po·lar/ˈpōlər/, adjective: 1. relating to a geographic or magnetic pole “He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it.” Confucius, 551 BCE – 479 BCE “Polar coordinates aren’t just arctic fashions.” Anonymous graffiti 2. at opposite ends; completely different “Love and hate, despite their polar... Read More

pas·sen·ger /ˈpasinjər/, noun: a person traveling in a vehicle or vessel but not operating it; someone other than the driver or captain “I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can’t say; I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.” Harriet Tubman, c. 1822 – 1913 “My fate... Read More

am·bi·tious /amˈbiSHəs/ adjective: having or showing a strong desire and determination to succeed; driven to achieve “It is a paradoxical but profoundly true and important principle of life that the most likely way to reach a goal is to be aiming not at that goal itself but at some more ambitious goal beyond it.” Arnold J. Toynbee, 1889 – 1975 “The tallest Trees are... Read More

pas·sion /ˈpaSHən/, noun: 1. strong and barely controllable emotion, especially the emotion of love, anger, or hate 2. ambition that is materialized into action to put as much heart, mind, body and soul into something as is possible “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”... Read More

Good /ɡo͝od/ 1.adjective: of a favorable, virtuous, or commendable character or tendency “It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come.” Dalai Lama “Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people... Read More

chal·lenge /chăl’ənj/ 1. noun: an offer to test ability or skill “How you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine what you become after the game, whether you are a winner or a loser.” Lou Holtz, 1937 – “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times... Read More

prog·ress /präɡres/ 1.noun: forward or onward movement toward a destination, goal, or objective “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” Frederick Douglass, c. February 1818 – February 20, 1895 “The power to question is the basis of all human progress.” Indira Gandhi, 1917 – 2. verb: to improve or develop over a period of time “As the 19th century progressed, Europe’s innovations,... Read More

di·rec·tion /də-ˈrek-shən/, noun: 1. a statement that tells a person what to do and how to do it; an order or instruction “If the person at the wheel refuses to ask for directions, it is time for a new driver.” Jennifer Granholm, 1959 – “Give me something to assemble, I won’t look at the directions, I’ll try to figure it out by myself. It’s... Read More

con·tin·u·ous /kənˈtinyo͞oəs/,adjective: happening or existing without a break or interruption “Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.” Winston Churchill, 1874 – 1965 con·tin·u·al /kənˈtiny(əw)əl/, adjective: happening again and again within short periods of time “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.” Benjamin Franklin, 1706 – 1790   pictured:... Read More