This I Believe

This I Believe; The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women (Holt, 2006) is a collection of very short essays by the famous and the not-so-famous; some from the Edward R. Murrow radio series in the 1950s and some from the National Public Radio series that has just been completed. 

Each person has expressed a core belief that is central to his life and the result is inspiring and thought provoking. How would you express your own belief--your own personal values--while avoiding "religious dogma, preaching, or editorializing?"

Here are a few quotes from the book:

I believe that my own good fortune brings with it a responsibility to give back to the world.   ~Bill Gates

I believe in the connection between strangers when they reach out to each other.   ~Miles Goodwin

I now again believe there is more good than evil; more of those who create, or wish to create, than those who destroy; more of those who love than those who hate.   ~Maximilian Hodder (1950 series)

I believe in cultivating hidden talents, buried and unrelated to what we do for a living.   ~Mel Rusnov

I believe in getting up in the morning with a serene mind and a heart holding many hopes.   ~Carl Sandburg (1950s series)

To imagine that one's own church, civilization, nation, or family is the chosen people is, I believe, as wrong as it would be for me to imagine that I myself am God.    ~Arnold Toynbee (1950s series)

...I believe that if enough ordinary people back up our desire for a better world with action, we can, in fact, accomplish absolutely extraordinary things.   ~Jody Williams, founding coordinator of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, whose interest in advocacy began with a leaflet on global activism handed to her outside a subway station.

You can read the essays published in the book and many more, and browse the archives of the 1950s series at This I Believe.org, "a public dialogue about belief, one essay at a time." You can also contribute an essay--guidelines are given--and find out how to use these essays in your home, your school, and in your community.