Mere weeks before the conclusion of the war, Abraham Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address. Despite the enmity of war and the trials he and the nation had jointly faced, his words spoke of healing and reconciliation. He laid no blame on either party, for in his simple, poignant words, “and the war came.”

Instead of focusing on the differences that divided North and South, he focused on the common culture that yet bound them together. “Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other,” he said. And yet, he acknowledged that controlling events was out of his or indeed out of any man’s hands: “Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said ‘the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.’”

And with his peroration, Lincoln became “healer-in-chief,” espousing “malice toward none” and “charity for all,” and a call “to bind up the nation’s wounds”—not just in the North. He pledged the nation to “care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan,” and to look toward “a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

These are the words of one who bore no grudge, who sought peace in the ashes of war, who saw the full potential of his countrymen, regardless of uniform. We can all learn to seek the welfare of others and lay no blame, even when such can be laid.

2 cups heavy cream

Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? Five ingredients, easily obtainable at the local grocery store. With heavy cream, egg yolks, and sugar, no doubt it will be something rich and satisfying.

What’s next?

Obviously you have to know what to do with the ingredients. You need a recipe to help you assemble everything properly. Success comes from following a proven path. Otherwise, you’re left to your own devices, forced to stumble around looking for answers, and cooking up who knows what.

So what happens after you have mastered the recipe? That’s when you can improvise and explore. To the ingredients above perhaps you add some lemon curd, or perhaps some finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate. The recipe you learned then becomes the departure point for numerous variations, each of which gives you the opportunity to expand the boundaries. It’s like a piano prodigy adding her own flavor to a Mozart classic.

The basics—the recipe—are always at the core of your effort. But it’s only the start. Once you master the basics, then you can improvise and experiment.

(So what do those ingredients make? When combined properly, they will produce a fantastic crème brûlée.)

“All men should strive to learn before they die, what they are running from, and to, and why.” -James Thurber

Where are you going? Share with the community by commenting below.

“All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.” -Lawrence of Arabia

Do you dream big dreams during the day, or are you satisfied with the misty and ethereal dreams of the night? Share with the community by commenting below.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” -Mark Twain

How are you charting a new course today? Share with the community by commenting below.

What people want is a shortcut to wealth, but what often happens is that it’s the ethical corners that get cut. And yet, as we’ve been told seemingly for centuries, it’s “slow and steady that wins the race.”

Speaking financially, making regular deposits into a savings or 401(k) account can have the same impact of a six-figure windfall…except you can literally bank on the deposits. Inheriting or otherwise suddenly receiving $300,000 is something most people simply can’t count on. In the absence of any guarantees of future wealth, we can make our own guarantees by working hard now while keeping one eye on the future.

Likewise, your dreams need regular “deposits.” If you’re not working on your dreams, who is? It’s essential that you frequently swing a figurative hammer and keep those dreams alive.

In February 2009, Elizabeth gave a speech entitled “A Different Way to Think About Creative Genius.” It’s a funny, moving, and poignant speech that sheds light into the mystery of “calling,” or finding your unique path.

Pay attention to Elizabeth Gilbert’s inspiring words, especially at the very end of her speech, as she describes this concept:

Research has shown that money motivates well for rudimentary tasks but isn’t that effective for more complex work.

What we really crave is self-direction, mastery and the desire to make a contribution.

*If you’re reading this in an RSS reader or e-mail, you may need to click the title of the post to view the video on our blog.*

Marie Curie, who worked with her husband and French physicist Pierre, is an excellent example of perseverance. They worked

“…in an old abandoned leaky shed without funds and without outside encouragement or help, trying to isolate radium from a low-grade uranium ore called pitchblende.

And after their 487th experiment had failed, Pierre threw up his hands in despair and said, ‘It will never be done. Maybe in a hundred years, but never in my day.’

Marie confronted him with a resolute face and said, ‘If it takes a hundred years, it will be a pity, but I will not cease to work for it as long as I live.’”

She was, of course, eventually successful and countless cancer patients have benefited greatly from her perseverance.

The discovery of our unique abilities and our life mission may come only after much perseverance and sustained faith.

Think with the end in mind and be proactive, not reactive.

Only then will you change and create using your imagination, conscience and willpower.

*If you’re reading this in an RSS reader or e-mail, you may need to click the title of the post to view the video on our blog.*