- his birth. No labour was more Heraclean than the labour of being Heracles. In his uncomplaining life of pain and persistence, in his compassion and desire to do the right thing, he showed, as the American classicist and mythographer Edith Hamilton put it, 'greatness of soul'.
Heracles may not have possessed the pert agility and charm of Perseus and Bellerophon, the intellect of Oedipus, the talent for leadership of Jason or the wit and imagination of Theseus, but he had a feeling heart that was stronger and warmer than any of theirs.
”
”
Stephen Fry (Heroes: Mortals and Monsters, Quests and Adventures (Stephen Fry's Great Mythology, #2))