Simple Rules to Live By
Why Read. The Book Report
I can remember as if it were yesterday when I started to read books voraciously. I was in the 3rd grade and there were a series of books on famous people. Each book had a light blue cover and the titles were printed in yellow. The books were about...
Giving When It Counts
A friend of the family e-mailed me this life lesson: Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood...
Early Lessons For Doing The Right Thing
I remember when I was about 8 years old, my father died. When my mother’s birthday arrived, I only had 56 cents in my savings box. I went to our local drug store to purchase a birthday gift for her. I could not find anything for my 56 cents. The pharmacist...
DOING THE RIGHT THING
Never take action when you’re angry. PopPops Additional Comment: I remember my Rabbi saying to me just before getting married: “Don’t go to sleep angry at your spouse”. I have tried to follow that precept and it has definitely worked for me. It is better to be shot...
HARD LESSONS – PART ONE
Don’t spread yourself too thin. Learn to say no politely and quickly. PopPop’s Additional Comment: By the time you read this life lesson, there should be an additional Life Lesson giving very good instructions on how to say NO. Learn to disagree without being...
FORMULAS FOR SUCCESS – PART TWO
Learn to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly. Try to see all endeavors through to their conclusion—win, lose or draw. PopPop’s Additional Comment: I worked on a project for a banker. I spent a lot of time on the project and thought I had come up with a...
FORMULAS FOR SUCCESS – PART 1
Teach others – in the process, you will learn more about yourself. PopPop’s Additional Comment: I have given pretty complicated subject matter presentations at our industry’s annual convention. I do my research and prepare my outline for the presentation---And you...
FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Always remember who you are, how you got there and those who helped you get there. Remember that a successful marriage depends on two things: (1) finding the right person and (2) being the right person. Hug children after you discipline them.
LESSONS TO LIVE BY – PART THREE
A person’s perception – is their reality. PopPop’s Additional Comment: Go back and read the parable titled “Blind Men”—it really explains this idea. Be there when people need you. Remember no one makes it alone. Have a grateful heart and be quick to acknowledge...
LESSONS TO LIVE BY – PART TWO
Always do the right and fair thing. It’s a powerful concept. PopPop’s Additional Comment: My brother-in-law emphasized this lesson throughout his life. You probably have a friend or family member that follows this concept. Needless to say, this is a good habit to...
TRUTHFULNESS – PART TWO
Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life. Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you. Steve’s Additional Comment: Recently my son was playing basketball and tore his Achilles Tendon....
TRUTHFULNESS – PART ONE
Untruthfulness is a premeditated mistake. A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down the wrong path. What you see is not always what you get. PopPop’s Additional Comment: I’ll bet if you start thinking about this quote, you will agree...
REPUTATION – PART TWO
A handshake should always be good enough – reams of legal documents can be easily signed by bad people without good intentions. PopPop’s Additional Comment: Even as an attorney, I still wish that a handshake would be enough. When I started practicing law, there were...
REPUTATION – PART ONE
Your most valuable intangible asset (personal or business) is your reputation. Guard it carefully. This is kind of a sad story. When I was in Law School, I was given a senior law student to act as a mentor. They were called: “Big Brothers or Big Sisters”. They were...
COMMON SENSE
Pay your bills on time. PopPop’s Additional Comment: If you can pay your bills on time, you will get a lot of very good night’s sleep. If you can’t pay them on time, set up a plan to pay them off as quickly as possible—that too will let you have a good night’s...
STEVE’S RANDOM THOUGHTS Many of which came from others
Want a good idea? Pick out at least 5 to 10 of the thoughts below that are meaningful to you and re-read them at least three (3) to four (4) times a year. Most likely, they can enhance your quality of life. When you start analyzing the thoughts below, I believe you...