Tag Archives: usefulness

“To do the useful thing, to say the courageous thing, to contemplate the beautiful thing: that is enough for one man’s life.”

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“To do the useful thing, to say the courageous thing, to contemplate the beautiful thing: that is enough for one man’s life.”

T.S. Elliot, 20th Century poet, essayist, playwright, literary critic and editor

Image from Unsplash by Patrick Tomasso

What makes a good day a good day? What makes a good life a good life?

Take some time to filter a typical day through the lenses of being useful, showing courage, and contemplating beauty.

If you do, you will likely feel a sense of wholeness and warmth inside. I’d bet that you may also be smiling and have a twinkle in your eyes upon this reflection.

EXERCISE:

Today’s quote was shared by Tim Ferris as a nugget of wisdom he was recently pondering.  Consider exploring other works by Tim and T.S. Elliot to enrich your life.

“Consider the postage stamp: Its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there.”

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“Consider the postage stamp: Its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there.”

—Josh Billings, pseudonym of 19th-century American humorist Henry Wheeler Shaw

With the advent of email and texting, my use of regular or snail mail has declined by over 90%. How about you?

For selective or special mail such as birthday cards, I’m still an old-fashioned guy who sends cards with hand-written notes.

Despite my reduced use, I cannot recall stamps every falling off, and perhaps only a few times when my special message failed to arrive. The speed with which these message got there is another story.

EXERCISE:

What current project or top priority in your professional or personal life requires even greater focus and “stick-to-it-ness” for you to get to the result or outcome you desire?