When I was young, my friend let me borrow the red crayon from his new box. So I let him ride my bike. When we got older, my friend defended me in a snowball fight and sat with me at lunch so I wouldn’t have to eat alone. Years later, when we were in high school, and I had forgotten my book, my friend “saved my life” by lending me his book so I could do my homework. What would I do without true friends? Your definition of friendship may change during your lifetime, but its value won’t. True friends have fun together, even when they’re doing nothing special. They communicate without talking and seem close despite living miles apart.    Read more…

Each day is a gift for you to carefully unwrap. What happens next is up to you. You can cherish every second that you’re given or let time slip between your fingers. You can live every day with gusto and make every moment matter or you can be fearful and worry about what tomorrow will bring. You can reach out and make a difference in someone’s life or focus on more ways to better your own. You can pursue new ways to grow as a person or wait to see if the world stops changing. You can reach for things that’ll make you happy or you can be content with what you already have. You can drift along from dawn    Read more…

The car with a religious bumper sticker just cut me off. The parent makes the rules and then routinely breaks them. The leader just asked everyone to scale back and then spends like there’s no tomorrow. The politician says, “Trust me,” but we quickly learn that his promises are empty. The truth is, talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words. Why do people say one thing and do another? Why do they make promises one second only to break them minutes later? Why do people say they care when it’s so obvious they couldn’t care less? Can’t they see the potential damage to their credibility? Why would they torpedo a relationship that’s taken them a lifetime to build? Don’t    Read more…

You’re going to take the world by storm. You’re talented and trustworthy, and you have a work ethic that’s second to none. These words probably aren’t coming as a surprise. You’ve already achieved a successful track record and have earned the trust and respect of your peers. Sure, you’ll be faced with obstacles, slammed by adversity, and may even doubt yourself along the way. But I’m confident that you have what it takes to be a success. You’re going to be a star. There’s just one thing I’d like you to keep top of mind: Courage. It’s important for you to believe in yourself, stand up for the principles that you hold dear, and see the world for what it    Read more…

Once upon a time, there was a brat named Phil T. Rich. He grew up with everything a kid could want. He had every gadget imaginable, a house that rivaled the Disney castle, and parents who gave him free rein to do whatever he wanted. Unfortunately, his parents were rarely around for him. And when they weren’t working “killer hours,” they were off to the club to play golf and trade gossip with friends. Phil knew that he wasn’t like the other kids. Whenever he wanted something, he snapped his fingers and it appeared — like magic. He didn’t have to work hard in school because he knew his parents would pull strings to get him into college and ultimately    Read more…

They should follow the rules. Not me. They should help the needy. Not me. They should take a pay cut. Not me. They should compromise. Not me. They should listen more. Not me. They should walk their talk. Not me. They should pay more taxes. Not me. They should wait their turn. Not me. They should clean up after themselves. Not me. They should finish what they start. Not me. They should watch their kids. Not me. They should play fair. Not me. They should change their attitude. Not me. They should save more. Not me. They should contribute their fair share. Not me. They should say they’re sorry. Not me. They should watch their temper. Not me. They should be more objective. Not me. They should keep in contact. Not me. They should do their job. Not me. They    Read more…

Trust is the fabric that binds us together, creating an orderly, civilized society from chaos and anarchy. Trust is not an abstract, theoretical, idealistic goal forever beyond our reach. Trust –– or lack of it –– is inherent in every action that we take and affects everything that we do. Trust is the cement that binds relationships, keeping spouses together, business deals intact, and political systems stable. Without trust, marriages fails, voters become apathetic, and organizations flounder. Without trust, no company can ever hope for excellence. Understanding the meaning of trust allows you to work toward being a trusted and trusting person. The truth is that trust is never guaranteed, and it can’t be won overnight. Trust must be carefully    Read more…

So, you’re a vegetarian? Great. You go to the gym every day? Wonderful. You lost 14 pounds on your newfangled diet? I’m happy for you. You’re voting for the Democratic (Republican or Independent) candidate? Super. You’re a devoted person of faith? Good for you. Now, do you want my opinion? It’s wonderful that you’ve assumed such a healthy lifestyle; that you’re so passionate about your beliefs and committed to your causes; and that you want to raise your kids just like your parents raised you. But . . . But that doesn’t mean I have to agree with you. Believe me, I’m not trying to pass judgment; quite to the contrary. Unlike multiple-choice tests, in life there may be two    Read more…

“She called me a bad name.” “He took my toy.” “She didn’t like my dress.” “I had it first.” Ah yes, the thrill of being young again. Remember how important these things seemed when we were young? In retrospect, they now seem so trivial. Of course, as we get older and wiser, we focus on important things, like showing our friends how successful we’ve become, outflanking others to get a promotion, keeping up with the Joneses, and ensuring that we look young — forever. You’d think we’d have learned something from our kindergarten days, wouldn’t you? The truth is, we’re often so busy running on our treadmill to nowhere that we can lose focus on the things that really matter    Read more…

I watch the killing that’s taking place around the world and ask myself why? How can someone be so intolerant that they can kill another person over their beliefs? How can someone be so angry that they’re willing to take the life of an innocent child to advance a cause? How can someone be so confused that they refuse to honor and value a life? There’s no simple answer to the horrific crisis that we face, but I’m convinced that a contributing factor is the poisoning of our minds. We are bombarded with hatred, intolerance, and violence every day. The entertainment industry incorporates hate, intolerance, and violence into movies, music, comedy routines, and video games in order to increase sales.    Read more…