Four Questions for Keeping Your Foot Out of Your Mouth

A subscriber shared with me a fascinating quote in response to last week’s about how tongues are made for praising. The quote is from an Indian spiritual master named Sai Baba who passed away in 1918. The quote is: “Before you speak ask yourself, is it kind, is it necessary, is it true and does…

Tongues are Made for Praising

I came across this phrase in a document I read recently. I thought wow, what perfect sense this makes because tongues are indeed made for praising. They are not made for belittling people, cutting them down or making them feel bad. None of these actions make the world a better place. On the other hand,…

Finding Joy and Meaning Are Key to Getting through Tough Times

Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook and the author of Lean In, recently delivered the commencement address at the University of California at Berkley. Her address focused on what she had learned since her husband’s death a little over a year ago. She said, “I learned about the depths of sadness and the…

Face Your Fears First

Recently I had gotten into the habit of putting unpleasant or scary tasks off because I was afraid to deal with them—it’s called procrastination. As a result, my productivity suffered because of the weight of these tasks hanging over my head. For example, I needed a huge favor from a fairly famous person whom I…

Friendships Are Very Good for Us

An article by Elizabeth Bernstein which recently appeared in The Wall Street Journal, points out that people who have solid friendships live longer and healthier lives. She goes on to say, “Friendship decreases blood pressure and stress, reduces the risk of depression and increases longevity, in large part because someone is looking out for us.…

The Power of Handwritten Note Taking

According to an article by Robert Lee Hotz which recently appeared in The Wall Street Journal, students who take handwritten notes outperform those who type them on a keyboard. While handwritten note takers take fewer notes than those who type them (22 words per minute vs.33), they learn better, retain information longer and more readily…

Happiness During Retirement isn’t just about Money

Most of the advice about preparing for retirement centers around making sure that you’ve put enough money aside in order to live comfortably. However, an article written by Brian Stoffel which appeared in a recent issue of USA Today points out that it takes more than money to have an enjoyable retirement.” Mr. Stoffel cited…

The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing

The Five Top Regrets of Dying People

Bronnie Ware is an Australian author, songwriter and an international speaker. Prior to that, she worked many years as a palliative care specialist dealing with patients who had gone home to die. She was with them during the last three to twelve weeks of their lives. When she questioned them about any regrets they had…