Cheerfulness, it would appear, is a matter which depends fully as much on the state of things within, as on the state of things without and around us. – Charlotte Bronte  When I was thirty-six-years-old, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder; four years later, cerebellitis was added to my medical history. Either illness, standing alone,…

Life is a long lesson in humility. – J.M. Barrie  Life continues to teach me that humility is not weakness; rather, it is strength. It grounds me; it helps me avoid iron-willed self-determination. It reminds me, often not gently, that the events, circumstances, and outcomes of my life are not mine alone to dictate or…

We did not all come over on the same ship, but we are all in the same boat. – Bernard Baruch  We human beings, irrespective of who we are, where we live, or what we do, have much more in common than we believe, know, understand…or, admit to; we are all in the same boat…

No one is immune to the trials and tribulations of life. – Martin Lawrence  A friend of mine who has borne more than his share of adversity once said to me, “You don’t get to be our age without being broken.” He is a wise man for whom I have much respect, and he, too,…

Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words. – Robert Frost  The stress of losing my career and trying to sell my dental practice were compounded by bipolar disorder and cerebellitis. To state it mildly, Fear and all of his children were running amok in an effort to…

There is no greater hell than to be a prisoner of fear. – Ben Jonson  When I wrote my memoir, “I’m Afraid,” I utilized poetry as a means of expressing some of the raw emotions I was feeling during this period in my life. I discovered that sometimes the only way I was able to…

Character, in great and little things, means carrying through what you feel able to do. – Johann Wolfgang von Goeth  The meaning of character may be interpreted in many ways: one’s essence, ethics, spirit. Arguably, it is built or developed in as many ways as it is defined. I used the following poem (a personal  …

Well, we all know that self-esteem comes from what you think of you, not what other people think of you. – Gloria Gaynor   I have heard these words of wisdom uttered countless times by my parents, teachers, relatives, and friends. Intellectually, I understand and accept them as fact, as truth. Emotionally, however, I have…

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. – Winston Churchill   If you have read my memoir, “I’m Afraid” and/or have been following my blogs, you know that Fear and All of His Children play significant roles in my life. The fear of failing to perform…

Hope was by my side; Fear was nowhere in sight. God was in his heaven, and all was right with my world. – Peter Kurt Haarmeyer – Quote from “I’m Afraid”   On December 3, 1988, my wife, Laura, and I attended an annual dinner dance honoring the outgoing president of our local dental society.…