That’s the title of a recent Wall Street Journal opinion piece written by Arthur C. Brooks. He says that while it may appear that the world today belongs to jerks, “…the best available research still clearly shows that in everyday life the nice people, not the creeps, do the best at work, in love and…
Listening to Someone Else’s Troubles can take away Yours The other day I went to the Post Office to mail a gift to my mother in law. I was not doing well that morning as I felt very stressed and anxious. When I was called to the counter, I noticed the postal employee who was…
I have always appreciated the phrase “stop and smell the roses” metaphorically which means to take time out of one’s busy schedule to appreciate or enjoy the beauty of life. On the other hand, I have only recently begun to appreciate it from a literal standpoint. The other day, I was out for a morning…
I was sitting next to a gentleman on a plane who decided to tell me about how he solved one of his life problems. He was into his fourth marriage and it was a very happy one. His first three had failed miserably. When I heard this, I asked him what made his fourth marriage…
During this past year, I spent seven weeks getting infused with antibiotics twice a day at a local hospital. During that time, I got to know the reception employees and volunteers very well and they treated me with the utmost kindness. So much so that when my treatments were finished I wrote the hospital CEO…
Recently David Brooks, Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times, wrote an essay titled “The Moral Bucket List” that was posted in the SundayReview section of nytimes.com. He began his essay with this paragraph: “About once a month I run across a person who radiates an inner light. These people can be in any walk of…
The above is a quote from former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. While he endured his share of failures, he knew these failures would eventually lead to success so he continued to press on with enthusiasm. When I hear a quote like this, I’m reminded of Thomas Edison’s experience associated with inventing the first commercially…
As I approached the meat counter of my favorite supermarket recently, a store employee greeted me with a cheerful “hello!” I responded by saying, “You certainly are in a wonderful mood today.” She said, “I always try to be in a good mood at work. If I’m grumpy, the day seems to last forever and…
Since the 1990s, longevity expert and author, Dan Buettner, has been traveling with teams of researchers to areas around the world where people live the longest. His teams have studied how lifestyle and environment impact the length of people’s lives. According to an article which appeared in Monday’s USA Today, “Buettner says that while a…
A friend of mine posted the most wonderful story on Facebook about forgiveness. I’d like to share her story with you. “Yesterday I decided that I wanted to reconnect with my step daughter. We have been estranged for a number of years. Today, I literally ran into her in a department store. I looked at…