How have your efforts been faring? Are you among those who pledge annual resolutions—only to see them delayed by distractions that masquerade as thought? Many succumb to the illusion of internal dialogue believing these voices…

How vividly I recall old Mr. Tierney—his gait a study in measured dignity despite his infirmities—as he tottered into the classroom wearing a tweed jacket, patched at the elbows, that hung loosely on…