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What we think about others and ourselves has the power to shape our world. How often have we heard ourselves say things like “I’m not a morning person” or “I’m not very smart” or “That’s just the way I am”? If we believe our talents and personality will never change, then they probably never will. […]
It’s been ten years since 9/11. And yet we continue to tell stories of the children, parents, and families, airline passengers and air traffic controllers, the firemen and other first responders for they inspire and give us hope. But how do we tell the story of the rest of America—those who watched the images and […]
When Benjamin Franklin was a boy, he traded all his money for a friend’s whistle. And he enjoyed the whistle until he learned it was worth only a fraction of what he’d paid for it. Immediately the whistle lost all its charm, and Ben was greatly annoyed at having made such a foolish mistake. But […]
It’s remarkable what we can accomplish if we have courage, if we refuse to be afraid. Fear is a toxic feeling that can consume self-confidence, dampen hope, and keep us from doing our best or sometimes even trying at all. Courage, however, can bring out the best in us. It doesn’t mean we will always […]
Life, in this world, can be hard on anyone. We hear and see things that are discouraging, even disheartening, and at times we may feel dismayed about the state of the world and the condition of our own lives. Yes, life can be hard. But within us, deep down in our heart of hearts, resides […]
The simple scene is played out someplace every day: A teenage employee serves customers in a deli and ice cream shop with uncommon cheerfulness. She is happy to be there, pleasant, and friendly. She takes an order from a man and then returns a few minutes later with good food and even better good cheer. […]
A few hours after closing on his new home, Josh Ferrin noticed a tiny scrap of carpet hanging out from the attic in the garage and decided to investigate. He lifted the carpet and found a metal box filled with rolls of paper money: $45,000 cash in small bills. The previous owners of the home, […]
Many a sailor has been storm-tossed on a windy night in the midst of unfamiliar seas. Brave seafarers know that they must press forward. “Sail on! Sail on! Sail on and on!” they call to their crew. And so must we. When we are tossed and turned by life’s currents, we move forward, we carry […]
The story of the Mormon pioneers is a saga like no other in American history. Beginning in 1847, tens of thousands crossed the Great Plains and scaled the Rocky Mountains on a journey fraught with searing heat, cold winds, hunger, snow, and even buffalo stampedes. They wore out not only their shoes but their very […]
Life is full of noble causes and worthy goals. Because one cannot pursue all of them, it helps to remember that simply opening our hearts in love and kindness to others is what makes all the difference. It’s the primary pathway to healing, to happiness, to health. Harvard biologist and Nobel Prize winner George Wald […]
Those with a few more years of life can teach us much if we will listen and observe. They can teach us how to grow through losses instead of being defeated by them. They can teach us how to appreciate life’s simple gifts and daily pleasures, how to value people instead of things, how to […]
For generations, wise men and women have observed that “freedom is never free.” The price of freedom is hard work and sacrifice, faith and resolve, commitment to the principles of independence. And this is not a price we can pay just once. The bill comes due again with each successive generation. One hot summer day, […]
In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from France. With it came a small French fur-trading post, St. Louis. The next year, the Lewis and Clark expedition set out from that Mississippi River settlement for the Pacific Ocean, and a tradition was born. St. Louis became the gateway to the West, not just […]
When we hear the word investment, most of us think of investing our money in hopes that it will grow and yield a large return. Some of us feel lucky to have enough money to meet our daily basic needs, let alone to invest any. But in one way, we are all equally rich: We […]
In today’s hectic world, we often feel pressure to accomplish our many tasks as quickly and efficiently as possible. But it’s good to remember that the direction we are headed is often more important than how soon we get there. If an airline pilot makes an error of only one or two degrees in a […]
Recent research suggests that persistence and resilience are good predictors of longevity.1 Perseverance in the face of difficulties puts us on the road to happiness and well-being, and what keeps us on that road is a positive attitude. A young man learned this important lesson as a high school tennis player. He had worked hard […]
Scattered across the world are burial sites of those who have served well and even given their lives in defense of liberty and country. Whether they are found in a small hometown cemetery or a large military memorial, these graves serve as a reminder of the courage and commitment to duty of those who served […]
Life can be hard. Ask anyone. Daily, it seems, the media brings wars, natural disasters, destruction, and gloom right to our front rooms—all of this piled on top of the personal challenges and disappointments we’re already facing. It’s enough to make it difficult for us to see the joy in the journey of life. But […]
To those who follow the news of the day, the whole world seems to be in turmoil. Some would say the world has always been in turmoil, and that may be true. But the difference is that today, with immediate and widespread news coverage, the world seems to be much smaller—and getting smaller each day. […]
No one should ever underestimate the profound power of a mother’s love. Not ever.” These are the words of Steve Mikita, who was born with a muscle disease that has confined him to a wheelchair for more than five decades. His earliest memory is not about being frustrated that he could not stand, walk, ride […]
More than 300 years ago, Sir Isaac Newton lived an extraordinary life of accomplishment. Among his many achievements, he invented the reflecting telescope and unlocked the study of calculus. He developed a new theory of light and color and defined the laws of motion and gravity. When a friend praised his abilities, he responded humbly […]
Thousands of years ago, the prophet Isaiah proclaimed the Lord’s great promise of a coming day: “Beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isaiah 61:3). To all who face the ugly realities of life, to any who mourn the loss of a loved one, […]
Every hour of every day affords us opportunities to think of others more than ourselves. In countless large and small ways, we decide whether to put our own needs and desires first or to place someone else’s needs and desires above our own. When we choose to be unselfish, we find true happiness. But sometimes […]
A wise man who spent many years traveling the world serving others said in his ninth decade of life: “Over the course of my years, I have met thousands of people. I have dined with the prosperous as well as the poverty-stricken. I have conversed with the mighty and with the meek. I have walked […]
We become our best and truest selves by helping others. Indeed, a good yardstick for measuring success is how our life influences other people for the better. Clayton Christensen, an author and Harvard business professor, has had remarkable professional successes, along with some serious health challenges. After all he has experienced, he has concluded: “The metric […]
Some problems are more obvious than others. When someone is clearly struggling, we are usually quite empathetic. We see them limp through life, and most of us readily help in any way we can. We may even make great personal sacrifices to ease their burdens. Other times, however, the afflictions people endure might be completely […]
Sitting at her window on a rather cold and dark winter day, a young woman began to feel very alone and discouraged. It seemed no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t keep up with the demands of life. The children always needed more of her attention, finances were tight, she felt like she […]
We live in difficult times. Trouble seems to visit every door. Some rally to the challenges placed before them; others struggle. These neighbors, friends, associates at work, family members, and acquaintances desperately need an outstretched arm, a kind word or gesture, a generous opportunity, or another chance. Are we willing to reach out to them, […]
Some people seem to have life firmly in their grasp, everything under control, and all things positive before them. But more often than not, it’s not the full story. Everyone struggles a bit at times, and we all know what it feels like to worry. But worrying is not all bad if it grows into […]
A young college student now living far from her family cherishes the memory of home. In good times and in bad, in times of gladness and in loneliness, the fire of a happy home burns in her heart. Now that she’s away, she can see more clearly and feel more deeply the love of home […]