Give yourself the freedom to be yourself. Personal development isn’t always about forcing yourself to accept others for being who they are while you lock down your own individuality to compensate. It’s also about giving yourself permission to express your own individuality so you can be the person you want to be. Affirm: I am…
All people have something wonderful about them. With some folks, you may have to look hard to find it, but if you keep looking, I promise you’ll eventually find it. Abraham Lincoln once said, “I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.” This has another benefit too. The more you know…
People are generally reasonable and willing to help. Every once in a while, I hear someone express a desire for news stations to report what’s GOOD about the world instead of what’s wrong with it. On the surface, this sounds like a good idea, except when you realize the service that news stations provide. News…
People tend to respond to joy with joy, to kindness with kindness, and to respect with respect. One of the easiest ways to make friends is to be friendly. By the same token, one of the easiest ways to gain respect is to be respectful. Sometimes we run into people who seem to have this…
Power comes from taking responsibility. Too many people go through life waiting for others to make decisions or to take action. They fail to realize that they can be just as capable of making good decisions and doing what needs to be done. Those who rise in authority tend to be the ones to take…
If you don’t like something, either change it or accept it. We are all co-creators with God, and therefore our “life’s purpose” is to learn how to mold our lives to our liking. If you are currently unable to change something, then the best thing to do is to simply accept it for what it…
One who controls the mind is more powerful than one who controls only the body. As children, we spend the first few years of our life learning how to control our bodies. We learn to stand, to walk, and to run. Later in life, we learn to count, to do math, and to figure things…
If you had lived their life, you would probably do the same. Whenever someone does something that completely baffles you, remember that they are most likely responding to an old memory, or group of memories, that are very different from the ones you have. Timid people LEARNED to be timid. Bold risk takers LEARNED to…
People do things for their own reasons. One of the most effective ways to approach the task of persuading another person is to realize that they simply do not care a bit about what YOU want. They only care about what THEY want. If you want someone to do something, then you must show them…
Every situation and/or person can teach you something. Some folks are great examples of what you’d like to become. Others are wonderful examples of what you’d like to avoid. Beyond this, when you talk with people, you get a peek into Life from another perspective, and this can often reveal aspects of yourself that may…
Good things can sometimes come from unpleasant events. Whether it’s losing a job, getting a divorce, or simply missing the bus for work, there is always a possibility of finding a better situation than the one you lost. Of course, not all unpleasant events lead to an immediate “upgrade” in life circumstances. Sometimes they serve…
As long as you continue to try, you have not failed. Every time you make an honest effort, you have an opportunity to experience success. The moment you give up, there is no further hope of success. Keep going, learning what you can along the way, and you will eventually find the success you deserve.