Embracing Gratitude and Positivity
-
Does Positivity Get You Down?
Recently someone I know came up to me and started talking about this blog. First, she noted that she was a regular reader, which I was glad to hear. Then, to my surprise, she mentioned that the posts upset her because they were so positive. The stories actually made her feel worse about things. Needless
-
The Majesty of Nature
In 2019, I decided I wanted to visit Yellowstone National Park. The idea of traveling to a part of the country I’d never seen was compelling, and going to a world-renowned park that spans three western states and is filled with natural wonders was intriguing. Then the pandemic hit, which scuttled any travel plans for
-
From Homeless Drug Addict to Millionaire
Resilience is one of the greatest traits we can possess. Being able to adapt to challenging life experiences and carry on is a crucial part of being human, because we all face these experiences at one time or another. The process isn’t aways straightforward, however. Consider the story of Greg Gaudet. Greg had what he calls
-
The Ripple Effect: A Powerful Tool for Positivity
Think about this: a single thing you do today can ultimately affect dozens of other people, or even hundreds. This is the ripple effect, and it’s a powerful way to spread positivity—or negativity—in the world. The Cambridge Dictionary defines the ripple effect as a situation in which one event produces effects that spread and produce
-
We All Rely on Others—and That’s a Good Thing
Recently I was at a local park with my wife and a long-time friend. We were enjoying the tranquil scene before us, which included five ospreys flying gracefully over a large pond. Suddenly, a swan flew right over us and crashed loudly through a thick growth of reeds before landing clumsily in the water. For
-
From Adversity to Triumph
Imagine starting out life by being thrown away. That’s what happened to Samuel Jimenez Coreas, who as an infant in El Salvador was discarded in a trash dump. From such tragic and humble beginnings, Sam has made a happy and successful life for himself. His story is one of courage, resilience and striving to realize dreams in
-
Life Might Not Be Perfect—But We Can Enjoy Near-Perfect Moments
Can anything in this life really be perfect? Since perfection implies something that has no flaws or limitations, probably not. Perfection is more of an ideal that inspires us to improve and aim for excellence. But we can certainly enjoy the many near-perfect moments life can bring. We use the word “perfect” a lot, and
-
The Path Forward
I’m all for living in the present—letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. But sometimes we have to look back a bit in order to strengthen our resolve so we can take the path forward. We need to acknowledge the progress we have made. A year ago at this time, I
-
Inspirations from the Silver Screen
I’ve been meaning to write a post about movies that are particularly inspirational, and with the Academy Awards coming up this seems like an appropriate time to acknowledge these films. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but the following 25 movies (in alphabetical order) are some I’ve found to be especially uplifting, motivating
-
A Loss Can Lead to New Opportunities
Sometimes a great personal loss can set us on a path toward an exciting new adventure in life. That’s what happened to Aimee Flynn. Losing her father was devastating. But it helped her make the decision to do something he would have applauded: launch her own photography business. “I wasn’t always a photographer, but I’ve
To subscribe, type your email in the box below then click on the green subscribe button. When you receive a confirmation message from Wordpress, click on the “confirm now” button to complete the process.