The more you seek validation from other people for your actions, the less happier in life you'll be. Lao Tzu said it best: "Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner." Abraham Manslow, for his part, said, "Be independent of the good opinion of other people." Another similarly powerful quote comes from Vernon Howard: "“A truly strong person does not need the approval of others any more than a lion needs the approval of sheep.” I think that there are some genuinely good people out in the world, and human beings do need to cultivate social relationships in order be well-adjusted members of society. But there are just as many selfish, inconsiderate ones willing to tear you down just to feel better about themselves. A person's opinion should never matter as much as our own. Eleanor Roosevelt was once quoted as saying that no one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Some people need others' approval in or...

There are many givens in life, not the least of which is the fact that people will disappoint you . It can happen when least expected, and the ones who let you down are often the last people you'd expect to do so -- like friends, family, and close co-workers. This is no reason, however, to sulk, walk with your head down. and give in to cynicism. Life is isn't so much about what happens to you, but how you react to what happens to you. Experience teaches us how to cope with disappointment so that the next time we find ourselves in a similar situation -- whether we're dealing with the same person or someone else -- we won't be so quick to make the same mistakes. No one likes to get hurt, but it's just a part of life. People are mostly out to benefit themselves -- to say otherwise is to be untruthful. There's a reason why most of us have only a few select friends. I, myself, have just three really close ones, all of whom were groomsmen at my wedding. Bu...