American drivers notice soaring gas prices. But another fuel – diesel – is also on the rise, and at a much faster pace.

While you’ve likely never bought a gallon of diesel, it’s still worth worrying about.

That’s because much of the world’s economy comes on trucks, from consumer goods to the food you eat.

Since the fighting started in Iran a week ago, gasoline prices are up 47 cents, but that’s nothing compared to the 84 cent increase in diesel fuel. (CNN)

The population in China is shrinking and the government wants more babies.

A growing number of young women, however, don’t want to have a baby.

And they don’t want to date a man either. They prefer dating An AI Chatbot instead.

They are using a customized version of “Jailbreak” known as Dan for romance.

They prefer Dan to escape the disappointments of real-world dating.

These virtual boyfriends offer 24/7 emotional support w/o human imperfections. (BBC)

Contentment is an all-encompassing word.

Let me suggest that it has four components: Gratitude, No Envy, Honesty, Humility.

I always say I’m living in the GRATITUDE time of my life because I am grateful for my blessings.

ENVY is the road to unhappiness. We must celebrate the achievements of others without envying them.

HONESTY is in short supply these days. We must measure ourselves by how honest we are in all aspects of our lives.

HUMILITY is a trait of many successful people and is essential for contentment. The most successful person I ever knew practiced humility.

Is the person who owns this mansion RICH?

Have you ever heard the name J. Paul Getty?

He was declared The World’s Richest Man in1966 by The Guiness Book of Records.

He was such a miser that he had a payphone installed at his estate.

This was done to prevent the employees from making free calls to distant relatives.

He was married and divorced 5 times.

His grandson, J. Paul Getty lll, was kidnapped and held for a $17 million ransom.

The elder Getty told the kidnappers he wouldn’t pay because he had 14 other grand children.

Eventually, he paid $2.2 million because it was tax deductible.

Many rich people spend the majority of their time worrying about their money.

Does being rich equate to happiness?

You decide.

He was one of a kind.

Since my dad was a professor at ND for 21 years, I was all in for the Fighting Irish.

Here is my favorite Lou Holtz story.

ND was playing Southern Cal for the national championship in the Rose Bowl.

Of course, Lou set a curfew for the players the night before the game.

Two of his best players broke curfew and returned to their room very late.

Lou was waiting for them.

He told them to pack their bags because they were going to the airport for a flight back to South Bend.

When the rest of the team woke up on game day, the two best players were gone.

The team was very upset, but Lou told them, “Rules are rules!”

They went on to win that day!

And those players learned a lesson they never forgot!

John Lopez Jr. was a cashier at a Walmart Store in Princeton, Texas.

After he rang up the amount she had to pay, the customer broke down in tears.

She could not pay the $110 amount so John took out his wallet and paid it for her.

A customer in line behind the crying lady took John’s photo (Shown above.)

A resident of Princeton, Texas heard the story and PAID FOR JOHN”S COLLEGE TUITION!

True story!

He has played every position, except catcher, for the Detroit Tigers.

They refer to him as a utility player.

He provides a unique value to the Tigers because they can use him at any position.

In the photo above, he’s running the bases after hitting a home run.

Look at the huge grin on his face.

He’s so happy playing his favorite game.

He grew up in Toledo, Ohio and is a graduate of Central Michigan University.

His salary grew from 1.6 million last season to 4.2 million this season.

So, he’s well worth it. Such fun!

I think you must examine your values.

What will you do and not do?

The best way to make consistent decisions is to consult your values before deciding.

If your decisions reflect your values, you will become more predictable.

Predictable decisions also improve the confidence others have in you.

Something else that leads to good decisions is verification of the facts.

Accurate facts and adherence to your values creates good decisions.

If not today, when.

(Christopher Columbus)

It is a sobering experience.

Suddenly, you feel so small.

There will always be situations in which we must call upon courage.

We are not talking about foolish risks.

Most tests of our courage give us another chance to learn about who we are.

And courage has a cumulative effect on us.

This means failing a challenge could cause future failings.

Successful challenges have the opposite effect.

Courage grows by continuous use.

(Maya Angelou)

Unless you can reach people on an emotional level, you can’t reach them.

Maya Angelou reminds us that the power of words is indeed powerful!

These are exemplified by her book, “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.”

And also by her poem, “Still I Rise.”

Why is it that people who suffer greatly are more effective in revealing the true human condition?

Because their message is authentic!