My spiritual home in Paris

Saying No for stewardship

"What are the essential responsibilities that I have said yes to?" And, therefore, "What do I need to start saying no to?"

Say no, so that you can keep your commitments that you have said yes to.

A man, above all, recognizes his duty and therefore does not accept it lightly

A man, above all, recognizes his duty and therefore does not accept it lightly. He understands that his word is his bond, exercised by everyday actions and daily decisions. He will not waft through life selfish or disconnected, like someone who carries a fickle mind. A man, a real man, will not make promises he cannot keep, and chooses his words as carefully as he does his commitments. And because this man honors his words, he is in turned honored in his actions.

And while years may fall carelessly from the calendar, and the world may pass us by like a reckless wind, it is never too late to man up and mean it.

ibid.

Teaching their son to be a man

[ from http://writerdad.com/ ]

I would tell my son that he must never walk away from what he knows is right, and though it may be hard to stand tall against our enemies, it is even harder to reach for the sky opposite our friends. I would tell my son that he must do both, always and without fail. A man who goes along with that which he knows is wrong, whether it is to be a part of something or simply because it is easier, will see less than he wishes when looking in the mirror.


We may not need to wear three piece suits, seven days a week to look our best, but that doesn’t mean we should leave our houses looking like slobs. Proper grooming reveals our respect. Respect for ourselves, respect for those in our company, and respect for those we happen to meet. Proper grooming is not the sole domain of the affluent. Soap is cheap and time runs in equivalence to air.


My boy will know to open the door for his wife, because every day he watches me open the door for mine. Somewhere in the midst of the feminist movement, there was a misunderstanding. Just because we are no longer required to do something by the reduced laws of society, doesn’t mean we never should.