Becoming A Brilliant Star

Selected Quotations from 
Cultural/Historical Sources and Religious Scripture

Compiled by

William G. Huitt
Valdosta, GA

whuitt@valdosta.edu

Last Revised: May 2006

It is important to acknowledge that parents, schools, religious organizations, and other groups in the community have significant impact on child and youth development (Huitt, 1999). One way that these social institutions can begin to build a consciousness about what it means to Become A Brilliant Star is through a "Thought for the Day" activity. [See Huitt (2006) for an overview of this concept.]
The following quotations provide some guidance on how to define the attributes, values, and virtues represented by the 10 domains and the 2 core elements that comprise the Brilliant Star. An equal number have been selected from cultural and historical resources and from scriptures of major world religions. The following table shows how many quotations have been selected from each source for each domain. Eighteen selections are available for each of the following religions: American Indigenous Religions, Bahá’í Faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, and Sikhism. Nine each have been selected from Confuscianism and Taoism. Three selections have been made from Zoroastrianism.
The quotations are arranged in separate columns for easy identification. Cultural/historical sources are listed in the left-hand column while religious scripture sources on listed in the right-hand column.

Domain	Cultural/Historical	Religion 	Total	
General	22	10	32	
Character	16	18	34	
Style	05	04	09	
Spiritual	03	17	20	
Physical	04	08	12	
Cognitive	24	22	46	
Affective	14	16	30	
Conative	39	17	56	
Family	09	18	27	
Friendship	13	15	28	
Career/Work	10	05	15	
Finances	08	08	16	
Social	16	25	41	
Total	183	183	366	

Select one quotation each day on which to reflect. When implemented by a school, the principal (or perhaps the teacher or students) would select the quote. Each quote will be considered or discussed for about 5 minutes with respect to four questions:
1.	What does the quote mean? What is the central concept or principle? 
2.	Why is this concept or principle important? Why should we try to put this into practice? What would happen if we did? What would happen if we did not? What would happen if we put an opposite concept or principle into practice? 
3.	How can this concept or principle be applied in my life today? What can I do today to put this in practice? How can I assert this in an affirmation statement?
4.	At the end of the day, what are some indicators that I could use to know that I have been successful or unsuccessful? How can I measure my implementation? How can I hold myself accountable for my behavior? 
A worksheet is provided at the end of the quotations that can be used to help guide the reflection or discussion.
The purpose of this activity is twofold:
1.	to demonstrate that our cultural/historical and religious backgrounds provide us with generic knowledge about how to think and behave in our modern world (see Huitt, 2000 for a discussion of some of the desired outcomes for youth in the 21st century); 
2.	to practice learning to apply these in specific situations in our daily lives. 
A common comment from those who have reviewed the material is how much overlap there is among the cultural/historical sources and the various religions.
The following guidelines for the selection of a daily reading will assist in meeting the broad objectives of the exercise. These are especially critical when used in a public setting.
1.	A quote can be used only once during the school or calendar year. Mark the quote in some way when it is used.
2.	We want to emphasize all areas of human development represented by the Brilliant Star. This can be done in at least two ways. Select a quote from a different dimension or domain (e.g., cognitive, family) on any two consecutive days. Alternatively, a quote could be selected from the same dimension for an entire week, but then all dimensions would be considered (if possible) before that dimension is considered again. 
3.	Quotes should be selected alternatively from the two primary sources (i.e., cultural/historical or religious scripture). Equal selection should be made from these two sources (i.e., 3 or 4 cultural/historical sources and 2 or 3 scriptural sources one week; 2 or 3 cultural/historical and 3 or 4 scriptural sources the next week.) 
4.	A quote should not be selected from the same religious tradition more than once in a given week. A main objective is to consider a wide variety of what it means to develop each of these domains or core elements.
By selecting an equal number of quotes from cultural/historical and religious scripture and by having selections from all the major world religions, the process is within constitutional guidelines of neutrality with respect to advocating secular and religious worldviews in a public setting. 
Schools implementing this activity are encouraged to contact families for their support. For families who want to provide additional opportunities to learn from this process, separate sets of quotations are available. One set is specifically devoted to only cultural/historical resources for parents who desire a completely secular orientation. Additional sets are under development for the Bahá’í Faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Taoism/Confucianism for parents who want to utilize materials from a specific religious tradition. Families using these materials are encouraged to spend five minutes each morning reading a selected quotation and answering the four questions described above.
Schools are also encouraged to contact religious organizations in order to coordinate themes taught in weekly children’s and youth study classes with themes taught in the home and school. Community organizations and businesses can be asked to support the efforts of these institutions by giving recognition to students who are in the process of “Becoming Brilliant Stars” (e.g., memorizing quotations, getting good grades, demonstrating excellence in sports or in the arts, participating in service projects, etc.)
If you implement this activity either in the home or at school, please send me an e-mail and let me know of your experiences. I have used this activity with middle and high school students, as well as adults, and most have found it a rewarding way to start the day.

References

Huitt, W. (1999). Implementing effective school achievement reform: Four principles. Paper presented at the School Counseling Summit, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA, April 20. Available online at http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/files/school_reform.html
Huitt, W. (2000). Desired student outcomes. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Available online at http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/student/desout.html
Huitt, W. (2006, April 26). Becoming a Brilliant Star: A framework for discussing formative holistic education. Paper presented at the International Networking for Educational Transformation (iNet) Conference, Augusta, GA. Retrieved May, 2006, from http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/brilstar/brilstar.html

General
	
I change myself, I change the world.
Gloria Anzaldúa (Author)

The person interested in success has to learn to view failure as a healthy, inevitable part of the process of getting to the top.
Joyce Brothers (Author and Scientist)

When we are really honest with ourselves we must admit that our lives are all that really belong to us.
Cesar Chavéz (Activist)

Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still. 
Chinese Proverb
 
You are not judged by the height you have risen, but from the depth you have climbed.
Frederick Douglas (Activist and Author)

Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind. 
	Albert Einstein (Scientist)

Positive expectations combined with well-focused enthusiastic effort will yield success and positive growth.
Tim Foley (Athlete and Businessman)

Almost everything we do is insignificant, but it’s very important that we do it. 
Mohandas Gandhi (Activist)

Experience is not what happens to you. Experience is what you do with what happens to you.
Aldous Huxley (Scientist)

You can't win unless you know how to lose.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar (Athlete)

The challenge is to keep moving and learning, never to settle for any of the same until you’re rotting in your own comfort.
Raúl Julia (Entertainer)

Sometimes you have to look reality in the eye and deny it.
Garrison Keillor (Entertainer)

A man would do nothing, if he waited until he could do it so well that no one at all would find fault with what he has done.
Cardinal Newman (Religious Leader)

That which does not destroy me, makes me stronger.
Friedrich Nietsche (Philosopher)

The finest steel has to go through the hottest fire.
Richard Nixon (U. S. President)

What distinguishes the human being from an ape is the power of ideation, the ability to be conscious of our consciousness, a free will and a spiritual dimension.
Nathan Rutsein (Journalist and Educator)

A life spent in making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.
George Bernard Shaw (Playwright)

You never know a line is crooked unless you have a straight one to put next to it.
Socrates (Philosopher)

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. 
United Nations: Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1 

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
U.S. Constitution, Article I

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
U.S. Declaration of Independence

Do a common thing in an uncommon way.
Booker T. Washington (Educator)

		In the Navajo religion and culture, there is an emphasis on how you relate to everything around you. Everything has to be measured, weighed, and harmonious. We call it nizhoni—walking in beauty.
American Indigenous Religions, Lori Cupp (Navajo)

Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. 
American Indigenous Religions, Chief Seattle (Suquamish)

Let each morn be better than its eve and each morrow richer than its yesterday. 
Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh: TB, 138

Conquering oneself is better than conquering other people. 
Buddhism, Dhammapada 104

For self is the master of self; self is the refuge of self. Therefore tame yourself, like a merchant tames a noble horse. 
Buddhism, Dhammapada 380

…be sure that everything is done properly and in order.
Christianity, Corinthians I 14: 40 NLT
 
Tseng Tzu said: “Each day I examine myself in three ways: in doing things for others, have I been disloyal? In my interactions with friends, have I been untrustworthy? Have not practiced what I have preached?”
Confucianism, Analects 1: 4

[A] person consists of desires. And as is his desire, so is his will; and as is his will, so is his deed; and whatever deed he does, that he will reap.
Hinduism, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4: 5

Difficult to conquer is oneself; but when that is conquered, everything is conquered. 
Jainism, Uttaradhyayana Sutra 9.36 

Simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.
Taoism, Tao Te Ching 67

Character
	
A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.
James Allen (Philosopher)

Of all the properties that belong to honorable men, not one is so highly prized as that of character.
Henry Clay (Politician)

People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (Author)

What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.
	Ralph Waldo Emerson (Author)

If you tell the truth and live with the truth, you have the right to be believed every time.
José León Flores (Diplomat)

Lose your temper and you lose a friend; lie and you lose yourself. 
Hopi Proverb

Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom.
Thomas Jefferson (U. S. President)

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved.
Helen Keller (Author and Motivational Speaker)

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.
Martin Luther King, Jr. (Activist and Religious Leader)

The reason people blame things on the previous generations is that there’s only one other choice.
Doug Larson (Entertainer and Religious Leader)

A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.
Nelson Mandela (Activist and South African Prime Minister)

Kindness is to use one’s will to guard one’s speech and conduct so as not to injure anyone.
Omaha Oral Tradition

We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions. 
Ronald Reagan (U. S. President)

It is not fair to ask others what you are not willing to do yourself.
Eleanor Roosevelt (Activist and Motivational Speaker)

Dreams are the touchstones of our character. 
Henry David Thoreau (Author and Philosopher)

Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there. 
John Wooden (Athlete and Coach)		Out of the Indian approach to life there came a great freedom, an intense and absorbing respect for life, enriching faith in a Supreme Power, and principles of truth, honesty, generosity, equity, and brotherhood as a guide to mundane relations. 
American Indigenous Religions, Black Elk (Oglala Sioux) 

[O]ur traditional values are based on order,…decency, …wisdom, … and health... These endow us with the knowledge that our life is our religion; this land is our church; and the universe is our relative. 
American Indigenous Religions, Elizabeth A. Wells (Mescalero Apache) 

The most vital duty, in this day, is to purify your characters, to correct your manners, and improve your conduct.
Bahá’í Faith, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: SWAB, 10 

The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice...
Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh: HW, Arabic #2

Bad actions and actions harmful to ourselves are easy to do; what is beneficial and good, that is very difficult to do.
Buddhism, Dhammapada 117

By oneself is wrong done; by oneself one suffers; by oneself is wrong left undone; by oneself is one purified. Purity and impurity come from oneself; no one can purify another.
Buddhism, Dhammapada 119

As a smith removes the impurities from silver, so let the wise remove the impurities from oneself one by one, little by little, again and again.
Buddhism, Dhammapada 239

The gift of truth surpasses all gifts; the sweetness of the truth surpasses all sweetness; joy in the truth surpasses all pleasures; the destruction of craving overcomes all sorrows.
Buddhism, Dhammapada 259

Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 
Christianity, Timothy I 4: 12 NKJV

Confucius said: “The Superior Man cares about virtue; the inferior man cares about material things. The Superior Man seeks discipline; the inferior man seeks favors.”
Confucianism, Analects 4: 11

Single is each being born; single it dies; single it enjoys the reward of its virtue; single it suffers the punishment of its sin. 
Hinduism, Laws of Manu 4: 240 

Truth is said to be the one unequalled means of purification of the soul. Truth is the ladder by which man ascends to heaven, as a ferry plies from one bank of a river to another. 
Hinduism, Narada Dharma 
Sutra 1: 210

On no soul do We place a burden greater than it can bear: before Us is a record which clearly shows the truth: they will never be wronged. 
Islam, Qur’án 23: 62

Conform yourselves to the character of God.
Islam, Hadith of Abu Nuaym
Subdue pride by modesty, overcome hypocrisy by simplicity, and dissolve greed by contentment. 
Jainism, Samanasuttam 136 

He that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall obtain mercy. 
Judaism, Mishlei (Proverbs) 28: 13 JPS

One should be known as true who in his heart bears truth—
His impurity of falsehood cast off, his person should be washed clean.
Sikhism, Adi Granth, Asa-ki-Var, M.1, p. 468

Realization of Truth is higher than all else; 
Higher still is truthful living. 
Sikhism, Adi Granth, Sri Ashtpadi, M.1, p. 62 

Style
	
People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.
H. Jackson Browne (Entertainer)

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (Author)

In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
Thomas Jefferson (U. S. President)

Two hundred cattle are under one stick, but two hundred human beings are under two hundred sticks. 
Nupe Proverb (Nigeria) 

We all have ability. The difference is how we use it.
Stevie Wonder (Entertainer)		…everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission. This is the Indian theory of existence. 
American Indigenous Religions, Mourning Dove [Christine Quintasket] (Salish)

Each human creature has individual endowment, power and responsibility in the creative plan of God.
Bahá’í Faith, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: PUP, 293

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them. 
Christianity, Romans 12: 6 ASB

God, glory be to Him, has not created you without a purpose and has not left you without duties, obligations, and responsibilities.
Islam, Nahjul Balagha Sermon 67

Spiritual Development
	
After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box.
Italian Proverb
 
A wide chasm separates knowing what is the right thing and actually doing the right thing. Spiritual intelligence bridges that chasm.
Khalil Khavari (Scientist)

I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish He didn’t trust me so much.
Mother Teresa (Activist)

		The Great Spirit is in all things, is in the air we breathe. The Great Spirit is our Father, but the Earth is our Mother. She nourishes us; that which we put into the ground, She returns to us....
American Indigenous Religions, Big Thunder [Bedagi] (Wabanaki Algonquin)

There is no death. Only a change of worlds.
American Indigenous Religions, Chief Seattle (Suquamish)

The greatest power in the realm and range of human existence is spirit—the divine breath which animates and pervades all things.
Bahá’í Faith, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: PUP, 58 

But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. 
Christianity, Galatians 5: 22-23 NLT
 
“Oh, how calm would be the work of one who really understood the divinity of man! For such, there is nothing to do, save to open men's eyes. All the rest does itself.”
Hinduism, Swami Vivekananda, Sayings and Utterances 

Neither illusion nor the mind, only bodies attained death
Hope and delusion did not die, so Kabir said.
Hinduism, Kabir, Doha 10

Heaven and earth contain Me not, but the heart of My faithful servant contains Me.
Islam, Hadith of Suhrawardi

Beware that this world is not made for you to live forever, you will have to change it for the hereafter. 
Islam, Nahjul Balagha Sermon 67

Religion is basically virtue, which is grounded ultimately in the spiritual nature of man. 
Jainism, Kundakunda, Pravacanasara 7

Lord! You are the uninvoked savior, motiveless compassionate being, a well-wisher even when unprayed, a friend even when unrelated. 
Jainism, Vitaragastava 13.1 

Beloved is man, for he was created in the image of God.  But it was by a special love that it was made known to him that he was created in the image of God.
Judaism, Mishnah, Abot 3: 18

Man wails over the loss of what he calls his:
Know, the Self is not perishable. 
Sikhism, Adi Granth, Gauri, M.5, p. 188

If a man sings of God and hears of Him, 
And lets love of God sprout within him, 
All his sorrows shall vanish, 
And in his mind, 
God will bestow abiding peace. 
Sikhism, Adi Granth, Japuji 5, M.1, p. 2 

The world is a garden,
The Lord its gardener,
Cherishing all, none is neglected.
Sikhism, Adi Granth, Majh Astpadi M.3 

Liberation comes from living the holy Word. 
Sikhism, Adi Granth, Sri Raga, Ashtpadi 14.8, M.1, p. 62
 
To know the eternal is called enlightenment.
Not to know the eternal is to act blindly to result in disaster.
Taoism, Tao Te Ching 16

This is true religion; to cleanse oneself with pure thoughts, pure words, and pure deeds.
Zoroastrianism, Zend Avesta

Physical Development
	
It is axiomatic that the prevention of any disorder is better than its cure.
Roberto Assagioli (Scientist)

Be happy in order to live long. Worry makes you sick.
Hopi Proverb

Many people treat their bodies as if they were rented from Hertz—something they are using to get around in but nothing they genuinely care about understanding.
Chungliang Al Huang (Scientist)

If anything is sacred the human body is sacred.
Walt Whitman (Poet)

		Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children. 
American Indigenous Religions, Ancient Proverb

Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. 
American Indigenous Religions, Chief Seattle (Suquamish)

Will you teach your children what we have taught our children? That the earth is our mother? What befalls the earth befalls all the sons of the earth. 
American Indigenous Religions, Chief Seattle (Suquamish)

The body of man is a captive of nature; it will act in accordance with whatever nature orders. 
Bahá’í Faith, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: SAQ, 119

Before long, unfortunately, this body will lie on the earth, rejected, without consciousness, like a useless log.
Buddhism, Dhammapada 29

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? … God’s temple is holy, and that temple you are. 
Christianity, Corinthians I 3: 16‑17 RSV

The experiences we owe to our sense of touch are only sources of unpleasantness.
They have a beginning and an end. A wise man takes no pleasure in them.
Hinduism, Bhagavad Gita 5: 22

The life of this world is made to appear attractive to those who disbelieve; and they scoff at those who believe…
Islam, Qur’án 2: 213

Cognitive Development
	
In the land of opportunity, only those who don’t see it are doomed to mediocrity.
	Fransisco Avelar (Educator)

The tree, which moves some to tears of joy, is, in the eyes of others, only a green thing that stands in the way. As a man is, so he sees.
William Blake (Author and Poet)

The real failure is not to learn.
Jimmy Carter (U. S. President)

Concentration is inspiration. You must be completely overtaken by your work and your subject. Only then do all your influences and experience come up to the surface.
Cesar Chávez (Activist)

It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well.
Rene Descartes (Philosopher)

The important thing is not to stop questioning. 
Albert Einstein (Scientist)

Imagination is more important than knowledge.
Albert Einstein (Scientist)

You don’t really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother.
Albert Einstein (Scientist)

Intellectual freedom, of course, implies intellectual diversity.
Frances Fitzgerald (Author)

Being bilingual and bicultural is an asset. It is having twice as much as most folks.
Bettina Flores (Author)

Failure is only the opportunity to more intelligently begin again.
Henry Ford (Businessman)

Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason so few engage in it.
Henry Ford (Businessman)

I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use. 
Galileo Galilei (Scientist)
 
All things good to know are difficult to learn. 
Greek Proverb

Never be afraid to sit awhile and think.
Lorraine Hansberry (Artist and Author)

We live in our minds…Understanding how the mind works is crucial for understanding ourselves, dealing with others and leading a happier and more successful life.
Khalil Khavari (Scientist)

There is no blinder person than the one who does not want to see.
Latin American proverb

He can who thinks he can, and he can’t who thinks he can’t. This is an inexorable, indisputable law.
Orison Swett Marden (Philosopher)

We are what we imagine. Our very existence consists in our imagination of ourselves...The greatest tragedy that can befall us is to go unimagined.
N. Scott Momaday (Author)

The life which is not examined is not worth living.
Plato (Philosopher)

Don’t let your learning lead to knowledge; let your learning lead to action.
Jim Rohn (Businessman)

Each one must learn for himself the highest wisdom. It cannot be taught in words.
Smowhala (Religious Leader)

We must make decisions about our own destinies. We must be able to learn and profit from our mistakes. Only then can we become competent and prosperous...
Clyde Warrior (Activist)

Never confuse knowledge with wisdom. By wisdom I mean wrestling with how to live.
Cornel West (Philosopher and Activist)

		What we are is the result of what we have thought, is built by our thoughts, is made up of our thoughts. 
Buddhism, Dhammapada 1

A good, all-round education, appreciation of the arts, a highly trained discipline and pleasant speech; this is the highest blessing.
Buddhism, Sutta Nipata 261 

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
Christianity, Matthew 7: 3 RSV

“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” 
Christianity, Mark 9: 23 NLT
 
If you need wisdom--if you want to know what God wants you to do--ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. 
Christianity, James 1: 5 NLT

Confucius said: “To study and not think is a waste. To think and not study is dangerous.”
Confucianism, Analects 2: 15

Confucius said: “When you see a good person, think of becoming like her/him. When you see someone not so good, reflect on your own weak points.”
Confucianism, Analects 4: 17 

Confucius said: “Study as if you have not reached your goal--as if you were afraid of losing what you have.”
Confucianism, Analects 8: 17 

Man in truth is made of faith. As his faith is in this life, so he becomes in the beyond; with faith and vision let him work.
Hinduism, Chandogya Upanishad 3: 14

Two paths lie in front of man. Pondering on them, the wise man chooses the path of joy; the fool takes the path of pleasure.
Hinduism, Katha Upanishad II

Don't open your diamonds in a vegetable market. Tie them in bundle and keep them in your heart, and go your own way. 
Hinduism, Kabir, Bijak/Sakhi 171: 

And cover not Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when ye know (what it is). 
Islam, Qur’án 2: 42

One who is rich in the enlightenment will not indulge in any sinful action, since his conscience is guided by the intellect fully illumined with Truth. 
Jainism, Acarangasutra 1: 174

Realizing the retributive nature of karmas, a wise man refrains from accumulating them. 
Jainism, Acarangasutra 4: 51 

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith HaShem. 
Judaism, Yisheyah (Isaiah) 55: 8 JPS

For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.
Judaism, Mishlei (Proverbs) 6: 23 JPS

Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction; but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured. 
Judaism, Misheli (Proverbs) 13: 18 JPS

Those who see Truth and speak Truth, 
Their bodies and minds become truthful. 
Sikhism, Adi Granth, Sri Raga, M.3, p. 69 

Truth is the praise of the truthful. Those who have forgotten Truth cry in agony and weep while departing.
Sikhism, Adi Granth, Sri Raga, M.3, p. 69

Being and non-being create each other. Difficult and easy support each other. Long and short define each other. High and low depend on each other. Before and after follow each other.
Taoism, Tao Te Ching 2

Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Taoism, Tao Te Ching 33

This do I ask, O Lord, reveal unto me the truth!
Zoroastrianism, Zvesta, Yasna 44: 3

Affective Development
	
Work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that right thoughts and right efforts will inevitably bring about right results.
James Allen (Philosopher)

Write the bad things that are done to you in sand, but write the good things that happen to you on a piece of marble. 
Arabian Proverb

You’re more likely to act yourself into a feeling than feel yourself into action.
Jerome Bruner (Scientist)

Love is something that you can leave behind you when you die. It’s that powerful.
John Fire [Lame Dear] (Author and Religious Leader)

Only by having faith in ourselves can we be faithful to others.
Erich Fromm (Scientist)
 
What factors are at play…when people of high IQ flounder and those of modest IQ do surprisingly well?…the difference quite often lies in the abilities of emotional intelligence…
Daniel Goleman (Scientist)

Getting mad is a bad habit.
Hopi Proverb 

What we pay attention to, spend time with, or serve, we become attached to…feelings follow behavior.
James C. Hunter (Author and Motivational Speaker)

No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit. 
Helen Keller (Author and Motivational Speaker)

While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior.
Henry C. Link (Author)

Truly successful people have learned to do what does not come naturally. Real success lies in experiencing fear or aversion and acting in spite of it.
Joseph Mancusi (Motivational Speaker and Scientist)

The willingness to be honest about strengths and clear about shortcomings is the sign of a secure, confident person.
David McNally (Author and Motivational Speaker)

People who blame themselves when they fail…think they are worthless, talentless, unlovable. People who blame external events do not lose self-esteem when bad events strike.
Martin E. Seligman (Scientist)

There is no future without forgiveness. 
Archbishop Desmond Tutu (Religious Leader)
		May you always walk in Beauty.
American Indigenous Religions, Ancient Prayer

In the world of existence there is no more powerful magnet than the magnet of love.
Bahá’í Faith, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: ABL, 77

Turn all your thoughts toward bringing joy to hearts.
Bahá’í Faith, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: PUP, 453	 

If a person does what is good, let one do it again. Let one find joy in it. Happiness is the result of good conduct.
Buddhism, Dhammapada 118
 
If by giving up a small pleasure, one sees a great pleasure, the wise will let go of the small pleasure and look to the great one.
Buddhism, Dhammapada 290

“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” 
Christianity, Matthew 22: 37-38 NLT

“A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” 
Christianity, Matthew 22: 39-40 NLT

“In our system it is accepted that a man cannot have all he desires. Life is subjected to many restraints. This is ugly, yet it brings out points of light and strength.”
Hinduism, Swami Vivekananda, Sayings and Utterances 

And seek help with patience and prayer, and this indeed is hard except for the humble in spirit. 
Islam, Qur’án 2: 46

[I]f you show patience and fortitude and act righteously, that indeed is a matter of high resolve. 
Islam, Qur’án 3: 187
 
Fight with yourself; why fight with external foes? He who conquers himself through himself will obtain happiness.... 
Jainism, Uttaradhyayana Sutra 9.35 

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick; but desire fulfilled is a tree of life. 
Judaism, Misheli (Proverbs) 13: 12 JPS

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 
Judaism, Misheli (Proverbs) 15: 1 JPS
 
One should be known as true who to truth is devoted in love. 
Sikhism, Adi Granth, Asa-ki-Var, M.1, p. 468

If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you aren't afraid of dying, there is nothing you can't achieve.
Taoism, Tao Te Ching 74

And may the sovereign Good be ours!
According as one desires bliss may one receive bliss
Through Thy most far‑seeing Spirit, O Lord…
Zoroastrianism, Avesta, Yasna 43: 2

Conative Development
	
Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.
Louisa May Alcott (Author)

Dwell not upon thy weariness, thy strength shall be according to the measure of thy desire. 
Arabian Proverb

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. 
Aristotle (Philosopher)

Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. Never excuse yourself.
Henry Ward Beechen (Religious Leader)

Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp. Or what's a heaven for?
Robert Browning (Poet)

I hope that I may always desire more than I can accomplish.
Michelangelo Buonarroti (Architect, Painter, Poet, Sculptor) 

To struggle and battle and overcome and absolutely defeat every force designed against us is the only way to achieve.
Nannie Burroughs (Activist)

The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.
Dale Carnegie (Businessman)

The man who is prepared has his battle half fought.
Miguel de Cervantes (Author)
All our dreams can come true—if we have the courage to pursue them.
Walt Disney (Businessman)

Decide whether or not the goal is worth the risks involved. It if is, stop worrying.
Amelia Earhart (Adventurer)

You don’t need anything else more than the desire to learn…
Jaime Escalante (Educator)

By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.
Benjamin Franklin (Businessman, Politician)

One that would have the fruit must climb the tree.
Thomas Fuller (Author, Religious Leader)

Lose not courage, lose not faith, go forward.
Marcus Garvey (Author, Politician)

Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.
Johann von Goethe (Author)

No rule of success will work if you don’t.
Hal Gooch (Author, Businessman)

Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving.
Conrad Hilton (Businessman)

Dream power is stronger than will power. A clear vision of what we want makes it possible to develop the self-discipline required to get it.
William G. Huitt (Educator, Scientist)

When legends die, there are no more dreams. When there are no more dreams, there is no more greatness.
Indigenous American Proverb 

Dreams will get you started; discipline will keep you going.
Michael Johnson (Athlete)

Volition connects rational intelligence and emotional intelligence to spiritual intelligence and the material world.
Khalil Khavari (Scientist)

Diligence is the mother of industry.
Latin American proverb

I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; I will not refuse to do something I can do. 
Helen Keller (Author and Motivational Speaker)

Always bear in mind that your resolution to succeed is more important than any other thing.
Abraham Lincoln (U. S. President)

We must dare to dream great dreams--and then we must dare to put them into action.
Peter MacDonald (Tribal Leader)

Every struggle, whether won or lost, strengthens us for the next to come. 
Victorio Mimbres (Tribal Leader)

People with goals succeed because they know where they’re going.
Earl Nightingale (Author and Motivational Speaker)

The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. 
Thomas Paine (Activist)

A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.
Colin Powell (Military Leader and Politician)

My philosophy of life is that if we make up our mind what we are going to make of our lives, then work hard toward that goal, we never lose—somehow we win out.
Ronald Reagan (U. S. President)
 
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
Eleanor Roosevelt (Activist and Author)

When you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you’ll dance.
Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers (Song Writers)

You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try.
Beverly Sills (Entertainer)

It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of our responsibilities.
Sir Josiah Stamp (Businessman)

Some people live by default; other people live by design.
Tim Storey (Motivational Speaker and Religious Leader)

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
Henry David Thoreau (Author and Philosopher)

The highest-quality power…comes from the application of knowledge.
Alvin Toffler (Author) 

As human beings, we are endowed with freedom of choice, and we cannot shuffle off our responsibility upon the shoulders of God or nature. 
Arnold J. Toynbee (Scientist)
		The path of the lazy leads to disgrace.
American Indigenous Religions, Proverb (Omaha) 

Some men and women glory in their exalted thoughts, but if these thoughts never reach the plane of action they remain useless...
Bahá’í Faith, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: TB, 172 

Success or failure, gain or loss, must...depend upon man's own exertions.
Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh: ESW, 27

Better than a hundred years lived in idleness and weakness is living one day if a person courageously makes effort. 
Buddhism, Dhammapada 112

If anything is to be done, let one do it vigorously. 
Buddhism, Dhammapada 313

No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening--it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. 
Christianity, Hebrews 12: 11 NLT

Confucius said: “…If you see what is right and fail to act on it, you lack courage.”
Confucianism, Analects 2: 24

To seek gladness through righteous persistence is the way to accord with heaven and to respond to men. 
Confucianism, I Ching 58: Joy

Though he be ever so tired by repeated failure, let him begin his operations again and again; for fortune greatly favors the man who perseveres in his undertakings.
Hinduism, Laws of Manu 9: 300 

Tomorrows work do today, today's work now 
if the moment is lost, the work be done how.
Hinduism, Kabir, Doha 3

And God loves those who are firm and steadfast.
Islam, Qur’án 3: 146

And whoso maketh efforts for Us, in Our ways will we guide them.
Islam, Qur’án 29: 69
  
You have crossed the great ocean; why do you halt so near the shore? Make haste to get on the other side, Gautama; be careful all the while!
Jainism, Uttaradhyayana Sutra 10: 34 

[T]hey that wait for HaShem shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint. 
Judaism, Yisheyah (Isaiah) 40: 31 JPS

Heaven is not attained without good deeds. 
Sikhism, Adi Granth, Ramkali-ki-Var, M.1, p. 952

Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.
Taoism, Tao Te Ching 33

Failure is an opportunity. If you blame someone else, there is no end to the blame.
Taoism, Tao Te Ching 79

	

Family
	
To understand your parents’ love you must raise children yourself.
Chinese Proverb

The family is the nucleus of civilization.
William J. Durant (Philosopher)

The family you come from isn’t as important as the family you’re going to have.
Ring Lardner (Author)

The family unit plays a critical role in our society and in the training of the generation to come.
Sandra Day O’Connor (Supreme Court Judge)

There is a special magic and holiness about the girl and woman. They are the bringers of life to the people, and the teachers of the little children.
Sweet Medicine (Legendary American Indigenous Hero) 

A family is a place where principles are hammered and honed on the anvil of everyday living.
Charles Swindoll (Author and Religious Leader)

Love begins by taking care of the closest ones—the ones at home.
Mother Teresa (Activist) 

A person who does evil things…has disgraced his family.
Tlingit Moral Tradition

Children are the clothes of a man. 
Yoruba Proverb (Nigeria)
		My dear sisters the women, you have had a hard life to live in this world, yet without you this world would not be what it is…By your hands the family moves. 
American Indigenous Religions, Sioux Tradition of the Sacred Pipe

Women are sacred. If you make your wife suffer, you will die in a short time. Our grandmother, Earth, is a woman, and in abusing your wife you are abusing her. 
American Indigenous Religions, Winnebago Tradition

May my father bless you with life;
May your road reach to Dawn Lake,
May your road be fulfilled. 
American Indigenous Religions, Zuni Prayer

Beware lest ye commit that which would sadden the hearts of your fathers and mothers.
Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh: FL, #7 

Supporting one’s father and mother, cherishing wife and children and a peaceful occupation; this is the greatest blessing. 
Buddhism, Sutta Nipata 262

You children must always obey your parents, for this is what pleases the Lord. 
Christianity, Colossians 3: 20 NLT

Tseng Tzu said: “When they are careful (about their parents) to the end and continue in reverence after (their parents) are long gone, the virtue of the people will return to its natural depth.”
Confucianism, Analects 1: 9

Let son be loyal to father, and of one mind with his mother; let wife speak to husband words that are honey-sweet and gentle. 
Hinduism, Atharva Veda 3: 30

When the female relations live in grief, the family soon wholly perishes; but that family where they are not unhappy ever prospers. 
Hinduism, Laws of Manu 3: 57

And We have enjoined on man (to be good) to his parents: in travail upon travail did his mother bear him, and in years twain was his weaning… 
Islam, Qur’án 31: 14

Natural mildness should be there in the family. Observance of the vows leads to mildness.... 
Jainism, Tattvarthasutra 6: 18

Right belief should there be amongst family members. Crookedness and deception cause unhappiness in the family. 
Jainism, Tattvarthasutra 6: 22

Straightforwardness and honesty in one's body, speech, and mental activities lead the family to an auspicious path. 
Jainism, Tattvarthasutra 6: 23

Purity, reverence, ceaseless pursuit of knowledge, charity, removal of obstacles that threaten equanimity, service to others—these make the family happy. 
Jainism, Tattvarthasutra 6: 24

Hear…your father’s instruction, and reject not your mother’s teaching; for they are a fair garland for your head, and pendants for your neck. 
Judaism, Misheli (Proverbs): 1: 8-9 JPS

Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old, he will not depart from it. 
Judaism, Misheli (Proverbs) 22: 6 JPS

As the child, according to its natural disposition, commits thousands of faults,
The father instructs and slights, but again hugs him to his bosom. 
Sikhism, Adi Granth, Sorath, M.5

Son, why do you quarrel with your father,
Due to him you have grown to this age?
It is a sin to argue with him. 
Sikhism, Adi Granth, Sarang, M.4, p. 1200

Friendship
	
Yearn to understand first and to be understood second.
Becca Lewis Allen

It is because one antelope will blow the dust from the other’s eye that two antelopes walk together. 
Akan Proverb (Ghana)

Tell me with whom you travel, and I will tell you who you are.
Miguel de Cervantes (Author)

The only way to have a friend is to be one. 
Ralph Waldo Emerson (Author)

Argument doesn’t pay: you don’t come home happy.
Hopi Proverb 

A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same. 
Elbert Hubbard (Author and Businessman)

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.
Harper Lee (Author)

The dog says, “If you fall down, and I fall down, the play will be enjoyable.” 
Nupe Proverb (Nigeria)

The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with other people.
Theodore Roosevelt (U. S. President)

A single twig breaks, but the bundle of twigs is strong. 
Tecumseh (Tribal Leader)

My heart is filled with joy when I see you here, as the brooks fill with water when the snow melts in the spring…
Ten Bears (Tribal Leader)

Good and evil cannot dwell together in the same heart, so a good man ought not to go into evil company.
Wingenim (Tribal Leader) 

Offend me and I will question you—this is the medicine for friendship. 
Yoruba Proverb (Nigeria)

		Regard ye not others save as ye regard your own selves...
Bahá’í Faith, The Báb: SB, 129

Exalted, immensely exalted is He Who hath removed differences and established harmony.
Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh: WMN, #2 

If a traveler does not meet with one who is better or equal, let one firmly travel alone;
there is no companionship with a fool.
Buddhism, Dhammapada 61

Do not have wrong-doers for friends; do not have despicable people for friends; have virtuous people for friends; have for friends the best people.
Buddhism, Dhammapada 78

“Do for others what you would like them to do for you. This is a summary of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”
Christianity, Matthew 7: 12 NLT

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.
Christianity, John I 4: 20 RSV
 
Try your best to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself, and you will find that this is the shortest way to benevolence. 
Confucianism, Mencius VII.A.4

Sit in the assembly of the honest; join with those that are good and virtuous; nay, seek out a noble enemy where enmity cannot be helped and have nothing to do with the wicked and the unrighteous. 
Hinduism, Garuda Purana 112

One should not behave towards others in a way which is disagreeable to oneself. This is the essence of morality. All other activities are due to selfish desire. 
Hinduism, Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva 113: 8

Dispute not with each other in My Presence: I had already in advance sent you Warning. The Word changes not before Me, and I do not the least injustice to My Servants.
Islam, Qur’án 50: 28-29

Only two virtues are enough;
Why should the good stand in need of many?
Anger lived like a lightning flash
And friendship enduring like a line inscribed on a rock. 
Jainism, Vajjalagam 42

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow…
Judaism, Keholet (Ecclesiastes) 4: 9-10 JPS

He that walketh with wise men shall be wise; but the companion of fools shall smart for it. 
Judaism, Misheli (Proverbs) 13: 20 JPS

All men are responsible for one another. 
Judaism, Talmud, Sanhedrin 27b

Friend! listen to the benefits of holy company:
Thereby is cast off impurity, vanished are millions of sins,
And purified is the mind. 
Sikhism. Adi Granth, Bilaval, M.5, p. 809

Career/Work
	
Making a success of the job at hand is the best step toward the kind you want.
Bernard M. Baruch

I never did anything by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work.
Thomas A. Edison (Inventor)

Laziness may appear attractive but work gives satisfaction.
Anne Frank (Author)

Labor disgraces no man, but occasionally men disgrace labor.
Ulysses S. Grant (Military Leader, U. S. President)

Hard work gives life meaning. Everyone needs to work hard at something to feel good about themselves. Every job can be done well and every day has its satisfactions.
Oceola McCarthy (Laundress, Philanthropist)

No one can arrive from being talented alone. God gives talent; work transforms talent into genius.
Anna Pavlova (Ballerina)

Anything that comes easy, comes wrong.
Josephine Tessier (Artist)

Pennies do not come from heaven—they have to be earned here on earth.
Margaret Thatcher (British Prime Minister)

Nothing ever comes to one that is worth having, except as a result of hard work.
Booker T. Washington (Educator)

Weeping is not the answer to poverty; a lazy man who is hungry has no one to blame but himself. 
Yoruba Proverb (Nigeria)

		...it is incumbent on every one to engage in crafts and professions, for therein lies the secret of wealth...
Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh: HW, Persian #80

You will know them by their fruits…A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 
Christianity, Matthew 7: 16, 18 RSV

 “And so strength must come to the nation through education.”
Hinduism, Swami Vivekananda, Sayings and Utterances 

WE have, surely, created man to toil and struggle. Does he think that no one has power over him? 
Islam, Qur’án 90: 5-6

Even one that is slack in his work is brother to him that is a destroyer. 
Judaism, Misheli (Proverbs) 18: 9 JPS	

Finances/Wealth
	
It’s important to me that money not be important to me.
Les Brown (Author, Motivational Speaker)

If we command our wealth, we shall be rich and free. If our wealth commands us, we are poor indeed.
Edmund Burke

Choice has always been a privilege of those who could afford to pay for it.
Ellen Frankfort 

If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life.
Billy Graham (Religious Leader)

In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first; the cash will come later. 
Harold Green (Businessman)

The key to financial success is the ability to generate passive income.
Robert Kiyosaki (Author and Businessman)

Wealth is the product of man’s capacity to think.
Ayn Rand (Philosopher and Businesswoman)

Adversity makes a man wise, not rich. 
Romanian Proverb
		Riches destroy the foolish, not those who seek beyond. By craving for riches the fool destroys oneself, as one destroys others.
Buddhism, Dhammapada 255

[H]e who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 
Christianity, Corinthians II 9: 6 RSV

And in no wise covet those things in which Allah hath bestowed His gifts more freely on some of you than on others…
Islam, Qur’án 4: 32

The mutual rivalry for piling up (the good things of this world) diverts you (from the more serious things). 
Islam, Qur’án 102: 1

The poor will never cease to exist in the land, so I am commanding you to open your hand generously to your poor and destitute brother in your land.
Judaism, Devarim (Deuteronomy)  15: 11 Kaplan

The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. 
Judaism, Misheli (Proverbs) 22: 7 JPS

Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich. 
Judaism, Misheli (Proverbs) 28: 6 JPS

If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never truly be fulfilled. If your happiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself.
Taoism, Tao Te Ching 44

Social
	
The test of a civilization is in the way that it cares for its helpless members.
Pearl S. Buck (Author)

There is only one thing worse than fighting with allies and that is fighting without them.
Winston Churchill (British Prime Minister)

No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helps you. 
Althea Gibson (Athlete)

If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.
John F. Kennedy (U. S. President)

I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!
Martin Luther King, Jr. (Activist, Religious Leader)

You can make your world so much larger simply by acknowledging everyone else’s.
Jeanne Marie Laskas (Author)

We are born helpless. As soon as we are fully conscious we discover loneliness. We need others physically, emotionally, intellectually; we need them if we are to know anything, even ourselves.
C. S. Lewis (Author)

We must seek unity within. The time for division and dissension is over. We must reach out to each other, come together and unite.
Peter MacDonald (Tribal Leader)
Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.
Margaret Mead (Scientist)

Generous people are rarely mentally ill people.
Karl Menninger (Scientist)

The greatest honor history can bestow is that of peacemaker. 
Richard Nixon (U. S. President)

What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal. 
Albert Pike (Author and Military Leader)

We who are clay blended by the Master Potter, come from the kiln of Creation in many hues. How can people say one skin is colored, when each has its own coloration? 
Polingaysi Qoyawayma (Tribal Leader)

In the last analysis civilization itself is measured by the way in which children will live and what chance they will have in the world.
Mary Heaton Vorse (Author)

If the citizens of the United States should not be free and happy, the fault is entirely their own.
George Washington (Military Leader, U. S. President)

You can get everything in life you want if you help enough people get what they want.
Zig Ziglar (Author, Motivational Speaker)
		The truest and greatest power is the strength of Peace…because Peace is the will of the Great Spirit.
American Indigenous Religions, Hopi Declaration of Peace

The frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives.
American Indigenous Religions, Proverb (Teton Sioux) 

Do not seek to benefit only yourself, but think of other people also. 
American Indigenous Religions, Yamana Eskimo Initiation

So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth. 
Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh: ESW, 14; GWB, 288 

Women and men have been and will always be equal in the sight of God.
Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh: WMN #54

There are no differences or distinctions of race among you in the sight of God.
Bahá’í Faith, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: PUP, 433

No goodly deed was or will ever be lost, for benevolent acts are treasures preserved with God for the benefit of those who act.
Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh: HQ, #40

Whoever has virtue and insight, who is just, truthful, and does one’s own work,
the world will love.
Buddhism, Dhammapada 155

“God blesses those who work for peace,
for they will be called the children of God.”
Christianity, Matthew 5: 9 NLT

“The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Christianity, Matthew 23: 11-12 NLT

I look upon all creatures equally; none are less dear to me and none more dear. 
Hinduism, Bhagavad Gita 9: 29

And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colours: verily in that are Signs for those who know. 
Islam, Qur’án 30: 22

For those who believe and work deeds of righteousness is a reward that will never fail. 
Islam, Qur’án 41: 8

A man should wander about treating all creatures as he himself would be treated. 
Jainism, Sutrakritanga 1.11.33

The Law is that which leads to welfare and salvation. It forms conduct and character distinguished by the sense of equality among all beings. 
Jainism, Somadeva, 
Nitivakyamrita 1: 1

Consider the family of humankind one. 
Jainism, Jinasena, Adipurana

Have benevolence towards all living beings, joy at the sight of the virtuous, compassion and sympathy for the afflicted, and tolerance towards the indolent and ill-behaved. 
Jainism, Tattvarthasutra 7: 11

Rendering help to another is the function of all human beings. 
Jainism, Tattvarthasutra 5: 21

And it shall come to pass in the end of days, that the mountain of HaShem’s house shall be established as the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 
Judaism, Yisheyah (Isaiah) 2: 2 JPS

True learning induces in the mind service of mankind. 
Sikhism, Adi Granth, Asa, M.1, p. 356 

All from one clay are made; in all one Light shines.
One breath pervades all, what point is any weeping over another?
Sikhism, Adi Granth, Gauri, M.5, p. 188

Let all mankind be thy sect.
Sikhism, Adi Granth, Japuji 28, M.1, p. 6

Without selfless service are no objectives fulfilled; In service lies the purest action. 
Sikhism, Adi Granth, Maru, M.1, p. 992

One who serves and seeks no recompense finds union with the Lord. Such a servant alone takes the Master’s guidance, says Nanak, As on him is divine grace.
Sikhism, Adi Granth, Sukhmani 18, M.5, p. 286

If you overesteem great men, people become powerless. If you overvalue possessions, people begin to steal.
Taoism, Tao Te Ching 3	

Becoming A Brilliant Star
Attribute, Value, Virtue Development Worksheet

Name:______________________________________________  Date: ____________________

Attribute, Value, Virtue: _________________________________________________________

1.	What is the key concept or principle? Paraphrase the quotation in your own words. What is the essence or central meaning of the quotation?

2.	Why is this concept or principle important? How does it relate to material and/or spiritual success? How would our lives or the lives of others be improved if we implemented this concept or principle?

3.	
How can I implement or work on this concept or principle today, this week, this month? Describe some specific actions that could be taken. Prepare a simple statement that you can say that will describe what you intend to do and that affirms you have this attribute, value or virtue.

Affirmation Statement:

4.	How will I know I am making progress? What are some ways to measure my progress on this attribute? How can you hold yourself accountable for making progress with regards to this concept or principle?