Storms make trees take deeper roots. – Dolly Parton This quote got me to thinking about something I read in Martin Seligman’s book Flourish about post-traumatic growth. Yes, that’s right growth, not “stress.” Turns out that a sub-set of soldiers returning from combat actually grow from the terrible experience of combat. Another interesting finding is that most of…
How our environment shapes us is something I have often thought about. What we surround ourselves with can either build us up, or not. Our physical environment, who we associate with, the books, music and ideas we pay attention to and the thoughts we entertain and repeat all matter in terms of our development, or…
I had an idea this morning while making my coffee. Laws are not necessarily to prevent people from doing evil things, from being “bad” people. Of course, some are, like laws against murder, rape and assault. But some laws are designed to both prevent egregious offenses, but also to keep good people from doing things…
Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth. – Rumi We are all living a story. A story we create with the help of others and our repeated thoughts and beliefs. At any time you can shift your story. Rewrite it. Be an active and authentic author going…
Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment. Full effort is full victory. – Mahatma Gandhi This reminds me of John Wooden’s teaching that it doesn’t matter if you win, if you don’t play your best, and it’s okay to lose if you do. The great privilege, and reward, is the competition, and who it…
The common idea that success spoils people by making them vain, egotistic and self-complacent is erroneous; on the contrary, it makes them, for the most part, humble, tolerant and kind. Failure makes people bitter and cruel. – W. Somerset Maugham So many people mis-quote the biblical passage about money and the “root of all evil.”…