We all seek to profit from our various endeavors. We want a return on our investment of time, effort, work, energy and money. Seeking profit is not wrong. But what is truly profitable?

Loyalty, devotion, and dedication—are these traits still character qualities we strive to establish in our walk through life? Is “commitment” an old-fashioned notion or an idea long past its expiration date?

Consider when English Prime Minister Winston Churchill stood alone in the world against the evil aggressive powers of the Nazi regime. His commitment to stand against the oppressive and malicious intentions of Adolph Hitler earned him worldwide respect, and he is now regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century.

In literature, entertainment, and sports, the subject of sisters interacting always seems to be popular. For generations, people have enjoyed the classic works of the Bronte sisters, and their widely read novels, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Agnes Grey, have inspired plays and movies. In the music field, the Andrews Sisters enjoyed popularity for a generation, along with the McGuire Sisters. In more recent times, the musical group Dixie Chicks, founded by two sisters, enthralled audiences with their high-energy performances.

Have you ever made a bad purchase? Perhaps you bought a defective appliance or an automobile that turned out to be a “lemon.” The product or service did not turn out to be what you thought you were buying. In such cases, we may say that we “bought a pig in a poke.”

I remember fondly an old children's story called The Blind Men and the Elephant. This profound yet simple story is a great illustration of the limitations of human perception.

One version of the story describes six blind men living in a village. One day, a caravan of travelers came bringing an elephant. The blind men had no idea what an elephant was, and together they went to "see" it for themselves! Each of them unknowingly inspected by touch only part of the elephant and then reported his conclusion to the other men.