Death is sort of a taboo subject and not one we often chose to write or talk about unless someone close to us has: “Passed away, Gone to meet his maker, Is finally out of her misery, Is in a better place, Is no longer with us, Is with the angels” or one of the…
Some people fear change, it implies that things will be different and that somehow threatens the status quo, the predictable, our ability to be in control of our lives. Even a sudden, unexpected change in the weather causes us to have to alter our plans. Deep down the fear seems to stem from a fear…
Resilience is the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties or the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape. The literal definition of the word resilient means “to bounce back”. The word is associated with withstanding shock, returning to form, maintaining strength, and not giving up after an accident, disappointment or…
Prayer can be defined as an act of communication by human beings with the sacred. It may be with God, “the gods”, the universe, the transcendental realm or any higher power. Prayer has been practiced in all known religions, in all times, using various forms and techniques. Some people, who are agnostic, might call it…
The word opportunity comes from two words in Latin, “ob” meaning “in front of, or toward” and “portus”, meaning “harbor”. One entomologist summed it up beautifully, saying that it means: “The wind that takes you home.” That is a lovely image that implies smooth sailing toward our goal. Opportunities do not always come knocking on…
There are many good quotes about mistakes. My favorite is, “Embrace your mistakes (unless you dated them).” Sometimes we do embrace our mistakes at our own peril, because it is hard to let them go. As my next favorite quote put it: “You can pick up your mistakes and carry them like a burden; or…
Manipulative people use cunning and craftiness in their deceitful schemes, trying to manipulate and control others. Advertisers are notorious for trying to manipulate parents into buying the latest toy or gadget for their children. They make the product look exciting and hope the children will beg their parents to buy it for them for Christmas…
I have written about compassion, which has a lot in common with kindness. In fact, we sometimes use the two terms interchangeably. The difference, for me, is that kindness is an attitude while compassion is an action. Kindness is the good intention; compassion is the follow-through. Compassion does not exist without a kind attitude. Kindness…
People talk about inspiration as though it comes to us, like a flash of lightning, out of nowhere. And, in some cases, it seems to, but the word literally means that ideas come from “the spirit within us.” A dictionary definition is “the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to…
Being humble is considered a worthy position to take about one’s self, yet it does not require that we let others put us down or bully us into submission. The only being we are to submit ourselves to, is God. Other than God himself, we are to consider ourselves as equal to others, not superior,…