All of us have experienced times when we’re feeling down, depressed and unhappy. During such episodes, there is a tendency for us to focus on ourselves; thinking only of our problems, our troubles, and our misfortunes—a behavior pattern that prolongs our feeling down. On the other hand, the quickest way to take yourself out of…
If there is one characteristic that sets successful people apart, it’s persistence—the willingness to hang in there when it comes to pursuing a goal or dream. If you look at successful people throughout history, very few were overnight successes. Instead, they were persistent—they made lots of mistakes and encountered many obstacles, but they didn’t quit.…
Television commentator Charles Kuralt once said, “Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends, fads and popular opinion.” Dale Carnegie put it this way, “The person who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from shore.” In other words, to…
Some people attempt to gain influence by calling attention to themselves–things they have accomplished, places they have been, things they own, people they know and so forth. While such behavior comes naturally, it does little to improve your standing with those around you because most people resent such behavior. What does improve your standing is…
Good listeners are extremely popular because they give the people they’re listening to the very thing they’re longing for—an opportunity to tell their story. Good listeners understand that no one wants to hear their story. On the other hand, everyone else is dying to tell their story to someone who cares. So, if you take…
When it comes to impacting people’s lives, nothing is more powerful than kindness. As Albert Schwietzer once said: “Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust and hostility to evaporate.” Leo Buscaglia put it this way: “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a…
Regina Brett is an author, inspirational speaker and popular newspaper columnist. Prior to turning 50, she was diagnosed and successfully treated for breast cancer. To celebrate turning 50, she wrote a column about the 45 lessons life had taught her which appeared in the Plain Dealer. One of these lessons really caught my attention: Burn the…
Over the years, I’ve had several people tell me that life is a game of “give and take.” While that phrase may sound perfectly logical, it’s simply not true. Instead, life is about giving and receiving. The reason for this is that none of us like “takers.” Takers are all about themselves and they’re out…
A friend emailed this story to me. I have no idea who wrote it or even if it’s true, but the lesson it contains is appropriate given today’s stressful environment. “One day I hopped into a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black…
USA Today reviewed a book written by psychiatrist Dr. Stuart Brown titled Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul. According to Dr. Brown, play is extremely important during periods of prolonged stress like now when we’re not sure when the pandemic we’re in is going to end. Play energizes us, refreshes us…