Friday, June 13, 2008

Good Manners Thursday...

Yes.. I chickened out on Good Manners Thursday yesterday. But, I still want to post something from Happiness for Two, which was one of the best books I read last year. It's a book about marriage and there is a lot in the book about etiquette in marriage. If you haven't read Alexandra's books before, you will enjoy her short essay style. Each chapter is 3-5 pages and she gets right to the point.
A favorite chapter in this book is about being a more interesting person by making the commitment to lifelong learning.
So many of the friends I love are so good at this, I hope it will give you a boost today to know how fabulous you are!
I really think that etiquette and manners, at least to me, is a desire that I have for self-examination and improvement in every aspect of life... to be the best self for self and for others is the ultimate in good manners. I just wanted to explain that so you don't wonder why I don't talk about which fork is appropriate. It's more interesting to me to post here pieces of wisdom.. not ones that I myself am perfect at .. but the things which I am interested in improving myself.. It's here for my benefit and you are invited to read along if you like just so you know that I'm only preaching to me.
Alexandra wrote: "A love of learning is a gift that enriches every day we're alive. Reading quality literature regularly fosters within you a quickening of knowledge and experience... The quality of our reading enhances all of our interaction with others and especially with our love. When you both value being lifelong students, always reaching out to grow more knowledgeable about the world and how to live more successfully in it, you become more interested and therefore more interesting to each other. Both partners raise their appreciation of life's richness and diversity and sustain a mutual joie de vivre. When you stimulate your mind with wise thoughts and universal principles that have withstood the test of time, you're more able to trust your intuition of what is true."
How true is that!

4 comments:

Michelle said...

This is a good post too Tif! And you are so right. My mom is so good at this. She always stresses that she is only a high school graduate but she is one of the most educated interesting people I know because she is always reading!

Circe said...

So wise and inspirational!

Sabina said...

This looks really good. I'm always on the lookout for good books to read with a positive message.

Thanks Tiffany!!

Rebecca said...

Right on. I haven't read this book but we'll check it out.

No matter all the apparent negatives of the New York Times, I think it's still a great paper to read. We're subscribers and read together each morning. It provides great fodder for interesting conversations. For me, those kinds of 'discussions,' especially when we can take opposing sides, are the best thing to reignite sparks.