self-improvement

One of the smartest things you can do

Getting smarter isn’t about knowing everything, it’s about admitting what you don’t know. “I don’t know,” is such a simple phrase, but many of us have difficulty saying it to ourselves let alone to others. It makes us feel weak, vulnerable, stupid. But you’re not. It’s the furthest thing from the truth. Saying “I don’t…More

If you want to soar, do this

Often the best way to rise higher is to go lower. If you want to feel happier and be lifted up and feel like you’re dancing with the angels, you need to go deeper. You need to dive into what has hurt you and forgive others, yourself and heal. To soar in your career, you…More

This is one of the best ways to reach your goals

The key to accomplishing big goals is making tiny ones. Big goals are overwhelming, distant, intimidating, scary. They freeze us in panic. Like deer caught on the road by headlights, we get paralyzed. But it doesn’t need to be that way. You may want to lose fifty pounds, run a marathon, pivot your career, start…More

You don’t need to be angry

A gas station attendant made me pay a dollar for hot water (which I thought was absurd) and treated me rudely. And I learned something. It was compassion. It was a magical day. My family and I went apple picking. We drove down two-lane highways surrounded by wood and canopied by leafy branches that were…More

A love poem to the haters

To the haters, It’s tempting to want to hate you back. But that’s useless. It won’t help anything. All it does is perpetuate the hate between us. And that’s foolish. Instead, I will say that I love you. I feel for you and with you. I sense your pain. Isn’t that what causes the hate…More

Improve your life with this one simple word

“No.” It’s hard to say it. It’s true. We want to help everyone; we want them to like us; we don’t want them to think badly of us. So we say yes. But the truth is that we can’t help anyone very well when we are overwhelmed. And always saying yes is overwhelming. And that’s…More

The most exciting thing about boredom

Being bored is a gift; it’s an opportunity. Boredom is space, freedom, capacity. It’s the ability to move around, try new things, learn, and, best of all, create. When you’re busy, you are trapped. You have obligations, responsibilities. You have to do such and such for so and so. When you’re bored, your time is…More

What is the greatest greatness in life?

In the process of becoming better, it’s easy to think we are greater than we really are. And it’s one of the worst mistakes we can make, touting our strengths and toting our accomplishments. But the answer isn’t to think we are lesser than we are. That won’t do; it does no good. For we…More

You can conquer the fear of embarrassment

The fear of embarrassment is powerful, but it doesn’t have to overpower us. But sometimes it does. I know all about that. An episode of a TV show kept me from blogging. Let me explain. Billions, a show on Showtime, has a scene where two characters were talking about another person who got fired from…More

Failure is the secret to success

Failure doesn’t have to be the end; it can be a start to something better. Failing sucks—no doubt. It’s something we all want to avoid. And after we’ve failed, we may be tempted to quit, stop trying, hide. But that would be a mistake. For greater success is forged from the ashes of failure. He…More