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The bicentennial anniversary of the War of Greek Independence

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March 25th marked the bicentennial anniversary of the War of Greek Independence.  We rejoice: Zhto H Ellas! 

By George posts on the War of Greek Independence 

Reflecting on the bicentennial anniversary of the War of Greek Independence

A Synopsis of the War of Greek Independence

10 Facts: Greek Independence Day 

Celebrating 200 Years of Freedom – in Photos

Dionysios Solomos and the Hymn to Liberty

Lord Byron and his Support for the Greek Cause

Eugene Delacroix and The Massacre at Chios

A Victor’s Meal: Bakaliaros Skordalia

More on the war and on Greek heritage… 

Wikipedia: Greek War of Independence

Greek Reporter: The History of the Greek War of Independence

How the 1821 Greek Revolution Changed the World

Order of AHEPA: Greek War of Independence and America’s Contribution to the Greek Cause 

Poetry in Honour of the Bicentennial of Greek Independence

Wikipedia: Greek Canadians

Freedom or Death! Zhto H Ellas! 

Chris George provides reliable PR & GR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? Call 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

10 Facts: Greek Independence Day

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1. Greek Independence Day is a national holiday celebrated annually in Greece on March 25, commemorating the start of the War of Greek Independence in 1821.  The “Greek Revolution” was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1830.

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2. In celebration of Greek Independence Day, towns and villages throughout Greece hold a school flag parade, during which schoolchildren march in traditional Greek costume and carry Greek flags. There is also an armed forces parade in Athens. Around the world, Greek emigrants and those of Greek descent also parade and conduct flag ceremonies in celebration of the 9-year victorious struggle to free their country.

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3. Greece had been part of the Ottoman Empire since 1453 with the Byzantine Empire fell to the Turks. Greeks remained under the Ottoman rule for nearly 400 years. Through these years, Orthodox Christians were granted some political rights, but they were considered inferior subjects. The majority of Greeks were called “Rayah” by the Turks, a name that referred to the large mass of non-Muslim subjects. However, through the centuries, Greek religion and their sense of Hellenism remained strong, as did the desire for some form of independence fostered, in large part, by the Greek Orthodox Church, as well as the survival of the Greek language.

4. The Greek revolt was precipitated on March 25, 1821, when Bishop Germanos of Patras raised the flag of revolution over the Monastery of Agia Lavra in the Peloponnese. Thus began the 9-year revolution for freedom.

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5. Here is a summary of the war. The Greeks experienced early successes on the battlefield, including the capture of Athens in 1822, but infighting ensued. By 1827 Athens and most of the Greek isles had been recaptured by the Turks. Just as the revolution appeared to be on the verge of failure, Great Britain, France, and Russia intervened in the conflict. At the naval Battle of Navarino in 1827, the combined British, French, and Russian forces destroyed an Ottoman-Egyptian fleet. A Greco-Turkish settlement was determined by the European powers at a conference in London and Greece was declared an independent monarchical state under their protection in 1830.

6. The struggle for the liberation of all the lands inhabited by Greeks continued. By mid-1832 the northern frontier of the new state had been set along the line extending from south of Volos to south of Árta. In 1864, the Ionian islands were added to Greece; in 1881 parts of Epirus and Thessaly. Crete, the islands of the Eastern Aegean and Macedonia were added in 1913 and Western Thrace in 1919. After World War II the Dodecanese islands were also returned to Greece.

7. The Greek struggle had elicited strong sympathy in Europe, and many leading intellectuals had promoted the Greek cause, including and most notably the English poet Lord Byron. His prestige and his role as a representative of the philhellenic London Committee (which raised both moral and financial support) came in a critical time for the course of the Greek cause. Lord George Byron also fought in the rebellious areas of Greece from December 1823 until 7 April 1824, when he died at Missolonghi.  Dionysios Solomos wrote a poem Ode on the Death of Lord Byron (first verse) which honours the poet and the liberal revolutionary:

For a moment, Liberty,
Let the war, the bloodshed sleep;
Hither come and silently
Over Byron’s body weep.

8. The popular cry “Freedom or Death” became the motto of the revolution and was constantly heard throughout the liberation. This war-cry is also a significant part of the Greek flag: it is believed that the nine lines of the flag reflects the number of syllables in the Greek phrase “Eleftheria i Thanatos” = Freedom or Death. Not only the flag, but the the Greek National Anthem “Hymn to Liberty” was born of the revolution. Dionysios Solomos wrote the lyrics in 1824, Nikolaos Mantzaros put it to music in 1828. (This English translation of the revolutionary ballad is by Rudyard Kipling in 1918.)

We knew thee of old,
Oh, divinely restored,
By the lights of thine eyes,
And the light of thy Sword,
From the graves of our slain,
Shall thy valour prevail,
As we greet thee again-
Hail, Liberty! Hail!
As we greet thee again-
Hail, Liberty! Hail!
As we greet thee again-
Hail, Liberty! Hail!

9. Greeks celebrate the 25th of March as a double holiday: a historical and a religious one. Independence Day coincides with the Greek Orthodox Church’s celebration of the Annunciation to the Theotokos, when the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she would bear the son of God.

10. A custom across the country on this day is to eat crispy, fried cod fish with garlic sauce (Bakaliaros skordalia). This has to do with the Lent before Eastern, where no animals or animal products should be eaten. However the Orthodox Church allowed an exception for the celebration of the Annunciation and that it the Cod fish! Here is the recipe for Bakaliaros skordalia.

Sources (and further reading):

Encyclopaedia Britannica on Greek Independence Day and War of Greek Independence

Wikipedia

Keep Talking Greece

Crete History

Lord Byron

Chris George, providing reliable PR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? Call 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

Lord Byron and his Support for the Greek Cause

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Lord Byron was one of the most renowned English poets of the Romantic Era and he is the most celebrated philhellene volunteer of the War of Greek Independence.

Lord Byron travelled to the theatre of war in 1822, providing funds and supplies. His enchanting verse and vocal advocacy for the Hellenes stirred many to the Greek cause.

In Messolonghi in 1824, while preparing to lead patriots into battle, fell fatally ill. Upon his untimely death Greek poet Dionysios Solomos wrote Ode on the Death of Lord Byron in which the first verse reads:

  For a moment, Liberty,
Let the war, the bloodshed sleep;
Hither come and silently
Over Byron’s body weep.

Lord Byron’s presence in Greece, and in particular his death, created an even stronger sympathy for the Greek cause across Europe. As a direct result of his passing, philhellenic committees sprang up in Europe and the United States to raise money for war efforts and further relief of the Greek people.

Lord Byron died a national hero and Hellenes to this day revere him. Here is a statue in his honour in Athens.

Byron often wrote of the beauty and majesty of Greece… and this is two stanzas from one of his poems evoking the glory of the Greeks’ past to deliver them a victory in the War of Greek Independence.

The Isles of Greece

The mountains look on Marathon —
And Marathon looks on the sea;
And musing there an hour alone,
I dream’d that Greece might yet be free
For, standing on the Persians’ grave,
I could not deem myself a slave.
…
Must we but weep o’er days more blest?
Must we but blush? – Our fathers bled.
Earth! render back from out thy breast
A remnant of our Spartan dead!
Of the three hundred grant but three,
To make a new Thermopylae.

For more information from Wikipedia and British Literature Wiki:

Lord Byron

The Isles of Greece

Chris George, providing reliable PR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? Call 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

Sir Anthony Hopkins on life and love

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Let go of people who aren’t ready to love you yet! This is the hardest thing you’ll have to do in your life and it will also be the most important thing: stop giving your love to those who aren’t ready to love you yet.

Stop hard conversations with people who don’t want to change. Stop showing up for people who are indifferent to your presence. Stop loving people who aren’t ready to love you.

I know your instincts do everything to win the good mercy of everyone around you, but it’s also the impulse that will steal your time, energy and mental, physical and spiritual health. When you start manifesting yourself in your life, completely, with joy, interest and commitment, not everyone will be ready to find you in this place of pure sincerity. That doesn’t mean that you have to change who you are. That means you have to stop loving people who don’t want to love you yet. When you are excluded, subtly offended, forgotten or easily ignored by people you give time to, you don’t do yourself any favour by allowing them your energy and your life.

The truth is that you’re not for everyone… And that not everyone is for you… That makes this world so special, when you find the few people you have friendship, love or a true relationship with…

You will know how valuable that is… Because you have experienced what isn’t…

But the more time you spend trying to make you loved by someone who can’t… The more time you waste depriving the same connection…

There are billions of people on this planet, and many of them will end up with you, on their level, with their vibration, from where they stand… But…The smaller you stay, involved in the privacy of people who use you as a pillow, background option, a therapist and a strategy for their emotional healing… More time you stay out of the community you wish for. If you stop showing up, you might be less wanted…

If you stop trying, the relationship might stop… If you stop texting, your phone stays dark for days and weeks… Maybe if you stop loving someone, the love between you will dissolve…

That doesn’t mean you ruined a relationship! That means all this relationship had was the energy that only you and you hire to keep it in the air. It’s not love. That’s attachment. That’s wanting to give a chance to those who don’t want it!

The most valuable and most important thing you have in your life is your energy. It’s not just your time because it’s limited… It’s your energy! What you give every day is what will become more and more in your life.

It’s the ones you give time and energy that will define your existence. When you realize this, you start to understand why you are so impatient when you spend your time with people that don’t suit you, and in activities, places, situations that don’t suit you. You’re starting to realize that the most important thing you can do for your life, for yourself and for everyone you know, protect your energy stronger than anything.

Turn your life into a safe sanctuary where only “compatible” people with you are allowed.

You are not responsible for saving people. You are not responsible to convince them to be saved. It’s not your job to exist for people and give them your life, little by little, moment after the moment! Because if you feel bad or if you feel obliged; you are the root of all of this by your insisting, afraid they promise you the favours you won’t give them…

It’s your only fact to realize that you are the loved one of your destiny and to accept the love you think you deserve. Decide you deserve a true friendship. Wait then… just a minute… And look how everything is starting to change…

 

Chris George provides reliable PR & GR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? Call 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS. Contact: ChrisG.George@gmail.com

Photo Credit:  From Wikimedia Commons, Anthony Hopkins – Tuscan Sun Festival (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Return to the menu for the By George St Valentine’s Wish

 

Happy Birthday Dolly Parton! (Remarkable quotes and smiles)

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Today, American country music icon Dolly Parton turns 75 years young. To honour her birthday, USA Today celebrated with some very special quotes from the lady herself…

On having big dreams growing up in a small town: “I imagined it, I dreamed it, I worked for it, and God was good enough to let me have it.”

On her iconic look: “The whole magic about me is that I look artificial but I’m totally real. People can see that. They forgive me for being gaudy. They forgive me for not being stylish. They forgive me for not being as smart as some educated people might be. People see me. I want them to know me. I’m not bashful.”

On performing: “I love the fans. I love that energy. It just really is restoring. You know when you’re first in love, how it energizes you? I get that from the fans. That’s a great empowering, restoring kind of energy. I think entertainers are addicted to that feeling. It’s … just knowing that you can do something to change somebody’s life or make somebody happy, even if it’s just for an evening.”

On her classmates laughing at her big dreams to be a music star: “You can’t dream at someone else’s expense. You’ve got to get out there, make those dreams come true. You’ve got to be the one to sacrifice what you need, to lean on who all will help you. You’ve got to get out there and put legs on them, wings on them, feet on them, hands on them, fingers. You’ve got to get out there and work it.”

On the secret to her success: “We grew up knowing Jesus loved us and through God all things are possible, so I’ve carried that all the way through my life and gathered a lot of strength from that as well. I just always felt like I knew who I was, and I just try to stay anchored within myself and my beliefs.”

On gaining a newer generation of fans: “I’m so happy to be an inspiration to women and to young girls because I did it back in a time when it was even harder. I kind of understand men, and I was never intimidated by them. I’m just redneck enough that if things ain’t exactly how I want them to be, I’ll find a way to get it that way. I always say I can tell you where to put it if I don’t like where you got it, and I’m kind of like that.”

On facing adversity: “You cannot live in this world and be successful and not have heartaches, troubles, disappointments. It’s how you deal with it. I’ve had a lot of dreams, and most of them have come true, but a lot of them have not.”

On her unwavering good mood: “People say, ‘You always look so happy.’ I say, ‘That’s because of the Botox.”

On changes she would like to see in the world: “If we could just be peaceful, if we could just try to work through things with a little more peace, a little more love, a little more harmony, a little more understanding. I pray about it every day.”

On what drove her to create new things during the coronavirus quarantine: “Even with as bad as things have been during the COVID, I’ve been very productive. I feel like I’m doing things to try to uplift people, things to bring a little light into the darkness. That’s kind of my purpose in life. Hopefully, I’m getting it done.”

On her inspiration as a storyteller: “When I was back home and we didn’t get to go to the movies or have stories, I would perform them and, really, it was like my family was getting’ to go to the movies. I would sing these songs, and I would create all these stories and pictures in my songs.”

On how long she’ll continue to perform: “As long as I feel good. I had a little problem in 2015… got stumped up with kidney stones, but it didn’t slow me down. I was even working on the phone every day getting that TV movie together, even when I was in the hospital for a week or so. I’m amazed at this point of all the interest in my life. I’m never going to retire. I just want to do greater work. As mom would say, I’m letting the spirit lead me.”

On advice for people who feel hopeless right now: “You just have to pray, if you’re a faith-based person, for strength. If not, you just have to keep your wits about you and lean on your higher wisdom to know that things happen, and most things we get through, and usually, we come out better on the other side.”

As the USA Today article recounts, “She would stand on the porch of her Locust Ridge house in the Great Smoky Mountains of east Tennessee, put a tobacco stick in the cracks of the porch and place a tin can on the stick for a microphone. Then she would sing to the chickens and the pigs and the dogs and the kids and picture a bigger world.…”

Read Nicole Carroll’s interview with the legendary Dolly Parton here. 

On her Twitter account Dolly tweeted this morning: “This year my birthday wish is a call for kindness. We can’t just hope for a brighter day, we have to work for a brighter day. Love too often gets buried in a world of hurt and fear. So today, January 19th, let’s get to unearthing love.”

Chris George is an Ottawa-based government affairs advisor and wordsmith, president of CG&A COMMUNICATIONS. Contact: ChrisG.George@gmail.com

Poetry for the day; sentiments for the ages

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Here are three remarkable poems that capture the solemn and significant essence of Remembrance Day. These poems express sentiments for the ages.

Timberline Remembrance Day Ceremony

For the Fallen – Laurence Binyon

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

 

Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

 

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

 

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

 

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England’s foam.

 

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

 

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

 

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In Flanders Fields – John McRae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

 

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

 

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

 

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Dulce et decorum est – Wilfred Owen

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.
Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! – An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling,
And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime . . .
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent(14) for some desperate glory,
The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est
Pro patria mori.

 

(ed. – DULCE ET DECORUM EST are the first words of a Latin saying taken from an ode by Horace. These words were often quoted at the start of the First World War. They mean “It is sweet and right.” The full saying ends the poem: “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori” which is “It is sweet and right to die for your country.”)

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Chris George, providing reliable PR & GR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

12 quotes in the name of peace

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  • Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
  • Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice. – Baruch Spinoza
  • A people free to choose will always choose peace. – Ronald Reagan
  • It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it. – Eleanor Roosevelt
  • Peace begins with a smile. – Mother Teresa
  • Peace is not only better than war, but infinitely more arduous. – George Bernard Shaw
  • The real and lasting victories are those of peace, and not of war. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
  • Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means. – Ronald Reagan
  • I believe that to meet the challenges of our times, human beings will have to develop a greater sense of universal responsibility. Each of us must learn to work not just for oneself, one’s own family or nation, but for the benefit of all humankind. Universal responsibility is the key to human survival. It is the best foundation for world peace. – Dalai Lama
  • I am convinced that everyone can develop a good heart and a sense of universal responsibility, with or without religion. – Dalai Lama
  • You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist. – Indira Gandhi
  • Mankind must remember that peace is not God’s gift to his creatures; peace is our gift to each other. – Elie Wiesel

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Chris George, providing reliable PR & GR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

Mary Anne Radmacher bons mots

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The boldness of endurance is the underline to almost every success.

At first glance it may appear too hard. Look again. Always look again.

Live boldly. Laugh Loudly. Love Truly. Play as often as you can Work as smart as you are able. Share your heart as deeply as you can reach.

Find your balance and stand with it. Find your song and sing it out. Find your cadence and let it appear like a dance. Find the questions that only you know how to ask and The answers that you are content to not know.

It takes courage to reinvent joys, to reinvent opportunities, to reinvent dreams, to reinvent connections, to reinvent hopes that you have set aside.

There is no small act of kindness. Every compassionate act makes large the world.

As we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own way.

Lean forward into your life…catch the best bits and the finest wind. Just tip your feathers in flight a wee bit and see how dramatically that small lean can change your life.

May your walls know joy, may every room hold laughter, and every window open to great possibility.

Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.

Speak quietly to yourself and promise there will be better days. Whisper gently to yourself and provide assurance that you really are extending your best effort. Console your bruised and tender spirit with reminders of many other successes. Offer comfort in practical and tangible ways – as if you were encouraging your dearest friend. Recognize that on certain days the greatest grace is that the day is over and you get to close your eyes. Tomorrow comes more brightly.

Mary Anne Radmacher is an American writer and an artist. She conducts workshops on living a full, creative, balanced life, teaches Internet writing seminars, and works with individual clients. She has been writing since she was a child, and she uses her writing to explore symbols and find meaning. She is the author of Lean Forward into Your Life (Conari Press, 2007), and Live Boldly (Conari Press, 2008). 

Chris George provides reliable PR & GR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? Call 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

 

20 Remarkable Quotes Reflecting On “Gratitude”

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“At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” – Albert Schweitzer

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero

“When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” – G.K. Chesterton

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.” – John F. Kennedy

“Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.” – Aesop

“Gratitude and attitude are not challenges; they are choices.” – Robert Braathe

“I truly believe we can either see the connections, celebrate them, and express gratitude for our blessings, or we can see life as a string of coincidences that have no meaning or connection. For me, I’m going to believe in miracles, celebrate life, rejoice in the views of eternity, and hope my choices will create a positive ripple effect in the lives of others. This is my choice.” – Mike Ericksen

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” – Eckhart Tolle

“In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” – A.A. Milne

“Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude.” – Albert Schweitzer

“There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.” – Ralph H. Blum

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” – Thornton Wilder

“If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.” – Rabbi Harold Kushner

“Gratitude is an antidote to negative emotions, a neutralizer of envy, hostility, worry, and irritation. It is savoring; it is not taking things for granted; it is present-oriented.” – Sonja Lyubomirsky

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” – Melody Beattie

“Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you.” – Eileen Caddy

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” – Epictetus

“Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.” – Lionel Hampton

“The world has enough beautiful mountains and meadows, spectacular skies and serene lakes. It has enough lush forests, flowered fields, and sandy beaches. It has plenty of stars and the promise of a new sunrise and sunset every day. What the world needs more of is people to appreciate and enjoy it.”  – Michael Josephson

 

Chris George, providing reliable PR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer or experienced communicator? 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

45 Life Lessons (written by a 90 year old)

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Regina Brett is not 90, but actually 54 years old. After being diagnosed with breast cancer, she wrote down a list of life lessons the very night before her 45th birthday. Over that past decade, these lessons have gone viral on the Internet amid claims that she is 90 years old. Regardless of her age, this is a remarkable list and By George is passing along these universal lessons, which should be relatable to anyone who needs a little reminder of what’s important in life.

 

  1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
  2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
  3. Life is too short not to enjoy it.
  4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.
  5. Don’t buy stuff you don’t need.
  6. You don’t have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.
  7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
  8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
  9. Save for things that matter.
  10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
  11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
  12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
  13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
  14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
  15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye… But don’t worry; God never blinks.
  16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
  17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful.  Clutter weighs you down in many ways.
  18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
  19. It’s never too late to be happy.  But it’s all up to you and no one else.
  20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
  21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
  22. Over-prepare, then go with the flow.
  23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
  24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
  25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
  26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words, ‘In five years, will this matter?’
  27. Always choose Life.
  28. Forgive but don’t forget.
  29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
  30. Time heals almost everything. Give Time time.
  31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
  32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
  33. Believe in miracles.
  34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
  35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
  36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.
  37. Your children get only one childhood.
  38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
  39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
  40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d
    grab ours back.
  41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you think you need.
  42. The best is yet to come…
  43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
  44. Yield.
  45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

 

(ed. – Source: http://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/smart-living/45-life-lessons-written-by-a-90-year-old-woman/ar-BBhwKAN )

 

Chris George, providing reliable PR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer or experienced communicator? 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

12 quotes by Maya Angelou

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Here are a dozen remarkable quotes from the remarkable American poet and writer Maya Angelou.

  • Achievement brings its own anticlimax.
  • Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean.
  • Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.
  • I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.
    If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities.
  • If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.
  • Love is like a virus. It can happen to anybody at any time.
  • Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at it destination full of hope.
  • The idea is to write it so that people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart.
  • There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.
  • There is nothing so pitiful as a young cynic because he has gone from knowing nothing to believing nothing.
  • My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done and try to love somebody and have the courage to accept the love in return.

Chris George, providing reliable PR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer or experienced communicator? 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

 

John Wooden: 10 of Life’s Lessons

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Leafing through a old February 2000 Esquire magazine last night, I came across a “John Wooden: What I’ve Learned” article. Here are ten short observations on life from the legendary basketball coach. He was 89 when he gave this interview:

  • You can do more good by being good than any other way.
  • Be more concerned with your character than your reputation.
  • If I am through learning, I am through.
  • Discipline yourself and others won’t need to.
  • Don’t let making a living prevent you from making a life.
  • I don’t believe in praying to win.
  • I had three rules for my players: No profanity. Don’t criticize a teammate. Never be late.
  • If a player’s not doing the things he should, put him on the bench. He’ll come around.
  • Never let your emotions overrule your head.
  • Passion is momentary; love is enduring.

Chris George, providing reliable PR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer or experienced communicator? 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

 

Mom, Tarts, and Life Lessons

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Jessica Outram is a very creative school educator. Jessica is a playwright, director, actor, singer, publisher, as well as a poet. She is a member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada. In June 2019, she was appointed the Poet Laureate for Cobourg Ontario.

Jessica writes a delightful blog called Sunshine in a Jar and a few years ago wrote a wonderful piece: Meet Mom and Her Homemade Butter Tarts. Here is an exceptional extract from Jessica’s post about her Mother.

Five Things I’ve Learned from Mom and Her Tarts

  1. Heart: Mom makes tarts to show her love. (She doesn’t even eat the tarts!) The butter tarts are a sign of her generosity, talent, and kindness. She enjoys making the people around her happy. Mom teaches me the importance of putting heart at the centre, of giving our best to others, of creating something excellent to spread joy and express gratitude.
  2. Attention to Detail: Mom attends to perfecting each step in the tart making process. She inspects everything along the way, reflecting on how to make it better. By attending to every small detail, her tarts are absolute perfection each and every time she bakes them. Mom teaches me the importance of being methodical, following a plan, adjusting the plan when needed, and learning from the plan as time passes.
  3. Community: Mom uses tarts to bring people together. From family and friends to community groups to passersby, mom creates a sense of belonging by giving away butter tarts. Mom teaches me how to connect with others through generosity and to give the most to the people who are closest and part of our every day. It’s important to use our skills and talents in the service of building community and belonging.
  4. Practice: Mom worked hard to become an amazing cook and baker. She asked for help when she needed it. She utilized the lessons from her teachers. Mom teaches me that if we practice something, we will improve. If we practice it long enough, we can become experts. She chose to perfect her butter tart making not because it was her favourite thing to bake, but because of the joy the tarts brought others. Every year Mom and Dad continue to adjust the butter tart baking process to improve efficiency and excellence.
  5. Embrace the Crown: Mom has earned her crown as Queen of Tarts and she wears it with pride. It’s important to celebrate our achievements and to accept the compliments of others. Mom teaches me to take pride in my creations, to make space for others to celebrate, and to happily wear a crown when it’s been earned.

(BTW – For the record, Mom Outram uses raisins!) 

By George has declared July as “Butter Tart Month.” Here is a menu of our delectable articles on Canada’s iconic dessert.

Chris George, providing reliable PR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer or experienced communicator? 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

Greek Wisdom

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On our Facebook page through this past week, By George has featured sage Greek sayings from some of the world’s greatest classic philosophers and leaders. Below you will find five of our FAVs.

“Like” By George Facebook to see the full selection of Greek Wisdom (to be featured through next week as well).

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Chris George, providing reliable PR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a trusted executive assistant, a communications can-do guy, or a go-to-scribe? Call 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

A Sunday Retreat with Marcus Aurelius

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We all should take time to reflect upon the advice of ancient Roman sage Marcus Aurelius. There is much to learn from his writings Meditations. Of his most important musings is the fact that man’s happiness in, and appreciation for life begins with self knowledge.

These particular excerpts from the earlier books of Meditations are a great launching pad in understanding the teachings of this great counsel.

       Men seek retreats for themselves, houses in the country, sea-shores, and mountains; and thou, too, art wont to desire such things very much. But this altogether a mark of the most common sort of man, for it is in thy power whenever thou shalt choose to retire into thyself. For nowhere either with more quiet or more freedom from trouble does a man retire than into his own soul, particularly when he has within him such thoughts that by looking into them he is immediately in perfect tranquility; and I affirm that tranquility is nothing else than the good ordering of the mind. Constantly then give to thyself this retreat, and renew thyself; and let thy principles be brief and fundamental, which as soon as thou shalt recur to them, will be sufficient to cleanse the soul completely, and to send thee back free from all discontent with the things to which thou returnest.

       This then remains:  Remember to retire into this little territory of thy own, and above all do not distract or strain thyself, but be free, and look at things as a man, as a human being, as a citizen, as a mortal. But among the things readiest to thy hand to which thou shalt turn, let there be these, which are two. One is that things do not touch the soul, for they are external and remain immovable; but our perturbations come only from the opinion which is within. The other is that all things which thou seest change immediately and will no longer be; and constantly bear in mind how many of these changes thou hast already witnessed. The universe is transformation: life is opinion.

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Chris George, providing reliable PR & GR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

 

Quotes of Affirmation

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“Positive anything is better than negative nothing.” – Elbert Hubbard

“We have to do the best we can. This is our sacred human responsibility.” – Albert Einstein

“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Wishing is not enough; we must do.” – Johann Von Goethe

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” – Anais Nin

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go and do that.” – Harold Whitman

“There is no such thing in anyone’s life as an unimportant day.” – Alexander Woollcott

“The purpose of man is to live, not to exist.” – Jack London

“We change the world not by what we say or do, but as a consequence of what we have become.” – Dr. David Hawkins

“All you have to do is look straight and see the road, and when you see it, don’t sit looking at it – walk.” – Ayn Rand

“Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.” – Thomas Jefferson

“I think in terms of the day’s resolutions, not the year’s.” – Henry Moore

“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” – Albert Einstein

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis

“Forever is composed of nows.” – Emily Dickenson

“Happiness, not in another place but this place… not for another hour, but this hour.” – Walt Whitman

 

Chris George, providing reliable PR & GR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

John Maxwell Bons Mots

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  • The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.
  • Leadership is not about titles, positions or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another.
  • You don’t overcome challenges by making them smaller but by making yourself bigger.
  • A difficult time can be more readily endured if we retain the conviction that our existence holds a purpose, a cause to pursue, a person to love, a goal to achieve.
  • “Failing forward” is the ability to get back up after you’ve been knocked down, learn from your mistake, and move forward in a better direction.
  • If you start today to do the right thing, you are already a success even if it doesn’t show yet.
  • The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one.
  • If we are growing we are always going to be outside our comfort zone.
  • Leaders never outgrow the need to change.
  • Learn to say ‘no’ to the good so you can say ‘yes’ to the best.
  • The more seriously you take your growth, the more seriously your people will take you.
  • Most people have a desire to look for the exception instead of the desire to become exceptional.
  • Although it’s admirable to be ambitious and hard-working, it’s more desirable to be smart-working.
  • You build trust with others each time you choose integrity over image, truth over convenience, or honor over personal gain.
  • The timing of your decision is just as important as the decision you make.
  • A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.
  • A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.
  • Happiness simply cannot be relied upon as a measure of success.
  • Reaching the top is a monumental achievement, but remaining there may be the most spectacular feat of all.
  • Plan and execute your first failure so that you no longer have to fear it.
  • If you don’t change the direction you are going, then you’re likely to end up where you’re heading…
  • Everything begins with a decision. Then, we have to manage that decision for the rest of your life.
  • It’s true that charisma can make a person stand out for a moment, but character sets a person apart for a lifetime.
  • People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Chris George provides reliable PR & GR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? Call 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

A Dozen Maxims By John Maxwell

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  • Speak the truth. Transparency breeds legitimacy.
  • People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.
  • Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.
  • The only guarantee for failure is to stop trying.
  • Talent is a gift, but character is a choice.
  • Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.
  • We cannot become what we need by remaining what we are.
  • Doing the right thing daily, compounds over time.
  • Growth inside fuels growth outside.
  • People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
  • To add value to others, one must first value others.
  • You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything.

Chris George provides reliable PR & GR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? Call 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.