These sayings may be similar to what some others have said, but they came mostly out of my head, background, and experiences. Many of them originally came from other sources, and just stuck in my mind when I heard or read them. Many of them have stuck with me since childhood, high school, college, and still others from a later period in my life. These sayings apply to many life situations, and are selected from a variety of possibilities.

None of these sayings were deliberately taken from other sources, but sayings do get passed around, and some of them probably ended up being found in other sources. Most of them came from family and friends. But even family and friends could have acquired them from other sources originally.

I have collected these sayings from my mother and father, sisters and brothers, other relatives, and classmates; also some from strangers. I’ve collected them from teachers and professors. The author calls into play the uncommon wisdom of all those he has come in contact with. In some cases they have come from various Sunday morning sermons, radio and TV programs—even some Internet programs. In some cases the sayings have been reorganized, reshaped, and synthesized to reflect more of a personal perspective.

Many of the statements on the surface seem to have no great depth until examined more closely. The sayings are powerful and practical. The author has been shaped and molded by these sayings. Some of these sayings helped to turn a stuttering-country boy into an individual who is half-way savvy with words.

I was born in the rural area of a small country town called Hallsville in East Texas. Nothing about the area I was raised promoted academics. My parents didn’t emphasize education. We had just enough to survive of most things. We had no road to our house, only a trail for three miles off the main highway for three miles. All my family’s time was spent maintaining a small-dirt farm. My parents were of the old school. Until we got the road, as I entered first grade, we had no electricity, no gas, and no indoor plumbing. We lived similar to prairie farmers of the eighteenth century. My parents neglected my education, primarily because their education had been neglected. The primary school further neglected my education as well, because of a history of such rural-Black education. To top this situation off I had a severe stuttering habit. Somehow I was motivated to continue with my education after high school, even though my prior education had been neglected. I was hungry for an education, and was motivated to do the best I knew how in order to improve my educational level. There is something about being severely deprived that motivates one to work harder in some special cases. Sometimes of course, it has the direct opposite effect. It usually takes just the right amount of deprivation to create the necessary level of motivation to desire to improve one’s life, when coming from such a situation.

It was hard to overcome the deficits I experienced as a result of being exposed to this situation. Some negative situations in which I was exposed to will take me the rest of my life to overcome, if it will ever be possible to overcome them.

There is something about maxims that intrigue me. I have been interested in them since I was a child. Something about them indicates a certain level of scholarship combined with relevancy to everyday life. A maxim says a lot about life in only a few words. I admire the way so much can be said of meaning and significance about life and society in only a few words. This motivated me to compile a list of some of the maxims that had the most significant influences on my life. I recall these maxims strictly from memory. Many of the ones that have influenced me I have forgotten. I have listed all the ones I could recall.

I only write what I feel will be useful to others. If these sayings are carefully considered they will be beneficial to anyone who reads them.

I didn’t bother to go into a detailed explanation of each of these sayings, because most of them are in my view self-explanatory. I decided to simply make a list of the ones that had a great influence on my life.

These sayings helped me to survive a neglected and deprived childhood, and to navigate many other difficult situations in my life. I hope these sayings will motivate others to improve their lives.