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  THE POWER OF BOUNDARIES       #1:  Decline Ultimatums      One of the most challenging things to do in life is to set and enforce boundaries for friends and family. The complicated thing about boundaries is that everyone’s boundaries are different. So, it follows that some people – even those who are close to us…

  THE FREEDOM OF FORGIVENESS #1:  Forgiving Leads to Inner Peace      Forgiveness is not about excusing bad behavior; it’s about becoming bigger than the bad behavior. “I forgive you despite what you’ve done” is not an absolution from consequences; it’s an act of compassion that seeks to move on. When we refuse to forgive,…

  THE PITFALL OF JUDGMENT   #1:  Recognize the Judge Within     Since childhood, many of us were taught to judge. We witnessed those around us judging each other, and we also felt the bitter sting of being judged. You’d think that experience would discourage us from judging others. But when the human mind is threatened -…

  THE SCENIC ROUTE #1:  You’re Always Home   Turtles are remarkable creatures. First emerging 260 million years ago – even before the dinosaurs – turtles, relatively speaking, haven’t evolved that much because their design works really well. Some turtles can hold their breath for 10 hours. Others can go for months without eating. And a…

  DEFINING YOUR NORTH STAR #1:  Decide What’s Most Important      Before the advent of satellites and GPS – even before the invention of the compass –  our ancestors could find their way by looking up at the night sky to see Polaris, otherwise known as the north star. Despite Earth’s rotation, Polaris is the…

  COMPASSIONATE POLITICS #1:  Bring Compassion to Your Politics      Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, once famously said… “Our maturity will be judged by how well we agree to disagree and yet continue to love one another, to care for one another, and to seek the greater good of the other.” The power…

  ADVANCING BY REVERSING #1:  The Setup      This episode’s teaching begins with a personal, short story. My grandfather used to take me to a fishing camp on Florida’s beautiful Withlacoochee river. On one particular trip, I had a harrowing experience that taught me a valuable lesson about life. This lesson came the day we…

  HOW TO STOP WORRYING #1:  Act and Then Let Go      Many years ago, when I was going through a rough patch, I was given a card that illustrated a beautiful oak tree on a hillside overlooking a stunning sunset. Below the picture were the words, “When the day is over, and you have…

  DISCOVERING WHO YOU ARE #1:  Know Thyself      Throughout the 5,000 years of Earth’s recorded history, there is one piece of advice that was consistently taught by our species’ greatest philosophers and sages. In 1400 B.C., this advice was inscribed on the walls of Egypt’s Luxor Temple; in 700 B.C., it was etched above…

  FEELING PAST DEPRESSION #1:  Question Your Thoughts      In my hometown of Orlando, Florida, there used to be a tourist attraction called, The Mystery Fun House that had a dimly lit mirror maze. In the maze, because of its opposing mirrors, you couldn’t trust your eyes; and because of the way sound bounced off…