Category: Life & Living

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart."  - Helen Keller When I was eight years old, my sister and I – along with a family friend my sister’s age – ventured out into the neighborhood after a heavy snowfall. While meandering through the un-shoveled snow bundled up like Eskimos, we came across a large evergreen tree whose branches were burdened by the heavy snowfall. Sadly, one branch had broken off from the stress of the frozen precipitation – now sticking straight up from the snow like a sapling sprouting from the earth. The broken branch immediately reminded me of a mini-Christmas tree. Being three years younger than my sister, I asked if we could take it…

The other day I came across a study originally published in the Harvard Business Review, which draws a conclusion about “nice guys” that truly surprised me. “Results showed that more agreeable — i.e., nicer and friendlier — men earned significantly less than other men. This isn't typically true for young workers — the effect is only visible once men turn 30, and it's strongest between ages 40 and 60.” This study (which followed men's earnings over a period of time) attributed three personality traits as the influencers of those earning greater financial benefits between the ages of 40 and 60. Those traits included men who are more conscientious, more extroverted, and less agreeable. These traits often do not apply to the “nice guys” out in the world. It got me…

“Remember not to care about the things you don’t even care about.” – Cleo Wade, Heart Talk I was recently told that I complain a lot. While one’s immediate reaction is to become defensive and try to argue against the accusations laid against you, age has taught me it’s futile. The truth of the matter is I DO complain a lot. There – I admitted it. And while at times I feel like it’s warranted, it rarely produces any positive results. I recently read something that I have to keep reminding myself. Cleo Wade wrote an inspiring book entitled Heart Talk and in it she sums up my complaining perfectly. “Sometimes our habitual thinking takes over and we end up complaining or being upset about things that don’t actually matter…

“People have got to learn: if they don't have cookies in the cookie jar, they can't eat cookies.” - Suze Orman My grandmother was the third of nine children. While her parents provided all the basic necessities (most of all love), at the end of the day I’m not sure there was anything left in the cookie jar for retirement planning. My great-grandfather was a furniture refinisher in Jersey City, New Jersey and my great-grandmother was a homemaker who took in sewing work to help the family financially. Today, whenever I look at my retirement planning with skepticism for the future, I often think about my great-grandparents who probably only planned ahead a few months not a few decades when they’d no longer be working. While each new generation has…