Happiness Is Having Something Challenging Pending

The above is a quote from Art Fettig, my 80-plus year old friend who is a motivational speaker, author, philosopher and actor: www.artfetig.com. I think his quote makes an excellent point. Having something on our horizon that’s going to stretch us and make us grow is one of the things that makes getting out of bed…

A Brain Lesson from Honeybees

It’s no secret that as we get older, our brain function often declines.  According to an article written by Anne Ryman that recently appeared in The Arizona Republic, a research study at Arizona State University found “…that older honeybees turned back the clock on brain aging when they took on new duties, such as caring…

Personal Relationships: High-Touch; Not High-Tech

While electronic communication makes it possible for us to exchange information rapidly, it falls short when it comes to the caring and feeding of personal relationships. Relationships occur between two people and people need periodic personal touches from the other person if the relationship to remain vibrant. If your relationships are well maintained and you…

Do Something worth Criticizing

It’s a fact of life; if you follow the crowd, you’ll never be highly successful. On the other hand, the minute you step away from the crowd, you invite criticism-people judge you and make disparaging remarks about your ideas and dreams which can be hurtful. So, how do you deal with criticism?  The answer is…

Be Silly. Be Honest. Be Kind.

The above is a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson. These three short sentences form the foundation for a happy and meaningful life. Be Silly tells us to relax, have fun and let our foolish side show itself once in a while.  Be Honest tells us to be comfortable with whom we are and let our…

One Important Difference between Happy and Unhappy People

One of my daughters recently emailed a quote to me that read, “Happy people are those who continuously evaluate and improve themselves. Unhappy people are those who continuously evaluate others.” What this means is that happy people are focused on personal growth–trying and learning new things, going to new places and making new friends.  For…

There Is A Right Way To Impress Others

In a recent blog post, minimalist Joshua Becker asserts that for far too many people, the desire to impress others is the major motivator in their life.  This desire determines the cars they buy, the clothes they wear, the technology the embrace and so forth.  He goes on to say that this often proves to…