Don’t waste your time…

February 14, 2025


The Best of Jack’s Winning Words – Originally posted August 10, 2017.


“Life appears to me too short to be spent nursing animosities.” (Charlotte Bronte) In Alice in Wonderland, White Rabbit says: “So little time. So much to do.” I’m on the same page with him. So was Jim Croce. “There never seems to be enough time to do the things you want to do.” Even though you might not want to do it, Bronte suggests that getting rid of animosity is one thing that needs doing before life’s end. If you have a hatchet that needs burying, do it today. 😉 Jack


Animosity is just one of the timewasters that I can think of. Others include hate, prejudice, jealousy, and envy. Putting those things behind you allows you to focus your energy on positive things and relationships.


Letting animosities fester many times leads to wasting even more time plotting revenge and always takes you to a dark place where you really don’t want to be. Revenge, like the animosity that drives that need is best relegated to the rubbish bin. The old saw that “revenge is a dish best served cold” should be replaced with “revenge is a dish best not served at all.”
Perhaps it is the wisdom that comes with getting old that has helped me see this more clearly now. Time for an elderly person becomes the most precious thing that they have and they don’t want to waste it on unimportant things like animosities.


In the song “Let it be” written by John Lennon he appeals to the virgin Mary, but it can be generalized as an appeal to God. The reply from Mary (God) in the song for dealing with adversities is, “Let it be.” Jesus used the phrase “Be at peace”, which may be thought of as a way to let it be. That is good advice or dealing with animosities and other hatred that may be controlling your life.


The quickest way that I’ve fond to let it be and be at peace is to surrender to God’s will with the little prayer, “Not my will but thy will be done.” That little prayer takes whatever it may be that is consuming you off your plate and hands it to God. There is a palpable sense of relief that will come over you if you sincerely pray that prayer.


So, don’t waste your time holding grudges and animosities. Life is too short. Give those things to God. Let it be and be at peace.

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Posted by Norm Werner

Protecting yourself from this thief…

June 7, 2022

When I saw today’s quote recently, I couldn’t help but think – we can’t help ourselves. But we really can.

“Comparison is the thief of joy”. (Theodore Roosevelt)

Roosevelt added – “It literally steals us away from satisfaction with our own life.”

It is almost impossible for us to not compare ourselves to others – we compare our jobs and pay, our possessions, our families, our positions in the community or at work. Yet those comparisons do not serve us well. Instead of inspiring us to do better; more often than not, they depress us and steal away the joy of what we have already achieved.

In Galatians 6:4-5 we are told – “Each of you must examine your own actions. Then you can be proud of your own accomplishments without comparing yourself to others.  Assume your own responsibility.”

I think that last sentence is the key – assume your own responsibility. In other words, worry about being responsible for your own actions and do not waste your time comparing them to the actions of, and achievements of, others.

If you must compare something that you just accomplished to something else, don’t look at the accomplishments of others; use the sports term “personal best” and compare it to your prior performances or to your own goals for your performance. In individual sports, like track and field events, you will often hear that a runner has just achieved a personal best. You can see that they are happy, even if they didn’t win the race, because they were true to themselves and did their best.

Life can be like that on a day-to-day basis. If one sets out each day to achieve their personal best, one can then reflect at the end of the day, not on what others accomplished around you; but, on where you achieved your personal best and upon what areas upon which you still need to improve, to be your best.

Focusing upon the joy of your own accomplishments also frees you to join into and share the joy of others who may have just also achieved their personal best; maybe they even won the race. Good for them. Be happy for them with them and be happy for yourself, too.

Protect yourself from the thief of comparison and it’s traveling companion – envy. Be proud of your own accomplishments – assume responsibility for yourself.

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Posted by Norm Werner