Jack’s Winning Words 3/28/07
“Live for something, be not idle, Life is passing swift away; Have a purpose true and noble, Live it in thy walk each day.” (Unknown) This week I’ve enjoyed sharing with you a collection of quotes from the yellowed pages of my mother-in-law’s Composition Book. Winning Words is my electronic Composition Book. Do you have a special way to pass on your thoughts to others? Life is passing swift away. ;-) Jack

FROM R.I. IN BOSTON: "Life is passing swift away." When my father ultimately realized that, there was so much he wanted to say, untold information about who he was and what had fulfilled his life. Before he died he wanted to pass it on to his children and grandchildren. With little time left, he gave me a lot of his childhood stories, letters from former friends, explanations of events in his life, photos, news clippings, small talk about successes and failures, and asked me to put it together in a chronicle of his life, so all the family would know how we got where we were. I wrote it. It revealed a simple but courageous man, and uncovered an impressive role model for anyone. (My wife and I have been motivated from that, to write our own life's experiences for the next generation and beyond.)

FROM D.S. IN MICHIGAN: Quotes were great.

FROM S.G. IN MICHIGAN: Good morning! The quote is a perfect example of OPTIMISM! Thank you. I needed this one today. Happy Spring!!!!!

FROM H.R. IN MICHIGAN: Today's words are most appropriate for the sender. It is, in my opinion, rare for one to have found his purpose true and noble.

FROM P.O. IN MICHIGAN: A great week --- thanks for sharing!

FROM S.H. IN MICHIGAN: All those people, alive and dead but still alive in our memories must be jumping up and down with their halleluyas to know someone is quoting them and helping others to think, especially now your dear mother-in-law, a woman who spent her life in mission to help people think.

FROM J.L. IN MICHIGAN: Life is swiftly passing away. That's sort of scary, however, we all know it doesn't end. I write down some of my thoughts, and I work hard on my scrapbooks to leave my memories and thoughts. Thank you for sharing your mother-in-laws thoughts!

FROM EMT SINGS IN MICHIGAN: There is much truth to the quote. I see so much of these writings in my own Mother.

FROM GOOD DEBT JON IN OHIO: I began my book Good Debt, Bad Debt to leave as advice for my children (mining ideas from my journals). When there seemed to be a market for it, I sold it to Penguin. Now about it’s in its second printing (paperback) and in five foreign countries. So perhaps 50,000 to 100,000 or more (no one knows the foreign figures) have read the advice I first meant for my children. I realized the power of a book when I felt such a connection with the writers I was reading from 100 years earlier, such as William Matthews, and Orison Swett Marden. It felt like they were talking directly to me, the advice was still spot-on 100 years later. That’s the kind of writing I strive for.

FROM D.P. IN MINNESOTA: Your mother-in-law was a wise woman---thanks for sharing her personal collection of winning words!