Peace / pēs /, noun: 1. a period of harmony among nations when there is no war, 2. a calm ordered condition, 3. freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility. “The peace we seek in the world begins in human hearts.” – President Barack Obama

Aspiration / aspəˈrāSH(ə)n /, noun: an ambition; a strong desire to do something. “Keep high aspirations, moderate expectations, and small needs.” – William Howard Stein Photo taken from the Rotary Club of Soledad’s distribution day, CA.

Patience / pā’SHəns/, noun: 1. the act of waiting calmly for someone or something, 2. the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. “Patience is not simply the ability to wait – it’s how we behave while we’re waiting.” – Joyce Meyer

Inspire / ĭn-spīr’ /, verb: to stimulate to think and to act; to influence. “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams         Students from Global Academy, Columbia Heights, Minnesota.  

Flexible /flĕk’sə-b(ə)l/, adjective: 1. capable of being bent, usually without breaking, 2. susceptible of modification or adaptation; adaptable, 3. willing or disposed to yield; pliable. Related forms: flexibility, flexibleness, noun; flexibly, adverb. “Flexibility is the real key to thinking. It is the ability to find another way to reach a goal – creating a plan B if your plan A does not work.” –... Read More

Curious /kyo͝or’ē-əs/, adjective: 1. eager to know about all things. 2. singular, unusual, odd. “Be curious always! For knowledge will not acquire you; you must acquire it.” – Sudie Back  

Imagination /i-măj’ə’-nā’shən/, noun: 1. the ability to form a picture in your mind of something that you have not seen or experienced; fantasy, dreams. 2. the ability to think of new things; creativity. “There are two worlds: the world that we can measure with line and rule, and the world that we feel with our hearts and imagination.” – Leigh Hunt

Meditation /medəˈtāSH(ə)n/, noun: 1. deep, solemn reflection. 2. the act or process of spending time in quiet thought; the act or process of meditating. 3. an expression of a person’s thoughts on something. “Whether you’re keeping a journal or writing as a meditation, it’s the same thing. What’s important is you’re having a relationship with your mind.”            – Natalie Goldburg

Alone /əˈlōn/, adverb and adjective: 1. Without company; solitary. 2. Without equal; unique; unparalleled. 3. Excluding all others; solely; only.   “We’re born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we’re not alone.” – Orson Welles The Rotary Club of Lukavac, Bosnia and Rotary Club of DeLand, Florida.

Book /bo͝ok/ noun: sheets of paper bound together for reading or writing, a long work of literature. verb: to make reservations for a future date. “Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill.” Barbara W. Tuchman   Jeanne and Neal Richardson, Morgan County dictionary project, Tennessee