For most people, happiness seems to be a reaction – a reaction to an event or a set of circumstances. For example, many people have been certain that if they just won the lottery, they would have all that they need and they would be happy. Yet, many stories of lottery winners offer a very…
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Last time we talked about the challenges that we face when a door, or an opportunity, closes but something else or another door doesn’t immediately open to us. We find ourselves, as it were, stuck in the “hallway.” It is not unusual to stand there tapping our foot, waiting for another door to open. But…
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Last time we looked at some of the challenges that we experience when we suffer losses and even the efforts we make trying to avoid them. But no matter how hard we try to dodge them – if we love (people, pets, etc.), if we embrace opportunities, if we invest in things – we are…
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There is an old Jewish saying that if you dance at a lot of weddings, you’ll cry at a lot of funerals. In essence, saying that if you experience wonderful relationships, it will be sad when they end – because they were good. I have worked with people who have lost everything from their car…
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Now you may be thinking, “Well, I try to be but I’m not always successful.” I would then follow up that thought with, “What gets in the way of being your best self?” The well-known Renaissance artist Michelangelo was once asked how he managed to create amazing sculptures – such as “David?” His response was…
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In the 1946 movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart, is admired for all he does for his family and his community. However, he does not find the same value in what he has done and suffers severe depression, even wanting to end his life. Why is it that someone who…
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In the book Living on Purpose: Knowing God’s Design For Your Life (2017) I wrote: Jolee and Bailey are my two dogs that I dearly love. They are loving, playful, curious, and full of life. We live on 5 acres and, needless to say, the dogs enjoy running the property. And run they do. They…
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Recently, at an event in Orlando, Denzel Washington said the following: “It [the Bible] says in the last days we’ll become lovers of ourselves. The number one photograph now is a selfie. So we all want to lead. We’re willing to do anything – ladies and young men – to be influential . . .…
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I must confess that I was somewhat baffled by a recent psychology article concerning factors that make life meaningful. The article stated that there are three factors – 1) Coherence (the feeling that life makes sense), 2) Purpose (having goals to work towards), and 3) Mattering (the feeling that life has value and makes a…
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You may be thinking, “I wish I had time to relax but there is just too much to do.” And my guess is that there always is and always will be. I had a client a number of years ago who was working hard to keep his business afloat. He would try to get up…
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