“My most contented moments”

…its important in life where you get your strokes. And if you get your
strokes from your job, or from other people, you gonna have a tough time in
life. Coz you going to make some critical moral mistakes. I get my strokes
from my faith and my family. And I think my faith, especially, allows me to
stand stronger when I am attacked because I really think about, I really
pray about, and I really think long-term…. I am not running again ever for
political office….

To me, I dont have to face the voters, so I speak pretty well plain. But the
question ought to be asked; why cant you speak plain when you are facing the
voters? Where is the moral courage and character, which is what I think is
really lacking, not just in our elected leaders, but across a great portion
of our country. In terms of those character traits that will better solve
and secure our future….

Look, it’s easy to fall prey. That’s the struggle of all our lives isnt it?
Is that we put ourselves first or somebody else first. I mean the essence of
a well-lived life is what you do for other people, not what you do for
yourself. I mean you’re not going to be measured on how you gain. You’ll
going to be measured on how you help other people gain.

And, so its easy to fall into that, really, deceitful trap, of putting you
first. And, what I’ve actually found in life is my most contented moments is
when I am giving my life away to somebody else rather than building up my
own life….

[Senator Tom Coburn, December 2012]