Hold Your Horses We all have a nemesis: a sister who insists you watch her newborn every Saturday night, a boss who calls you on the weekend, or a friend who is always an hour late for dinner.   We reach a breaking point and threaten the end of the relationship if they ever do "that" again.  In one fell swoop, we go from accepting the behavior to issuing a relationship-ending ultimatum.  ...

Why Do You Aspire? Our moms were right; we possess and must use our unique talent.  A fulfilling life requires accomplishment - the ambition to do something meaningful supported by the activity leading to its fruition.   It goes beyond the biblically-inspired obligation declared in graduation speeches, "to whom much is given, much will be required." Inaction coupled with an awareness of...

Components Just as peace is not calmness, joy is not happiness; even the miserable are happy upon the birth of their first child.  Joy is a persistent state attained by accepting every moment without assigning expectations and imposing judgment.  Admittedly, it is a tall task, but consciously practicing gratitude and maintaining positivity reduces our impulse to judge.   Gratitude and a positive...

Defined People think they have peace when they dwell in an infrequent tranquil period when things are "right" and they are relaxed.  It is not found in a vacation from the office with toes in warm sand listening to the crashing waves.  While you may be calm and happy, you are not necessarily peaceful. Peace is within you, not someplace you go.  Peace is a calmness permeating your being despite...

The Case for It In each of the blog’s first two years, I provided you with a four-part expose on my guiding life principles and values, which, judging from reader feedback, met with a resounding thud.  Therefore, this message is more about “why” and “how” than “what.” We start by examining the need to establish or pursue anything specific.  All of us have a general idea about what we want to...