See an expanded and revised version (December 24, 2013) of the collection at https://whatwillmatter.com/2013/12/the-best-ever-quotes-about-christmas-and-the-christmas-spirit-compiled-by-michael-josephson/ Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. – Calvin Coolidge Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy …
COMMENTARY: ‘Tis the Season to be Jolly — Even While Shopping 754.4
People are not at their best in crowds. It’s as if every survival-of-the-fittest primordial instinct comes out to obliterate thousands of years of civilization. Pre-and post-holiday shopping, and the inevitable lines, test our character. My wife’s a professional shopper. She has strategies on where to park and how to find the fastest moving line (which I’ve discovered is not always …
OBSERVATION: I assume some people find Christmas shopping a joyful experience, though the fact that I couldn’t find a good article or video proclaiming this position has made me wonder.
There are plenty of articles about the stress of shopping, and I’ve heard plenty of complaints that the burden of shopping for people who have everything has made the experience anxiety-producing. Then, of course, is the question of who outside your immediate family you need to buy gifts for and how much you need to spend. Finally, the whole issue …
COMMENTARY: Surviving Critical Relatives at Family Gatherings 754.3
I realize that not everyone lives in a Norman Rockwell world where family gatherings are sources of warmth and good memories. For some, the prospect of holiday get-togethers generates dread and anxiety; they are something to endure, not enjoy. One reason is that family members can be tactless and downright cruel when expressing their opinions about perceived foibles, flaws and …
You are not Inferior
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. – Eleanor Roosevelt
OBSERVATION: How Buddha dealt with criticism
According to an ancient story, Buddha was known as a man who could not be provoked to anger or hostility. A man traveled hundreds of miles to test Buddha’s reputation. When he found Buddha, he immediately began to criticize everything he could; he insulted him, he challenged him, he did everything he could to offend Buddha. Buddha was unperturbed. He said, …
WORTH READING: 8 Helpful Ways To Deal With Critical People
Reposted from Personal Excellence blog by Celestine Chua 1. Don’t Take It Personally. Most of the times, their criticisms reflect more about themselves than about you. They react in this manner because of certain beliefs and frameworks they have about life. You may think the critical person is all out to get you, but it’s more likely he/she reacts in …
WORTH READING: How to Deal With Critical Family Members
4 Ways to Disarm Critical Family Members Re-posted from Recovery Help Now by Vanessa Blaxland, MFTi. We all have them. You know, that one family member that always has something negative to say about how you did this or that, or why are you this or that way. I’m sure just thinking right now about how this person gets under …
COMMENTARY: FAILING FORWARD: Turning Stumbling Blocks into Stepping Stones 754.1
The best way to teach our children to succeed is to teach them to fail. After all, if getting everything you want on the first try is success, and everything else is failure, we all fail much more often than we succeed. People who learn how to grow from unsuccessful efforts succeed more often and at higher levels because they …
OBSERVATION: Talent is, of course, important, but the two qualities that make the critical difference between talented people who succeed and those who don’t are persistence and positivity. Successful people don’t give up or lose confidence; they learn from every experience and get better.
Two of America’s greatest inventors, Charles Kettering and Thomas Edison, embraced the same philosophy, which allowed them to take in stride what others called failure, and build upon it. Kettering said: “I failed forward to success. An inventor fails
QUOTE: If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else. – Yogi Berra
MORE QUOTES ON GOALS:__ To reach a port, we must sail—Sail, not tie at anchor—Sail, not drift. Franklin Roosevelt __ Our plans miscarry because they have no aim. When a man does not know what harbor he is
WORTH READING: Setting Goals
Six Principles of Goal Setting Written by Susanna Palomares Sunday, 16 January 2011 Reprinted from Women’s Media Why is setting goals important? Because goals can help you to be, do, and experience everything you want in life. Instead of just letting life happen to you, goals allow you to make your life happen. Successful and happy women have a vision of how …
WORTH READING: Parents, Kids, and Discipline
[The photo is intended as humor – it is not recommended as a good parenting strategy!] Re-printed from Web-MD: How can you provide discipline to your child so that he or she can function well at home and in public? Every parent wants their children to be happy, respectful, respected by others, and able to find their place in the world …
WORTH READING: What You Should Know About Behavior Modification
What is Behavior Modification and Can it Help My Family? Re-printed from BetterParenting.com By Chris Oldenburg You might have heard the term listening to a self-help parenting CD, or watching an interview with parenting experts: behavior modification. But, how can behavior modification help you as a parent if you don’t really know what it is? It might be used as …
WORTH READING: Recommended Books on Understanding and Parenting Teenagers
Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen by David Walsh, Ph.D. (2004) Reviews from Amazon: “A powerful, practical book on the teenage brain. Walsh is a storyteller with the gifts of simplicity and clarity. This book is an easy read, but its message is fresh, nuanced, and important. I recommend …
WORTH WATCHING: “What’s the Matter With Kids Today?” from Bye, Bye Birdie (1960)
Lyrics: Kids! I don’t know what’s wrong with these kids today! Kids! Who can understand anything they say? Kids! They are so ridiculous and immature! I don’t see why anybody wants ’em! Just you wait and see
WORTH READING: Why Living a Life of Gratitude Can Make You Happy
by Leo Babauta “If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘Thank you,’ that would suffice.” – Meister Eckhart Many days, I try to humble myself and hold a 2-minute gratitude session. I simply sit or kneel, with no distractions, close my eyes, and think about what I’m grateful for and who I’m grateful for. I don’t do it every …
OBSERVATION: Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth. – Marian Wright Edelman
Though we should engage in service to others, charity and active helping because of the joy and self-satisfaction it brings us, Marian Edelman Wright’s insight (often erroneously attributed to Muhammad Ali) tells us there is also a duty
OBSERVATION: Find personal joy and fulfillment in service. “I slept and dreamt that life was all joy, I awoke and understood life was but service, I served and realized service is joy.” – Rabindranath Tagore
“In about the same degree as you are helpful, you will be happy.” Karl Reiland A common delusion is to think of service only in terms of sacrifice. Service is a reliable road to a series of emotions that enlarge our lifve and uplift our spirits – satisfaction, pride, worthiness, fulfillment, and even outright joy in seeing our efforts
OBSERVATION: Changing the World
“When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn’t change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family. Now, …
WORTH WATCHING: CNN Heroes – Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things to Improve the World
I think CNN Heroes is one of the most inspirational and impact media initiatives I’ve seen. View the videos on the CNN Heroes website. If you are a teacher, I hope you will share these stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things to improve the world.