Category Archives: Reflections

We often take for granted that the things we need to complete a simple, everyday task will be there when we want them. It doesn’t take long to create a long list of the luxuries we have at our fingertips: Toothpaste Toilet paper Running water Heat Chilled food As an exercise in awareness and gratitude,Continue reading “Four Simple Steps to Express Gratitude”

The idea of doing something kind for yourself is summed up simply by the directions you are given on an airplane to put on your own air mask before helping those next to you. Why? Because to be able to do anything well you need to first take care of yourself. It’s very important thatContinue reading “Do Something Kind For Yourself”

Years ago, I spoke at the memorial service for my maternal grandmother. A few days before, I was sitting on a park bench with a yellow legal pad on my lap and a ballpoint pen in my hand trying to write what I would say. At first, I was drawing blanks, stuck in what IContinue reading “This Story Takes My Breath Away”

Reassure your heart. Watch the natural sweetness of toddlers playing. When I was in college and first studying Human Development, a professor assigned the class the task of going to a playground to watch young children at play. His point was for us, as budding teachers, to see the joy kids have when they areContinue reading “Reassure Your Heart”

Human beings are amazing creatures, our behavior range remarkable. We have capacities that allow us to do both wonderful and terrible things. As a student of human development, I often consider what is most natural — the wonderful, the terrible, or something in between? As a self-proclaimed optimist, I believe it is the wonderful, andContinue reading “Kindness is a Torch that Lights Our Paths”

Each interaction we have with people opens a metaphorical circle. Simple interactions, like those we have passing a stranger on the street, cause the circles to open and close quickly without much work on our parts. But those interactions we have with people in which something significant takes place create larger circles with larger openings.Continue reading “The Value of Doing Something Kind For Someone Who Has Helped Us”

I’ve always wanted my students to recognize that their actions have impact. One way I help them visualize this is to consider humanity as a chain and each individual person as a link. Try it with me. When your link on the chain performs an action, be it a kind or an unkind one, aContinue reading “Your Kind Smile Can Literally Change Someone’s Day”

What do you do with your “free” time? Or, perhaps more apt, do you give yourself any time that is free, time during which nothing has been planned, time that is okay to spend lost in thought, time in which your creativity rises to the surface, time during the day in which you allow yourselfContinue reading “The Difference Between Plodding Along in Life or Moving Closer to Reaching Your Full Potential”

A couple of years ago, I was interviewed for an online publication called the Excellence Reporter. Interestingly, the interview consisted of one question and I was provided the opportunity to write my answer. The question: What is the meaning of life? I wrote the following… I think the MEANING of life is self-evident when weContinue reading “What is the Meaning of Life?”

It’s become a bit cliché but the sentiment is still apt. You know, when you’re on an airplane in preparation for taking off, the flight attendants run through a series of safety instructions. Amid the lessons on how to fasten your seat belt and how your seat cushion doubles as a flotation device, they tellContinue reading “Put On Your Own Air Mask Before Helping Others”