The Power of Forgiveness
I recently read a novel by Canadian author Lillian Nattel called The River Midnight . Set in 1894 Poland , it follows the lives of a Jewish community, and is rich in Yiddish wisdom....
The Forgiveness Challenge
"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you." ~ Lewis B. Smedes
Is there someone against whom you have held a longstanding grudge? Sometimes when we feel we...
Strong Emotional Reactions
Sometimes we respond to situations in ways that others consider over reactive. We may have very strong feelings that we need to express, only to feel hurt and negated when someone says it is...
Right and Wrong
“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not a truth.” ~ Marcus Aurelius
One of the hallmarks of wisdom is the ability to understand and accept the...
Responding to Criticism
“A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.” ~ David Brinkley
How do you react when someone criticizes you? Our first instinct may be...
Respond to Life Rather Than React
“Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.” ~ John Maxwell
It is true that we often do not have much control over what happens in our...
Responding Is Better Than Reacting
It seems that many conflicts begin because someone does not like what another has said or done. Typically, emotions kick in and there is an immediate reaction. Most often the response is one of...
No Right to Criticize
Criticism seems to be an integral part of thinking in the Western world. It is an extension of the polarity that underlies the way so many look at life. People, and their actions, are...
Let Others Speak/Feel for Themselves
“We cannot safely assume that other people's minds work on the same principles as our own. All too often, others with whom we come in contact do not reason as we reason, or do...
Judging Other People
There is always great debate surrounding the exposure of wrongdoing on the part of a public figure. If you follow the media at all, it would seem that there is no one out there...