In this age of email, text messaging, immediate contact with anyone, no matter where they are, it would be wise to remember this. It’s so easy for things to be taken out of context, or for a comment that’s typed with a chuckle and smile to be taken seriously, with very different consequences.

What we have said cannot be unsaid. Perhaps more importantly, what has been written (or typed, or tapped out on a cell phone) cannot be unwritten.

There is less emphasis on choosing the correct words nowadays than there ever was in the past. With so many forms of electronic messaging in daily use, it is difficult to convey emotions through cyberspace, and the danger of misunderstanding is compounded when the choice (or the understanding) of words is not carefully considered.

Quoting one of my favourite pieces of literature from the Persian poet Omar Khayyam (which admittedly, is in old English):

The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it

Listen to it here:

Do you think before you write…or type…or tap…?
Please leave a comment to let me know…

The Beauty of a Smile

A smile costs nothing, but its value is priceless.
It enriches the one who gives it, yet it impoverishes him not.
It happens in a flash but the memory may last for days.

No one is so rich that he can get along without it.
No one is so poor that he cannot afford to give it.

A smile generates happiness in the home and goodwill in business
Because it says, “I like you, you pleasure me.”

If you meet an acquaintance or a friend who is too busy to give
You a smile, leave one of yours.
No one needs a smile so much as the person who has none to give.

There is nothing I could add to this. Print this poem out and paste it up somewhere prominent.

Sent it (or a link to this page) to your friends and colleagues.

…Give your smiles away as if there were a limitless supply…

Listen to it here:

Go on…give us a SMILE…
Please leave a comment to let me know…

At first, I thought nothing of it. Then it occurred to me that (in my view) this is absolutely not true!

What we need to remember is that a destination is not somewhere we have to stay forever. We all reach many destinations during our lives, and move on to the next. And so we may reach the destination of happiness, and move on to the next level of happiness, and the next, and so on.

Constant happiness is possible. But it takes some effort after making the choice. There may be things that we have to change in our lives to get there, but everything in life is a choice – and we almost always get to choose.

A big part of achieving genuine, lifelong happiness is attitude. With this in mind, I would say that happiness is not only a journey, but also a destination. This is important, because when we say it is not a destination, we are in effect telling our subconscious that we will never reach there.

You can get there. I’ve reached lasting happiness, so have thousands (or maybe even millions) of other people.

Listen to it here:

So what do you think about this?
Please leave a comment to let me know…

That ancient predator of the ocean, the shark, has to keep moving forward or die. This movement keeps the water flowing through their mouths and across their gills, allowing them to extract oxygen from the water.

We should keep the shark in mind whenever we get the inclination to shift focus from our objective – which is whatever we need to be happy.

Keep moving forward. Adopt that as your personal mantra, your affirmation…keep moving forward.

Ask yourself in the evening: “What did I do to move myself toward genuine happiness today? Am I closer to that goal, or further away than I was yesterday?”

Then resolve to move forward tomorrow. Keep moving forward.

Listen to it here:

So what do you think about this?
Please leave a comment to let me know…

At first, you may find it difficult to identify anything. If this is the case, make something good happen. Do something you have never done before; Hold a door open for an older person; Stretch yourself further than you usually do. Find something—it doesn’t have to be anything big. Build on this each day.

Why? You may well ask. There are a lot of ways you will benefit by making it a daily routine to find (or create) something to congratulate yourself for.

For starters, by acknowledging that you have done something good, or well, you are generating a positive energy within yourself. This offsets some of the negative influences you will be faced with every day.

Then you will become more proficient at the things you do. Apathy and stagnation are the result of mediocrity. Drive and creativity are the result of stimulation. You have much to accomplish in this life. You will not excel without pushing yourself a bit.

By setting up this routine, you will also find your feeling about yourself improving. You will feel more worthy.

This is not about pride! This is personal. It is just between you and…you.

Take pleasure in knowing that you have done well.

Listen to it here:

What are you going to celebrate?
Please leave a comment to let me know…

If you are one of those people who feel rudderless, bouncing around without focus or direction, without a passion for life; you can get past this! The single most important decision you can make is to take responsibility for every part of your life.

This can be uncomfortable because it includes all those things you have attributed to other people or circumstances—but once you start, you will feel such a feeling of relief and power, it will be difficult to go back to the way things were

It is something only you can do. You can read all the self-help books and courses on the planet, but if you do not make the choice to take responsibility for your life, you will not achieve your potential.

If you are one of those who make excuses for the way your life turned out, or blame others, please…don’t abdicate responsibility for your life. You are such a wonderful person, and you have so much to offer the world. Take charge!

Listen to it here:

Who is responsible for YOUR life?
Please leave a comment to let me know what you think of this Minute…

Shortly after I started working, something happened to prevent us meeting a deadline or something equally important. Everyone in the office was so busy denying responsibility, that the problem wasn’t getting resolved.

The boss appeared in the middle of this pointing of fingers, and said: “I don’t care who is right, I only care about what is right. Stop wasting energy on something we can’t change and make the best of this situation.”

I have always remembered this: It doesn’t matter who is right, it only matters what is right. If anything is not as it should be, do whatever is necessary to correct it, or minimize the effect as much as possible.

What’s done is done. Do the best you can about it, then move on!

Blame is one of those very negative, unhelpful activities that easily develop into a bad habit. Unchecked, it will result in us refusing to take responsibility for anything in our lives.

We will talk about responsibility next time.

Listen to it here:

So what do you think about this?
Please leave a comment to let me know…

It is a parable illustrating a very common fantasy we tell ourselves, which goes something like this:

“When … (fill in the blank) … happens, I will be better able to … (fill in the blank).”

“When I land a new job, I will…”

“When the kids finish school I will…”

“When I have paid off the mortgage I will…”

…and when whatever your version is comes to pass, there is something else in the way of doing whatever it is you put off in the first place.

We travel this train of life, passing through station after station. There is always another one ahead. Your life does not have a destination – except death, of that is.

It is always easy to find some reason to put off making an important decision. Does this sound like something you do? Do you find yourself making seemingly valid excuses so you can continue to procrastinate?

Sometimes any decision is better than none.

Listen to it here:

Do you procrastinate? Have you mastered how to make your own future?
Please leave a comment to let me know…

First of all, the motivation to forgive should be to set yourself free. Free from the attachment to the pain that is holding you back. When you feel the hurt of being mistreated in some way, and hold a grudge against the person causing the hurt; you are the person most affected by it.

Very often, the perpetrator is not even aware that they have caused you pain! They are oblivious. When you forgive, the other person doesn’t even have to know that you have forgiven them. This is for you. Forgiveness takes place inside you.

Something else to consider, is that whatever wrong has been done, the cause of your pain is nine-times-out-of-ten more about the perpetrator’s failing, or misunderstanding than it is about you. There is some aspect of their life that led them to cause your pain. We all have our demons. Understanding this often makes it easier to forgive.

So forgive those people who hurt you, and then forgive yourself for allowing it to happen. Don’t—I repeat, don’t try to forget. You can, and should, learn and grow from the experience of forgiveness. Look for the positive, the lesson. It is there. Use it to make yourself stronger and better.

Listen to it here:

Do you have anyone you need to forgive so you can move on with your life and happiness?
What are your thoughts on the power if forgiveness?
Please leave a comment to let me know…

An important part of any successful life – and please understand: I don’t necessarily mean success in financial or material terms – is building regular time to reflect into each day, or week; time to contemplate the lessons we can learn from yesterday’s challenges, and how to incorporate what we learn about ourselves and our surroundings into our lives in the future.

Challenge yourself! Do this for the next seven days: think about yesterday’s problems (without blame), learn what you can, and resolve to handle situations like that differently in future. Think about where you are in your life: Are you where you would like to be? Are you satisfied? What would it take to be satisfied?

Don’t rush the answers – if you think about them, the answers will come. Your mind will set to work. Build time to think into your day, preferably not as you are lying in bed trying to sleep!

Listen to it here:

Do you give yourself time to think?
Please leave a comment to let me know…