I don’t like it when somebody tells me I have to do something.  If that person is more powerful than I am (like a teacher, parent or police officer), I will probably do it while he is standing there supervising me, but I am not likely to continue doing it once he is gone.  But when somebody takes the time to convince me that it is a good idea to do something, I’ll continue doing it without anyone having to supervise me.

      General Eisenhower could definitely getting the soldie...

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Just because our politicians aren't following their our advice during the discussions of economic issues, doesn't mean that we shouldn't.  It is exactly when we are addressing issues where any solution involves pain to at least some of the people involved that we should be most responsive to the views of others and most careful in our choice of words.
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Your kind words and actions may not always be returned in kind.  The other person may be in an exceptionally bad mood or may have experiences that make him distrust your real intent.  However, if you can manage to be consistently kind, that consistency will reduce the resistance to your approaches.  It is when our own feelings of anger and fear make it hardest to be kind that our kindness will have its most important impact.

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Tackling a challenging goal can be a fun adventure, if you are properly prepared.  But if you only think about the distant goal and ignore the “minor details”, the small omissions will make your trip painful and may prevent you from ever achieving your goal.
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 (Space shuttle Enterprise)

            Andrew Jackson sought to eliminate all Indians east of the Mississippi.  Many of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence (declaring that “all men are created equal”) owned slaves.  History is full of examples of our imperfections.  The United States did not become a great nation because its citizens are superior to other humans.  The key to our national success is that the fallible people involved in our government have continually been ...

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