Paul Nicolaus posted a fascinating article titled, “Want to Feel Happier Today? Try Talking to a Stranger,” on npr.org. According to the article, talking to strangers puts us in a better mood, makes us feel more connected to our community and improves our level of happiness. Despite these benefits, Mr. Nicolaus points out that many…
Over the years, I’ve observed a lot of people who, when things don’t go as planned, become angry, upset or even have a “melt-down.” During the process, they make themselves and everyone them around them miserable. Hey, delays and interruptions are a part of life and it’s always been that way–to expect otherwise is to…
Tom Vellner posted an article on buzzfeed.com listing some of the scientifically proven benefits of performing kind acts. As we all know, kindness makes the world a better place, but performing kind acts such as being nice to someone in traffic, smiling, volunteering or holding the door open for someone have a substantial impact on our physical…
Charlie Wedemeyer was a football player at Michigan State University. After his college football career, he took a job as a teacher and football coach at Los Gatos High School in Northern California. At age 30, he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease and given one to three years to live. Despite his disease, he…
Karina Bland wrote a column which appeared in The Arizona Republic about how to apologize in which she referenced a book written by Donna Moriarty titled, Not Just Words: How a Good Apology Makes You Braver, Boulder and Better at Life. According to the column, “Apologizing takes courage, which is why we often avoid it…
In an article which appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Melinda Beck referred to a growing body of research which shows that feeling grateful for the good things that happened to us can improve our psychological, emotional and physical health. According to Ms. Beck, “Adults who frequently feel grateful have more energy, more optimism, more…
I came across a post by Angel Chernoff on the blog Practical Tips for Productive Living. The post is titled: “10 Choices You Will Regret in 10 Years.” The first of these 10 choices hit me hard because I’ve seen so many people fall victim to it and have a miserable life. Therefore, I would like…
Most of us are very busy–so much so, that we don’t want to take the time to let those around us tell us their stories. The problem with this is that all of us need opportunities to share our stories–our joys, problems and sorrows–with someone who cares. Being able to share our stories is what…
I watched a Major League baseball player being interviewed on television after he had pitched a particularly good game. Early in his career, he had not pitched well and now he was pitching very well. When the interviewer asked him what it was that caused the change in his performance, he said, “I stopped dwelling…
I had the opportunity to observe two Great Blue Herons. One was standing in the middle of a swift flowing stream while the other stood safely on the bank. You can guess which one was catching all the fish–not the one standing on the bank. The same holds true for people. If you expect to…