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Breathe
“If a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances through life, he will soon find himself alone. A man should keep his friendships in constant repair. ” (Samuel Johnson) Right before you taxi down the runway, flight attendants share a simple message with you. In the case of a sudden loss of cabin […]
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Persuasive People
“If you would persuade, you must appeal to interest rather than intellect.” (Benjamin Franklin) We all like to say we make our decisions based on the facts. We carefully consider our options intellectually and choose based on objective reason. Or so we say. The truth is, self-interest almost always plays a much bigger role in […]
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When There’s a Will…
“Dwell not upon thy weariness, thy strength shall be according to the measure of thy desire. ” (Arab Proverb) “How-to” books are very popular. You can find one for practically any human activity. In order to get this outcome, do these steps. Simple formula. But the truth is, the best “how-to” books can only help if […]
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I Beg to Differ
“Honest differences are often a healthy sign of progress. ” (Mahatma Gandhi) I’m convinced that despite what people say, pretty much everyone loves conflict. If not on the sports field, then we enjoy it on TV. Or in the political arena. See, we all love conflict, as long as it’s happening to other people. When it comes to […]
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We Can Hide, or We Can Heal
“When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability…. To be alive is to be vulnerable.”(Madeleine L’Engle) Somewhere, somehow, we men were taught that vulnerability automatically means weakness. Perhaps we got it from war movies, where opponents […]
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Smart or Wise?
“A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains.” (Dutch Proverb) There are many lies that rule the world, but the lie of “knowledge” is among the most insidious of all. You know the one—that if we only knew better, we would do better. So, we emphasize knowledge. We seek after know-how. […]
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Fork it Over
“When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” (Yogi Berra) Parenting requires constant decision making. For some reason, this kind of decisiveness often feels like a burden to people who are wishing to change. They worry that they will make a wrong choice and end up even worse than before. Here’s the […]
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Father Forgets
“I expected too much of youth. I measured you by the yardstick of my years.” (W. Livingston Larned) This is a quote from one of the most famous essays of all time. I found it in Dale Carnegie’s book How to Win Friends and Influence People. The essay is in the form of a letter […]
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Costly Kids
“I could now afford all the things I never had as a kid, if I didn’t have kids.” (Robert Orben) Yep, kids are ridiculously expensive creatures. After you figure in food, diapers, clothing, doctor’s visits, braces, haircuts, birthday parties, and several trips to Disneyworld, the average American family spends close to the GNP of Guatemala […]
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Choose to Choose
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.” (Dr. Seuss) Too many times in life, when we are faced with a difficult situation, we tend to think in extremes. We either shut down or we blow up. While this is definitely understandable, […]