As you know, I search for quotes to use with these daily messages – they give insight and hopefully impetus to our individual self-improvement efforts and provide a general theme for each respective message. I usually know of each author and in many cases am familiar with the quote – but not today. The story of St. Ambrose is fascinating (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrose) and the quote is more instructive than many. It’s the kind of statement a parent might discuss with their children and ask how it might affect their behavior; it’s one that I might use in a management class on professionalism and ask my student’s how it might be applied at work; and it’s one we might discuss with each other in search of ways to be better human beings. There are far too many instances in real life of talking down to others, mocking them, and being too full of ourselves – nothing good or productive comes from those kinds of selfish and thoughtless acts. The sooner people learn that no one heals him or herself by wounding another, the better off everyone and every interaction will be. I’d have loved to put this in the employee handbooks I created to go along with the Golden Rule I included in some of the later and more enlightened ones. Because the more we treat others the way we each want to be treated, the better our world will be. Heal yourself by healing others today.
Ambrose of Milan (339 – 397), venerated as Saint Ambrose, was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. His preaching, his actions and his literary works, in addition to his innovative musical hymnography, made him one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th century.
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