Maureen O'Hara & Eleanor Roosevelt -DOTM027

This first quote was supplied by my wife and love of my life, Dee Holbrook

 

Actress Maureen O’Hara

 

“Above all else, deep in my soul, I'm a tough Irishwoman.”

 

Some of my favorite classic movies had Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne in them. Ms. O’Hara’s characters always had a toughness, but were still able to maintain a ladylike feel.

 

I always admired this combination in her and other women I knew growing up, and am proud to say I married a wonderful woman with a similar disposition and bearing. In her quote, she clearly defines the self image she has, and her life bears this out. She is true to herself, and isn’t ashamed of it.

 

Do you have realistic image of yourself, or are you busy trying to hide from what you really are? Many people seem to be not only ashamed, but downright fearful of what they are deep in their hearts. 

 

You can tell people who never look honestly at their core self. They are usually very pompous and pushy and use this mask to make sure nobody finds out how badly they feel about themselves. Of course, pompous and pushy tells everyone else the real story, and the only person they fool is themselves.

 

All of us have thoughts and emotions we don’t want others to know about, but have you given yourself an honest evaluation lately? Never be afraid to look hard at yourself in your inward mirror and be honest.

 

Do you like what you see? No? Well, it’s time to take an inventory of what you don’t like and start making some changes. Wouldn’t it be better to actually become the person you want to be? If you only put on an act, other people will see right through you.

 

Steven Covey

 

“In the last analysis, what we are communicates far more eloquently than anything we say or do.”

 

My wife and I often see someone, and comment on how beautiful they are. Interestingly enough, they are rarely physically stunning models or athletes. We have always felt that fully ¾ of a person’s beauty comes from inside. How they are animated, their attitude and bearing, their kind and sympathetic looks; these are the things that spell out true beauty. As a person ages and their body begins to deteriorate, this ¾ of their beauty will remain. Those who only have the physical, will lose everything.

 

Be sure of who you really are inside. Evaluate yourself and become a better person. Don’t be that person who loses it all.

 

 

Maureen O'Hara in Wikipedia

 

Maureen O'Hara in the International Movie Database

 

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Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States

 

“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”

 

Think back on what you have been talking about today. What was the subject matter? Ideas, events, or people? Great, average or small?

 

Seems kind of harsh, doesn’t it? Most people discuss all three at various times, but the key is in deciding how much time you spend on each category.

 

A person who only discusses ideas would be one of those fabled geniuses who are so lofty in their thinking that they can’t even carry on a decent conversation with the average person. They make amazing leaps in mathematics and science, but forget to eat and sleep if someone with a less brilliant mind is not around to help. We need  the advances in our knowledge, but the genius isn’t perfect.

 

Average people lead more average lives, and talk about the weather, sports, vacations, work and the everyday milestones we all run into. The vast majority of us are in this category, and the world couldn’t function without us. Production of goods and services happens in this group. Average people make the world go round. In the process, they spend time looking after the genius types making sure they don’t starve while thinking deep thoughts.

 

Ok, last and certainly least are the small minded individuals that spend all their time gossiping about those they feel inferior to, namely, everyone else. Not much in the way of production going on here, they would rather tear down what others are doing to feel better about themselves, rather than contribute to society. We all know them well. Like the ancient Vikings, they conduct raids on the Average minds on a regular basis, and even take prisoners sometimes.

 

Now that they have been defined, which group of minds is best? One of the surprising things is that there is some serious blurring of the lines at the borders of each group.

 

Small minds, in additon to attempting to hold the Average folks hostage with their secret knowledge, sometime only ply their trade part time and are Average movers and shakers otherwise. This is good, but staying out of other people’s business altogether is better. 

 

A quote by another First Lady, Dolley Madison:

 

“It is one of my sources of happiness never to desire a knowledge of other people's business.”

 

Mrs. Madison is a truly respected First Lady. She is known for her courage when the British Army was advancing on the White House during the War of 1812. She saved the portrait of George Washington and a lot government property and papers when the White House was burned. There was no room for their personal property, so she made the decision to leave it.

 

This brings up the next group. People considered average often have dramatic leaps of insight that can be brilliant. Genius IQs are in their ranks undetected because they also possess social skills. Who knew? Many times the best organizers are those with average IQs who have very specific talents.

 

The moral of the story is that everyone has a mind worth using and improving. Everyone has talents and aptitudes that compliment the skills of others. Lets all make it a goal to be better tomorrow than we are today.

 

One final quote from Abraham Lincoln.

 

“I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.”

 

 

Eleanor Roosevelt in Wikipedia

 

National First Ladies Library Article

http://www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=33

 

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Martha Washington & Abraham Lincoln -DOTM026

1st Lady of the United States, Martha Washington

“The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances. We carry the seeds of the one or the other about with us in our minds wherever we go.”

What kind of a mood are you in right now? Good, bad, ugly? Interestingly, your mood will help decide what kind of day you are having.

Our actions have to begin somewhere. The obvious is that you must think it before you can do it. Your state of mind as you contemplate action makes a tremendous impact on your ultimate decisions.

This is especially true when you are surprised and must act quickly. All of us have heard of the “fight or flight” response humans have when faced with sudden danger. Your emotional state at the time of the sudden surprise totally affects your choice of actions.

If you feel nothing is going to go right today, your state of mind could get you mugged in an alley, since that is just par for the course of the day.

A better choice would have been thinking to avoid the alley and take the longer, less dangerous way around. Instead, you were so depressed about your day that you stumbled right into danger you could have avoided.

Once I was a passenger in a car that was suddenly confronted with a much bigger vehicle on a blind curve. Keeping control of the car would have been good idea, but instead the driver covered their face and waited for the impact.

This had the effect of continuing us moving directly at the other vehicle, instead of veering to the right which would have given both cars more room to avoid each other. The skill of the other driver made it just possible to slip by, but then we almost went over into a ravine as we continued unchecked and driverless for an extra moment or two.

How can we prepare for such situations in advance? How about reducing our every day stress, feelings of shame, worthlessness, and excessive guilt? Many times these things make our mental reality seem much worse than things actually are. You are what you think. Advance preparation is what we need to have our minds in a better state to cope with the things we are confronted with daily.

A little peace of mind goes a long way. There is a great article about this subject at thebodysoulconnection.com. Check it out! There will be a link in the show notes at daggersofthemind.com.


Body Soul Connection Article


Martha Washington in Wikipedia

National First Ladies Library
http://www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=1
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Abraham Lincoln, President of The United States

Mr. Lincoln was suggested by Stephen Haynes.


“He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.”

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to criticize someone else? We have all judged other people by our own value system and decided what they should be doing based on what we think we would do in the circumstances. It can however, be a much harsher motive than that.

If we don’t understand why they do the things they do, wishing them ill could be because we want validation for our own lifestyle. If we think their life is going badly, and ours is better, it must be because of clean living and prayer before bed. To be blunt, we want to believe we are better.

But what should we really do? To misquote a  TV commercial that used to be popular, “Criticism is so easy, even a caveman could do it.” Criticism is not something you need to teach kids to do, it actually comes quite naturally to humans everywhere. It can be harsh and cruel, a couple more natural human traits.

Abraham Lincoln had a suggestion for making our critical comments productive instead of destructive.
Before you utter one critical word, think of a solution to the problem you are going to accuse that person of having. Then be ready to help them with that problem.

Condition yourself to only voice criticism when you truly want to help, and are capable of doing so. If you aren’t willing, the solution is simple. Keep your mouth shut.

Back in the good old days there was an animated movie involving a young deer, who had a rabbit as his friend. When the rabbit started to say something critical, his mother asked him to repeat what his father had said. It came out something like this:

“If you can’t say nothin nice, then don’t say nothin.”

Criticism can be an amazing tool to help others if we only use it in a friendly and productive manner. Before bringing it out, wrap something soft around it and be careful not to alienate someone who really needs your help. You could be making your next lifelong friend.

There is an old saying that nobody seems know the origin of that states that “you never truly know someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.”

There is a great article on the subject at the website called everydaysuccess.com.
A link to this article will be included in the show notes at daggersofthemind.com
https://www.everydaysuccess.com/everyday-life/single/a-mile-in-their-shoes

Abraham Lincoln in Wikipedia

The History Place Timeline
http://www.historyplace.com/lincoln/


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My brother, Paul Holbrook,  is a reader of audio books for Audible.com. He does a great job and has lots of books to his credit. Check out his blog at:
http://www.Audiobookinfo.wordpress.com. He reviews the books he has narrated and gives links to audio samples of each.



We will also include a link to the Audible page of his books in the show notes.

Paul Holbrook Books in Audible.com
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Paul Simon & Benedict Cumberbatch -DOTM025

Music Legend Paul Simon

 

“I was eating in a Chinese restaurant downtown. There was a dish called Mother and Child Reunion. It’s chicken and eggs. And I said, I gotta use that one.”

 

Have you ever looked down into your plate of food and gotten inspired?  Most people feel inspiration in a sunrise, the ocean, a storm, or some other mighty and grandiose thing. What about the small things? 

 

I have mentioned in an earlier episode of Daggers Of The Mind that it seems most of us blaze through life oblivious to the amazing wealth of information flowing over us like a river. If we tune in to it, so much new knowledge and yes, inspiration could be available.

 

Daggers Of The Mind Episode 15

 

A quote from another song writer:

 

“Inspiration is hard to come by. You have to take it where you find it.”

 

Bob Dylan

 

My source of inspiration is not going to be the same as yours. Identifying what your source is, is vitally important. Once you find what it is, grab it, feed it, nurture it, and never let it go. Your inspiration can be a powerful force to keep you going when everything else seems to be going to pot around you. 

 

Pablo Picasso

 

“Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working.”

 

Being inspired is great, but using it as a tool for accomplishment is its ultimate end. Put your inspiration into action. Picasso painted, I like to write and podcast, some enjoy making something with their hands, or solving some problem that has been plaguing them for a while. Inspiration greases the skids to accomplishment, but to actually accomplish, you must get up and go for it.

 

In the very first episode of Daggers Of The Mind, the quote from Charles Shaughnessy was that his wife was his greatest inspiration. I must say that this is also true of myself. Dee is my greatest supporter and friend, the love of my life. Our life together has been the greatest blessing of my existence.

 

Daggers Of The Mind Episode 1

 

I’ve found my inspiration, now go find yours. It’s there just waiting for you!

 

Paul Simon Official Website

 

Paul Simon on Wikipedia

 

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Actor Benedict Cumberbatch

 

“People forget about books. They're always just turning on the television, but reading a good book is the most nourishing thing you can do.”

 

Before there was television or movies, before pictures moved on the screen and told you what to think, there were books. A book is an amazing exercise in the creative part of your brain. When you read a story, instead of being shown everything, your brain automatically begins to supply the details and fleshes out the scene described. These mental gymnastics that are so good for us now lay dormant much of the time.

 

We have given up the creative in order to just observe and be led along a path of someone else’s choosing. Instead of allowing our imaginations to supply the details we are told about, we just have it laid in our laps, very tidy and easy to consume. Not very good for expanding your mind and imagination.

 

Reading is such an amazing ability, and we forget how wonderful it is. But for others, it’s not so great.

 

Sometimes it is easy to forget that there are many in our society who never learned to read. I have a hard time imagining what it would be like to look at words that didn’t automatically read for me. What kind of world would that be where all this gibberish was everywhere and you couldn’t tell what was being said?

 

There are literacy programs that can help adults who never learned how to read. I think these are wonderful, but I think a way to stop the cycle is to instill a LOVE of reading in children. If you get them to a place that they want to read on their own without being forced as a school assignment, it is enough to change their lives forever. That hunger for knowledge and mental stimulation will last a lifetime, and reading will supply the need. 

 

There will be a link in the show notes for ProLiteracy programs that you can contact to help in your community.

 

Remember, reading is fun!

 

Groucho Marx said,

 

“Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of dog, it’s too dark to read.”

 

 

http://www.proliteracy.org/

 

http://www.benedictcumberbatch.co.uk/

Cumberbatchweb -Your unofficial guide to actor Benedict Cumberbatch

 

Benedict Cumberbatch on The International Movie Database

 

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I would like to give a special thank you to Matt McWilliams for giving Daggers Of The Mind a 5 star review on iTunes. He said, 

 

“Daggers of The Mind is awesome. Jeffrey K. Holbrook is doing a great job. Keep up the awesome!”

 

If you have iTunes please take a moment and give us an honest review. It really helps a lot to help others find the show! Thanks!!

 

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This marks the 25th episode of Daggers Of The Mind. If you have enjoyed what you have heard thus far, please drop us an email at feedback@daggersofthemind.com and let me know what you think. Also, suggestions for clean celebrity quotes are always welcome. Thanks so much for listening and for your continuing support for the show.

 

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Theodore Roosevelt & Hillary Clinton -DOTM024

I would like to thank Anthony Criner for bringing up this subject the other day, which prompted me to search for this quote.

 

President Theodore Roosevelt

 

“A man who is good enough to shed his blood for the country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards.”

 

Have you ever noticed in the news how often the U.S. Government drops the ball when it comes to returning veterans?

 

We have a state-of-the-art life SAVING system, but then when the recuperation phase is entered, there is this sudden silence that only hears the echoes of the questions the veteran has about the future, usually with no reply at all from the government. If there is an answer, it is to say “wait, we have it all under control, but hey, we lost that form we asked you for again, would you please resubmit?”

 

The despair, anger, and helplessness our veterans feel is totally justified. Veterans who came back in one piece have regaled me with stories of going to the V.A. for a simple checkup and being postponed after they arrived and waited a few hours, or having appointments rescheduled after being initially made just to fill some government quota after one of the numerous investigations.

 

Since they see a different doctor every time, the wrong medication that the patient showed an allergic reaction to was prescribed again, and the list of failures goes on and on.

 

It is more than just a shame that the government can’t be trusted with this sacred obligation. This is not to say that all the workers in the system do not care, but it seems anything the government tries on a large scale leaves Americans falling through the cracks, sometimes to their deaths. 

 

Only after statistics were compiled of the many who died from suicide or neglect has there been any attention paid to what to do about this epidemic. But now it is too late for them. Let us hope their second sacrifice is not in vain.

 

Will they just apply another government brand financial bandage and hope the bleeding stops, or will they actually CURE the system? Past lessons learned from all previous administrations don’t leave a lot of hope of a real fix. That is why we need an organization like the Disabled American Veterans.

 

From the DAV website:

 

Fulfilling our promises to the men and women who served.

“We are dedicated to a single purpose: empowering veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. We accomplish this by ensuring that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them; fighting for the interests of America’s injured heroes on Capitol Hill; and educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life.”

 

Links to this greatly needed organization will be included in the show notes. It is a travesty that the government is so inept that it requires private concerns to force it to do its duty for those who did their duty so well. Tell a veteran today how much you appreciate the freedom their sacrifices have made possible, and do what you can to help.

 

Disabled American Veterans

 

Paralyzed Veterans of America

 

Wounded Warrior Project

 

Theodore Roosevelt Website

 

Theodore Roosevelt in Wikipedia

 

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Hillary Clinton Former First Lady, Senator and Secretary of State of the United States

 

“I don't think feminism, as I understand the definition, implies the rejection of maternal values, nurturing children, caring about the men in your life. That is just nonsense to me.”

 

 

I fondly remember my grandmother. She never had a driver’s license, she worked hard all her life in the home raising kids and keeping house. She had 12 pregnancies, and 10 of the children lived to adulthood. 

 

When she was in her 80’s I interviewed her on camera and learned a lot of things about how she was raised, how she met my grandfather and the struggles of raising so many children in coal mining communities. When there was a strike in the mines, sometimes they had the spend the night in the woods with all the babies. Hard times.

 

I asked her if there was anything she regretted about her life, something she wished was different. I expected something like having more money, a nicer house, etc. What she said really shocked me.

 

“I wish I could have kept on having babies.” In today’s society many times it is looked down on if a woman “settles for” being a homemaker, but my grandmother reveled in it. She was completely content and happy in that role. A totally fulfilled and successful life.

 

Many ladies decide to make other choices. To marry, not to marry, to have babies or not, to go and get that dream career, or start their own businesses and be their own bosses. The key here is they decide. 

 

There are options available today that my grandmother couldn’t even conceive of. Before marriage, she had been living on a prosperous farm owned by her grandparents. They even had their own coal mine. She chose however, to marry a poor coal miner, and to do so, had to move from Kentucky to West Virginia to begin her new role. She made her choice about her own life, and if she were alive today, she would still have no regrets.

 

Isn’t that what feminism is all about? Not becoming what other people, men or women, tell you to be, but having the freedom to become what you really want to be? 

 

Ladies, it’s time to take the world by storm, and you are free to do it anywhere and any way you want to.

 

 

Ani DiFranco

 

“My idea of feminism is self-determination, and it's very open-ended: every woman has the right to become herself, and do whatever she needs to do.”

 

Hillary Clinton on Biography.com

 

Hillary Clinton Website

 

 

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I would like to say again how much I appreciate the band Portal for allowing me the use of their fantastic music in the production of Daggers Of The Mind. Check out their website at

http://portalpraise.homestead.com/

 

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Maya Angelou & Ellen Degeneres -DOTM023

This first quote was posted by my Aunt, Donna Gibson.

 

Maya Angelo, American author, poet, dancer, actress, and singer.

 

“Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet.”

 

A couple of episodes ago, we spoke about hate using a quote from the Rev. Martin Luther King. Jr. He said that hate was such a heavy burden that he chose love instead.

 

The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Episode

 

That is a very good idea since most of the horrible things that have been committed in history are a result of irrational hate. 

 

We are most familiar with hate crimes perpetrated against those who are not like our selves in some way. Race, religion, politics, and sexual orientation have been reasons given for committing atrocities on individuals and groups.

 

Not liking or condoning another’s lifestyle is totally fine. In a free society, it’s even OK to SAY you don’t like what they are doing. If you didn’t think the way you were living was right, you wouldn’t be living that way. Others on the other hand deserve the same right to live in their own way. They can also say what they don’t like about you, and you have the right to not be victimized by them.

 

Most of us have been treated badly because of some belief or lifestyle we have chosen. I remember losing a job one time because I refused to lie to a customer. The boss knew of my Christianity and tried to push me from time to time to violate my beliefs. I knew at the time that refusing to lie could get me fired, but it was worth it to stand up for what I believed. I did have a rough time finding another job, but 3 months later my salary was doubled when I was hired for the career I still have right now. Whatever your beliefs, I feel I was blessed for my stand for honesty and truth. It is my right to believe this, and your right not to, if you so choose.

 

When you are treated badly by those who have an irrational hate for something you stand for, what do you do? 

 

A couple of quotes by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr:

 

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

 

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.”

 

 

When someone considers you an enemy simply because you are different, you can confirm that by hating them in return. If you show love and tolerance for them, you can eventually win them over as they begin to feel rather foolish irrationally hating someone who is so understanding.

 

Let’s break the cycle of irrational hate. It has to stop somewhere, let it end with us.

 

Maya Angelou on Wikipedia

 

http://mayaangelou.com/

 

 

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Ellen Degeneres, comedian and television personality

 

“Never follow anyone else's path, unless you're in the woods and you're lost and you see a path; then, by all means, you should follow that path.”

 

Independence and freedom are the dream of most of the people on the earth. Being able to determine your own direction and make your own decisions is a wonderful state to be in.

 

 It is until you get lost. Most of us want control of our lives before we have earned the right to have that control. If we are going our own way and get lost, it takes a lot to admit it. Our pride can really get in the way, and we continue to wander aimlessly wasting time.

 

The older I get, the more I realize I don’t know. When we are young, we want that measure of control, confident we know it all. Some people never learn that they don’t know everything, and develop an arrogance that can actually result in their death if they don’t pay attention to where they are going.

 

Following the crowd like sheep is frowned upon in this society, but jumping off a cliff just because no one else is doing it is also not advisable. THINK! Think for yourself and evaluate you actions before you take them! There are so many traps and ways of getting lost out there in the world. Watch out for them.

 

Of course, if you do actually get lost, don’t waste your precious time and lifetime having so much pride that you won’t ask directions of others. You will find that many around you have already experienced that same mistake and won’t make fun of you.

 

Douglas Adams

 

“Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.”

 

Stubborn humans constantly get themselves into trouble they could have easily avoided if they had only listened. Don’t be so thick headed that you run headlong into disaster just so you could say, “I did it my way”. That’s a great way to get yourself seriously killed!

 

The Ellen Degeneres Show

 

Ellen DeGeneres on Wikipedia

 

Ellen Degeneres on Twitter

 

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An iTunes user called iamlearningmore left Daggers Of The Mind a 5 star rating and review! Here’s what they said:

 

“This podcast is very well thought out and nicely planned. The host doesn’t run on too long. I wish Jeff had licensing to actually hear the celebrity saying their audio- but we will have to settle for Jeff to read them. This is an interesting podcast- I don’t know a lot of people who are taking celebrities words and discussing how significant they are.”

 

It helps so much when you rate and review the show in iTunes. Thanks for the help in promoting Daggers Of The Mind!

 

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