A definition of a “saying” is: a short grouping of words that together make a clever or meaningful expression which usually contains advice, wisdom or expresses an obvious truth. For me sayings are much like markers on a trail that help me keep on the life path I want my feet to stay on.

This morning in meditating on ‘character’ I pondered the following three “trail markers” and wanted to share them:

You can tell the character of every man
when you see how he receives praise.
Seneca

You can easily judge the character of a man
by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Wisdom is knowing what to do next,
skill is knowing how to do it,
and virtue is doing it.
David Starr Jordan

A thought from each of three different men from three different times: one from a philosopher of 2000 years ago (Seneca), another from a philosopher close to 300 years past (Goethe) and another saying from a man who lived within the last 100 years (Jordan). All three reach through time to express timeless wisdom to me about being a good man. I am grateful for what each one left behind to inspire me today.

Our chief want is someone who will inspire us
to be what we know we could be.
Ralph Waldo Emerson