The Sum

Life is a series of collisions with the future; it is not the sum of what we have been, but what we yearn to be.

(Jose Ortega y Gasset, Spanish Intellectual and Lecturer)

The desire that we have, the yearning for what we want to be is never given it is earned. The phrase "you have to pay your dues" is so very true yet so very simple that many individuals do not get its meaning. To get where you want to be you have to be focused on your objective, persistent and patient.

Peace Of Mind

There was a time in my life when I thought I had everything - millions of dollars, mansions, cars, nice clothes, beautiful women, and every other materialistic thing you can imagine. Now I struggle for peace.

(Richard Pryor, voted best comedian in the world by Comedy Central)

Money will not solve your problems and it will not make you happy. If that was the case than why is it that the highest percentage of people in the U.S. who commit suicide are millionaires? Peace of mind is something that is worth having in life. Without peace of mind it would not matter if you were the richest person in the world because you would still be unhappy. Peace of mind is what everyone should be striving for.

Noise Pollution

Why don’t you shut up?

(King Juan Carlos of Spain)

There's such a thing that I call noise pollution and that's when an individual talks beyond the message he wants to convey to his audience. It is much better to get your point across quickly and than let others have their say. By dragging things on you lose people's attention and you run the risk of being labeled any number of derogatory terms. When speaking get to the point and let others contribute their viewpoint.

Power

If I had the power in those days, I might have done other things to save merengue from extinction, but I didn’t have that power. Being the home-boy that I am, I had to limit myself, heeding the advice of a saying which I later learned: “If you can’t beat them, join them.”

(Johnny Ventura, Dominican Politician and Entertainer)

It is very important to know how to choose your battles. It will do you no good to get into a battle that you cannot win. By using wisdom you can avoid pitfalls that can be potentially devastating.

Something To Say

We had something to say. Whenever we played, people didn't dance, they listened.

(Ruben Blades, Lawyer and Entertainer)

In whatever you do, make sure that you convey a meaningful message to those around you. The message can be through a song, your actions or what you say it just has to be meaningful.

Work Hard

Formula for success: rise early, work hard, strike oil.

(J. Paul Getty, Patriarch of the Getty fortune)

Good things happen to those who work hard for it. Despite the pitfalls that are encountered along the way as long as you persevere, things will be fine in the end. Work ethic is everything because than you can truly say that the rewards given are well earned.

No other way

A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.

(Mark Twain, American Author)

Going out and doing things will give you the experience needed to survive in life. Theoretical learning is fine however it's the practical experience that is essential to character development.