This quote is brought to you at the good folks at the Foundation for a Better Life. This quote is about humility. Enjoy!

“I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.”

- Laozi; ancient Chinese philosopher, central figure in Taoism

You heard it here first, the Obama Administration will be investing heavily into the nation’s future by spending your (future) tax dollars on further developing renewable energy, retrofitting federal buildings to be energy efficient, and upgrading the nations’ energy and transportation infrastructure.

To quote President-elect Obama, “However we got here, the problems we face today are not Democratic problems or Republican problems. The dreams of putting a child through college, or staying in your home, or retiring with dignity and security know no boundaries of party or ideology.”

Friends, we must all participate in building up America, again, to be the leader that the world expects and demands.  We must lend our support (time, money, expertise and skills) to the endeavors that move the United States and world in the right direction.  Be sure to communicate with your representatives in Congress to tell them about the problems and your communities face.  Our government officials need our input as leaders can not lead without the feedback from their followers.

Also, be active in reviewing the legislation that eventually is proposed in Congress.  It may contain provisions that do not move America in the right direction.   Tell our government leaders your opinion.  This, my friends, is more valuable than voting and you have earned the right to voice your opinion.

Although the world entered into a global recession in 2008, there is much to be thankful for in 2008. To dovetail with the Reuters video above, I’ve put together a top ten list of the things had the most positive impact. This is, by no means, a comprehensive list, so please feel free to add any events missing in the comments area.

1) The United States elected its first minority President when it elected Barack Obama.  Some might even call Obama the U.S.’s first “green” President as fighting climate change is a top priority.  (Just 5 years ago, Americans would have scoffed at the idea of a President championing “green” initiatives.  Oh, we’ve made much progress!)

2) The 2008 Olympics occurred without major incident, proving that the world can come together to celebrate life and sport in a developing country and a Communist regime.  It also marked the arrival of China as a world economic power.

3) The world financial community has come together to combat what is considered the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

4) A record amount of investment has been made in the clean technology industry and it does not seem to be ending anytime soon.

5) The United States auto industry received a harsh wake up call and now must focus on selling what the market is demanding, fuel-efficient vehicles.

The list continues after the jump!

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This quote is brought to you at the good folks at the Foundation for a Better Life. This quote is about dedication. Enjoy!

“Life means to have something definite to do—a mission to fulfill—and in the measure in which we avoid setting our life to something, we make it empty. Human life, by its very nature, has to be dedicated to something.”

- Jose Ortega y Gasset (1883-1955); philosopher

We first wrote about President-Elect Obama’s transition into office by commending his use of new media technologies to interact with the public and he will be continuing his weekly address during his administration.

This week’s address is of particular note because he has unveiled a few key parts of his economic recovery plan.  The main points of his plan are:

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This quote is brought to you at the good folks who wrote Kung Fu Panda (Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger, Ethan Reiff, and Cyrus Voris). This quote is about thankfulness. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

“Quit, don’t quit. Noodles, don’t noodles.  You are too concerned with what was and what will be.  There’s a saying, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift.  That is why it is called the present.”

- Oogway, Quote from “Kung Fu Panda” (2008), Kung Fu Master, Turtle, Fictional character