New OrleansCNN — Patrick Mahomes is standing on the verge of an unprecedented career:

He’s in his fifth Super Bowl, has won three of them already and is trying to win another to pull off a three-peat. 

That has never been done before.

He’s won two MVP awards, three Super Bowl MVP awards, been named to the Pro Bowl six times and an All-Pro three times.

All those accomplishments have put Mahomes in the greatest-of-all-time conversation before he turns 30.

They’ve also given him and his Kansas City Chiefs a new label ahead of Super Bowl LIX: villain.

And if winning makes him a villain, Mahomes is fine with it.

(MAHATMA GHANDI)

Another way to say it is, “Being true to yourself.”

Are what you THINK, SAY and DO in unison?

Many of the changes I see in our society bode poorly for our future.

Our youth today need to see real live examples of good behavior so they can contrast what they see in social media, in school and on tv.

Mirroring people they admire is a way to expand their visions of the way life should be lead.

Be an example to your own children and those in your community.

Be an honorable person!

(Helen Keller)

Helen Adams Keller was an American author, activist and lecturer who became deaf and blind after an illness at 19 months old.

She is best known for overcoming her disabilities and becoming a leadiing advocate for people with disabilities in the 20th century.

She was the first deaf-blind person to earn a college degree.

In 1904, she graduated from Radcliffe College with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

She lived from 1880 to 1968. (Wikipedia)

We must always try to learn of and practice the tenacity of those who came before!

Each of us has a storehouse of potential within us!

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself,

It’s thinking of yourself less.” C.S. Lewis

This is hard advice to take, because we instantly think of how everything affect us.

Are we willing to become more “other person” focused?

Frankly speaking, the percentage of people hurting in our society continues to climb.

We are too divided.

Will you try to become more “other person” focused?

If not today, when?

Well, answer the question!

January has just gone by, but there is 11/12 of the year left.

I’m not a believer that you should go “cold turkey.”.

This is the oldest self-management dilemma that we all face.

There are unlimited sources of advice on weight loss.

And I’m not one them.

I do, however, believe in setting and accomplishing goals.

Should you shop around for an advisor that gives advice you can live with?

Your life is complicated.

So, choose someone who suggests a simple plan that fits your time restraints!

If not today, when?

My Grandma was born in a town by the sea called Sligo in Ireland.

She was the oldest of three daughters.

Her mother pulled her out of the third grade.

She was sent to care for an aunt who was dying in a neighboring village.

After her aunt died, she was sent to the U.S. to care for a priest who was dying.

She returned to Sligo to get her two sisters to bring them to the U.S.

On the trip to America, one of her sisters died on the ocean passage.

She settled on Chicago’s south side which had a large Irish population.

There, she met and married Timothy Dillon, a battalion chief in the Chicago Fire Department.

He died at a young age when my mother was 22 years old.

Despite alll the hardships of her life, she lived till the age of 94.

God bless grandma!

Though popular with tourists, the far-flung setting and the cottage’s rustic appearance are a far cry from the white-linen-tableclothed world of fine dining.

And yet, within months of McCauley and his wife Sophie opening Homestead Cottage in County Clare, the Michelin Guide gave it a star.

While others have hailed it the best restaurant in Ireland, it is strong praise in a country known for culinary excellence.

The bucolic setting hasn’t done the restaurant any harm.

Michelin calls it “surely the most rural” of their newest winners, while noting the “wonderful Irish produce” at the heart of its menu. (CNN)

Maybe it’s a destination to consider?

America’s children have continued to lose ground on reading skills in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and have made little improvement in math.

This is according to the latest results of an exam known as the nation’s report card.

The findings are yet another setback for U.S. schools and reflect the myriad challenges that have upended education.

These include pandemic school closures, youth mental health crisis and high rates of chronic absenteeism.

The national exam results also show growing inequality:

While the highest-performing students have started to regain lost ground, lower-performing students are falling further behind.(CNN Washington)

“The Loss That Is Forever.” is a book written by a psychologist named Maxine Harris.

It’s about the impact of a parent’s death on a child.

When a child loses a parent, that child grows up feeling different and alone.

A story is written in a secret place in that child’s mind, a story of loss and pain and the triumph over that pain.

It remains intensely private, hidden, sometimes even from the child.

Anderson Cooper’s (CNN) mom and he experienced a lot of early loss as a child.

Different and alone is how both of them felt most of our lives.

Cooper conducts a podcast entitled, “This is All There Is” which is designed to help those who lost a parent as a child. (Anderson Cooper-CNN)

Moral courage is the ability to do what is right in accordance with one’s values even when it’s difficult.

It may require you to take a stand even when it’s unpopular.

Moral courage is based on careful thought, not impulsive action.

In these times, it is imperative that you have discussions with your children regarding your values and theirs.

Your children must know that your values are unchanging.

Leading by example is a primary requirement of parents.

Your children may be confronted with attacks when you’re not around.

They must feel comfortable discussing their beliefs in a challenging situation.

This must be an ongoing discussion within your family so that children feel comfortable bringing up these issues.

It is not easy.