I bought "Jacob's Journey" in September 1995 -- a year of changes, transition and adjustment in my personal life. My father passed away in February of that year. I also reluctantly left my corporate planning work to enter the brave new world of investment banking around July of that same year. It is no wonder then that when I randomly picked up a copy of Noah ben Shea's book at National and read the sub-title on its cover, I knew I had to pay for it right away. The sub-title reads: "Wisdom to Find the Way, Strength to Carry On". Allow me to share with you what quotations I highlighted in this book because of the wisdom and inspiration I was trying to draw from it at that point in time in my life:
On living one's Life:
"Hope for the best and make peace with the rest."
On Patience:
"Patience is the shortest route on a long journey."
On Kindness:
"It is wiser to be kind than to be wise."
On Parents:
"Some parents love knowing. Others know love."
On Growing Old:
" 'Growing old' is a contradiction in terms."
On Work and Love:
"There is only work and love in life...If we are fortunate, we love our work. If we are wise, we are willing to work at love."
On Life:
"Life is a gift...Open yours."
On Fear:
"Fear makes us not only less than we might be but less than we think we are."
On being Alone:
"A man who is alone with himself is not without company."
On Success:
" Have you ever met a man whose success is not also a burden?"
On what is Valuable:
"The way to discover what is of value in life is by taking the time to treasure the moments."
On Relationships:
"A relationship is not a way for us to exhibit our strength but to find our balance."
On Children:
"...your children are a gift to you, and only expectation can find disappointment in gifts that have not yet been opened."
On Journeys:
"Wherever a man stops on his journey, the first person he meets is himself."
On Wisdom:
"Wisdom arrives when we are willing to journey to our ignorance."
On Lies:
"In the seed of a lie is a forest of deceit."
On Self:
"Only when we place too much importance on who we are do we misplace our self."
On Problems:
"Often in life, the solution to our problems comes not so much from what we start doing but from what we stop doing."
On Age:
"Age is not the mark of time but how we mark our time."
On Friends:
"A friend is someone who allows you distance but is never far away."
--Noah ben Shea
On living one's Life:
"Hope for the best and make peace with the rest."
On Patience:
"Patience is the shortest route on a long journey."
On Kindness:
"It is wiser to be kind than to be wise."
On Parents:
"Some parents love knowing. Others know love."
On Growing Old:
" 'Growing old' is a contradiction in terms."
On Work and Love:
"There is only work and love in life...If we are fortunate, we love our work. If we are wise, we are willing to work at love."
On Life:
"Life is a gift...Open yours."
On Fear:
"Fear makes us not only less than we might be but less than we think we are."
On being Alone:
"A man who is alone with himself is not without company."
On Success:
" Have you ever met a man whose success is not also a burden?"
On what is Valuable:
"The way to discover what is of value in life is by taking the time to treasure the moments."
On Relationships:
"A relationship is not a way for us to exhibit our strength but to find our balance."
On Children:
"...your children are a gift to you, and only expectation can find disappointment in gifts that have not yet been opened."
On Journeys:
"Wherever a man stops on his journey, the first person he meets is himself."
On Wisdom:
"Wisdom arrives when we are willing to journey to our ignorance."
On Lies:
"In the seed of a lie is a forest of deceit."
On Self:
"Only when we place too much importance on who we are do we misplace our self."
On Problems:
"Often in life, the solution to our problems comes not so much from what we start doing but from what we stop doing."
On Age:
"Age is not the mark of time but how we mark our time."
On Friends:
"A friend is someone who allows you distance but is never far away."
--Noah ben Shea
