Actor Denzel Washington once said in a commencement address, “I’ve found that nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks. Nothing. Nelson Mandela said, ‘There is no passion to be found in playing small – in settling for a life that’s less than what your capable of living.’”

The above is a quote from Beverly Sills. What this means is that if you want to experience a level of success that’s beyond the ordinary, you have to be willing to start at the bottom and work your way up.

Over the years, I have observed that there are a fair number of people who are trying to live in the past. They regularly post videos on social media featuring musical groups and recording artists from “their era” and they talk about going to dances featuring bands and music from the “good old days.” In…

Over the years, I’ve had several people tell me that life is a game of “give and take.” While that phrase may sound logical, it’s simply not true. Instead, life is about giving and receiving. The reason is that none of us like “takers.” Takers are all about themselves and they’re out to exploit others,…

The sweetness of life relates to those everyday reasons that make life worth living and the most important one is to make a difference in someone else’s life. We are never too busy, too tired, too important, too shy, too young, too old, or too broke to make a difference in someone’s life.

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.