Famous quotes and inspirational writings can provide a shift in perspective, a shot of confidence, or sometimes just a belly laugh. Robert Gesmundo collected many of his favorites into Moments to Ponder so they might inspire others.
Gesmundo includes inspirational quotes (the first lines of the Serenity Prayer open the collection), proverbs from around the world (from the Chinese: “One joy scatters a hundred griefs”), and humorous tidbits (“Love is grand, divorce is 200 grand”). Some have an italicized comment below them elaborating on how they have applied to Gesmundo’s own life. For example, below a quote about wealth that includes the line “True wealth is doing what you love,” he writes: “During my working career I can honestly say that every job I did I enjoyed…”
While the proverbs are identified by their countries of origin, the other quotations aren’t attributed. The author acknowledges this in his Preface, writing: “With the exception of some old sayings and proverbs all of the Authors are unknown or anonymous. However, I wish to acknowledge them wherever they may be.” Still, one wonders if a little digging might have turned up some sources. For instance, the “Just For Today” pledges are drawn from 12-step recovery literature, which should have been easy to find and credit.
The book also has some copyediting problems, such as the inconsistent use of periods (sometimes, they appear at the end of a sentence, other times only at the end of a stanza), missing commas, incorrect use of semi-colons, etc.
Despite such issues, Moments to Ponder offers snippets that might bring a smile or, if taken to heart, help reset a person’s mindset from negative to positive. In all, it’s a simple bedside book—something to flip through before sleeping or upon waking for quick bursts of inspiration.
Also available as an ebook.
