If a branch from a dead tree falls on my roof, I’m tempted to just think about when it fell and blame the wind.  If I do, the next storm is likely to blow the rest of the tree down and do more damage.  If I really thought about the cause, I would realize that where I slipped was in not cutting the dead tree down and I could correct the problem without any more damage.

I have heard of students who didn’t have their project ready to turn in on a Friday makes excuses that something happen...

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I wonder how many times the Wright brothers were told, “It will never fly.”  Proving the doubters wrong added to the pleasure of their success.  The first flights didn’t go far enough to have any practical purpose, but they opened the door to a whole new era.  As Alan Sheppard said on the moon, it was “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

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I never liked the “No Fear” T-shirts.  They seemed to encourage recklessness.  I am much more impressed by someone who does the right thing while being fully aware of the dangers in his path.  That kind of courage is much more likely to lead to a successful result than blindly charging ahead into a dangerous situation.

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The kind of attention that leads to excellence comes out of caring.  The internal result of caring about the task of hand is equally valuable.  Caring turns tedious chores into prideful accomplishments.

When it comes to dealing with other people, I can't always tell how smart or honest they are, but somehow I sense whether or not they really care about the subject and about me.  That recognition of caring makes all the difference in how I react to them.

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