“Highly successful people make more mistakes than those they surpass. They succeed because they learn from every mistake and turn them into stepping stones.” – Michael Josephson
COMMENTARY: What Your Checkbook and Calendar Say About Your Values
If I wanted to check your credit worthiness, I’d look at your balance sheet — what you have and what you owe — and I’d want to know about your history of paying your debts. If I wanted to know your values, I’d look at your calendar and checkbook. How come? Well, the term “values” refers to core beliefs and convictions that drive …
8 THINGS HAPPY PEOPLE DO
I love the blooming flower images as well as the wisdom of this short video. This is beautiful. https://www.facebook.com/ViralVideosUS/videos/1197131057026417/
We Have All We Need To Do What Needs To Be Done If We Work Together
As I was in the throes of dismay at humanity and the seemingly insoluble problem of the cycle of hate revealed by the Florida massacre, I saw this video of regular folks working together brilliantly to save a stray dog. At first it seemed like it couldn’t be done but by holding hands and working together these strangers prove that …
COMMENTARY: A Person of Character
Let’s face it, it’s not easy to become a person of character. It takes a good heart, but it also requires wisdom to know right from wrong and the discipline to do right even when it’s costly, inconvenient or difficult. Becoming a person of character is a lifelong quest to be better. A person of character values honesty and integrity …
An Everyday Gift
YESTERDAY is history. TOMORROW is a mystery. TODAY is a gift. That’s why it’s called the PRESENT. LEARN from the past. PLAN for the future. LIVE in today.
STAND TOGETHER AGAINST HATE
Now is a time to be resolute, but wise. We must focus on our vulnerabilities, not our fears. Our solutions must be as intelligent, not instinctive. This is not a time for partisan advantage-seeking, it is a time to come together without concern for who gets the credit or blame. We must respond boldly and fearlessly, but not foolishly. Many …
COMMENTARY: Sharpen Your Ax
Ben was a new lumberjack who swung his ax with great power. He could fell a tree in 20 strokes, and in the first few days he produced twice as much lumber as anyone else. By week’s end, he was working even harder, but his lead was dwindling. One friend told him he had to swing harder. Another said he …
Are You Present?
Don’t look so hard at my past. I don’t live there anymore.
COMMENTARY: What I’ve Learned: The Perspective From 13-Year-Olds
A few years ago I got a note from Sam Rangel, an eighth-grade teacher in Corona, California. He distributed some of my commentaries on “What I’ve Learned” to his students and asked them to write down what they’d learned over the past year or in their lives. Here’s the world of growing wisdom from the 13-year-old perspective: * I’ve learned …
The First Step
“The most important reason to know who you are is that it’s the first step in becoming who you should be.” – Michael Josephson
You Have It All Within You
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” – Harriet Tubman
Maintaining Humanity in the Face of Inhumanity
“The world will not get safer until it gets softer, yet the more dangerous the world becomes the more fear and prejudice make people harder. The responses to unspeakable violence must not be a demand to do whatever it takes to be safe because there is no real safety in such methods. Somehow we have to learn to live with …
COMMENTARY: Clichés and Milestones
One of the things I hate most about clichés is that whenever I experience milestone experiences, I have to admit they are true. There’s nothing unique or original about my feelings except that they are mine. So, when I witnessed my daughter Samara turn 18, my mind and heart flooded with trite and corny thoughts and emotions: “Where did the …
Six Honest Serving Men
I keep six honest serving men, they taught me all I knew; their names are What, and Why, and When, and How, and Where, and Who.” – Rudyard Kipling
If I Had To Do It Again…
“If had my child to raise all over again, I’d build self-esteem first, and the house later; finger-paint more, and point the finger less. I would do less correcting and more connecting.
Where are Your Values?
“It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.” – Roy Disney
Fathers and Sons
“One of the greatest tragedies of life is that father and sons can love each other deeply without ever getting to know each other.” – Michael Josephson
Winding Roads
“The path of least resistance is what makes rivers run crooked.” – Elbert Hubbard
Your Character & Reputation
“The decisions you make every day shape both your character (who you really are) and your reputation (what people think of you). Choose wisely because what you do and what you become is your legacy to all you love.” – Michael Josephson
COMMENTARY: Middle School Commencement
When I was asked to deliver the commencement address at my nephew Jaren’s middle school graduation, I worried more than normal. After all, 14- and 15-year-olds are especially tough.
Value is Bigger than Success
“Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value.” – Albert Einstein
Alone vs. Lonely
I don’t have to be lonely just because I am alone. I am in the company of thousands of good memories of people I’ve known and know, places I’ve been, things I’ve done and the feelings of joy, gratitude and pride that are still a part of me.
Here are 5 Profound Rules to Help Teens Survive and Thrive
BE YOURSELF. Mindless conformity is a prison; express yourself authentically. Don’t be afraid to stand out, but don’t go to extremes just to be different. DON’T EXPECT TOO MUCH OR SETTLE FOR TOO LITTLE. Don’t expect anyone else to make you happy and don’t allow others to treat you badly. Hang out with people who bring out the best in you. …
COMMENTARY: Wisdom in 20 Words or Fewer: Part One
Since my children were small, I launched their day with the invocation to “be good, have fun and learn.” I hope they remember that mantra, but when my daughter Samara began her independent life as a college freshman 3,000 miles away, I thought a more detailed set of maxims was needed. So I assembled a collection of concise (20 words or fewer) …
Looking Forward Through the Past
Your childhood is in the past so it consists of no more than the moments and feelings we remember. There were delights and disappointments, fun and frustration, success and shortfalls. It is much easier to look forward to the future when we do so from the vantage point of positivity about the past. Push out bad memories with good ones …
Republican or Democrat, Liberal or Conservative… We are ALL Americans
“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” – Abraham Lincoln Whatever side of the aisle you are on, please revere and protect our American heritage and the core values that have made us great and strong.
COMMENTARY: The Commencement Curse
Millions of teenagers across the land are about to leave the womb of high school for a world full of new freedoms and responsibilities. Although many have been waiting for this event for a long time, eager to get on with their lives as liberated adults, the thought of leaving behind friends and familiar places can be scary. The transition …
Hold On Tight
“Hold on to the people and things that really matter. Let most of the other stuff go.” – Michael Josephson
COMMENTARY: We Expect More of Adults
Although 11-year-old Mark wasn’t much of an athlete, his dad urged him to play youth baseball. Mark liked to play, but he was hurt by the remarks of teammates and spectators whenever he struck out or dropped a ball. Just before the fourth game of the season, Mark told his dad he didn’t want to go. “I’m no good,” he …