Category Archives: Wisdom

Knowing when enough is enough

Posted on February 19, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

Someone overheard an old man saying to his daughter as she boarded a plane: ‘I love you and I wish you enough.’ She replied, ‘Daddy, I wish you enough too.’ They asked him what it meant. He said: ‘It means: … Continue reading →

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The need to be reminded rather than instructed

Posted on January 26, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

Dr. Johnson used to say that ‘People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed.’ And that’s what every great moral teacher in history has done – reminded us of the old principles which we often … Continue reading →

Posted in Remembrance, Renewed Minds, Truth, Wisdom | Leave a comment

Finding something worth a fortune

Posted on November 26, 2016 by vincentsmithauthor

Hubert Tang hadn’t purchased a lottery ticket in ten years. But when he found a twenty dollar bill lying in the street, he used it to buy two lottery tickets and, while still standing just outside the store, he scratched … Continue reading →

Posted in Treasure, Treasure in Heaven, Winning, Wisdom | Leave a comment

One should never complain about something that tells us the truth

Posted on November 11, 2016 by vincentsmithauthor

I heard about a man who lived on Long Island, who achieved a lifelong ambition by purchasing a very fine barometer. But he was extremely disappointed to find that the needle seemed to be stuck, pointing to the sector marked … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Life's journey, Life's lessons, Truth, Wisdom | Leave a comment

Storing up wealth – for nothing

Posted on March 29, 2016 by vincentsmithauthor

The current world financial troubles remind us of how easily we forget the lessons of the past. Just before the Great Depression, the world’s twelve wealthiest men met in Chicago. They controlled more money than the American Treasury. They included … Continue reading →

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‘Quick to listen, slow to speak ‘

Posted on March 16, 2016 by vincentsmithauthor

Calvin Coolidge, the thirtieth President of the United States, was known as a man of few words. Once, at a White House dinner, a woman told him she’d made a bet that she could get him to say at least … Continue reading →

Posted in Listening, Talking, Wisdom | Leave a comment

Definitions of love

Posted on October 20, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

How do you define love? Well this how a group of children did it. Karl, age five, says: “Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving lotion and they go out and smell each … Continue reading →

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‘Teach us to number our days’

Posted on August 30, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

Bonnie Weir, a hospice nurse, whose specialist expertise is in caring for patients in the last twelve weeks of life, says that people facing death often develop very deep insights into life. Amongst things people say they wish they’d done, … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Life, Life's journey, Life's lessons, Looking ahead, Wisdom | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Trying to empty the sea

Posted on July 6, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

St Augustine, one of the greatest theological thinkers of history, once saw a boy running backwards and forwards from the sea shore to a lagoon with a bowl full of sea water that he would pour into the lagoon. Augustine … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, God, Knowing God, understanding, Wisdom | Leave a comment

Insults never hurt unless you let them.

Posted on April 27, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

A renowned Greek philosopher told one of his students that if he wanted to learn to be wise, he should give money to everyone who insulted him for a period of three years. And that’s what he did. When the … Continue reading →

Posted in Character, Insults, Self-control, Strength, Wisdom | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment