I was taking a continuing education class recently and the instructor told us a great story. A child was with one of his parents in the kitchen and the parent decided it was time to teach the child how to cook a roast. Early in the process, the child asked,…
One of my daughters was telling me about a position she was considering running for at her sorority. She had already taken on a lot (and accomplished a great deal) during her college years—at her sorority and in general—and had, at times, been overextended. I wrote to her: "If you…
Over Thanksgiving weekend, we watched some home movies. My kids are now in their early-to-mid-20s and we had hardly ever watched home movies. It was a lot of fun. (It was also hard to watch much of it—for example, little kid birthday parties in real time are not that interesting.)…
I've written a bunch of times about the value of experiences over things—about spending your money and time on experiences rather than stuff. In one of my newsletters, and later in a post here, I said the following: "I feel fortunate (and grateful) that investing my time and money in experiences…
I recently read an article about people who don't take to the idea of focusing on happiness. I went to post a comment, but encountered a tech glitch and it didn't get posted. The following is the comment I intended to post: I have learned a great deal, about a great many…
As has happened to me many times before, I recently found myself inspired by a eulogy delivered by a friend upon the passing of their parent. Every funeral I attend leaves me a better person because of something I learn about the deceased, and their life well lived. With my friend's…
I’m a big advocate of doing what you love and loving what you do. Sometimes that’s easier said than done. If nothing else, it can take some time before you make a transition to a better situation. I recently had the opportunity to hear James Key Lim speak. James was…
After a recent speaking engagement, the COO of the office where I presented sent out the following note to everyone in the office: Earlier this month, David Singer visited our office and spoke about his book, Six Simple Rules for a Better Life. There was terrific feedback from so many of…
A while ago, I published an article about smiling in my monthly newsletter. I want to share it here, along with an update. To start, take this gift from me. It’s free and it’s easy. Smile. Just smile. Now think about what you just experienced. Smile again to help you…
My daughters loved reading “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green. They also loved the movie. I watched it recently, after happening upon it on a cable TV movie channel. I thought it was very good. (If you don’t want to watch a movie that will make you cry,…
I've been blessed to spend time in a bunch of wonderful countries. Whether it was short stays during vacations or the long backpacking trip I took after graduating college in 1984, travel abroad has been one of the most enriching, enjoyable, and memorable experiences of my life. I have learned…
The following is excerpted from one of my most popular newsletter pieces along with some of the wonderful feedback I received. I was recently telling someone about the trip Marcie and I took to Europe 30 years ago with backpacks after college. When there was a week remaining before Marcie…