Our world is all about strengths. Maximize your strengths, stick with your strengths, play to your strengths, etc... While I agree with some of the principles and concepts associated with the "strengths philosophy," I believe the most overlooked and underused strength is restraint. It does not take much skill, humility, or wisdom to engage brute force. I believe the greatest of all strengths is the ability to harness that power and focus it in the right amounts, at the right

Are you paying attention? Yes, you are. You pay with your attention. Perhaps you haven't realized just how valuable your attention is? Digital companies have... so you should too before you have none left.

Friendship is one of God’s greatest gifts to humanity. A person with a good friend is rich beyond measure. However, in a world full of self-indulgence and the worship of personal preference, it can be hard to find and foster good friendships. To be a good friend is truly antithetical to the current world order in the modern West. Is friendship reserved for those beautiful people with good connections and really white teeth? Are there just certain people that will have friends

Questions are amazing things. They are basically invitations. It’s nice to receive an invitation. Maybe you don’t have time to go to the party or attend the event, but you were invited and given the opportunity to participate…. and that feels nice. A genuine, thoughtful question is the same. It is like rolling out a red carpet to someone, saying "I would like to know what you think or have to say about a certain thing or topic. I am genuinely interested in you." In a fast-pac

Enthusiastic people are fun to be around! Sure, they can be annoying at times, especially if they are enthusiastic about your rival sports team. But, in total, enthusiasm is attractive, exciting, and contagious. Enthusiasm is particularly effective in the workplace, in building relationships, and in creating a joy-filled atmosphere. Why is that? Would you believe that enthusiasm is a holy thing? The word comes from a Greek word meaning “possessed by God.” Even today, the se

"Something has got to happen. I can’t keep doing this." Have you ever said this before? We all have. Whether it’s a conflict at work or a conversation that needs to be had with a relative, all of us have found ourselves at a point of decision. Unfortunately, all too often that is where it ends. We vent, share our side of the situation with a third party and then dive back into the status quo. Why do we do this? Often it is because we lack the courage to take action or a