Several summers ago, on a whim, my wife and I decided to plant some melons in our vegetable garden since vegetables don’t do well in the Arizona summer heat. We also planted them in the open spaces in our flower gardens. It turned out to be one of the best gardening things we’ve ever done.…
My youngest daughter landed a job teaching second grade this year. It’s the perfect job for her since she loves young children and she loves to teach. For the past two weeks, she has been working 12 hour days getting her classroom ready for the school year to start. All the while she has a…
It’s no secret that as we get older, our brain function often declines. According to an article written by Anne Ryman that recently appeared in The Arizona Republic, a research study at Arizona State University found “…that older honeybees turned back the clock on brain aging when they took on new duties, such as caring…
While electronic communication makes it possible for us to exchange information rapidly, it falls short when it comes to the caring and feeding of personal relationships. Relationships occur between two people and people need periodic personal touches from the other person if the relationship to remain vibrant. If your relationships are well maintained and you…
It’s a fact of life; if you follow the crowd, you’ll never be highly successful. On the other hand, the minute you step away from the crowd, you invite criticism-people judge you and make disparaging remarks about your ideas and dreams which can be hurtful. So, how do you deal with criticism? The answer is…
The above is a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson. These three short sentences form the foundation for a happy and meaningful life. Be Silly tells us to relax, have fun and let our foolish side show itself once in a while. Be Honest tells us to be comfortable with whom we are and let our…
One of my daughters recently emailed a quote to me that read, “Happy people are those who continuously evaluate and improve themselves. Unhappy people are those who continuously evaluate others.” What this means is that happy people are focused on personal growth–trying and learning new things, going to new places and making new friends. For…
I subscribe to a newsletter called Napoleon Hill: Yesterday and Today. The most recent issue contained an article titled “The Advantages of the Habit of Going the Extra Mile.” In this article, Mr. Hill listed 12 distinct advantages you gain from regularly going the extra mile. I’d like to share a few of these with…
One of my daughters recently emailed me a quote from Beverly Sills. It read, “There are no short cuts to any place worth going.” What this means is that if you want to experience a high level of success, you have to be willing to pay your dues–to start at the bottom and work your way…
In a recent blog post, minimalist Joshua Becker asserts that for far too many people, the desire to impress others is the major motivator in their life. This desire determines the cars they buy, the clothes they wear, the technology the embrace and so forth. He goes on to say that this often proves to…