September

(under construction)

Week 1- sure Week 2- trusty Week 3- virtue Week 4- disinterest Week 5- verity

Sure.090114.Monday

“Well I sure could.” Many of us have probably heard someone we know use this expression of confidence about some task or action. It is an expression of assured ability to accomplish a successful end result. To the one who says this failure or lack of success is not an option. The speaker of “Well I sure could” does not entertain any sense of failure but only that of success. To the speaker the assurance of their ability to succeed is without question!

Sure.090214.Tuesday

“Sure!” The response that evokes the utmost in confidence of the speaker who has great confidence in their ability. This simple response points us to the third definition of sure, as in a lack of wavering or hesitation or doubt. Firmly established, reliable, trustworthy and confident certainty are also prominent meanings of sure. Our word also has a way of pointing us to something that is bound to happen and to use care to remember important events like birthdays and anniversaries. Be ‘sure’ to stand steadfast!

Sure.090314.Wednesday

“He had a sure hold on his friend’s wrists as he helped him to safety.” In this case, the possibility of failure was removed because of the steadfast hands of the friend. Steadfast hands is one sure sign of danger being removed. In life, we need more signs of being firmly established that will increase our comfort level. ‘Sure’ is that confident certainty about things we are doing or lack of doubt about some end results. Look around for those things in life where you can feel those positive thoughts that will give a good end result. Sure you can, just think about it!

Sure.090414.Thursday

Can we determine if there is any practical impact or result from being ‘sure?’ Perhaps a little trip back down memory lane will help answer this question. The first known use of sure was sometime during the 14th century. At that time, sure meant to be safe from danger or harm. That meaning is now obsolete, but it gives us insight into how our question can be answered. The result of sure is to not have any doubt about something as it is bound or destined to happen and that it will be firmly established. As a reminder, be sure that you lock the door for protection!

Sure.090414.Friday

As sure as the rain comes and the snow falls, any relationship will experience its share of ups and downs. To weather these cycles, it is good to practice and cultivate some of the following: certainty, positivity, attentiveness and being steadfast. These words describe actions and a state of mind that encourages the parties to a relationship to stay the course and weather the rough times. Success in a relationship is built upon solid actions that reinforce the importance of sticking together. Build ‘stickiness’ to assure that your relationship will hold together with sureness!

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Trusty.090814.Monday

In the early frontier days, most cowboys depended upon their ‘trusty’ steed to carry them safely to their destination. Several ways that we can understand this week’s word is with some descriptive companion synonyms. Such words as “safe, dependable, reliable, sure and solid all add meaning to ‘trusty.’ Trusty also conveys to us the feeling of security and confidence. We need to learn to lean on those trusty companions around us!

Trusty.090914.Tuesday

“With his trusty dog beside him, he ventured onto the trail of the wounded deer.” The meaning of our word ‘trusty’ is someone or something we can fully depend on. As in our example sentence, the dog is trustworthy and dependable to follow the deer’s trail. This is a characteristic of a friend who is reliable, solid and sure when entrusted with something of value. To be a true friend, it is a noble trait for any of us to develop!

Trusty.091014.Wednesday

“He was a trusty counselor and captain of the Ranger’s baseball team.” One sure sign of having the characteristics of being a trusty and dependable person is to be reliable no matter what assignment is given. It will always be carried out and completed with the greatest care and consideration. To build credibility as part of one’s character is truly a sign of being trusty!

Trusty.091114.Thursday

The first known use of the word “trusty” was in 1573. The meaning has changed since its first use, but the sense of this word has remained. It brings to mind someone or something that we can put trust into and do so with a minimum amount of worry. This can be a trusted person or animal or even a mechanical device that can assure us of carrying out an assignment or be entrusted with something for safekeeping. We should have a list of such ‘trusty’ items and people for times of need!

Trusty.091214.Friday

The root word for ‘trusty’ is trust. In relationships, trust is an element that should be a prime component. How many times have you responded to the question “You don’t trust me?” Yes, probably more times than we really want to admit. Why does the question come up? We have done something or said something that the other party has not understood or received in the way we intended. To reestablish trust, we have had to clear the air and reassure the other party of our true intentions. In close relationships, our intentions must be transparent and without hidden meaning. To be a ‘trusty’ partner it will take time and reassuring actions!

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Virtue. Monday. 091514

“By virtue of our government’s inaction, we are facing threats as great as any world war.” On the surface, ‘virtue’ is thought of as a good force for moral excellence. Virtue that lacks positive results will be unproductive or lack any positive quality. Virtue and moral excellence are commonly seen together. Virtue is a character quality that all should aspire toward. Check your ‘virtue’ meter today!

Virtue. Tuesday. 091614

The statue of Liberty is a lady of honor and virtue. She represents the highest ideals and standards of our nation. It is this conformity to a standard of right that gives us our first meaning of virtue. The second definition is ‘a particular moral excellence.’ Likewise, it is also a beneficial quality or power of a thing. Virtue is a commendable quality or trait which is a more commonly used meaning. Virtue as in moral excellence is a character trait that we could all use in abundance!

Virtue. Wednesday. 091714

The signs of virtue can be seen easily in the lives of some famous people. Abraham Lincoln was known for his honesty. Mother Teresa was known for her lifelong service to help the poor in India. Admiral Byrd was known for his relentless pursuit to discover new territories around the world. The positive aspects of one’s virtue will be seen in the good results that are produced by that virtue and its force in one’s life. Good moral character is a virtue that one should be pursuing relentlessly!

Virtue. Thursday. 091814

Reputations and virtue hang together like the four presidential faces carved in stone on Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. Good behavior and good character are the result of one’s positive actions and building a reputation based upon the right kind of virtue. It is a commendable trait to build a habit that produces moral excellence. Unfortunately, in our society today, positive virtue is being tarnished by negative teaching in schools, churches and the workplace. One’s search for positive virtues should be a lifelong action!

Virtue. Friday. 091914

Most of us are familiar with the love story of Romeo and Juliet. It is a heart-breaking tale of two lovers fighting against the worst forces of human nature. A strong love like this between two people is admirable. However, their solution was one of unchanging finality. Was this end the only possible solution for their circumstance? That is doubtful. Keep in mind that a beneficial quality of any good relationship is its abundance of positive virtues. Hope and strength will guide any relationship through the roughest of trials. Search for virtues that will build a solid foundation for your relationships!

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Disinterest.092214.Monday

“The senator’s proposal was met with complete disinterest.” Our word this week is probably the watchword of many younger citizens of our nation. The executive branch also demonstrates this same attitude with many geopolitical crises that we face as a nation. The end result of such disinterest is historically the precursor of a general disintegration of national power. A disinterested nation is not a good world leader!

Disinterest.092314.Tuesday

“His attitude was disinterest in politics.” In this sample sentence, we see the general meaning of disinterest. It is ‘lack of interest’ and the second meaning is similar. The second meaning is “The quality or state of not being influenced by personal feelings, opinions, or concerns.” Disinterest is a complete lack of any interaction with a specific subject with which others may have a concern. We all have some area in which we have no inclination to interact!

Disinterest.092414.Wednesday

In our search for signs and symptoms of disinterest we might look for synonyms like detachment, impartiality, and neutrality. Each of these will give us a sense of indifference or lack of interest. Several examples might be: the Congress seems to lack a major concern for the mounting nation debt, or the stock market shrugged off the quarterly report of large cap stocks with negative returns. These examples present anomalies of things that should be a concern but are not. The general public seems detached and disinterested in such deviations from the norm. Such disinterest should be cause for alarm!

Disinterest.092514.Thursday

“Our family has a great interest in sports, but disinterest by our daughter has us puzzled.” The result of disinterest is to produce a state of not being influenced by personal feelings, opinions or concerns. The lack of opinions or concerns by someone about a subject or item that has the general attention of groups, spectators or interested bystanders reveals a personal disconnect. Such result of disinterest can be quite normal if that person lacks any kind of connection to what is of interest to a large group of sports fans. Disinterest is not a communicable disease but a choice!

Disinterest.092614.Friday

CAUTION! CAUTION! CAUTION! In most relationships, disinterest is damaging. To have a relationship, there must be some kind of connection that draws people together. Disinterest is a lack of a drawing connection, weak attraction or interest and is a sure sign of a disintegrating relationship. When disinterest is an obvious condition between two people, head for the nearest exit. Otherwise, there will probably be some serious pain involved!

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Verity.092914.Monday

In media today, verity as a state of being totally honest has become clouded because of the lack of any absolute basis of fact. Most items reported by the media have an attached agenda or spin depending upon the media corporation’s philosophy. Aljazeera America is a case in point. This U.S. media outlet on its website professes to offer “unbiased, fact-based, in-depth stories of U.S. and international news…” but it is merely a propaganda base for all Muslim’s of any ideology. Its ‘verity’ is very suspect!

Verity.093014.Tuesday

“No one questioned Billy Graham’s verity, just his memory of some of his early life events.” With our example sentence, we see the proper use of ‘verity.’ It is defined as “the quality or state of being true or real. A secondary definition of ‘verity’ is something (as a statement) that is true; especially if it emphasizes a fundamental and inevitably true values in the form of eternal verities as honor, love and patriotism. Verity is an excellent character trait to strive for!

Verity.100114.Wednesday

Something that is regarded as true is the basic definition of ‘verity.’ To identify the signs of verity, we must go back in time to the TV show Dragnet. On that show, one of the main characters was Sargent Joe Friday. It was one of his sayings that helped make Dragnet famous. On meeting a potential witness, he would say, “Just the facts, ma’m, just the facts.” His oft repeated line gives us a good example of the meaning of verity. His statement to a witness was essentially saying “tell me what is true.” Sgt. Friday could be a role model we could all use!

Verity.100214.Thursday

Can you imagine, if you are a woman, what people would think about you if your name was verity? Yes, verity is used as a female given name derived from the Latin for truth! It was also used by the Puritans as a name for someone with virtuous character. The impact of this used as a name could be hard for a person to live up to it. It also implies some eternal value. That is also something to give a lot of thought to.

Verity.100314.Friday

“In many relationships, anniversaries are important and especially so as the number of anniversaries increases.” Verity or the quality of the state of trueness in a relationship becomes much more solid as the years pass by. With each new anniversary, the trueness of that relationship becomes visibility more real. Verity as a value in a relationship shows its worth with each passing day. That is an admirable characteristic to have for any relationship!

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