An article in a recent issue of Psychology Today noted that although we know the benefits of receiving a compliment, people are often reluctant to give one. The reason is people tend to underestimate the positive impact of the person we’re paying the compliment to. And people tend to overestimate that the person will be […]
advice, kind, kindness, sincerity
In Gabriel Garcia Marquez book “Love In the Time of Cholera”, the main character is frustrated in trying to give a box of chocolates to a love interest. He tries for months every day, and frustrated at his failure, he hands them to a complete stranger and says, “this is for a love going all […]
advice, book, love, no love wasted, quote
One of the most common questions people ask someone they are meeting for the first time is,” What do you do for work?” I suppose they ask because it’s sort of a safe question, isn’t considered intrusive, or too personal. If you think about the closest relationships you have in life though, it’s likely you […]
advice, connections, getting to know someone, questions
One of the amazing things about life is that if we want to make a change that will make us happier, we are the architects of change. We can change anything we wish, we’re fully in control of that. However, we all know that change can be difficult to achieve and maintain… and a friend […]
advice, Change, small change
Years ago, when I first started running, a friend of mine, who was an avid runner, said,” Run until you feel good.” The reason that he mentioned that is because a lot of people when they start running, and even people who have been at it for a while, find that the beginning of a […]
advice, keep going, runner, running
A very smart friend of mine, who’s an avid reader, recently recommended rereading a favorite book. When I did that, there were two things that were cool about it, and a third kind of unexpected thing that happened. The two things that were cool was just enjoying again the plot and the story that I […]
advice, book, reading, rereading
Back when I was deciding where to go to college, I wasn’t entirely certain about my choice, which was a school in Washington, DC. My father came down to help me move in, and right before he left, I think sensing that I wasn’t fully happy with this choice, he said,” you know the train […]
advice, Decisions, happy, train
My Aunt Sonia was going to get her car washed and someone told her that there was rain in the forecast. Without missing a beat, Aunt Sonia said,” Well it’s going to rain on a clean car.” She was well known for having the courage of her convictions on matters great and small, including getting […]
advice, car wash, positivity
One of my favorite pieces of writing is the Sonia Sanchez haiku… “Let me wear the day Well so when it reaches you You will enjoy it.” It’s always been powerful to me and I think there are two reasons why. The first is the idea that we have control over the day. We can […]
advice, haiku, wear the day, writing piece
In the neighborhood where I grew up, there was a fork in the road, and whether you went to the left or to the right, you would eventually wind up on our street. Even though both roads eventually went to the same place, people who always went to the left had very specific reasons they […]
advice, life's road, travel