Independence Day has become a holiday of family picnics, cookouts and fireworks displays across the United States. Let us not forget the true reason we should all be celebrating. Americans have unparalleled freedoms thanks to the courage and wisdom of our Founding Fathers. These freedoms should not be taken lightly, as they have come at the cost of many lives and much heartache. Enjoy this July 4th with your family and friends, but as the colorful bombs are bursting in the air remember the real reason we set aside this day to celebrate our freedoms!

Here's 11 Patriotic Quotes to help inspire some thoughts about freedom:

"May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, than this our own country!" -Daniel Webster

"And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me." -Lee Greenwood

"I think there is one higher office than president and I would call that patriot." -Gary Hart

"I love my freedom. I love my America." -Jessi Lane Adams

"It is the love of country that has lighted and that keeps glowing the holy fire of patriotism." -J. Horace McFarland

"My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!" -Thomas Jefferson

"Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong." -James Bryce

"I believe in America because we have great dreams - and because we have the opportunity to make those dreams come true." -Wendell L. Wilkie

"May I never wake up from the American dream." -Carrie Latet

"A real patriot is the fellow who gets a parking ticket and rejoices that the system works." -Bill Vaughan

"Patriotism is easy to understand in America - it means looking out for yourself by looking out for your country." -Calvin Coolidge

Related Posts:

Top 10 Inspirational Quotes by U.S. Presidents
Freedom Survives Through Our Children

Welcome to the July, 2008 edition of Carnival of Quotes.

Carnival of Quotes is a blog carnival consisting of unique and interesting posts by authors from around the world who are inspired by famous quotes from the past or present. The post topics range from leadership to entertainment and politics to favorite quotes. Enjoy!

Lin Burress presents Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind | Telling It Like It Is posted at Telling It Like It Is.

isabella mori presents albert schweitzer: reverence for life posted at change therapy, saying, "this contains some quotes by the Nobel peace prize winner Albert Schweitzer, who became famous for his medical work in Africa and his philosophy of reverence for life. in today's new environmental consciousness, this philosophy has much to contribute."

Shiloh presents Regrets: A Useless, Self-Defeating Passtime posted at Sunny Dreamer.

Albert Decker presents Resonant Enigma: BLOCKHEAD posted at Resonant Enigma, saying, "A rather lengthy quote, and my derivation may be seen by some as a deviation, but it was fun."

Brent Diggs presents Powersaw Poetry - A Toothsome Tale of Love posted at The Ominous Comma, saying, "A humorous poem loosely based on Shakespeare's Sonnet #29. Very loosely."

Emma presents Pic Post: Race for Life Photos AT LAST posted at The Life and Times of Emma.

Louise Manning presents Quotes about movement posted at The Human Imprint.

Aparna presents Emotional health quotes posted at Beauty and Personality Grooming.

Piotr Stepien presents we overstep - Worthy Quotes posted at we overstep, saying, "Quotes for leadership and overstepping. Do you agree with them?"

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Carnival of Quotes using our carnival submission form. Please make sure to review the submission guidelines and criteria, as only posts with clearly identifiable connections to quotes will be accepted and published.

Carnival of Quotes is a monthly blog carnival with a submission deadline of the 27th.

Technorati tags: carnival of quotes, blog carnival.

Related Posts:

Carnival of Quotes, June 2008 Issue
Carnival of Quotes, May 2008 Issue
Carnival of Quotes, April 2008 Issue
Carnival of Quotes, March 2008 Issue
Carnival of Quotes, Feb 2008 Issue
Carnival of Quotes, Jan 2008 Issue

Motivation Mondays is a weekly series published on Thoughts On Quotes. Each week it features five motivational quotes with a different theme. Be sure to Subscribe to Thoughts On Quotes Feed for your convenience, or subscribe via e-mail (enter e-mail address in sidebar) to have motivational updates waiting for you every morning.

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving." -Albert Einstein

"There’s no secret to balance. You just have to feel the waves." -Frank Herbert

"Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony." -Thomas Merton

"Problems arise in that one has to find a balance between what people need from you and what you need for yourself." -Jessye Norman

"In art and dream may you proceed with abandon. In life may you proceed with balance and stealth." -Patti Smith

Related Posts:

Motivation Monday - 5 Fortitude Quotes
Motivation Monday - 5 Hope Quotes
Motivation Monday - 5 Persistence Quotes
Motivation Monday - 5 Integrity Quotes
Motivation Monday - 5 Positive Attitude Quotes

"Few friendships would remain, if each knew what his friend said of him when he wasn't there." -Blaise Pascal, French Mathematician and Philosopher, Blaise Pascal books

I sometimes wonder what people say about me when I'm not in the room. Not that I'm an incredibly important person, nor do I think of myself as an interesting object of spontaneous conversation, but I know that people talk.

What do they say about me when I'm not there though?

I hope they say the same things as when I'm present. You know, nice things; polite things; respectful things; honest things. I'd like to think the people who I call 'friends' are individuals of character and integrity, who would never think to risk our relationship by speaking ill of my good name without giving me the opportunity to defend myself.

I'm not naive though. I'm certain that some of my closest friends say less than flattering things about me behind my back. At times, I might have even done something to warrant negative comments or criticism. I know I can be difficult to deal with on occasion.

Shouldn't a true friend refrain from 'bad mouthing' me to others though, no matter what I've done to upset him or her? Again, I'd like to think the answer is 'yes,' but I know it's not.

Friends come in all shapes and sizes, and none of them are perfect. Some people are negative by nature - they have learned to complain about anything and everything, including their friends. It doesn't mean they're bad people, but it does mean there is a flaw in their character.

Pascal seems to think that when this character flaw is exposed it is unlikely the friendship with remain. A big part of me agrees with his assertion, but a small part of me thinks it fails to recognize the character flaws that exist in all of us. In fact, I've never met a person who hasn't criticized a friend when they weren't there. I bet if you think hard about it, neither have you.

I don't like it when I find out a friend has said something bad about me when I wasn't there. At times, especially if it's about something already resolved, I let it go. Other times, when it comes as a surprise to me, I have a hard time not addressing it with the person.

It is inevitable that friendships will be tested in this way, so the question becomes what to do about it? Should you abandon your so-called friend, as Pascal alludes? Or, do you stick it out and give the person another chance?

If you abandon each friend that let's you down, you may well avoid future disappointment; however, it will be at the price of loneliness. Not every stab in the back is fatal.

True friends are hard to come by, at least for me anyway. I value every friendship I have. I strive to honor those friends by not talking negatively about them to others. I'm not perfect though, and I fail at this goal during moments of selfishness or frustration.

What do you do when you learn a friend has spoken poorly of you when you weren't there? Do you cut that person out of your life? Do you address the behavior with her? Do you say nothing and let the anger fester? Do you get revenge? Or, do you forgive him and agree to do a better job of keeping criticism a more private matter between the two of you?

I'd like to think that friendship is a bond that can never be broken, but that is something you have to decide for yourself. Pascal says that "few friendships would remain," if you knew what people really said about you all the time. As for me, I'd rather give friends one too many than not enough chances to do (and say) what is right.

Please share your thoughts about friendship and what you do when a friend talks behind your back.

Related Posts:

Something is Better than Everything
Hate Destroys the Hater
Dig and Be Dug

I had a great time today as a guest on Soapbox Radio, and I really appreciate all of the people who tuned into the live show and participated in the online chat room. It's always a little uncomfortable to spend an hour talking about myself, but I think Nicole (Soapbox Mom) did a great job conducting the interview. Thanks Nicole!

If you missed the show, I have the podcast recording to share with you. It's exactly one hour, so grab a beer, glass of wine or cup of coffee and enjoy listening to me ramble. I'd love to know your feedback, as well as answer any questions that we were unable to get to on the show today.

Here's the podcast:


Also, since I mentioned several other bloggers on the show that you may or may not know, here is a list of those people and links to their blogs.

Jim at The Busy Dad Blog, Chuck at D is for Dad, Jason at iVegasFamily, Tyler at Building Camelot, Joe at Joeprah, Mr Lady at Whiskey in My Sippy Cup, Jen at Huckdoll's Hood, Kim at Jogging In Circles, Piper at Bliss in Bloom, Kelby at Type-A Mom and Dadosphere, Matt at The Playpen on Redsparks

Also, the other sites that I publish that were discussed in the interview are: American History Quotes, World History Quotes, Struck In Traffic, Lead Inspectors, Discovering Dad and Artistic Pursuit. Nicole mentioned that I was also working on a few other "secret" projects, which I hope to share with you all over the coming months (very excited about them too)!

We also spent a lot of time talking about personal growth and development, and I mentioned a book that was particularly meaningful to me. If you want to buy it, here's my Amazon link to it: Now, Discover Your Strengths (book) or Now, Discover Your Strengths (audiobook). I strongly recommend this incredible book and taking the StrengthsFinder test that comes with it.

Thanks again to Nicole at Soapbox Mom for having me on her show today. I really enjoyed sharing more about me, my sites and my life. I feel very fortunate every day to be able to connect with so many great people through blogging, including you!

Please fee free to share your feedback or ask questions that came from listening to the interview. I'll try to answer them all!

If you want to stay updated with Thoughts On Quotes, please subscribe to my feed.

I just wanted to take a minute to say "Welcome!" to all of the Soapbox Radio listeners who are visiting Thoughts On Quotes for the first time. This site is a unique and creative personal growth and leadership development site framed in the context of popular quotes from throughout history.

As you can see from the header, this site is the blog that accompanies two popular quotes resource sites - American History Quotes and World History Quotes - that I publish. I love history and quotes, as well as thinking about ways to improve my life and learn from the past. Thoughts On Quotes is a way to combine and share my thoughts about these passions.

My favorite quote is one by Stephen R. Covey, "Seek first to understand, then to be understood."

Some of my favorite posts that I would recommend reading are:

True Power Comes from Knowing Yourself
The Opposite of Insanity - 3 Steps to Create a Positive Development Plan
Gratitude is the Parent of All Virtues
The Truth Will Piss You Off
Dig and Be Dug

Another inspirational element of the site is the Motivation Monday series to help get people's week started off right (here's a few of my favorites):

Motivation Monday - 5 Fortitude Quotes
Motivation Monday - 5 Hope Quotes
Motivation Monday - 5 Persistence Quotes
Motivation Monday - 5 Integrity Quotes
Motivation Monday - 5 Positive Attitude Quotes

I also host a popular monthly blog carnival called Carnival of Quotes. If you have an article that features a prominent quote, I encourage you to submit an entry.

If you want to stay updated on my latest thoughts and quotes, subscribe to my feed.

Thanks again to Soapbox Mom for featuring me on her show this week! I hope to see you all back here again soon!

Motivation Mondays is a weekly series published on Thoughts On Quotes. Each week it features five motivational quotes with a different theme. Be sure to Subscribe to Thoughts On Quotes Feed for your convenience, or subscribe via e-mail (enter e-mail address in sidebar) to have motivational updates waiting for you every morning.

"Fortitude is the marshal of thought, the armor of the will, and the fort of reason." -Sir Francis Bacon

"As a camel beareth labour, and heat, and hunger, and thirst, through deserts of sand, and fainteth not; so the fortitude of a man shall sustain him through all perils." -Akhenaton

"Fortitude is the guard and support of the other virtues." -John Locke

"Patience and fortitude conquer all things." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

"People should remain unaffected by what others may say. A true man is one who overcomes the ups and downs of life with fortitude." -Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Related Posts:

Motivation Monday - 5 Hope Quotes
Motivation Monday - 5 Persistence Quotes
Motivation Monday - 5 Integrity Quotes
Motivation Monday - 5 Positive Attitude Quotes

Motivation Mondays is a weekly series published on Thoughts On Quotes. Each week it features five motivational quotes with a different theme. Be sure to Subscribe to Thoughts On Quotes Feed for your convenience, or subscribe via e-mail (enter e-mail address in sidebar) to have motivational updates waiting for you every morning.

"The inability to open up to hope is what blocks trust, and blocked trust is the reason for blighted dreams." -Elizabeth Gilbert

"Hope is like a road in the country; there was never a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence." -Lin Yutang

"The natural flights of the human mind are not from pleasure to pleasure but from hope to hope." -Samuel Johnson

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." -Oscar Wilde

"Hope is a state of mind, not of the world. Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously heading for success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good." -Vaclav Havel


Related Posts:

Motivation Monday - 5 Persistence Quotes
Motivation Monday - 5 Integrity Quotes
Motivation Monday - 5 Positive Attitude Quotes

Welcome to the June 1, 2008 edition of Carnival of Quotes.

Carnival of Quotes is a blog carnival consisting of unique and interesting posts by authors from around the world who are inspired by famous quotes from the past or present. The post topics range from leadership to entertainment and politics to favorite quotes. Enjoy!

Emma presents On Friendship and On Life posted at The Life and Times of Emma.

Daniel De Guia presents Standing Up for Yourself at dequia.net.

Louise Manning presents Quotes about dignity posted at The Human Imprint.

Will Edwards presents Inspiring Quotes posted at Inspiration.

Aparna presents Beauty Quotes posted at Beauty and Personality Grooming.

Shiloh presents Sunny Dreamer -- We write to taste life twice... posted at Sunny Dreamer.

Woman Tribune presents Cozy Blankets Wrapped in Inspiration posted at Woman Tribune.

Michael Bass presents Getting out of Jury Duty posted at Debt Prison.

Leslie Carbone presents Don't Know Much Geography posted at Leslie Carbone.

Raymond presents Warren Buffett’s Single Most Important Piece Of Advice For Stock Market Investors posted at Money Blue Book.

Neelakantha presents Relax: 50+ Simple 30-Second Ways to Bring Tranquility To Your Life posted at Online Nursing Degree Directory.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Carnival of Quotes using our carnival submission form. Please make sure to review the submission guidelines and criteria, as only posts with clearly identifiable connections to quotes will be accepted and published.

Carnival of Quotes is a monthly blog carnival with a submission deadline of the 27th.

Technorati tags: carnival of quotes, blog carnival.

Related Posts:

Carnival of Quotes, May 2008 Issue
Carnival of Quotes, April 2008 Issue
Carnival of Quotes, March 2008 Issue
Carnival of Quotes, Feb 2008 Issue
Carnival of Quotes, Jan 2008 Issue
Carnival of Quotes, Dec 2007 Issue

Memorial Day is a U.S. Federal holiday, in which the men and women who have died in the line of duty are honored for their service. It is supposed to be a day of remembrance, reflection and celebration.

Here are 5 quotes to honor those who served and died:

"They are dead; but they live in each Patriot's breast, And their names are engraven on honor's bright crest." -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"And they who for their country die shall fill an honored grave, for glory lights the soldier's tomb, and beauty weeps the brave." -Joseph Drake

"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself." -Joseph Campbell

"Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations, that we have forgotten, as a people, the cost of a free and undivided Republic." -John A. Logan

"How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!" -Maya Angelou

Related Posts:

Top 10 Quotes about Faith in Yourself
Top 10 Inspirational Quotes by U.S. Presidents
Be Conscious of Your Treasures

Sorry for the light activity this week. My wife and I were blessed on Monday morning with a surprise arrival of our new little girl (6 weeks early)! Mom and baby are doing well. If you'd like to see a brief slideshow, you can visit one of my other sites and see my beautiful new addition to the family.

Since the baby is still in the hospital, I am running a contest on the other site too, and I wanted to share the opportunity with readers here as well.

'Bringing Out the Kid in You' Contest - Win a Nintendo Wii game system!!!

Anyone can enter - see the post for a few rules and requirements.

Thanks for your ongoing support, and I'll look forward to getting back to normal posting soon!

I appreciate your thoughts and prayers!

"Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power." -Laozi, Ancient Chinese Philosopher believed to have written the Tao Te Ching, Laozi books//

People who possess a lot of personal power, or influence, know a secret about life that others tend to overlook. It's not a complicated secret, but it is one that has a significant impact on self-confidence and personal growth.

The secret is as ancient as the study of philosophy - it originates with man's first inclination to understand himself.

So what is this hidden knowledge that gives you power over yourself and others?

As Laozi alludes, it is as simple as to Know Yourself.

Know your essence. The most significant qualities that truly define who you are as a person. This is not about your physical DNA; it's about your spiritual, emotional and psychological DNA.

Know your values. The things that matter most to you in life. Your priorities; your personal commitments; your beliefs; and, your faith.

Know your strengths. The natural abilities that you possess, cultivate and develop. These are the skills that you leverage to get things done, either on your own or through influencing others. Your strengths are the tools in your personal lifebox.

Know your passions. These are more than your wants and desires; your passions are those things that you cannot live without. They are the objects of your intense desire to both pursue and obtain for increased satisfaction and the betterment of your life.

Know your tendencies. Habits can be good; and, habits can be bad. You should know all of your habits, as well as the frequency you typically act upon them. Tendencies are deliberate and purposeful actions, and they often produce predictable results. Knowing your habitual tendencies will help you to better identify areas of self-improvement.

Know your limitations. You will never be good at everything you want to achieve. It's better to know which skills or activities are beyond your capability to perform at a level of excellence. Influence is derived from expertise, so you need to be able to narrow your focus in order to maximize your time and energy spent.

Know your goals. The things you really want to achieve in life must be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time sensitive (S.M.A.R.T.). Nebulous, or vague, goals are not conducive to maximizing your personal performance, development or ability to influence others. Clarity is key when it comes to setting your goals.

Know your mission. Pull it all together - essence, values, strengths, passions, tendencies, limitations and goals - and then, give it some direction. This is your mission in life. This is the point on the horizon that you're working toward yet never reach. It is the star by which you navigate yet never touch. It is the motivation that compels you to be constantly moving forward, striving to make the most of every opportunity presented.

Knowing yourself gives you tremendous power because it enables you to exude confidence and exert influence over others. Think about the people who positively influence your life. How do they carry themselves? How would you describe their level of self-awareness? Do they seem to 'know themselves' and possess a clarity of purpose? Ask them about their mission.

Then, when you get the opportunity, think about what you know about yourself. Write down your thoughts. Read them aloud daily. Modify them as needed.

Also, feel free to share some of them here in the comments. We'd all like to get to know you better too!

Related Posts:

Positional Power and the Changing Role of Leaders
Role Models and People You Admire
Dig and Be Dug

Motivation Mondays is a weekly series published on Thoughts On Quotes. Each week it features five motivational quotes with a different theme. Be sure to Subscribe to Thoughts On Quotes Feed for your convenience, or subscribe via e-mail (enter e-mail address in sidebar) to have motivational updates waiting for you every morning.

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." -Calvin Coolidge

"Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal: my strength lies solely in my tenacity." -Louis Pasteur

"Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway." -Mary Kay Ash

"Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." -Thomas Edison

"Money grows on the tree of persistence." -Japanese Proverb


Related Posts:

Motivation Monday - 5 Integrity Quotes
Motivation Monday - 5 Positive Attitude Quotes

"No kind action ever stops with itself. One kind action leads to another. Good example is followed." -Amelia Earhart, American Aviation Pioneer and Women's Rights Activist, Amelia Earhart books//

Being kind to others is something of a rarity in today's fast-paced, 'me'-centric world. Kindness takes time, and time is money. Doing something good for another person means that you have to stop what you're doing for yourself.

Therein lies the rub for most people: they think the return on investment for being kind is too low to justify the effort. They would rather only do things for themselves.

I strongly disagree with this mindset, for several reasons - it's selfish; it's short-sighted; it's stupid; and, it's wrong.

People are selfish. They get so focused on what they're doing, or the problems in their own lives, that they don't see the simple needs of others around them. How hard is it to open a door for a neighbor with arms full of groceries? How is it that your blue tooth conversation is more important than giving directions to someone who is lost?

The failure to be kind is rooted in selfishness. Do you think by being selfish that you are more productive? If you don't help others freely and frequently, then how many people are helping you to succeed in life? Personal productivity is multiplied by the assistance of others, and conversely, it is limited by your own capacity.

People are short-sighted. They want something tangible in return for their efforts, and they want it right now. If they don't get an immediate quid pro quo, then they're not interested. They don't want to be kind because it is a long-term investment strategy, and they just don't have the time or patience to allow it to mature and grow.

Being kind doesn't always produce an immediate return, but over a period of time, it produces sustainable results and the potential for huge rewards. Every time you do something kind, you are making a deposit into a relationship bank account. The more deposits you make, the better when you need to make a withdrawal. What do you think will happen if your bank account is empty? You're not going to get a loan when you really need it. People who are kind never have an empty relationship bank account.

People are stupid. Being kind is common sense. It's one half of the Golden Rule. If you want people to treat you a certain way, then you have to extend that behavior first. If you're a Law of Attraction believer, then you understand that you get back what you put into the universe. If you're a selfish bastard, then that's exactly the kind of people you will attract. If you're a kind person, then kind people will be drawn to you and want to help you. It doesn't take a genius to understand this concept yet, apparently, the results are not self-evident. Being kind is smart business; being selfish is just dumb.

People are wrong. There are those who think that there's no point in being kind to others because no one is ever kind to them. This is a victim mentality. Life happens to these people and not because of them. They expect others to make the first move before they will make an effort to do something in return. They think that they are owed something in life. In reality, though, they fail to be kind to others because they believe no one else deserves it more than they do. This is just wrong. Everyone deserves kindness, even those that never show it. The ripple effect of kindness may fall randomly on those who are not kind, but it won't engulf them. When you are kind to others, it's like throwing a rock in a pond - it produces a ripple effect that always find it's way back to you.

Is there a return on investment for being kind? Absolutely. It may not always be tangible and immediate, but it is a return that you can bank on. People who are kind feel good about themselves; and, in turn, they are loved and respected by others. People who are selfish feel stressed and alone; and, in turn, they are less productive and overburdened.

Are you a kind person? Do you look for opportunities to be kind to others? Take the time today to perform 5 random acts of kindness and see what happens. You may be surprised at the ripple effect it has on yourself and others.

Leave a comment with the results of your efforts, or share your thoughts on the importance of being kind.

Related Posts:

Nothing Completed, Nothing Gained
Opportunity is Earned Now Owed
Look for the Love and Tenderness

Motivation Mondays is a weekly series published on Thoughts On Quotes. Each week it features five motivational quotes with a different theme. Be sure to Subscribe to Thoughts On Quotes Feed for your convenience, or subscribe via e-mail (enter e-mail address in sidebar) to have motivational updates waiting for you every morning.

"The old anvil laughs at many broken hammers. There are men who can't be bought." -Carl Sandburg

"Integrity is telling myself the truth. Honesty is telling the truth to other people." -Spencer Johnson

"If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters." -Alan Simpson

"Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value." -Albert Einstein

"Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not." -Oprah Winfrey

Bonus Quote:

"Whatever you are, be a good one." -Abraham Lincoln

Related Posts:

Motivation Monday - 5 Positive Attitude Quotes

Today is RSS Awareness Day. If you're not familiar with RSS, or Real Simple Syndication, then I recommend checking out the information on RSSDay.org. Also, thanks to Daniel at Daily Blog Tips for starting this great project.

I use RSS to subscribe to blogs that I like to read every day. The main tools I use are Google Reader and e-mail subscriptions. If I want to follow a blog consistently, but not every day, I subscribe in Google. If I want to read every single post from a blog, then I subscribe via e-mail.

I use RSS technology in other ways too, in particular through news aggregator sites like Popurls.com and Alltop.com. These sites gather feeds from across the blogosphere, social media, Twitter, news organizations and more. They allow me to view hundreds of posts and preview articles. These sites help me to keep my Reader and e-mail clean.

If you want to save time and get consistently informed, then I recommend using RSS.

Use RSS and subscribe to this blog.

Related Posts:

RSS - Learn More About Real Simple Syndication

Welcome to the May 1, 2008 edition of Carnival of Quotes.

Carnival of Quotes is a blog carnival consisting of unique and interesting posts by authors from around the world who are inspired by famous quotes from the past or present. The post topics range from leadership to entertainment and politics to favorite quotes. Enjoy!

Beth Taggard presents A Path That Wanted Walking posted at Living a Quotable Life.

Daniel De Guia presents 8 Henry Rollins Quotes to Get Your Brain Moving posted at deguia.net, saying, "Here are some quotes which, I think, are among Henry Rollins' most thought-provoking and entertaining."

Jason presents ExecutedToday.com » 1944: Emanuel Ringelblum, historian of the Warsaw Ghetto and 1794: Georges Danton and his followers posted at Executed Today.

lena presents Yesterday's Letter and Show You Care posted at Smile! Tomorrow could be a lot worse!.

Byteful Project presents Allow Travel to Give You New Eyes posted at Byteful Blog, saying, "A short story on how a Marcel Proust quote affected my perspective on travel and the art of living."

Jodi Reimer presents Friday Inspiration posted at Reimer Reason.

Emma presents Courage ~ Faith ~ Hope posted at The Life and Times of Emma.

Life. Money. Development. presents The 7 Attributes of Leadership posted at Life. Money. Development., saying, "An excellent presentation of the attributes every leader should have."

Shiloh presents Saturday Sayings: 2008 a Year of Rebirth? posted at Sunny Dreamer.

Madeleine Begun Kane presents My John "My Friends" McCain Theory posted at Mad Kane's Political Madness.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Carnival of Quotes using our carnival submission form. Please make sure to review the submission guidelines and criteria, as only posts with clearly identifiable connections to quotes will be accepted and published.

Carnival of Quotes is a monthly blog carnival with a submission deadline of the 25th.

Technorati tags: carnival of quotes, blog carnival.

Related Posts:

Carnival of Quotes, April 2008 Issue
Carnival of Quotes, March 2008 Issue
Carnival of Quotes, Feb 2008 Issue
Carnival of Quotes, Jan 2008 Issue
Carnival of Quotes, Dec 2007 Issue

"Talent is only the starting point." -Irving Berlin, American Composer and Lyricist, Irving Berlin books and CDs//

We all have natural and innate abilities to do some things better than others. Our genetics determine, to a certain degree, our predispositions and inclinations. We are endowed with gifts from birth that make us uniquely competent in ways that others are not. "Talent is only the starting point," as Berlin accurately points out, and it's up to us to develop our natural abilities into strengths, if we are to truly maximize our potential.

People who learn how to develop their talents into strengths are the ones that tend to stand out. They are the star athletes, innovative scientists, popular artists and successful entrepreneurs. These exemplary performers understand the value of shaping, polishing and perfecting natural abilities.

How do you develop talents into strengths?

Identify. The first thing you need to do is identify what your natural talents really are. The hard part about this is many people confuse desired skills with inherent abilities. You can develop skills that are not natural talents, but these are unlikely to be considered strengths. Most people can learn how to perform a skill or task at an acceptable level, however the desire to achieve is not always met with the ability to succeed, or exceed expectations. Discovering what your talents really are is a necessary and important step in the process of maximizing performance and distinguishing yourself within a group.

Accept. Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you're perfect. There will always be people better than you at any given task or skill - you must accept this. Once you accept the fact that you will be in competition with others to stand out, then you can use that as motivation to develop your talent into a strength. People like to achieve "all-pro" or "expert" status, but it's rare for this to happen in a non-competitive environment. Acceptance of the need to improve consistently over time, combined with the elimination of ego and apathy, is absolutely necessary to become one of the best in your field.

Amplify. Once you have identified a natural talent and accepted that it can be improved, the next step is to amplify this talent and turn it into a true strength. People amplify talents by learning how to apply them more often to their daily activities. They visualize, practice, study, implement, execute and learn. They repeat this cycle over and over again, understanding that each time they get a little bit better. They apply a work ethic and determination to the development process, and they stick with it for a sustained period of time. The amplification of talents and development of strengths takes work, but the payoff is huge. People who develop talents into strengths are much more likely to achieve their goals in life.

We are all born with natural talents and abilities, but genetics are not enough to distinguish good from great performers. Geniuses who do nothing to stimulate their brains will never invent something new and useful for the world. Athletes who never practice, regardless of how fast or strong they are, will be of little use to their teams. Artists who refuse to write, draw, paint or perform consistently will not likely be anything more than mediocre.

Turning talents into strengths requires discipline, work ethic and humility. If you really want to be the best at something, take the time to identify, accept and amplify your natural abilities and develop them into strengths.

What are your talents? Are you developing them into strengths? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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"Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light and not our darkness that most frightens us." -Marianne Williamson, Spiritual Activist and Found of The Peace Alliance, Marianne Williamson books//

This is a special post. I received a very nice e-mail from a reader named Kate asking for my thoughts on the Marianne Williamson quote featured. It's always nice to know that others appreciate my thoughts, so after thinking on it for a week I am ready to share. Everyone should go and check out Kate's blog Ahead of the Wave.

My initial thought when reading these three powerful lines is that most people are motivated by fear. We learn to be afraid of things at a very young age, in the form of a long list of 'don'ts' that are meant to protect us.

The problem is that too many people develop a habit of being afraid of everything, including themselves. It's just easier to think of yourself as a loser than a winner, and you will never suffer for a lack of others wanting to reinforce those negative beliefs.

Allowing yourself to live in darkness is appealing to many because they think it hides their flaws, or it gives them the opportunity to go through life unnoticed. Personally, I don't understand the point of this. Is there any person living who is perfect? Certainly not. We all have faults and weaknesses, but these things don't have to be a negative. Where we are weak, others are strong; and, thus, the wonderful interdependence of the world carries on.

I also don't understand why people don't want others to notice them. These people are 'watchers,' and life happens to them and not because of them. They have strengths that could be leveraged to make a positive difference in the world, yet they choose to do nothing with them. In my opinion, this is a cowardly approach to life, and the world suffers by not benefiting from these peoples' potential contributions.

The fact is that people make a choice about how they are going to live their lives. I believe that most understand that they have strengths or something of value to offer the world; however, they make a decision (excuse) to hide in the dark, rather than act in the light. They are afraid to show their strengths because it would simultaneously reveal their weaknesses.

If you're a religious person, then you probably believe that God gave you certain gifts in life. Do you think he wants you to hide them? Isn't that being selfish? If you're not a religious person, then you probably believe that genetics and environment shaped your inherent strengths and weaknesses. But even if you don't feel a moral responsibility to share your strengths and contribute, isn't it rational to believe that society suffers from your apathy?

Every person has the ability to make a positive difference in the world by letting their "light" shine. It takes courage to live your life in the light, and you may experience a higher degree of scrutiny for doing so. Don't be afraid though, as there are many of us waiting to cheer you on and lend a helping hand of support.

Thanks for requesting this post Kate! I really enjoyed sharing my thoughts on this topic. Please feel free to share your thoughts as well. Leave a comment.

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"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful." -Buddha, Gautama Siddhartha, Hindu Prince and Founder of Buddhism, Buddha books/

We live in a society in which people always seem to want more. What we have is never enough. We are uber-consumers and obsessed with stuff. My house is filled with stuff that we don't need, yet we find a way to continue buying things. Am I thankful for what we have? Absolutely - my wife and I have worked hard to get to this point in our careers and lives.

The stuff around me, though, is not what really matters. I am much more appreciative of other more substantial things in my life.

Here are some of the things I am thankful for:

My Wife - I am very proud to have a wife who is smart, intelligent, independent, beautiful, sexy, kind, caring and considerate. She is an incredible partner and a wonderful mother. I'm fortunate to have someone who understands me for who I am and values my strengths.

My Kids - My life as a father has been one of high highs and low lows. I don't like to talk about it much, but my first daughter died of a heart disease shortly after being born. This was extremely hard on me emotionally and mentally. Anyone who has suffered a loss like this knows that life is precious and should be treasured. Now, I have a teenage daughter and toddler son whom I appreciate more than life itself. We are also expecting another little girl this summer, and I'm sure that she will enrich our lives even further.

My Family - I feel extremely fortunate to have parents who are also great leaders and role models. My inlaws are incredible people too, so I am thankful that my kids will be positively influenced by many outstanding relatives. You can't choose your family, but if I could, I would pick one like mine.

My Strengths - I'm thankful for the natural abilities that God has given me, or nature has granted me through genetics, or the abilities I have learned or developed myself. I have always lived in, and created, an environment of building upon strengths, and I know that most people do not live like this. Life is hard for most, and I've had my fair share of troubles; however, I was always taught to leverage my strengths and overcome obstacles. I live an empowered life, and I know that most things happen because of me and not to me. I have the power! (I always enjoyed watching He-Man cartoons as a kid - "I have the power!")

My Experiences - My life is full. It's always been that way. I'm not a passive observer, even though I like to write about and chronicle experiences that I witness. I am an active participant in life, and I like to make things happen. I get involved. I volunteer. I am the first to try things, which caused many trips to the emergency room when I was a kid. I'm not afraid to fail, and I've done so many times. I like to learn from both mistakes and successes. My experiences have helped shape who I am as a man, husband, father, friend and leader, and I value them greatly.

I could probably write a few thousand words on the things that I'm thankful for in my life, but it seems slightly narcisstic. I'd much rather hear from you about the things that you're thankful for in life.

What are you thankful for? What do you appreciate? Please leave a comment and share with others!

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"If you are given a chance to be a role model, I think you should always take it because you can influence a person's life in a positive light." -Tiger Woods, American Golf Champion, Tiger Woods books and media//

Do you consider yourself a role model? If you're a husband, dad, manager, leader or a person of influence, then you are a role model. How often do you think about the way others perceive you? It's not usually the first thing on my mind.

Most of us get wrapped-up in the moment and focus on ourselves. It's hard to filter our thoughts and words. Being a role model, though, means setting a good example for those who admire you or your position. It doesn't mean that you should filter everything, or never display emotions, but it does mean that you should demonstrate respect for others (and yourself) at all times.

So, who are your role models? Who do you admire in your life right now?

I have three role models that I try to emulate and learn from on a consistent basis:

My dad. My father is a selfless leader both at work and at home. I've never met a person who is more willing to go out of his way to help a friend or loved one. Not only would he give you the shirt off his back, but also the shoes off his feet. He is honest, loving, caring, supportive, forgiving and fun to be aroun