After a 10-year hiatus from higher education, I'm strongly considering going back to school next year and pursuing a master's degree in English. Considering I bought three prep books earlier in the week to help me prepare for the Graduation Record Examinations (GRE) -- which my program of interest requires a good score on in order to be accepted -- I'd say that shows I'm pretty serious about taking the plunge. Sometimes I regret waiting so long to get my master's -- then I remind myself that it was ultimately a wise choice. Not only have I been able to gain ample work experience in my field, but the money I would have used on the master's has instead gone towards major life events like getting married, buying a home, and taking a few bucket list vacations. With no debt to speak of (mortgage notwithstanding), I'm in a much better financial position now to get a master's than I would have been if I'd gone to grad school right after earning my bach...

If you don't love yourself, you can't really love anyone else. Happiness starts from within. Love starts from within. Other people don't complete us -- we do that ourselves. Others merely enhance our lives. I know a few people who spend all their time pleasing others and are left feeling empty and burned down at the end of the day. Why? Because they fail to carve out some time for themselves -- to relax, to contemplate, to pamper themselves. When you feel good about and love yourself, you're more confident. You're in a better mood. You have the disposition and frame of mind to then focus on others and their needs. People may argue that seeing others is all it takes to make them happy, but if they don't love themselves sufficiently to begin with, that happiness just isn't sustainable. People won't always be around; sometimes you'll be by yourself. Take a few moments each day to contemplate your best qualities. Think about something gre...

When you can't control what's happening in your life, challenge yourself to control the way you respond to what's happening. That's where your power truly lies. As I've stressed in other posts, life is less about what happens to you than what you do with what happens to you. Approach the problem with as much faith and positivity as you can possibly muster. Try to arrive at ways to tackle the problem piecemeal; taking small steps is more effective than doing things on a whim. Breathe slowly and remain patient. Recognize that Rome wasn't built in a day -- it might take some time for things to turn in your favor. Whatever it is you're going through, resist the temptation to blame yourself. There's no use beating yourself up over things you can't control. "Buts" and "could haves" will get you no closer to resolving the issue. Be forward-looking. Work toward achieving the outcome you want. Focus on the future and how great ...