MISTAKES
A zoo built a special eight-foot-high enclosure for its newly acquired kangaroo, but the next morning the animal was found hopping around outside. The director of the zoo increased the height of the fence to fifteen feet, but the kangaroo escaped again. Puzzled, the director had the height increased to thirty feet; but, much to his dismay, the kangaroo was still able to escape. Watching the director build higher and higher fences, a giraffe asked the kangaroo, “How high do you think they’ll build the fence?”
“I don’t know,” said the kangaroo. “Maybe a thousand feet if they keep leaving the gate unlocked!”
—Today in the Word
The greatest mistake you can make is to be constantly fearful you will make one.
—Teen Esteem
He who never made a mistake never made anything.
The man who makes a mistake and neglects to correct it makes another mistake.
Forget failures. Forget everything except what you are going to do now and do it. Today is your lucky day.
—William Durant
Do not ask for perfection in all you do, but for the wisdom not to repeat mistakes.
—Brenda Sloat
There are two kinds of people who make mistakes: those who won’t admit them and those who call them experience.
Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.
—Oscar Wilde
A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.
Several years ago a young Frenchman captured the attention of the world by walking a tightrope between the towers of New York City’s World Trade Center 1,350 feet above the ground. A few months later, however, while practicing on a relatively low wire in St. Petersburg, Florida, he fell thirty feet and was injured. As he lay waiting for help, he reportedly beat his fist on the ground, saying, “I can’t believe it! I can’t believe it! I never fall!” Perhaps he lost his concentration because he was working at a low level where the risk did not seem very great.
At ceremonies commemorating the hundredth anniversary of Harry S. Truman’s birth, Clark M. Clifford, who was White House counsel during the Truman administration, was reminiscing. Clifford recalled being at a White House banquet one night when one of the guests turned to the woman seated next to him.
“Did I get your name correctly?” he asked. “Is your name Post?”
“Yes, it is.” the woman replied.
“Is it Emily Post?”
“Yes,” she replied.
“Are you the world-renowned authority on manners?” the man asked.
“Yes,” Mrs. Post said. “Why do you ask?”
“Because,” said the man, “you have just eaten my salad.”
—Bits & Pieces
The wise man studies others so that he can learn from their mistakes and at their expense.
There are two kinds of people who should never say “Oops:” dentists and magicians.
A woman going over her offspring’s brand-new checking account noted the following entries: “Rent, $350”; “Electricity, $63.47”; “Phone, $41.82”; and ESP, $45.76. What’s ESP?” asked the puzzled mother.
“Error Some Place,” replied the young banking whiz.
There are three kinds of people: those who can count, and those who can’t.
One good thing about being wrong is the joy it brings to others.
A real leader will make mistakes. The man who never makes mistakes never does anything. I would rather make a hundred mistakes and accomplish something than to make no mistakes and accomplish nothing. Mistakes are not sins. Man always has and always will err. God allows him to blunder again and again in order to teach him and keep him humble.
—Oswald J. Smith
He never seems to make the same mistakes twice, but it seems to me he has made them all once.
I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken.
—Oliver Cromwell
Errors should be reasons for growth not excuses for discouragement.
The Six Mistakes of Man
1. The delusion that personal gain is made by crushing others.
2. The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected.
3. Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it.
4. Refusing to set aside trivial differences.
5. Neglecting development and refinement of the mind, and not acquiring the habit of reading and studying.
6. Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.
—Cicero
A man had to get off the train at 3:00 A.M. so he said to the conductor, “Here’s ten dollars. Please wake me in time. You’ll have to fight to get me awake.”
However, the conductor didn’t wake him. The man was mad and then jumped off the train.
Another passenger said, “I never saw a man so mad in my life, did you?” the conductor said, “Yes. You should have seen the man I put off at 3 A.M.!”
No man ever became great or good except through many and great mistakes.
—William Gladstone
An irate employee went to the paymaster’s window and laid down his pay envelope. Carefully counting the money, he looked the paymaster in the eye and said, “Twenty dollars short.”
The paymaster picked up the envelope and turned to the record sheet to check the amount due. Smiling broadly, he came back to the window. “Last week we overpaid you twenty dollars,“he explained. “You didn’t complain then.”
“An occasional mistake I can overlook,” replied the angry employee, “but not two in a row!”
The better a man is, the more mistakes he will make, for the more new things he will try. I would never promote into a top-level job a man who was not making mistakes.… otherwise he is sure to be mediocre.
—Peter Drucker
No man ever became great or good except through many and great mistakes.
—William Gladstone
Men will always be making mistakes if they are striving for things.
—Johann von Goethe
MODERATION
Moderation in temper is always a virtue, but moderation in principle is always a vice.
—Thomas Paine
MONEY
George W. Truett, long-time pastor of First Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, was invited to dinner in the home of a wealthy man in Texas. After the meal, the host led him to a place where they could get a good view of the surrounding area.
Pointing to oil wells punctuating the landscape, he boasted, “Twenty-five years ago I had nothing. Now, as far as you can see, it’s all mine.” Looking in the opposite direction at his sprawling fields of grain, he said, “That’s all mine.” Turning east toward huge herds of cattle, he bragged, “They’re all mine.” Then, pointing to the west and a beautiful forest, he exclaimed, “That too is all mine.” He paused, expecting Truett to compliment him on his great success.
Truett, however, placing a hand on the man’s shoulder and pointing heavenward, simply said, “How much do you have in that direction?” The man hung his head and confessed, “I never thought of that.” Although that wealthy Texan had succeeded in making money, he had failed to prepare for eternity.
A teacher of second-graders said, “I’ll give this five dollar bill to the student who can tell me who is the greatest person in the world.” One child said, “It’s George Washington.” “No, he’s great, but not the greatest.” Another said, “Abraham Lincoln.” “No, he’s great, but not the greatest.” Others suggested John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, etc. A Jewish boy in the class raised his hand and said “Jesus Christ.” The teacher gave the child the five dollar bill, but said, “How is it that you, a Jewish boy, said ‘Jesus?’ ” He said, “In my heart it is Moses, but business is business.”
Money is in some respects like fire; it is a very excellent servant, but a terrible master.
—P. T. Barnum
A Rothschild had died. Outside his house stood a poor Jew sobbing in heart-breaking fashion. A servant, taking pity on the man, came out to console him. “Why do you weep so?” he asked. “After all, you are not a relative.”
“That’s why I’m crying,” came the swift reply.
Just about the time you think you can make both ends meet, somebody moves the ends.
—Penny Penner
Money is a wonderful thing, but it’s possible to pay too high a price for it.
—Mark Hambourg
A robber said to me, “Your money or your life.” I paused, then said, “I’ll have to think it over.”
—Jack Benny
A man’s treatment of money is the most decisive test of his character—how he makes it and how he spends it.
—James Moffat
At age 65 Sophie Tucker said,
“A girl up to age 18 needs good parents.
From age 18 to 35 she needs good looks.
From age 35 to 55 she needs a good job.
After age 55 she needs cash.”
Money, like prestige, sought directly is almost never gained. It must come as a by-product of some worthwhile objective or result that is sought and achieved for its own sake.
—Robert Townsend
Money is an article which may be used as a universal passport everywhere except heaven, and as a universal provider for everything except happiness.
—The Wall Street Journal
That money talks I’ll not deny,
I heard it once, it said “Good-bye.”
—Richard Simmons
Life is so tragic for the person who has plenty to live on, but nothing to live for.
If a person gets his attitude toward money straightened out, then almost all other areas of his life will be straightened out.
—Billy Graham
Get to know two things about a man—how he earns his money and how he spends it—and you have the clue to his character, for you have a searchlight that shows up the innermost recesses of his soul. You know all you need to know about his standards, his motives, his driving desires, and his real religion.
—Robert J. McCracken
Bertha Adams was seventy-one years old. She died alone in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Easter Sunday, 1976. The coroner’s report read: “Cause of death … malnutrition.” After wasting away to fifty pounds she could no longer stay alive. When the state authorities made their preliminary investigation of her place, they found a veritable “pigpen … the biggest mess you can imagine.” One seasoned inspector declared he had never seen a dwelling in greater disarray. The pitiable woman had begged food from neighbors and gotten what clothes she had from the Salvation Army. From all appearances, she was a penniless recluse—a pitiful and forgotten widow. But such was not the case.
Amid the jumble of her unclean, disheveled belongings, two keys were found which led officials to safe deposit boxes at two different local banks. The discovery was absolutely unbelievable. The first box contained over 700 stock certificates, plus hundreds of other valuable certificates, bonds, and solid financial securities, and cash amounting to nearly $200,000. The second box had more currency—$600,000. Adding the net worth of both boxes, the woman had well over a million dollars. Bertha Adams’s hoarding was tragic, and her death was an unusually grim testimony to the shriveled focus on her life. Her great wealth did her no good whatsoever. Its proper use could have meant good health for her and many others.
The perpetual saver always lives in poverty.
—Danish proverb
To get his wealth he spent his health
And then with might and main
He turned around and spent his wealth
To get his health again.
So George Washington never told a lie? Then why is his picture on a bill that isn’t even worth a dollar?
Money is like sea water. The more you drink, the thirstier you get.
—Roman proverb
A young person asked an old millionaire, “Which is better, wealth or youth?” The millionaire replied, “Ask any old millionaire.”
Money can buy:
a bed, but not sleep,
books, but not brains,
food, but not appetite,
finery, but not beauty,
a house, but not a home,
medicine, but not health,
luxuries, but not culture,
amusement, but not happiness,
companions, but not friends,
flattery, but not respect.
As little Jimmy’s uncle was about to leave after a visit, he placed a crisp new dollar bill in his nephew’s hand, saying, “Be careful how you spend this, Jimmy. You know the old proverb, ‘A fool and his money are soon parted.’ ” To this the lad replied, “I’ll remember what you said, Uncle Bill. But thanks anyway for parting with it!”
—Our Daily Bread
Out of this life I shall never take
Things of silver and gold I make.
All that I cherish and hoard away
After I leave, on earth must stay.
Though I have toiled for a painting rare
To hang on my wall, I must leave it there.
Though I call it mine and boast of its worth
I must give it up when I quit the earth.
All that I gather and all that I keep,
I must leave behind when I fall asleep.
And I often wonder what I shall own
in that other life, when I pass alone.
What shall they find and what shall they see
In the soul that answers the call for me?
Shall the Great Judge learn, when my task is through
that the spirit had gathered some riches too?
Or shall at the last it be mine to find
That all I had worked for I’d left behind?
—Edgar A. Guest
You can’t win. If you run after money, you’re materialistic. If you don’t get it, you’re a loser. If you get it and keep it, you’re a miser. If you don’t try to get it, you lack ambition. If you get it and spend it, you’re a spendthrift. If you still have it after a lifetime of work, you’re a fool who never got any fun out of life.
—Bits & Pieces
Some boys and girls were discussing what they wanted to be when they grew up. When it was Jimmy’s turn to speak, he didn’t mention one of the more common professions like doctor, lawyer, policeman, and fireman. What he wanted to be was a philanthropist. When the other kids asked him why, he replied, “Because I heard they are the guys who have all the money.”
A rabbi was awakened one night by a sound in the house and asked, “Who’s there?” A voice from the shadows replied, “A burglar.” “What are you looking for?” asked the rabbi, and the voice replied, “Money.” The rabbi said, “Wait, I’ll get up and help you!”
When a noted scientist rejected an offer of a large sum of money to lecture, he revealed his values by explaining, “I cannot afford to waste time making money.”
Some things in the world are far more important than wealth; one of them is the ability to enjoy simple things.
—Dale Carnegie
Millionaire John D. Rockefeller said, “I have made many millions, but they have brought me no happiness. I would barter them all for the days I sat on an office stool in Cleveland and counted myself rich on three dollars a week.” Broken in health, he employed an armed guard.
The care of 200 million bucks is too great a load for any brain or back to bear. It is enough to kill anyone. There is no pleasure in it.
—W. H. Vanderbilt
The real measure of our wealth is how much we’d be worth if we lost all our money.
—John Henry Jowett
Benjamin Franklin, oldest member of the Constitutional Convention, addressing the matter of Congressional salaries, said, “Two passions have powerful influence on the affairs of men: the love of power and the love of money.”
A retiree from New Jersey had moved south with his life savings of $11,300. When he went to deposit it in a Florida bank, the envelope in which he had placed it was missing. A thorough search of his new home failed to uncover the money. By the time he realized what had happened, the envelope was being bulldozed into a huge pit at the county dump. He knew he had no chance of recovering the money. Neighbors and friends reported that they found the poor man in a state of total dejection.
A miser, who never stopped worrying about the safety of his possessions, sold all his property and converted it into a huge lump of gold. This he buried in a hole in the ground near his garden wall, and every morning he went to visit it and gloat over the size of it.
The miser’s strange behavior aroused the curiosity of the town thief. Spying on the rich man from some bushes, the thief saw him place the lump of gold back in the hole and cover it up. As soon as the miser’s back was turned, the thief went to the spot, dug up the gold, and took it away.
The next morning, when the miser went to gloat over his treasure, he found nothing but an empty hole. He wept and tore his hair, and so loud were his lamentations that a neighbor came running to see what was the trouble. As soon as he had learned the cause of it, he said comfortingly, “You are foolish to distress yourself over something that was buried in the earth. Take a stone and put it in the hole, and think that it is your lump of gold. You were never meant to use it anyway. Therefore, it will do you just as much good to fondle a lump of granite as a lump of gold.”
This fable by Aesop has a very significant moral for every Christian: “The true value of money is not in its possession but in its use.”
Wesley lived on twenty-eight pounds a year. “When some money comes my way, I soon give it away, lest it find a place in my heart.”
They call it take-home pay because there is no other place you can afford to go with it.
Let us all be happy and live within our means, even if we have to borrow money to do it.
—Artemus Ward
When a person loves earthly things so much that he can’t get along without them, he opens himself to much suffering, both physical and mental. Some people, for example, have taken foolish risks to keep their riches intact. They have died rushing into burning houses or they were killed because they stubbornly resisted armed robbers. Apparently they felt that without their material possessions life would not be worthwhile. Others, when forced to part with their wealth, have been thrown into agonizing despair, even to the point of suicide. In 1975, six armed gunmen broke into the deposit boxes in a London bank and stole valuables worth more than $7 million. One lady, whose jewelry was appraised at $500,000, wailed, “Everything I had was in there. My whole life was in that box.” What a sad commentary on her values!
A man’s wife helped him become a millionaire. “She must be a wonderful woman.” “She is, I’d like you to meet her.” “I’d like to. What were you before you met her?” “A multimillionaire.”
The British ship Britannia was wrecked off the coast of Brazil. Stored in the hold were many kegs filled with Spanish gold coins. The crew, hoping to save them, started to carry the barrels on deck. But the vessel was breaking up so fast that they had to abandon their efforts and rush for the lifeboats. Just before the last one pushed off, a young midshipman was sent back to see if anyone had been left behind. To his surprise, a man sat on the deck with a hatchet by his side. He had broken open a few kegs and was heaping the gold up around him. “What are you doing?” shouted the sailor. “Don’t you know this ship is going to pieces?” “It may go down,” said the man, “but I’ve lived in poverty all my life, and I’m determined to die rich.”
A Mafia leader had an elaborate funeral, including a gold casket. And when his casket was taken out of the funeral home at the end of the service, someone said, “Man, that’s the way to live.”
The three sons of a lawyer, a doctor, and a minister, respectively, were talking about how much money their fathers made.
The lawyer’s son said, “My father goes into court on a case and often comes home with as much as fifteen hundred dollars.”
The doctor’s son said, “My father performs an operation and earns as much as two thousand dollars for it.”
The minister’s son, determined not to be outdone, said, “That’s nothing. My father preaches for fifteen minutes on Sunday morning, and it takes four men to carry the money.”
The difference in the case of the minister is that the money is for God’s service and not for self.
An aged Christian mother heard one of her sons describe his brother’s sudden rise to wealth. When he finished telling of his brother’s money, luxurious home, and new cars, he declared, “Bill is certainly getting on in the world.”
The mother looked at her son, then asked sorrowfully, “Which world?”
Sign in the window of a store: “Use our new easy credit plan—100% down, nothing to pay each month.”
One of the world’s most successful door-to-door sales approaches: “Madam, let me show you a little item your neighbors said you couldn’t afford.…”
One reason so many people are extravagant these days is that there are a thousand ways to spend money and only one way to save it.
Teach your kids the value of money—borrow from them.
Some years ago a newspaper offered a prize for the best definition of money. Out of the hundreds who competed, the winner submitted the following: “Money is a universal provider for everything but happiness and a passport to everywhere but heaven.”
Virtue is not given by money, but from virtue comes money and every other good of man.
—Plato
If the rich could hire other people to die for them, the poor could make a wonderful living.
—Yiddish proverb
Wealth is not the standard of worth. Some people put cash before character.
—Billy Sunday
People of means often act the meanest.
MORALS
There is no tragedy as tragic as combining high mentality with low morality.
Keep away from places where people say to you, “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Whenever you face a decision, you have three choices: Do what you please, do what others do, or do what is right.
Two things fill my heart with awe and never-ceasing wonder: the starry heavens above me and the moral imperative within me.
—Immanuel Kant
Television commentator Andy Rooney once announced his revulsion at the perverse sexual conduct increasingly evident in our culture. But pressure from special interest groups that promote immoral lifestyles coerced him to apologize.
To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.
—Theodore Roosevelt
Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.… And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion.… Reasons and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.
—George Washington
Society cannot exist unless a controlling power upon will and appetite be placed somewhere, and the less of it there is within, the more there must be without.
—Edmund Burke