We all want to have peaceful relationships with other people. When our relationships with others are peaceful, we feel more relaxed. We even feel like the world, generally, is a kinder, gentler place. Yet, in spite of our desire for peaceful relationships, our relationships often are fraught with conflict. Why? …
We live in a world in which many people feel ashamed of who they are. They are embarrassed by the less than perfect parts of themselves and their lives. They lack the courage to be imperfect, so they work to hide the more complicated parts of themselves from the world.…
One of the greatest truisms of life is this: We don’t grow in character during the good times. When life is easy, when there is enough money to pay the bills, and when our relationships are peaceful, our character isn’t challenged. During such times, we don’t have to be courageous,…
Typically, our circumstances are not what is holding us back in life. Rather, we hold ourselves back. Perhaps we make choices that aren’t in our best interests. Or we choose to engage in negative thinking. We may only do the bare minimum, rather than giving our best in every situation. …
Most of us think that we are good people. We typically don’t spend our time wondering, “How can I become a better person?” But then something invariably happens that reminds us that we aren’t as good as we could (or should) be. Maybe we are in a bad mood, and…