Thursday, May 29, 2014

From A to Z: 26 Words To Describe Myself


Awkward:  Socially, physically, mentally. You name it, I'm awkward at it.


Belligerent:  But really only in adverse traffic scenarios. Otherwise, I'm pretty mild-mannered.


Cheesy:  My humor is an acquired taste. And some people are lactose-intolerant.


Deliberate:  Especially in my work. I'm not the fastest, most productive writer. But I may very well be the most thorough, and thereby the most effective.


Eclectic:  My taste in books, movies, music, and people in general is quite varied.


Fleshy:  I'm carrying a few extra pounds. Quite a few, actually.


Goofy:  I can be downright silly when I want to be. And I often want to be.


Hellenic:  My great-grandfather emigrated to the United States from Greece. Which makes me one-eighth Greek.


Impulsive:  All too often, I act or speak without thinking. And sometimes that gets me into trouble.


Jealous:  I am guilty of this most basic yet very common character flaw. I'm jealous of those who have more money than I do, those who are better-looking than I am, and of those who are more talented than I am.


Kindhearted:  Despite my sometimes bristly exterior, I'm basically a nice person who cares about other people more than I do about myself.


Listless:  I don't always lack energy or enthusiasm – but when I do, I do it better than anyone else I know.


Melodious:  I can carry a tune. And play a few of them, too. I've been told I don't entirely suck at either.


Neutral:  In politics, in conflicts, in interpersonal relationships, I am basically Switzerland. It's rare that I take a strong stance on anything. Which can be infuriating to some.


Obvious:  Here I'm not referring to the "easily perceived or understood" definition of the word, but rather the "predictable and lacking in subtlety" definition.


Passable:  This is my honest opinion of how I view myself, physically speaking. I'm not the ugliest person who ever lived, but I'll never be counted among the handsomest, either. I'm just, blah. Just barely average.


Quirky:  I'm not exactly normal, but not quite psychotic. Color me "different."


Rubicund:  This isn't nearly as scandalous a word as it sounds. It means I'm red-faced, ruddy-complexioned. It's a ginger thing, I think.


Scraggly:  I only shave every two or three days, so often my beard can appear a bit unkempt. There's a method to the madness, though. It just doesn't come through that clearly.


Tedious:  In the sense that I'm "wordy so as to cause weariness or boredom."


Unfathomable:  Even after this 26-word exposition of myself, you will find me incomprehensible. I'm just impossible to read. Even to myself.


Versatile:  I can do many different things well. But most of my talents lie dormant due to lack of opportunity.


Woozy:  This mostly describes me when I'm under the influence of allergy medications (almost a daily occurrence at this time of year). But it sometimes applies in my daily life as well.


Xenophobic:  I'll admit it. Sometimes I am "unreasonably fearful of…anyone or anything foreign or strange." I'm not racist – not in the least – but I am distrustful of people I don't know or understand. Come to think of it, I'm somewhat distrustful of some people I do know and understand. Oh…


Yielding:  I can be extremely stubborn at times, but in the end I'd rather let someone else have their way than engage in a conflict. If that makes me a wimp or any less of a man, then so be it.


Zealous:  When I am passionate about something (admittedly, this is a rarity), I will pursue it to the fullest – with energy, enthusiasm, and fervor springing up within me from wells I didn't even know existed.






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All quoted or implied word definitions are derived from Dictionary.com.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Words I Wish I Wrote: Quotes About Integrity


1)  "The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively."  ~  Bob Marley


2)  "Be impeccable with your word. Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love."  ~  Miguel Angel Ruiz


3)  "Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not."  ~  Oprah Winfrey


4)  "Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you."  ~  H. Jackson Brown, Jr.


5)  "Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity."  ~  W. Clement Stone


6)  "Goodness is about character - integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people."  ~  Dennis Prager


7)  "If you don't have integrity, you have nothing. You can't buy it. You can have all the money in the world, but if you are not a moral and ethical person, you really have nothing."  ~  Henry Kravis


8)  "A single lie destroys a whole reputation of integrity."  ~  Baltasar Gracian


9)  "Perhaps the surest test of an individual's integrity is his refusal to do or say anything that would damage his self-respect."  ~  Thomas S. Monson


10)  "Integrity has no need of rules."  ~  Albert Camus


11)  "Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful."  ~  Samuel Johnson


12)  "The high road is always respected. Honesty and integrity are always rewarded."  ~  Scott Hamilton


13)  "If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters."  ~  Harvey Mackay


14)  "Nothing more completely baffles one who is full of trick and duplicity, than straightforward and simple integrity in another."  ~  Charles Caleb Colton


15)  "Honor your commitments with integrity."  ~  Les Brown