WATCH YOUR WORDS AND BECOME A GOOD LISTENER

I do not hear very well (hearing impairment) but I continuously try to be a good listener as such has proved to be a key element for a good conversation and for my own personal development. 

I have also learned, that sometimes is better to remain silent instead of being engaged in a negative argument with an unclear outcome or benefit for the parties involved.  I also try to remain silent is there no value-added with my own comments.  Furthermore, sometimes “silence” becomes the best answer!

Based on the above, I have selected some quotes, which emphasize the need to be very careful when we speak.  I hope that you enjoy them and put them in practice to ensure your own personal development.

The world would be happier if men had the same capacity to be silent that they have to speak. Spinoza

Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak. Unknown

Better to remain silent and be considered as a fool that to speak and remove all doubt. English Proverb

    

When you talk, you repeat what you already know; when you listen, you often learn something. Jared Sparks

The one who gives an answer before he listens - that is his folly and his shame. Proverbs 18:13

Be a good listener. Your ears will never get you in trouble. Frank Tyger

If you don't see it with your own eyes, or hear it with your own ears, don't invent it with your small mind AND share it with your BIG MOUTH. Medical Humor

Remove perverse speech from your mouth; keep devious talk far from your lips. Proverbs 4:24

If A equals success, then the formula is A equals X plus Y and Z, with X being work, Y play, and Z keeping your mouth shut. Albert Einstein

The tongue of the wise treats knowledge correctly, but the mouth of the fool spouts out folly.  Proverbs 15:2

Success comes from keeping the ears open and the mouth closed. John D. Rockefeller

The truly wise person restrains his words, and the one who stays calm is discerning. Even a fool who remains silent is considered wise, and the one who holds his tongue is deemed discerning. Proverbs 17:27-28

Everyone hears what you say, FRIENDS listen to what you say, and BEST FRIENDS listen to what you don't say. Unknown

Nature has given men one tongue and two ears, so we may hear twice as much as we speak.  Epictetus

Talk low, talk slow and don't say too much. John Wayne

One of the best ways to persuade others is with your ears - by listening to them. Dean Rusk

Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a soft tongue can break a bone. Proverbs 25:15

Do not speak- unless it improves on silence.

Buddhist Proverb

For all sorts of evils, there are two remedies: time and silence. Alexander Dumas

Silence is a source of great strength. Lao Tzu

When you talk, make sure that your words are not worst than your silence. Unknown

Wise men are not always silent, but they know when to be. Oprah

A foolish man tells a woman to stop talking, but a   man tells her that her mouth is extremely beautiful when her lips are closed. Unknown

Unless your name is Google, stop acting like you know everything.  Unknown

Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something. Plato

TOP QUOTES FROM W. CHURCHILL

Some of the best quotes from Winston Churchill: 

For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else.

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

If you have knowledge, let others light their candles with it.

Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.

Solitary trees, if they grow at all, grow strong.

If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law.

I am easily satisfied with the very best.

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.

It is a good thing for an educated man to read books of quotations

I never worry about action, but only about inaction.

Any man who is under 30,and is not a liberal, has not heart; and any man who is over 30, and is not a conservative, has no brains.

Kites rise highest against the wind--not with it.

I'm always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.

The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes.

Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.

The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak, courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the ordeal of meeting me is another matter.

Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.

The price of greatness is responsibility .

Great and good are seldom the same man.

We shall show mercy, but we shall not ask for it .

Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others.

Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.

Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking our potential.

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

Never, never, never give up.

It is no use saying, 'We are doing our best.' You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.

A communist is like a crocodile: when it opens its mouth you cannot tell whether it is trying to smile or preparing to eat you up.

A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes.

QUARRELS AT THE OFFICE

Recently I had a discussion with a colleague about the performance of the branches under his supervision. As a result, he was so angry and upset that instead on focusing on the solution and/or explanation for such performance, he reacted taking the situation as a personal matter.  Furthermore, he started badmouthing and complaining with his peers about the situation instead of focusing on the solution.

To address such an inconvenient event, I looked for some quotes that can help me overcome and forget the whole situation and specially to be prepared for a similar situation in the near future. 

I think that the following quotes will be very useful for everybody in this aggressive business world.  I hope you enjoy them and learn from this experience.

The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about. Oscar Wilde

Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause.

Victor Hugo

Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.  Albert Einstein

When our hatred is too bitter it places us below those whom we hate. François de la Rochefoucauld

Rumors are carried by haters, spread by fools, and accepted by idiots. Unknown

False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil. Socrates

No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong. François de la Rochefoucauld

If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor. Albert Einstein

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 11:2

When you are kind to others, it not only changes you, it changes the world. Harold Kushner

Before you judge me, please make sure you are perfect. Unknown

In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher.

Dalai Lama

We are so vain that we even care for the opinion of those we don't care for.  Marie Von Ebner-Eschenbach

When a deep injury is done us, we never recover until we forgive. Alan Paton

Forget like a child any injury done by somebody immediately. Never keep it in the heart. It kindles hatred. Swami Sivananda

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you yourself also be like him. Proverbs 26:4

I don't want any "yes-men" around me. I want everybody to tell me the truth even if it costs him or her his or her jobs. Samuel Goldwyn

Commit your works to the Lord, and your plans will be established. Proverbs 16:3

A quarrel is quickly settled when deserted by one party; there is no battle unless there be two. Seneca

Whatever one of us blames in another, each one will find in his own heart. Seneca

It is a curious fact that people are never so trivial as when they take themselves seriously. Oscar Wilde

I rather bother anyone with the truth than to please with flatteries. Seneca

Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often. Mark Twain

The well bred contradict other people. The wise contradict themselves. Oscar Wilde

Envy comes from people's ignorance of, or lack of belief in, their own gifts. Jean Vanier

It is not the same "to know the truth" and "to love the truth". Confucius

Experience tells you what to do; confidence allows you to do it.

Stan Smith

One of the best ways to persuade others is with your ears - by listening to them.  Dean Rusk

Insults are the arguments employed by those who are in the wrong. J.J. Rousseau

Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something. Plato

A smart man only believes half of what he hears; a wise man knows which half. Unknown

What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness? J.J. Rousseau

Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Mother Theresa

If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies. Mother Theresa

The GREATEST and FASTEST pain reliever.... FORGIVENESS!!  Kimberly Jones

He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass. George Herbert

Forgive and forget. Sour grapes make for a lousy wine.  Unknown

Hating people is like burning down your own house to get rid of a rat. Harry Emerson Fosdick

Conclusion:  I must forgive him and don´t take anything personally as suggested by Don Miguel Ruiz in the “Four Agreements”.  I must listen and be slow to speak without raising the volume of my voice to make an argument.

I will only focus on what it is best for the company and always addressing the issues with strong numbers and facts:  Use soft words and hard arguments. English Proverb

In any case, sometimes is better to remain silent instead of engaging on an endless fight that does not benefit either the company or the individuals. 

The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook.  Unknown.

When an argument flares up, the wise man quenches it with silence. Unknown

Choose your words carefully. They may come back to destroy you. Unknown

When you say something, make sure that your words are not worse than your silence. Unknown

Quarrels end, but words once spoken never die. African Proverb

Do not speak unless you can improve silence.

Jorge Luis Borges.

Speak when you are angry - and you'll make the best speech you'll ever regret. Dr. Laurence J. Peter

A final Word: Just ask God to direct your steps in every situation. God bless you and…..

Relate to others with warmth, human affection, honesty and compassion. Dalai Lama

Edgardo Mendoza V.

WEALTH AND HEALTH....

Wealth and riches are fine, a burden for those who must maintain them. With wealth comes great responsibility and accountability to God.  Unknown

Happiness, wealth, and success are by-products of goal setting; they cannot be the goal themselves. Denis Waitley

The one who loves money will never be satisfied with money, he who loves wealth will never be satisfied with his income. This also is futile.
Ecclesiastes 5:10

Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth and turmoil with it. Proverbs 15:16

If we command our wealth, we shall be rich and free; if our wealth commands us, we are poor indeed. Unknown

A good name is to be chosen rather than great wealth, good favor more than silver or gold. Proverbs 22:1

Wealth is like sea-water; the more we drink, the thirstier we become; and the same is true of fame. Schopenhauer

Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. 
Benjamin Franklin

Cheerfulness is the best promoter of health, and is as friendly to the mind as to the body. Joseph Addison.

He who loses wealth loses much; he who loses a friend loses more; but he that loses his courage loses all. Miguel De Cervantes

Wealth gained quickly will dwindle away, but the one who gathers it little by little will become rich.  Proverbs 13:11

The man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but whoever associates with prostitutes wastes his wealth. Proverbs 29:3

All wealth is the product of labor. John Locke

I have concluded that wealth is a state of mind, and that anyone can acquire a wealthy state of mind by thinking rich thoughts. Andrew Young

Take care of yourself. Good health is everyone's major source of wealth. Without it, happiness is almost impossible. Diane Khoo

Our own well-being is always the result of healthy decisions for ourselves coupled with disengagement from the choices of others.  Karen Casey

There is one who pretends to be rich and yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor and yet possesses great wealth.  Proverbs 13:7

For many men, the acquisition of wealth does not end their troubles, it only changes them. Seneca

One person is generous and yet grows more wealthy, but another withholds more than he should and comes to poverty. Proverbs 11:24

A benevolent person leaves an inheritance for his grandchildren, but the wealth of a sinner is stored up for the righteous. Proverbs 13:22

Wealth and want equally harden the human heart. Theodore Parker

In the house of the righteous is abundant wealth, but the income of the wicked brings trouble.  Proverbs 15:6

Our true wealth is the good we do in the world.None of us has faith unless we desire for our neighbors what we desire for ourselves. Mohammed

Poverty is not derived from the decrease of the wealth, but rather from the multiplication of desires and needs. Plato

A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his Tools.   Spanish Proverb

Happiness lies, first of all, in health. George William Curtis

The greatest of follies is to sacrifice health for any other kind of happiness. Schopenhauer

Doing good to others is not a duty. It is a joy, for it increases your own health and happiness.  Zoroaster

The greatest wealth is health. Virgil

ADVERSITY, DESPAIR, FRIENDSHIP AND GOD!

Adversity is sometimes hard upon a man; but for one man who can stand prosperity, there are a hundred that will stand adversity. T. Carlyle

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. Abraham Lincoln

Adversity introduces a man to himself. Richard Nixon

Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes; adversity not without many comforts and hopes. Sir Francis Bacon

Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit. Napoleon Hill

You have to know that every time adversity comes against you, it’s a setup for a comeback.  Joel Osteen

As a rule, adversity reveals genius and prosperity hides it. Horace

When the adversity calls to your door, the false friends are always sleeping. Unknown

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. 

Anne Bradstreet

There is no education like adversity. Disraeli

Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity. Aristotle

People who drink to drown their sorrow should be told that sorrow knows how to swim. Ann Landers

Fire is the test of gold; adversity, of strong men. Seneca.

The pressure of adversity does not affect the mind of the brave man. Seneca.

Always seek out the seed of triumph in every adversity. Og Mandino

It is prosperity that gives us friends, adversity that proves them. 

German Proverb

A fall into a ditch makes you wiser. Chinese Proverb

We're born alone, live alone, die alone. Only through love/friendship, we create the illusion for the moment that we're not alone. O. Welles

The worst solitude is to be destitute of sincere friendship. 

Francis Bacon, Sr.

Reach out to your friends intentionally. Don't wait for everyone to call you. A friendship is a two-way street.  Unknown

Friendship multiplies the good of life and divides the evil.  

Baltasar Gracian

A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends.

Baltasar Gracian

Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity. 

K. Gibran

 Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship. Dalai Lama

Only a man who has felt ultimate despair is capable of feeling ultimate bliss. Alexandre Dumas

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. Martin Luther King Jr.

The truth is equally corrupted by lies or by silence. Cicero

We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 He who does not understand your silence will probably not understand your words. Elbert Hubbard

Despair is a tool that God sometime uses to make people come to Him.  Unknown

In every situation you are facing today, God is working for your good and His Glory. If you are having doubts, talk to a brother or sister in Christ but always ask God for help. Unknown

God never told you to figure everything out. He told you to trust Him. He's already got it figured out!  Unknown

If God brings you to it, He will help you through it. Unknown

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. Psalm 55:22

Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

GOD IS MY DELIVERER

As follows, you will read some statements that I have been gathering through twitter together with some quotes from The Bible.  I hope that you enjoy them and keep them in mind to overcome any adverse situation.  God bless you.

In every situation you are facing today, God is working for your good and His Glory. If you are having doubts, talk to a brother or sister in Christ but always ask God for help.

Faith in Jesus Christ has power to override our feelings, because they don't always lead us in the right direction.

God never told you to figure everything out. He told you to trust Him. He's already got it figured out!

God doesn't wait for circumstances to line up before He speaks. He causes then to line up because He speaks.

Give God your problems and allow Him to give you solutions.

Preserve (protect) me, Oh God: for in you, I put my trust. Psalm 16:1

If God brings you to it, He will help you through it.

Jesus said, "Whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you" - John 15:16.

When you listen to God’s Word and speak His truths over your life, you will see amazing growth as God continues to work in your life. Joel Osteen 

My GOD is greater than my problems!

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. - Matthew 11:28

God is with us. What can possibly be against us? God loves us and that is enough.

Why am I smiling today? Because I KNOW that GOD is already working on tomorrow.

Disappointments may come, disruptions may happen, but God has promised that what was meant harm you, He will use for your good!!!

When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared. Proverbs 3:24-26

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. Psalm 55:22

Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. Psalm 73:23

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  Matthew 6:25

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  Romans 8:28

When we commit ourselves to Jesus Christ, when we place Jesus at the center of our lives and trust Him as our personal Savior, we can share Christ’s joy.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9

BECAUSE GOD IS IN CONTROL, WE HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR.

CRITICISM, GOSSIP AND ENVY

Small people never learn to be indifferent; they either envy or pity Unknown

Don't mind criticism. If it is untrue, disregard it; if unfair, keep from irritation; if it is ignorant, smile; if it is justified, it is not criticism, learn from it. Unknown

Don't abuse your friends and expect them to consider it criticism. Edgar Watson Howe

He only profits from praise who values criticism. Heinrich Hein

People ask for criticism, but they only want praise. William Somerset Maugham

To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing. Elbert Hubbard

For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism. Unknown

Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing. Aristotle

Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher. Oprah Winfrey

Love looks through a telescope; envy, through a microscope. Josh Billings

Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind. Buddha

It is in the character of very few men to honor without envy a friend who has prospered. Aeschylus

A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones Proverbs 14:30

If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness and fears. Cesare Pavese

We spend our time envying people whom we wouldn't wish to be. Jean Rostand

It is just as cowardly to judge an absent person as it is wicked to strike a defenseless one. Only the ignorant and narrow-minded gossip, for they speak of persons instead of things. Lawrence G. Lovasik

Our envy of others devours us most of all. 

Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Pity is for the living, envy is for the dead.

Mark Twain

Envy is counting the other fellows blessings instead of your own. Unknown

Who gossips to you, will gossip of you. Turkish Proverb

Mediocrity" doesn't mean average intelligence, it means an average intelligence that resents and envies its betters. Ayn Rand

Envy comes from people's ignorance of, or lack of belief in, their own gifts. Jean Vanier

Envy shoots at others and wounds itself. English Proverb

Pride, envy, avarice - these are the sparks have set on fire the hearts of all men. Dante Alighieri

The most destructive criticism is indifference. Edgar W. Howe

Failure comes from ego, greed, envy, fear, imitation. I have success not because I am smart, but because I am rational. Warren Buffett

The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of a wise man is in his heart. Benjamin Franklin

Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people. -Eleanor Roosevelt

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.  Eleanor Roosevelt

Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do and damned if you don't. Eleanor Roosevelt

Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down. Bible Quotes

A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much. Bible Quotes

Who gossips with you will gossip of you. Irish Saying

Gossip is the opiate of the oppressed. Erika Jong

A gossip is one who talks to you about others; a bore is one who talks to you about himself; and a brilliant conversationalist is one who talks to you about yourself. Lisa Kirk

He gossips habitually; he lacks the common wisdom to keep still that deadly enemy of man, his own tongue. Mark Twain

Gossip: Hearing something you like about someone you don't.  Earl Wilson

Only a man's character is the real criterion of worth.

Eleanor Roosevelt

He who judges first, is the last to find true understanding. Unknown

He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still. ~ Lao Tzu