The words “please” and “thank you” are great equalizers. When we use them, we’re saying to another person, “I am asking you to do something as a favor to me, and I am grateful for your willingness to do it.” … Continue reading
Waiting is something that few, if any, people do well. “I’m just impatient,” some say, as if that were unusual and distinctive. It’s along the lines of announcing, “I like to travel and do fun things,” or, “I sure do … Continue reading
“I feel at home here.” When someone says this, most people instantly understand what they mean. They feel welcome, safe, accepted, free to be themselves without judgment or criticism. They are surrounded by people who love them, things that matter. … Continue reading
We are an agitated people. Surrounded by media, saturated with “news,” inundated by commentary and analysis, we begin and end and live our days in an atmosphere of fear and anxiety, us versus them, right versus left, and this right … Continue reading
When we live too much in the imaginary world of TV, movies, and social media, we start to believe that fantasy is reality. Take friendship, for example. In the land of myths, six to eight young, attractive, witty men and … Continue reading
Children see the world differently — and adults can learn from their viewpoint. Continue reading
Busy, purposeful, efficient, enterprising — these are words of excellence and worth in American culture. When you think about it, the U.S. doesn’t actually have a culture, unless you consider going to work, thinking about ways to get rich, spending … Continue reading
Time is a precious gift. And while most of us feel like we never have enough of it, we can be determined to spend what we have wisely, and well. Continue reading
Important people get their portraits painted. That way, we get them on postage stamps (once they’re dead), or buy a print of their face to put in our home. And there are always the history textbooks and pop culture magazines, … Continue reading
