Most of us grew up accepting these
statements as true:
1. Never
spend money you don’t have
2. Jesus
Loves Me This I Know
3. God
created the world in 6 days
4. Family
is all you’ll ever need
5. It’s
always darkest before the dawn
6. On
a clear day you can see forever
7. An
apple a day keeps the doctor away
8. A
bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
9. Always
hold hands when crossing a street
10. Look both
ways before crossing a street
11. Stop. Look.
Listen.
12. Reading , writing,
arithmetic – the basis of all education
13. A chain is
as strong as its weakest link
14. A friend in
need is a friend in deed
15. A stitch in
time saves nine
16. Sticks and
stone will break my bones but names will never hurt me
17. An ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure
18. Birds of a
feather flock together
19. Do unto
others as you would have them do unto you
20. Do as I say
not as I do
OK, there are many more. Once I
researched ‘adages’ I hooked into a list of 600 of them instantly! So I will
shorten the list for now. I’ll look for the most iconic sayings and see if we
still believe them.
Let’s start with these:
1.
Never spend money you don’t have
2. It’s
always darkest before the dawn
3. An
apple a day keeps the doctor away
4. A
bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
5. A
chain is as strong as its weakest link
6. Do
unto others as you would have them do unto you
7. Sticks
and stone will break my bones but names will never hurt me
8. Family
is all you’ll ever need
9. Always
hold hands when crossing a street
10. An ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure
11. Reading , writing,
arithmetic – the basis of all education
Still a too-long list, but it is a
starting point.
1. Never spend money you don’t have; I don’t
believe this, else we would not have debt instruments and the commercial system
would grind to a halt. Mortgages are useful. So are car loans. Even credit
cards are good for us provided we use them wisely. Same with all forms of
credit. Used with good sense and balanced with income, credit will allow each
of us to build a quality standard of living that is both secure and healthy.
2. It’s always darkest before the dawn;
yes I suppose that is true from a practical point of view, but really, have you
been out in the country on a clear night and been dazzled by natural star
light? Away from light pollution of huge cities, star power is amazing. So near
you swear you can touch them! So bright you don’t need a flashlight to find
your way.
3. The Apple does avoid many doctor visits.
It keeps nutrition at good levels and maintains healthy bowels. Apples supply
juicy moisture that satisfies thirst better than a cola. And natural sugars to
boot.
4. The bird in the hand bit. Yes better to
value what you have than yearning for what is near but often unattainable and
not worth the cost of pursuit. Yet, the yearning is important for fueling hopes
and dreams. Without that we may be stuck in the present as all else moves
forward. So, something to say about both sides of this argument.
5. Teams rely on chain theory. Strong
links are needed to be sure; the talent and staying power they provide are required.
But truly the weakest link causes the most damage as the team stumbles out of
control until fresh equilibrium fills the void. Volunteers form chains. Work
teams form chains. It is best to care and nurture each link to maintain team
performance. By sharing our strengths with others the weakest member grows
strong too!
6. Do unto others….is such a rich truth.
If we all lived by this one guiding principle, so many ills would disappear in
a snap. We would waste less energy, goods and resources on problems created by
those who selfishly ignore the needs of others. So much to gain by doing the
right thing. So much.
7. Sticks and stone? Yes they will break
bones. And so will words. Else why
bullying? Why the suicides among young bullied school mates? Words do hurt.
What we say has consequences ~ intended or not. Best we choose words wisely and
‘do unto others as we would have them do unto us’.
8. Family is all you will ever need. No I
think not. We need each other, all of us others! Family forms a critical core
group but if you really observe the families around you, discoveries abound of
dysfunction and hurt. Healthy families are becoming rare. It takes a village
becomes a more workable mantra for community and individual health. Perhaps we
need to mend our families sooner rather than later?
9. Always hold hands when crossing the street.
Still holds true! Besides you make new friends and strengthen family ties. What
bounty!
10. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure. Better to take preventive steps before a problem gets out of hand.
Still true today as it was in days of yore.
11. Reading, writing and arithmetic are
still the basics of all education. Logic. Formation of ideas. Expression of
ideas. Each is a primary building block of education. Taken together they form
the synergy of most scholarship. Ignore these basics and spend a lifetime
repairing misunderstanding and poor human development. Costly results
considering the simplicity of the original inputs!
The conclusion of this brief
exercise: pay attention to the simple truths we were raised with. They lend us
much help in living adult lives of unending benefits.
September 12, 2012
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