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Ditch the gloom
“Those who move forward with a happy spirit will find that things have a way of working out.” ~Gordon B. Hinckley We’ve all met a few chronic complainers and serial critics. If we spend enough time with these folks, we risk falling under the insidious spell of negativity and dissatisfaction. How much fun is that? Of course, life isn’t all rainbows and unicorns. Bad things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people. (Yes, it’s infuriating.) As today’s quote suggests, if we aim for optimism most of the time, we’ll discover that life is less of a drag and our outlook improves. A negative attitude won’t resolve…
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Abundance mentality
“People with a scarcity mentality tend to see everything in terms of win-lose: There is only so much, and if someone else has it, that means there will be less for them. The more principle-centered we become, the more we develop an abundance mentality — and the more we are genuinely happy for the successes, well-being, recognition, and good fortune of other people. We believe their success adds to — rather than detracts from — our lives.” ~Stephen R. Covey As Thanksgiving approaches, we’ll be seeing and hearing the word “abundance” more often. Years ago, when I first heard about “abundance mentality,” I assumed it was metaphysical nonsense. Thankfully, entrepreneurial…
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Pure generosity
“You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” ~John Wooden My mom was a stickler for good manners, and “reciprocate” was an active verb in her vocabulary. Whenever she was invited to someone’s home for dinner (and whenever she received a gift) she took care to return the favor. She was secretly disappointed when others didn’t follow the same rules of etiquette. While reciprocation is a lovely thing, it took me years to fully appreciate the concept of paying it forward. As today’s quote reminds us, the true spirit of generosity is giving a gift or doing a favor…
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While we can
“Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead.” ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby There’s something especially thoughtful about sending a greeting card or buying someone a small gift for no special reason. And when you’re on the receiving end of such a surprise, it’s always a memorable moment. This is a lesson I learned from an old friend who loved sending “no reason” flowers when she was battling a terminal illness. But we don’t have to send cards or flowers to declare our love or friendship. There are dozens of other lovely, simple ways to express…
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It’s time for a break
“Research shows that we need to take a break and decompress so we can be our best at work—and at home. Maybe we should ask if the life we’re working so hard to create is fun to live? ~ Tina Hallis, Sharpen Your Positive Edge I’ll be taking a break to refuel for a few days. In the meantime, there’s plenty to explore on the “Life Lines” home page. To catch up on earlier posts and other content you’ve missed, please click here. If you’re reading the compact version of “Life Lines” on your phone, please note that there are several other features that only show on a laptop or…
