Most people would like to feel that their life stands for something good and that they are making a difference.

During the past several years, I’ve needed to utilize the services of a large cardiology practice. Each time I go there, I make it a point to be cheerful and kind to the people who are helping me. Not long ago, I was not feeling just right, and I wanted to get one of the doctors to squeeze me between his scheduled appointments so I could make sure I was okay.

For a long time now, I have been observing gardeners—people who plant fruits, vegetables, and flowers in their yard. These people tend to be very energetic and seem to love what they do. My wife Marcia is one such person.

A former student of mine posted the following quote on Facebook: “Happiness comes a lot easier when you stop complaining about the problems you do have, and you start being grateful for all the problems you don’t have.”

I came across a Facebook post by a radio talk show host in Phoenix who recently fostered then adopted a six-year-old girl whom he refers to as “Sister” in his post.

When you go to places like a doctor’s office, an airport or a tire shop, chances are you’re going to do some waiting.

Validation reinforces a positive sense of worth in people and makes them feel really good about who they are. Furthermore, people who feel good about themselves do good things. One of the ways that we can all help make the world a better place is to serve as an instrument of validation.

Few people will argue with the old adage that, “Experience is the best teacher.” Experience is all about trying something new, failing, learning from that failure, and then trying again until you get it right. When you think about it, that’s how most of us learned how to ride a bicycle.

In today’s fast paced world, unexpected delays and interruptions are anything but welcome—in fact, they can be downright stressful. I’m talking about delayed flights, waiting to have a flat tire fixed and long lines at the Post Office.

Young children begin life with absolutely no fear of failure. Take learning how to walk, for example. We repeatedly failed over and over in our initial attempts, but we got back up and tried again with smiles on our faces.