Category: Life & Living

“Living in your comfort zone can even be more stressful than pursuing your dream. So why are you accustomed to your stagnant life?” ― Oscar Bimpong Far too many of us live in a bubble, otherwise known as our comfort zone. We like what’s familiar, what makes us feel at ease - in a word, secure. But change is difficult if you never step outside the familiarity of your environment and try something new. I know people who will only dine at the same restaurant, vacation to the same destinations (even the same hotels), and choose to spend their lives living in the same place they were born and raised. While they probably don’t realize it, they’re an incredibly difficult group of people to engage with in a conversation. Their…

“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.”  ― Norman Vincent Peale The other day someone told me how they wished they had the same confidence that I had. I was dumbfounded to say the least. While there are many words one might use to describe me, to say I’m a man of confidence seems inaccurate. That is to me. But then I came across this quote, which truly made me stop and think for a moment. “It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.”  - Unknown People who possess great humility rarely perceive themselves as the rest of the world does. In fact, they’re often plagued by…

Regardless of how prepared you may think you are for the death of someone you know, you’re probably not. Even when it’s expected or inevitable, the news will still come as an unwelcome surprise. A dear family friend, who struggled with health issues for many, many years, finally lost her battle yesterday. You won’t see the story posted online or read celebrity tweets surrounding her death. For she provided no influence to the sensational world we’ve all become far too obsessed with. But for the people who knew and loved her, the loss I assure you is great. As consolation for dealing with death, we often say “they’re in a better place”, “they no longer have to endure their suffering”. And while that does provide some comfort, you realize that…

“The hardest thing about "everything happens for a reason" is waiting for that reason to show up.” – Karen Salmansohn Over the last five years, I’ve fully embraced the notion that everything happens for a reason. As a younger man, I was too jaded and quick tempered to understand the reality and possibility of this concept. But now well into my 40’s, I’ve seen this notion repeated time and time again. Not only in my own life, but the lives of those around me. I suppose one might say that such a statement is nothing more than being hopeful. Good or bad, we want to believe that our current circumstances are not for naught. That our daily struggles and discoveries are part of a destiny, which will reveal itself in…

“The assumption that animals are without rights and the illusion that our treatment of them has no moral significance is a positively outrageous example of Western crudity and barbarity. Universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality.”  ― Arthur Schopenhauer, The Basis of Morality When I was a little boy, my grandparents took me to see Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. From what I remember, it was part of my birthday present that year. I still recall riding in the back seat of the car filled with excitement. Soon, I had a carton of popcorn in one hand and a bag of cotton candy in the other. As we made our way to our seats, I was awe struck at how many children were just as excited, just as anxious…