Meandering, meandering, meandering we go . . .

Today is the birthday of George Ivanovich Gurdjieff (January 13, 1866? – October 29, 1949), mystic and spiritual teacher. He referred to his discipline as The Work or the Fourth Way.

"There do exist enquiring minds, which long for the truth of the heart, seek it, strive to solve the problems set by life, try to penetrate to the essence of things and phenomena and to penetrate into themselves. If a man reasons and thinks soundly, no matter which path he follows in solving these problems, he must inevitably arrive back at himself, and begin with the solution of the problem of what he is himself and what his place is in the world around him." - George Gurdjieff

"Self-observation brings man to the realization of the necessity of self-change. And in observing himself a man notices that self-observation itself brings about certain changes in his inner processes. He begins to understand that self-observation is an instrument of self-change, a means of awakening." - George Gurdjieff

"A considerable percentage of the people we meet on the street are people who are empty inside, that is, they are actually already dead. It is fortunate for us that we do not see and do not know it. If we knew what a number of people are actually dead and what a number of these dead people govern our lives, we should go mad with horror." - George Gurdjieff

"Without self knowledge, without understanding the working and functions of his machine, man cannot be free, he cannot govern himself and he will always remain a slave." - George Gurdjieff

"A man is never the same for long. He is continually changing. He seldom remains the same even for half an hour." - George Gurdjieff

"Without struggle, no progress and no result. Every breaking of habit produces a change in the machine." - George Gurdjieff

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Today is the birthday of Alfred Carl Fuller (January 13, 1885 - December 4, 1973), businessman. He was the original Fuller Brush Man.

Alfred C. Fuller built a company that became a cultural icon known for its hard-working sales force. His Fuller Brush Company revolutionized the manufacturing process for brushes and made door-to-door selling acceptable.

"It says here, that I was fired from my first three jobs, after which I went into business for myself. I guess it's quite evident why I became self-employed - I had no choice." - Alfred C. Fuller

From the beginning Alfred C. Fuller established three basic rules:

* Make it work
* Make it last
* Guarantee it no matter what.

Today, almost a century later, these words still guide The Fuller Brush Company.

Fuller image source (1)