“If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.” ~Unknown (sometimes attributed to Albert Einstein)
“Tragedy is that our attention centers on what people are not, rather than on what they are and who they might become.” ~Brennan Manning
“Perhaps, if you weren’t so busy regarding my shortcomings, you’d find that I do possess redeeming qualities, discreet as they may be. I quietly carry the burdens of others as though they were my own. And I say ‘I’m sorry’ when you don’t. I am not without fault, but I am not without goodness either.” ~Richelle E. Goodrich
“There’s nothing wrong with enjoying looking at the surface of the ocean itself, except that when you finally see what goes on underwater, you realize that you’ve been missing the whole point of the ocean.” ~Dave Barry
“To love a man enough to help him, you have to forfeit the warm, self-righteous glow that comes from judging.” ~Ron Hall
“Let today be the day…you look for the good in everyone you meet and respect their journey.” ~Steve Maraboli
Don’t show me what I’m not,
help me see what I can be.
Beautifully done 😊
Your posts often leave me feeling like I just came out of baptism water, Mitch. This one is especially excellent.
Aw, thank you, Roo.
No Sir, thank you.
I love the quote about the ocean.
Wonderful thoughts! Love the Brennan Manning one especially.
Excellent! It’s always better to look for people’s strengths rather then cutting them down. (Although, a fish that did climb a tree would be really impressive).
There actually is a species of fish, called mudskippers, that can climb trees!
Speechless.
As usual you hit points I most need to hear. Thank you Mitch!
So glad to hear that, dear friend.
Excellent:)
Amen! Direct, concise and oh-so-wise! Love it. 🙂
An added bonus when we encourage: “We rise by lifting others”–Robert Ingersoll (Shared by my good blogger-friend, Jean Wise, over at Healthy Spirituality).
Pingback: Encourage! | Mitch Teemley – Smart Christian.net
So encouraging, a post! All the quotes are self inspiring, too. Loved reading them. Thank you for sharing.
Especially true for kids. They are looking for their identity, and every interaction (positive or negative) paints a picture for them of who they are. We must see them as who they have the potential to become so that they can see it as well.
Couldn’t agree more, Audrey.
Thanks to you, Mitch. I agree with this and maybe near a good thing.
Wonderful quotes, each one of them, Profound and inspiring! Thank you, Mitch!
Good read. Feels good whenever I come across such blogs.
I am relatively new to blogging and love it when I come across such work.
Pls visit my blog. I am 3 posts old here. I am working on a series. Would like to know your views.
Welcome to the blogosphere, Hema.
Thank you ☺
All good quotes, but I especially like the one from Ron Hall. That self-righteous glow is so addictive!
It is, isn’t it?
I was going to pick a favorite quote, but they are all so good! The first one is really funny when paired with that picture, and also quite thought provoking. How often have I done that same thing with other people, judging the fish because they can’t climb trees? How many times have I judged myself so harshly? Honestly, I wonder which is easier–seeing the potential in others, or seeing it in myself?
Good question, Alicia.
Hi Mitch,
Yes, find what we all do best. Great reminder for my teens at school. Find your purpose!
Gary