Many of us push ourselves to stay motivated. We force, cajole, pressure, sometimes even yell at ourselves to get going. But pushing yourself isn’t as effective as being pulled. I don’t mean being yanked or dragged like a prisoner, no. I mean something summoning you by an irresistible force, like being in love, where you’re…More
Tag Archives: happy
Permission to live
Give yourself permission to fail, to overreach, to try. Give yourself permission to be imperfect, wrong, weird. Give yourself permission to do that thing you love, pursue your dream, take a different path. I’m not saying to do anything wrong or immoral. I’m just saying that there are a lot of things that are good…More
Finding purpose
What do you live for? It’s a simple question. But it’s one of the most difficult to answer. From my experience, many of us find meaning but few have purpose. Purpose is the belief or reason we have for living. It’s different from meaning. Meaning is about the significance or feeling of significance for something…More
Overcoming one of our greatest obstacles: ourselves
Our lives are determined not just by what we think but how we think. Before I started writing I used to believe I couldn’t write. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that my high school papers, after being graded, had so much red ink on them that they looked like someone…More
You’re rich
Do you feel like you have something to prove? I do sometimes. I feel that urge to let people know that I’m doing ok; I’m successful; I’ve done something; I’m special. But why? Comparing ourselves to others is a killer. It kills our joys, our happiness, our richness. But I hope you free yourself from…More
Heal your wounds
The key to healing a wound is to move toward the pain. You know the relational or financial or emotional problems that happen in life. They hurt us. We’re wounded. But if you don’t face the uncomfortable, even agonizing conversations you don’t want to have with your partner, friend, mother, it only makes the relationship…More
This Is What Love Looks Like
I have an uncle that I admire. His name is Rick. You probably don’t know him. But, if you did, you would sense that he’s different. He’s one of the most loving guys I know. And we can all learn from him. When he wants to talk to my wife or me, he will call…More
These Are the Rules You Should Break
Some rules are stupid. For example, some people think you shouldn’t ask your boss for a raise because that would upset them. Or you shouldn’t pursue your dream because it’s too risky. Or you shouldn’t invest in the market because you could lose money. Or you shouldn’t get married because happy marriages rarely happen. But…More
This Is the Freedom You Can Hear
A choir of birds chirp outside my window each morning. And the melodies breathe a refreshing breeze into my soul that helps me face the day. It’s a simple sound, never ceasing to surprise and delight me, reminding me of something greater. Taking pleasure in the every-day moments, common yet majestic, can bring mirth even…More
One Great Thing From Social Distancing
Strangers are waving at me, and I find myself waving back. They smile, and so do I. And you know what? It feels really good. In all of this we’re learning to appreciate strangers. There’s a longing for connection that we all have, especially when we’re as starved of it as we are these days.…More
John Pa 