Memory (September 30)

Memory (September 30)

How much poorer our emotional lives would be if as soon as something happened, it was erased forever from our hearts. The nourishing, strengthening recollection of events in the past is a big part of what makes it possible for us to grow and improve.

Confidentiality (September 29)

Confidentiality (September 29)

We should be careful about confidentiality. And it is with our deepest sorrows that we should select our confidants the most carefully. We do well to share our griefs, but only with those who are utterly faithful . . . and tenderly understanding.

Sharing (September 28)

Sharing (September 28)

The most important thing we can share is our heart. We never do a finer thing than when we open up and share our innermost self with another person. “All who joy would win must share it. Happiness was born a twin” (Lord George Noel Gordon Byron).

Attitudes (September 27)

Attitudes (September 27)

Two things about attitude are amazing to me: (1) we can alter our attitudes anytime we want to, and (2) when we do alter them, our lives can change radically. As William James famously said, “People can alter their lives by altering their attitudes.”

Limits (September 26)

Limits (September 26)

Among the limits that must be respected are those that are moral in nature. Beyond that, however, there are many other limits that we should respect, such as our personal limits. We are finite beings, and we are at our best when we accept that fact.

Intentions (September 25)

Intentions (September 25)

In the words of Emerson, “A good intention clothes itself with sudden power.” So upgrading the quality of our aspirations is a high-leverage activity. As human beings, we grow exponentially when we improve our intentions — and then act accordingly.

Becoming (September 24)

Becoming (September 24)

Our inward characters, as well as our circumstances, are changing. We are becoming something different from what we’ve been. This time next year, we’ll all be people of a different quality than we are today. The question is: what are we becoming?

Excitement (September 23)

Excitement (September 23)

Norman Vincent Peale, who knew a good deal about this subject, said, “You can think, talk, and act yourself into dullness or into monotony or into unhappiness. By the same process you can build up inspiration, excitement, and a surging depth of joy.”

Opportunities (September 22)

Opportunities (September 22)

We should be more concerned about the opportunities we create for others. When I die, my sons won’t get much money, but I hope that I have opened one or two doors and given them a chance to see a few horizons beyond the limits of my own life.

Reaping (September 21)

Reaping (September 21)

If we’re not satisfied with what is being brought in from the fields of our personal endeavor, now is a profitable time to consider what it was that we sowed to produce such a crop. Now’s the time to commit ourselves to a better kind of sowing.

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