POT POURRI

Another excerpt from my latest book, Simple Realities (The pathway to happiness and success), which is now available at Amazon.com and on Kindle.

           The way the English evolves is truly remarkable. In the dictionary which I use most often, the first meaning listed for the term pot pourri is “a jar of flower petals and spices used for scent.” Yet, the literal translation from the original French is “rotten pot.”  It’s little wonder that the term has come to mean any miscellaneous collection.

             No secret is safe with anyone else.

             People with no sense of humor are like cars with no shock absorbers; every little bump jolts them.

             The more power is divided the more irresponsible it becomes.

             A good way to judge people is by how they treat those who can do them no good whatsoever.

             Stereotypes don’t come with guarantees.

             Some mysteries should just be left mysteries.

             Some people are so heavenly-minded that they’re no earthly good.

             It’s better to be looked over than overlooked.

             Lots of explanations may make sense, but there’s usually only one that’s correct.

             Everyone can give pleasure; one by entering a room, another by leaving it.

             We’d lose most of our wisdom if we lost our clichés.

             Wisdom can’t be bought for cash; it’s available only on the installment plan.

             When growth stops, decay begins.

             Any person who cares for only one thing, whatever it is, is a dangerous person.

             Even the New York Philharmonic needs soloists.

             Incompetence and arrogance make a deadly combination.

             People are more important than places.

             Dogs are so well-liked because they wag their tails rather than their tongues.

             The best time to relax is when you don’t have the time for it.

             Some fevers can’t be measured by degrees.

             Music is the most powerful medium.

             A small town is where there’s no place to go where you shouldn’t.

             Responsibility is one price of greatness.

             Little things can be very important; a bathtub isn’t much good without a plug.

             The grass may be greener on the other side, but the water bill is probably higher.

             It’d be nice to have more blessings that aren’t in disguise.

             If the world were perfectly logical, men would ride side-saddle, not women.

             Who you know is important; but it’s also important who knows you.

             Anything left to run by itself can only go downhill.

             Although a rose smells better than an onion it doesn’t make better soup.

             Good people won’t thrive in a bad environment; flowers have to be watered.

             You can’t really compare different forms of art.

             Common sense gets a lot of credit that really belongs to cold feet.

             History is in the past, but memory is in the present.

             Like the devil, genius is also in the details.

             On an anvil, it’s better to be leather than granite.

             There’s safety in numbers only up to a point.

             The past is rarely over.

             There are no great achievements without risk.

             Wise people aren’t afraid to change their minds.

             The person who tells you to calm down is usually the person who got you riled up in the first place.

             It’ll be interesting to see how long the meek keep the earth after they inherit it.

             Even if a thousand people say something foolish, it’s still something foolish.

            There isn’t enough darkness in the world to extinguish the light from one small candle.

             Those who are given everything tend to appreciate nothing.

             Art is just someone’s opinion.

             Some people are just clever enough to be really stupid.

             By the time the meek inherit the earth it won’t be worth anything.

             The only usefulness of a rumour is what it tells you about its source.

             Even abundance can run out.

             Laws should be based on facts, not theories.

             A smooth mountain can’t be climbed.

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