I am continuing with my series on emotions. I started the series with the emotion of anger because anger is a cancer to your soul. So, to have any chance for a successful and happy life, friend, you have to let it go. Then, I talked about the pain of personal shame. Shame is a failure to meet your own standard of behavior, and this emotion will wreck your life if you’re not careful. And I added in the thought that you should stop thinking that others have to accept your forgiveness for you to be forgiven. They don’t. Once […]
Clutter is wrecking your self-worth
I have written about the issue of clutter in our lives a few times, but I keep coming back to it because I find, over and over, that there just might be that one thing that you’re holding on to that is holding you back from achieving what you want in your life. When I talk about clutter, I don’t just mean that you need to clean out the attic or garage (although those are good places to start). For a bigger life impact, you might want to consider tossing out a few things that are more personal to you–things […]
Be a weed
By now, you know that little things in life make me wonder. Big things make me wonder, too, like how many stars are in the universe and what we are going to do about the trash in our oceans and overfishing by some countries. But sometimes my mind seeks to know how little things work, like how is it that a dandelion–you know, the little yellow flowering weed with a thick stem and hairy little leaves that I can crush with my hand and have it wither away quickly–can push its way up through asphalt, the road that my car […]
The Kindness of Strangers
I am sure at some time or another when you least expected it, a “stranger” helped you. The kindness of strangers–completely unexpected, gratefully accepted, and long remembered. It sometimes happens when a thought flashes in your mind; I could use some help here. And suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, someone comes to your aid, answering your silent prayer or your out-loud request to any visiting angels to hurry and help. I can remember many times when I uttered a prayer or word or even a thought that flickered through my mind requesting help when, lo and behold, someone in human […]
The Emotion of Frustration
I am continuing with my series on emotions. I started the series with the emotion of anger because anger is a cancer to your soul. So, to have any chance for a successful and happy life, friend, you have to let it go. Then, I talked about the pain of personal shame. Shame is a failure to meet your own standard of behavior, and this emotion will wreck your life if you’re not careful. And I added in the thought that you should stop thinking that others have to accept your forgiveness for you to be forgiven. They don’t. Once […]
Live in such a way that if anyone should speak badly of you no one would believe it
My friends send me email jokes and cartoons all the time; in fact, I had a few friends I had to ask to put me on the weekly list and not the daily emails. I have no idea what they do all day that allows them to surf the web and send their network 20-30 jokes and stories all day. A while back, I got this one: Live in such a way that if anyone should speak badly of you, no one would believe it. Wouldn’t that be great? What if you and I were so well known to be […]
3 Things I Need Each Day
With the 4th of July upon us, I think it best to let you rest and have a time of reflection on the holiday. That being said, if you can spare just a little over four minutes, I’d encourage you to watch this video clip of Matthew McConaughey’s acceptance speech upon winning Best Actor at the Oscars a few years ago. His short message of 3 Things I Need Each Day has deep meaning, and it is one of the few clips that I keep on my computer because I agree with him on the idea that we each need: 1) Something […]
Set Your Life on Fire
I am blessed with the opportunity to travel around the world, teaching public speaking, presentation, media skills, and crisis communications to elected officials or those who would like to be. When I was speaking in the Middle East a while back, I was training some dynamic up-and-coming young women who were seeking a seat on their local council, and one day at lunch, I noticed that one of the ladies was reading a book of poetry by Rumi, a Persian poet, and philosopher. It struck me as unusual that someone would be carrying around a book of ancient poetry, and […]
If You Want To Be Trusted Be Honest
Seems like a no-brainer, to be honest, but you and I know that some of our friends will skirt the truth for various reasons, none being worth the damage that a lie will yield. It makes perfect sense as you go through life that if you want to be trusted, be honest. I had a friend who was notorious for telling (as she would explain) “little white lies,” as compared to green or blue lies, I guess. She wouldn’t even blink when telling a “little” mistruth, and over time, I started to wonder where the “little lie” stopped and the […]
