The Lord gave us two ends - one to sit on and the other to think

Hear, O seekers of wisdom, the words of Ann Landers, who declared with wit and truth: “The Lord gave us two ends—one to sit on and the other to think with. Success depends on which one we use the most.” At first, these words may seem playful, a jest in simple form. Yet beneath the humor lies a teaching as sharp as the edge of a sword. For Landers reminds us that success is not granted by chance or by idle waiting, but by the active use of the mind, the noble gift of thought bestowed by the Creator.

For behold, man was fashioned not only with a body for rest but with a spirit for action and a mind for reason. To sit endlessly, indulging in comfort, is to waste the fleeting hours of life. But to think, to plan, to create, to act with wisdom—this is the way of the diligent and the path to greatness. Landers speaks plainly what sages of old declared with grandeur: that idleness leads to ruin, while thought and labor lead to triumph.

Consider the tale of Benjamin Franklin. Born in modest means, he could have chosen to sit and accept the limits of his station. Instead, he devoted himself to thinking—reading by candlelight, questioning the world around him, experimenting, and inventing. His mind lifted him from poverty to prosperity, from obscurity to statesmanship. Franklin became proof that success is not given to the idle, but to those who engage the higher end that God has granted them.

History shows us also the folly of idleness. The Roman Empire, once mighty and disciplined, fell in part because its people chose the pleasures of sitting—gladiatorial games, feasts, and luxury—over the vigilance of thought and preparation. While their enemies sharpened their swords and trained their minds, Rome decayed in ease. The empire that once conquered the known world was conquered instead by its own neglect. Thus, Landers’s words ring with eternal truth: the use of the wrong end leads not to success, but to downfall.

Mark this wisdom: the Creator gave every man the same two ends, but the measure of his life is in how he uses them. To sit is natural and sometimes necessary, for even the strong need rest. But to dwell always in ease is to bury the gift of reason. To think, however, is to unlock the treasures of invention, to overcome obstacles, to craft a future. Success, then, is not a mystery but a choice—one end or the other, idleness or intellect, decline or progress.

The lesson is plain: rise from the seat of idleness and take up the mantle of thought. Do not let your life drift like a leaf in the wind, but guide it with purpose. Each day, ask yourself: Am I sitting when I should be thinking? Am I wasting what was given to me for comfort, or am I using what was given for creation and growth? For the balance of your destiny rests on that choice.

Practical wisdom calls for this: set aside time each day for purposeful thinking. Read, reflect, plan, and sharpen the mind as a warrior sharpens his blade. Then let your thoughts guide your actions, for thought without deed is as useless as deed without thought. Let your rest be measured, but your work abundant, and in this balance you will find prosperity.

Thus, beloved, remember the wit and wisdom of Ann Landers: success depends on which end you use the most. Choose thought over idleness, wisdom over sloth, diligence over ease. For in that choice lies the secret of progress, the path of greatness, and the fulfillment of the gift the Lord has entrusted to every soul.