Fear is infectious.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

~Nelson Mandela

For Freedom

A while back our class had a group discussion about freedom and the sense of independent freedom in society. What does freedom mean to you? What does it represent? These are just a few of the questions we were faced with in our discussion. Given the task of writing down a personal answer, I'm sure that each student in the class had a different one. Is freedom the right to an opinion? Is it the opportunity to speak your mind truthfully? I say it is the ability to choose for yourself. To be able to decided (for you) what is right and what is wrong. What is helpful and what is a hindrance. To make choices enables an individual to have power over their own life at will. However, making a "bad" choice versus a "right" choice all depends on the values and morals he or she has based on the people around them in life and their upbringing.
Freedom can be many things to many different people and it can be said that the true definition of freedom nothing but undecidable.

"It is by the fortune of God that, in this country, we have three benefits: freedom of speech, freedom of thought, and the wisdom never to use either."

~ Mark Twain

Reflection of the Human Life

Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity, or registering wrongs. We are, and must be, one and all, burdened with faults in this world: but the time will soon come when, I trust we shall put them off in putting off our corruptible bodies; when debasement and sin will fall from us with this cumbrous frame of flesh, and only the spark of the spirit will remain, - the impalpable principle of life and though, pure as when it left the Creator to inspire the creature: whence it came it will return; perhaps again to be communicated to some being higher than man - perhaps to pass through gradations of glory, from the pale human soul to brighten to the seraph!
-Helen Burns, Jane Eyre, p70

The Prevalence of Patriotism

"I know no sweeter sight on earth than a man's own native country."

-Odysseus, The Odyssey, Book 9

Words

"one kind word can warm three winter months"

- Japanese Proverb

Being Kind

"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."

Chasing a Dream

“You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream”

It doesn’t matter how old you are, you can achieve any goal you set your mind too. This quote tells you to never give up on something. If you work hard enough you can do anything you want. The harder you work the better the pay off will be. For example, if you work really hard in school this year it pays off in the long run. The harder you worked this year the better the school. Even when your older even retired if you have a dream you should always try and chase it because you never know what can happen. And if you fail so what, you get on with your life and try to succeed at another one of your dreams. Never give up it will pay off in the long run.

Making a Difference

“be the change you want to see in this world” by Mahatma Grandhi

This quote is used to inspire people and to really motivate people to make a difference in the world. Your not suppose to wait around and wait for someone to make a difference or help the world. You do it yourself to make are world a better place. If you have strong feeling about something you should always go with your heart. Never let anyone take what you want without a fight.

"Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point."

- C.S. Lewis

Developing Courage

“You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.”

-Epicurus

This is a great quote for relationships that are in some sort of trouble. The meaning of this helps us realize that you have to fight and maintain your relationship, and to defeat the adversity that may come. All relationships are very difficult to keep blissful, you have to attempt to work though the difficult times that may soon come sometime. All relationships have roadblocks in life, and by solving your way threw this roadblocks, courage will develop and will be easier to nurture that bond for the future to come.

"Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous." ~ Confucius, Chinese thinker and social philosopher

Connecting with a post that Hunter made (viewable here, click!), we can say that we must always be engaged and soak up knowledge that comes our way. In this quote from Confucius we learn that if we do not take in what we are learning then we are just simply wasting our time, and that if we think without any knowledge then we are dead. What good is life if we do not fully learn what we need to in order to survive, and what good is being ignorant? Theses are questions that lead us to ponder this quote and Hunter's quote. If we do not learn and take in knowledge from the valuable lessons we are given everyday then we are hopeless to survive in this world. If we do not learn but instead think without knowledge then we are simply being ignorant. We are then not living up to our full potential and so we must strive to first learn and then think.

Companionship

"Knowledge talks, wisdom listens." ~Unkown

Words of Wisdom

"Everything and everyone around you is your teacher."
-Ken S. Keyes