ELBERT HUBBARD - A RADIANT LIFE

2013-04  Elbert Hubbard - A Radiant Life 

[In 1962, at the age of  20, I read Elbert Hubbard's A MESSAGE TO GARCIA in the Appendix of PUBLIC SPEAKING by Dale Carnegie and was greatly impressed. 

After 50 years, I came across two more Inspirational Essays by Elbert Hubbard which I shall present in two posts here. 

One is "A Radiant Life" from HEALTH & WEALTH.  The other is "Initiative" from BOOK OF INITIATIVE.]

The supreme prayer of my heart is not to be learned, rich, famous, powerful, or "good", but simply to be radiant. 

I desire to radiate health, cheerfulness, calm courage and good will. I wish to live without hate, whim, jealousy, envy, fear. 

I wish to be simple, honest, frank, natural, clean in mind and clean in body, unaffected - as ready to say "I do not know", if it be so, and to meet all men on an absolute equality - to face any obstacle and meet every difficulty unabashed and unafraid.

I wish others to live their lives, too - up to their highest, fullest, and best. To that end I pray that I may never meddle, interfere, dictate, give advice that is not wanted, or assist when my services are not needed. 

If I can help people, I'll do it by giving them a chance to help themselves; and if I can uplift or inspire, let it be by example, inference, and suggestion, rather than by injunction and dictation. That is to say, I desire to be radiant - to radiate life.

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Elbert Hubbard: The Supreme Prayer of My Heart [Click Here]

Elbert Hubbard: Top 10 Quotes YouTube Video [Click Here]

ELBERT HUBBARD - INITIATIVE

2013-03  Elbert Hubbard - Initiative 

  [Alice Hubbard writes in the Introduction to THE NOTEBOOK OF ELBERT HUBBARD -- 'Elbert Hubbard, the most positive human force of his time, was a man of genius in business, art, literature and philosophy.  He was like Emerson giving breath of life to truth, embalmed and  laid in pyramids of disuse.   

From the thoughts of Moses, Solomon, Socrates, Pythagoras, Buddha, Jesus and Mohamed, he has brought to us wisdom that applies to the art of living today.' 

The inspirational essay INIATIVE which follows, is taken fromElbert Hubbard's BOOK OF INITIATIVE, a collection of brief inspirational essays written in the white heat of inspired heart and mind.  Here he goes even one step ahead of A MESSAGE TO GARCIA.]                                                          

   

The world bestows its big prizes, both in money and honors, for but one thing. And that is Initiative. What is Initiative? I'll tell you: It is doing the right thing without being told.

But next to doing the thing without being told is to do it when you are told once. That is to say, carry the Message to Garcia: those who can carry a message get high honors, but their pay is not always in proportion.

Next, there are those who never do a thing until they are told twice: such get no honors and small pay.

Next, there are those who do the right thing only when Necessity kicks them from behind, and these get indifference instead of honors, and a pittance for pay. This kind spends most of its time polishing a bench with a hard-luck story.

Then, still lower down in the scale than this, we have the fellow who will not do the right thing even when some one goes along to show him how and stays to see that he does it: he is always out of a job, and receives the contempt he deserves, unless he happens to have a rich Pa, in which case Destiny patiently awaits around the corner with a stuffed club.  

To which class do you belong?

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Elbert Hubbard: A Message to Garcia - A Lesson on Initiative [Click Here]

Elbert Hubbard: YouTube Video East Aurora and Roycraft [Click Here]

THIRUVALLUVAR - PRACTICE VIRTUE T33

2013-02  Thiruvalluvar - Practice Virtue T33


[After more than 50 years of study of all the 1330 couplets on Virtue, Wealth and Love in the unparalleled book of wisdom ThirukkuraL, I have chosen couplet 33 on Virtue as the master key to fulfillment and happiness in life.]

Who does not want Fulfillment and Happiness in Life?
"DO VIRTUOUS DEEDS UNCEASINGLY",
says Saint Poet Thiruvalluvar.

Do [செயல்] Virtuous Deeds [அறவினை]
Unceasingly [ஓவாதே]
To the best of your ability [ஒல்லும் வகையான்]
In all possible ways [செல்லும்வாய் எல்லாம்].

In the ancient Book of Wisdom, ThirukkuraL,
couplet 33 on VIRTUE reads as follows:

“To the best of your ability, Do Virtuous Deeds, unceasingly,
 in all possible ways [through thought, word and deed].”  

"ஒல்லும் வகையான் அறவினை ஓவாதே
 செல்லும்வாய் எல்லாம் செயல்."  [கு. 33]

"Ollum vagaiyan aravinai ovaade
Sellum vaai ellaam seyal." [T. 33]

For your own good and for the welfare of the world, practice 5G's:
Hear GOOD; See GOOD; Think GOOD; Talk GOOD; Do GOOD.

THIRUVALLUVAR - LEARN & LIVE T391

2013-01  Thiruvalluvar - Learn & Live T391



[After repeated study of the 380 couplets on Virtue and 700 on Wealth in the ancient Tamil Classic ThirukkuraL, I decided at the age of 15 that couplet 391 on Learning would be my ideal.  I share it with you here. After 50 more years of study, there was a tie with another couplet which you will read in my next post.]
    
What to Learn and How to Live?
Here, Saint Poet Thiruvalluvar
ties up the two action words: LEARN and LIVE.

First, LEARN. Learn; What?
Learn what is worth learning.
Next, LIVE. Live; How?
Live by that learning.

In Thiruvalluvar’s masterwork, ThirukkuraL,
couplet 391 on Education reads as follows:

“LEARN faultlessly, what is worth learning; 
After learning,  LIVE by that learning.”  

"கற்க கசடறக் கற்பவை ; கற்ற பின்
 நிற்க அதற்குத் தக."  [கு. 391]

Study, Meditate on and Practice -- "Learn-Live".