Read This I Believe: Life Lessons Online

Authors: Dan Gediman,Mary Jo Gediman,John Gregory

This I Believe: Life Lessons

Contents

Introduction

The Power of Hello

The Art of Being a Neighbor

A Kind and Generous Heart

Make It Do

Grace Is a Gift

The Sisterhood of Roller Derby

Caring Makes Us Human

Satisfaction with a Job Well Done

The World Is Imperfect

Peace Can Happen

A Priceless Lesson in Humility

Finding Out What's Under Second Base

Accomplishing Big Things in Small Pieces

I Have to See the World

Deciding to Live

Walking in the Light

The Perfect Merge

Listening Is Powerful Medicine

Semper Fidelis

Our Vulnerability Is Our Strength

Patriotic Ponderings

Opening the Door of Mercy

The True Value of Life

An Invitation to Dialogue

Homeless but Not Hopeless: A Man Finds His Soul

The Power of Sleep

Where Wildflowers Grow

I Could Be Wrong

Everyone Is Included

A Lesson I Hold Dear

A Taste of Success

A Grace of Silence

Do Talk to Strangers

Finding Our Common Ground

Bus Chick's Manifesto

Right Now Matters

Seeing with the Heart

Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace

The Triumph of Kindness

Time to Walk the Dog

Yankee Go Home

The Courage to Change the Things I Can

To Hear Your Inner Voice

Keep It Real

Important Strangers

My Parents as Friends

A Good Neighborhood

Believing in People

Becoming Friends

Just Say No

Courage Comes with Practice

Adapting to the Possibilities of Life

Why Are We Here?

A Drive to Achieve the Extraordinary

Inviting the World to Dinner

Finding the Flexibility to Survive

The Act of Giving Thanks

Sally's Monday

If You Don't Do It, Who Will?

Here Comes (the Real) Santa Claus

Appendix: How to Write Your Own This I Believe Essay

Acknowledgments

Previous books published by John Wiley & Sons in the
This I Believe
series, edited by Dan Gediman, John Gregory, and Mary Jo Gediman:

This I Believe: On Love

This I Believe: On Fatherhood

Copyright © 2011 by This I Believe, Inc. All rights reserved.

This I Believe
®
is a registered trademark of This I Believe, Inc.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

Design by Forty-five Degree Design LLC

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at
www.copyright.com
. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at
http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions
.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and the author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

For general information about our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 572-3993, or fax (317) 572-4002.

Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some content that appears in standard print versions of this book may not be available in other formats. For more information about Wiley products, visit us at
www.wiley.com
.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

This I believe : life lessons / edited by Dan Gediman with Mary Jo Gediman and John Gregory.—1st ed.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-118-07454-1 (cloth : alk. paper); ISBN 978-1-118-09740-3 (ebk);

ISBN 978-1-118-09742-7 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-09743-4 (ebk)

1. Life. 2. Conduct of life. I. Gediman, Dan. II. Gediman, Mary Jo. III. Gregory, John, 1964-

BD431.T287 2011

170′.44—dc23

2011024778

To Margot Trevor Wheelock, who was responsible for
This I Believe

Introduction

In the early 1950s, prominent American newsman Edward R. Murrow and three colleagues came up with a novel idea: to ask individuals to write their own personal credo, a story of the rules by which they lived, in six hundred words or less. Then they asked each person to share that philosophy for living by reading his or her essay aloud on national radio. The reason was simple: at a time of uncertainty about the future, when matters of belief divided our country and the world, Murrow felt that broadcasting a daily personal reflection on one's guiding principles would help listeners find answers to their own questions about living.

At its foundation, writing a
This I Believe
essay is about declaring one's own personal philosophy of life by telling a story about how those beliefs were formed. When people strip down their beliefs to their core principles, they might find that the longest-lasting beliefs are those based on a moment when something they have learned stays with them forever.

A life lesson is one of those defining moments—a moment that teaches us something that we remember and carry forward. A life lesson, and the story behind it, is something we feel has altered us, great or slight, and after that moment we are changed. A simple observation becomes a beacon that offers guidance, direction, or meaning—and a foundation for living.

The world's religions, of course, have stories of life lessons at their core—love your neighbor, treat others as you wish to be treated, know thyself. And we also glean instructions for living through classic children's fairy tales and folklore handed down through generations. Even movies and video games of today teach us that taking risks is the only way to get ahead and perseverance is a virtue.

So life lessons don't necessarily have to be
lived
in order to be
learned.
Reading or listening to the life lessons of others can give us insight into their experiences, and we may reflect on how we might integrate that wisdom into our own lives. Indeed, we have heard from many people over the years who have told us that after listening to a
This I Believe
essay on the radio or reading one in a book, they find they believe that, too, and it alters or augments their own personal credo.

Although some of these stories are certainly different from your own experience, there may be a life lesson at the core that will resonate inside. You may not be a roller derby queen or a physician, a corporate executive, or a homeless person, but you might just find you have something you can learn from their stories.

In this book, you'll find ponderings on life's big questions, such as “Why am I here?” and “What is my place in the world?” There are beliefs in the importance of saying hello, saying thank-you, and saying “I forgive you.” And there are revelations on the importance of listening to your inner voice and taking responsibility for your actions.

Some writers tell stories of making lemonade out of lemons, loving one's enemies, and putting beliefs into action. There are also lessons on the kindness of strangers, neighbors, and friends. And there are reflections on the resiliency of people—living through cancer, depression, or an accident and coming through it with their spirits not only intact but perhaps even stronger and more enriched as a result of what they experienced.

In this collection, you'll also find that wisdom isn't always a product of age. Some essays are written by those with several decades of life experience, while others have been written by teenagers. While older writers tell of lessons learned and tested throughout a lifetime, younger writers speak from a newly forged, and equally powerful, perspective.

This book is for the bedside table or the student's backpack. It might be read a little bit every day, or all at once. Either way, we hope it will be read over and over, with dog-eared pages and notes in the margins. And we hope that you, after reading it, will be moved to write your own statement of belief.

The Power of Hello

Howard White

I work at a company where there are about a gazillion employees. I can't say that I know them all by name, but I know my fair share of them. I think that almost all of them know me. I'd say that's the reason I've been able to go wherever it is I've made it to in this world. It's all based on one simple principle: I believe that every single person deserves to be acknowledged, however small or simple the greeting.

When I was about ten years old, I was walking down the street with my mother. She stopped to speak to Mr. Lee. I was busy trying to bull's-eye the O on the stop sign with a rock. I knew I could see Mr. Lee any old time around the neighborhood, so I didn't pay any attention to him. After we passed Mr. Lee, my mother stopped me and said something that has stuck with me from that day until now. She said, “You let that be the last time you ever walk by somebody and not open up your mouth to speak, because even a dog can wag its tail when it passes you on the street.” That phrase sounds simple, but it's been a guidepost for me and the foundation of who I am.

When you write an essay like this, you look in the mirror and see who you are and what makes up your character. I realized mine was cemented that day when I was ten years old. Even then, I started to see that when I spoke to someone, they spoke back. And that felt good.

It's not just something I believe in; it's become a way of life. I believe that every person deserves to feel someone acknowledge their presence, no matter how humble they may be or even how important.

At work, I always used to say hello to the founder of the company and ask him how our business was doing. But I also spoke to the people in the café and the people who cleaned the buildings and asked how their children were doing. After a few years of passing by the founder, I had the courage to ask him for a meeting. We had a great talk. At a certain point I asked him how far he thought I could go in his company. He said, “If you want to, you can get all the way to this seat.”

I've become vice president, but that hasn't changed the way I approach people. I still follow my mother's advice. I speak to everyone I see, no matter where I am. I've learned that speaking to people creates a pathway into their world, and it lets them come into mine, too.

The day you speak to someone who has their head down but lifts it up and smiles, you realize how powerful it is just to open your mouth and say, “Hello.”

Former University of Maryland point guard howard white is vice president of Jordan Brand at Nike. He founded Believe to Achieve, Nike's motivational program for youth, and he wrote a book by the same name. Mr. White lives with his wife, Donna, and his daughter, Mandy, in Lake Oswego, Oregon. He is proud to note that Mandy is a two-time All American at the University of Oregon.

Other books

Drama Queen by Susannah McFarlane
Rock Star by Collins, Jackie
Liberation Day by Andy McNab
The Author's Friends by Shelly Douglas
The Walking People by Mary Beth Keane
First Sinners by Kate Pearce
Halting State by Charles Stross
Riverkeep by Martin Stewart


readsbookonline.com Copyright 2016 - 2024