I’m writing this blog while waiting to go out for Father’s Day dinner with my family, and I have last year’s Father’s Day on my mind, as I have had every day since then – because I have an ongoing reminder on my wrist. My wife, children, and grandchildren pooled their resources and got me…
When one looks at all of the great achievements in the world – intellectual, technical, scientific, artistic, athletic, and humanitarian – it appears obvious that humans are conditioned in the direction of achievement. While opportunities to achieve are limited for some people because of where they live and/or because of experiences that have interfered with…
As I begin to work on updating my e-book, WHAT CAN GO RIGHT? The Thinking Person’s Guide to Making Good Things Happen, I’m noticing one important message that I neglected to include in the original version. I’ve been very proud to have helped so many readers who have changed their mode of thinking after reading the…
Some time ago, I developed the concept of “Competent Person’s Disease” which I consider synonymous with being addicted to 2nd place. Over time, I have become increasingly convinced of this phenomenon – which I consider to be one of the most self-limiting behavior patterns that I observe. A major problem with being addicted to 2nd…
Occasionally I meet somebody who says that s/he has enough money. I almost never meet anybody who says that s/he has enough time. We all have the same 24 hours in the day. Some of us take on more responsibilities than others, and some of us waste more time than others. But virtually everybody who…
Arnold Palmer, the legendary golfer, is author of some of my favorite quotes, and one of my favorites among them is that, “Winning isn’t everything, but wanting it is”. While the quote was designed to apply specifically to golf, and it can easily be generalized to all other sports, the concept is really meaningful in…
In relation to his theory of the “Survival of the Fittest,” Charles Darwin indicated that – over time – it’s not the strongest or the most intelligent species who survive, but those who are most adaptable to change. If one assumes that the concept is reasonably valid, logic would suggest that emotionally healthy individuals should…
One of the most overused and abused words that exists is the word, problem. A problem is a difficulty or dilemma in search of a solution. In its purest sense, therefore, a problem is an active exercise where the focus of behavior should be on the process of solving rather than wallowing. Unfortunately, many people…
I’m certain that many of us remember a really hilarious movie of a few years ago called, What About Bob, featuring Richard Dreyfuss as a psychiatrist and Bill Murray as his patient whose anxiety was so great that it led him to showing up at the time and place where the psychiatrist was on vacation with…
An oft repeated catch phrase is that, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” While the phrase is factually true, it tends to leave one with the idea that a bad first impression can’t be overcome. That part is not true. While nobody could argue that a good first impression is…
In a few short hours, most TV sets in America will be tuned to the Super Bowl. While the motivations of some watchers will be oriented toward the commercials (which have taken on a life of their own) or the halftime show or the food that accompanies the many Super Bowl watching parties, most viewers…