Much of the noise in this world and in our life results from talking when we should be quite and from keeping silent when we should actually speak up. Words, silence carry as much power to heal as to hurt. Know when to use which, ever mindful of their reverberations.

To lie is to move away from the truth of one's own self. A truth that seeks to hurt another is a lie. A truth that seeks to save oneself at the expense of another is a lie still. Truth is love. And like love it must nurture, it must elevate, it must set free - not just the speaker but also the listener and any who are affected by it. Today be true, be kind, be love, be fearless, be free.

"I would have done the same thing" is not the moral compass of this Universe. If we find it easy to condone the misgivings of another because they mirror us, we should then be just as critical of our shortcomings in light of a perceived goodness that we may not yet reflect. Neither forgo an opportunity to do good under the "I am no Jesus" pretext, nor abandon compassion under the garb of "I would have done the same thing".