Many of us don’t like CHANGE.

Unfortunately, changes are coming at us faster than ever.

I just read this morning that an experienced international traveler thought she bought the official travel info on France.

Because it was half-priced as another guide to France, she bought it only to find that it was totally inadequate.

It turned out to have been written by AI.

So, change is everywhere in our society.

Don’t be overwhelmed by all the changes.

Just deal with those changes that affect your life and those of your loved ones.

Also, try to address change mentally, not emotionally!

It’s less stressful.

Yes, 200,000 soldiers and civilians have died in the Ukrainian/Russian War.

In addition to the dead, 200,000 Ukrainian children have been kidnapped and taken to Russia.

The evil deeds being committed in this war are astounding.

And yet, the end seems to be nowhere in sight.

All the result of a decision made by one man.

This story demonstrates the potential evil of dictatorships.

All of us get knocked down.

Sometimes the knockout punch is self-imposed.

This is the cruelest one because we have to deal with remorse and recovery.

Hopefully, we won’t ever repeat this mistake again.

On other occasions we get blind-sided by life itself.

And these punches are re-occurring as life goes along.

I think the death of a loved one or dear friend keeps us on the canvas longer.

Sometimes the punch was so hard, we don’t want to get up.

But, we must become an example so others watching us will get off the canvas just as we did.

We must also remember to deliver as few punches as possible to others.

We don’t need any more fighters in today’s society.

We need more lovers!

If not today, when?

(Leo Tolstoy)

It seems that happiness, like everything else, is a decision.

Do you know someone who has had a very tough life, but exhibits happiness?

I do.

I always stand in awe of that person.

Particularly because I have not had as tough a life as that person.

So, I have no excuse for not being happy.

Do you?

Be happy!

If not today, when?

Yes, these 4 men rode on the rudder of a large ship from Nigeria across the Atlantic Ocean to Brazil.

Nigerian migrants spent 14 days stowed away in the space above a ship rudder before they were discovered.

They ran out of food and water on day 10 and survived the last four days on only sea water.

They told the Brazilian Coast Guard that conditions in Nigeria were so desperate they had to leave family behind and risk their lives to get away.

God bless America!

We all make decisions throughout our lives.

All decisions have consequences, some big, some small.

How good are you at making decisions?

Do you have a method you use when making a big decision?

Let me suggest one:

What are the reasons to do it?

What are the reasons not to do it?

What would be the financial costs of implementing it?

What would be the emotional costs?

What would be the costs in your time?

Can you do it or whose help would you need?

Could you afford the cost of failure?

It was a nice term for telling people what they want to hear.

It actually kicked off a nationwide habit of lying in order to say something you don’t really mean, but is pleasing to the other person.

This phenomenon took society down the wrong path.

Now, when someone pays you a complement, you don’t really know if it is genuine or what you want to hear.

Speaking of the truth, we have another dilemma to deal with.

It’s called MISINFORMATION which is another form of lying deliberately intended to mislead us.

I hate to sound old fashioned, but why don’t we just TELL THE TRUTH?

If not today, when?

If the answer is “YES.” act like it!

Put on a good attitude when you begin your workday.

Good attitudes can be contagious and noticed by the boss.

And a good attitude could lead to a promotion.

If the answer is “NO,” is there a position you would like in your existing company?

If so, what would you have to do to earn that position?

If you must look outside your company, this is a good time to make a move.

It seems that every company has job openings.

Remember, don’t leave your present job until you have secured another.

Unconditional love is really the purest form of love.

And it is the kind of love that we must all aspire to.

The difficulty is asking IMPERFECT people to practice PERFECT love.

Nevertheless, I believe that the deeper our love is for another person, the happier we’ll be.

And the happier your loved one will be!

So, let us all in every way embark upon the daily journey to unconditional love.

If not today, when?

You and I know our kids are growing up in a very different world.

And I’m sure you are concerned about the kind of world we’re leaving to them.

It is a world where tried and true values are under daily attack.

There’s an old saying, “If your kids don’t stand for something, they’ll fall for anything.”

So, you have to give them a role model worth following.

How do you do that?

You must provide them a “port in the storm.”

Because their values are always under attack, you must adhere to the values they will need.

I believe the most important virtues you must practice are temperance, courage and honesty.

I list temperance first because alcohol is being overused by parents and their children.

You must be an example of courage because they will need courage to face up to constant peer pressure to do the wrong thing.

And very important is honesty.

I never thought I’d live in a world wherein lying is becoming the norm.

So, if you are to become the role model your kids need, those are my thoughts.

If not today, when?