Kids must be taught how to think, not what to think.

Today our son, Mac, started Kindergarten. The experience of dropping him off for his very first day of school struck so many emotions in me. As every parent of a school-age child can attest, the very first day of school is a learning experience in and of itself. It’s one of those little milestones you anticipate and always remember.

Anyway, I awoke this morning thinking about the whole experience—of childhood, parenthood, and everything in between—and two thoughts immediately came to mind:

• How in the world did Angel and I suddenly become parents to a kindergartner? Whoa! Time flies!
• There are so many things I want to tell Mac as soon as possible, before he’s in high school with his friends and too cool to hear my little nuggets of wisdom. And before Angel and I go from “mommy and daddy who both know best” to “mom and dad who couldn’t possibly understand.”

So in no particular order, here are 40 things I intend to tell him and his little friends, repeatedly, over the next several years: [Read more…]

Your needs matter. Don’t ignore them. Sometimes you have to do what’s best for you and your life, not what’s best for everyone else.

A life spent ceaselessly trying to please people who are perhaps incapable of ever being pleased, or trying too hard to always be seen as doing “what’s expected of you,” is a sure road to a regretful existence. Marc and I were on this road once, but I’m happy to say we’re paving our own path now based on our own needs, morals and values. And today I hope to inspire you to do the same…

Do more than just exist. We all exist. The question is: Do you live?

Marc and I eventually realized existing without ever truly living was not what we wanted for ourselves. So we made changes – we gradually embraced [Read more…]

When you’re feeling insecure, you typically don’t notice the hundreds of people around you who accept you just the way you are. All you notice are the few who don’t.

In what way is the fear of rejection holding you back? How would your life be different if you didn’t (subconsciously) care what everyone thought about you?

To answer these questions, we must understand that the vast majority of our fears and anxieties amount to one thing: Loss.

We fear:

• Losing our youth.
• Losing our social status.
• Losing our money.
• Losing control.
• Losing our comfort.
• Losing our life.

We also fear, perhaps more than anything else, being rejected by others. This kind of fear is widespread and debilitating if [Read more…]

Everything We Need

Jose’s wife, Maria, was born in a one-bedroom, stand-alone home on the outskirts of Playa del Carmen, Mexico.  It was a fine little home, but her father, Oscar, wanted a “real” house.  So, he worked two jobs—a 60-hour-a-week factory job, and then another 20 hours or so a week as a carpenter.

Oscar saved 50% of his income for over a decade to build his family a four-bedroom house—like the ones in the better parts of town.  He put half his family’s savings in a local community bank, and he tucked the other half away in a safe he kept hidden on their property.

On the morning Oscar planned to break ground on his family’s new house, the local community bank shuttered its doors, just hours after law enforcement declared the bank was running an illegal (and uninsured) Ponzi scheme.  90% of the deposits Oscar made were lost.  Then, the very next day, their little home was robbed at gunpoint.  In exchange for his family’s safety, Oscar offered [Read more…]

This morning, over coffee, one of my good friends spilled her guts to me about all of her failed attempts to find the perfect man.  Although her story is about her unique personal experiences, I couldn’t help but feel like I had heard the same story told by others in completely different circumstances a hundred times before.

It’s a heartbreaking tale about the endless quest for perfection that so many of us are on…

The Perfect Woman

Once upon a time, an intelligent, attractive, self-sufficient woman in her mid-thirties decided she wanted to settle down and find a husband.  So she journeyed out into the world to search for the perfect man.

She met him in New York City at a bar in a fancy hotel lobby.  He was handsome and well-spoken.  In fact, she had a hard time keeping her eyes off of him.  He [Read more…]