Tag Archives: wisdom

Don’t Let Your Education Become Arrogance

This morning my attention was grabbed by a post on social media wherein the person posting claimed that his view of a particular event was more accurate than other views being shared and when asked why he felt his was more accurate, his response was, “Because my level of education is higher than yours, therefore I understand the intricacies better.” The interaction made me stop and think. What I ultimately came away with was 1) the question I’m trying to answer, and 2) the outlook I find value in. Continue reading →

Six Characteristics of the Mentally Strong

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Have you ever noticed that some of your friends or family never seem quite as stressed or lacking in control of a given situation as others? Have you ever wondered why? What makes them so special? How come they never seem to sweat when something goes sideways? Here are a few reasons why they might be like that; things they might do that others don’t. Continue reading →

The 12 Best Life Hacks

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In today’s computer age, days where you can’t look around without seeing someone on their “smart” phone, and times of everyone being connected nearly full time, the word “hack” has come to take on a whole new meaning. It is essentially used to mean “something that makes your life easier or an easier and faster way of doing something.” I’ve seen some pretty cool hacks posted online but I often wonder how come nobody ever shares TRUE “life hacks:” hacks that actually make your life easier in the way(s) that count most. So… I had to. I considered it a challenge I couldn’t back away from. Continue reading →

What Qualifies Me?

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So, I received a private message on Facebook from a gentleman asking, “What qualifies you to give advice on life to anyone?” I had to think about this. It’s a good question. I found myself wondering if he has a point? What DOES qualify me to give advice on anything to anyone? For that matter, what qualifies me to teach anyone anything as well?

The answers become obvious after a while. Continue reading →

Life’s Simplest Lessons

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Recently I saw an image through the wizardry of social media and, after having read through it, thought about just how true it was. The title was “Simple Formula for Living,” but that didn’t really describe the list of items included. As I read them, I felt they more described lessons to be followed for a prosperous and spiritually valuable life. I certainly don’t always follow each bit of guidance (because I’m human and therefore imperfect), but I see the value in each and strive to maintain my compliance to them. Let’s go through them and briefly discuss the value. Continue reading →

Defining You

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As happens all too often in my household, my son asked me a question that forced me to carefully think through my beliefs and values before offering an answer. I have to think carefully because I know, for sure and certain, he’s already trying to form that next question so if I’m not as specific and exacting as I can be, I give him huge maneuvering room to ask the more difficult questions. This week’s question really wasn’t so hard: “Dad, what makes an American an American?” The first and most obvious answer was, “Where he was born,” but that’s not what he was asking. He was looking for me to explain to him what values I felt that he, when he became an adult American, should have as part of his character. Long time readers know that such a conversation can’t be had without me sharing it, so here we go with an explanation of my answer. Continue reading →

What Age is “Old”?

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I remember being a little kid… maybe six or seven years old, and my parents were “old” to me. Of course, my parents were 35 years older than I, so they were in their early forties; hardly what I would call old these days. Then again, I know a couple people today who are in their early and mid-forties and I do consider them “old” based purely on their outlook and behavior. This dichotomy caused me some wonderment and I had to give it some serious thought: Is there an age where someone is suddenly “old” or is it more about attitude and approach to life? In case you don’t already know my answer, it’s the latter. Continue reading →

The Birthplace of Souls

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As happens with most thoughts we consider to be deep or memorable – worthy of remembering – this one came to me in the middle of the night, as the result of a dream I had woken from. In the dream I had been discussing religion with an older gentleman and he had been sharing his insights on the human soul. Given that he was both a priest and a psychologist, I felt it was worth paying attention to. Part of what you read here is what he shared with me and the remainder is a question, begged I think by long held beliefs without consideration. Continue reading →

Holiday Blues? Find the Silver Lining

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Every year around this time, as all law enforcement professionals know, suicides and suicide attempts seem to climb in number. The stress of the season, for whatever reason, seems to outweigh the happiness and good cheer that (seemingly) all of us are trying to spread. The challenge is that not ALL of us really are trying to spread good cheer. Some people are merely trying to make a few more dollars before the fiscal year ends. Some people are just trying to get a few more sales made before the end of year. Some people are just trying to leverage the season to fatten their purses/wallets and they don’t think about anything else. Now, it’s true that such folks can really only prey on those who haven’t set a budget or haven’t made up their mind what they want to buy, etc. Continue reading →

Learning Is Life

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I can’t begin to count or tell you how many times my children have heard me say: Learn something new every day. The day you stop learning is the day you start dying. It’s a belief I’ve held for as far back in my life as I can remember. I truly believe that virtually everything you read is a source for learning and, if you use an active mind, anything you watch can be the same; every person you interact with can offer a lesson; the majority of the time you spend awake each day can provide you with some new learning experience. You just have to open your mind to the possibilities and WANT to learn. Continue reading →