Here's an irony for you: When nothing is sure, everything is possible. I know that "everything" can encompass both good and bad outcomes. We can find a great job or spend another two frustrating months looking, see our relationship thrive or devolve into chaos, hit it big in the stock market or lose a boatload of money. Life is really what we make of it. The possibilities are there -- we need only seize them. But we make that impossible to do if: 1. We give up prematurely. Thomas Edison once said,"I haven't failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work. This quote, too, is attributed to the famous inventor: "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were when they gave up." Indeed, some people draw so close to the promised land they can almost taste it -- only to wave the white flag. Perhaps they become dissuaded by a friend or relative, don't see the financial returns of a venture as quic...

Many people I talk to (including some of my readers) have a tendency to compare their lives to those of the people around them. I encourage them against slipping into such a mental trap, which may potentially lead to resentment and, if such feelings spiral out of control, depression down the road. I advise them to stop for a moment and consider that the people they're comparing themselves to: Have a completely different path in life Have disparate goals, dreams, and personalities May be facing battles they know nothing about  May not be happy, even if they may appear so on the surface There's a difference between looking up to someone and wishing to emulate them (e.g. wanting to be accomplished like they arr because they've risen to the top of their profession), and lamenting the fact that your life isn't exactly like theirs. Let's assume you're in a troublesome relationship. After a bitter argument with your wife, you walk out to the yard and...

If your plans fail, change the plans -- not the goal. Far too many people give up when their initial strategy or approach doesn't immediately bear fruit. Ever heard the saying, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result"? Sometimes it's all a matter of fine-tuning your approach. For example, if a baseball player is in an awful slump, he won't give up on his goal of getting hits and driving in runs. In such cases, the batter will merely change his approach at the plate. It might take a while before he finds something that works, but at least he's working toward breaking out of the dry spell. Rather than trying to swing for the fences each and every time, he may decide to go back to basics and focus on making contact. Once he's regained his confidence at the plate, he's bound to hit homers and provide a jolt to the offense. If you want to achieve something badly enough, you won't just abandon your goa...

Whether you're striving to fulfill a long-held dream or resolve a vexing problem, I'm here to tell you one thing: you can do it. There's really no way around it. You have no choice but to believe you're capable of doing it; otherwise, you won't get very far. Yankees great Yogi Berra once quipped, "It ain't over till it's over." What that means is that until you've thrown in the proverbial towel -- until you've given up -- you have a fighting chance at success. Instead of sitting around and serving up excuses for why you can't do something, try a different approach. With every unsuccessful attempt we gain more wisdom and experience, making us a bit more likely to triumph next time. Positive thinking attracts positive outcomes. However, success doesn't come without hard work, persistence, and sacrifice. It usually requires a serious investment of some resource -- whether time or money -- that we may not always be inclined to...

Many of us feel pressured to be the best at everything we do, whether in our personal or professional lives.  At work, you may feel as though you have to be a jack of all trades and master of them all, from creating complex spreadsheets to possessing the leadership skills to guide your subordinates. In your aerobics or karate class, you might be hard on yourself because you're not progressing as quickly as your peers. And at home, perhaps you're disappointed that you're not as great at cooking or handiwork as you thought. I'm here to tell you one thing: No one is perfect. It takes time to become very good at something, and given the fact that we're so strapped for time, we may never become as good at everything as we'd like. Unfortunately, far too many of us are reluctant to ask for help. We try to figure everything out on our own, only to get frustrated when we're not getting the results we want.  Even experts at their craft had to start som...

We don't always get back what we put into things in our lives -- our jobs, our friendships, our relationships -- at least not immediately. When it becomes apparent that someone no longer fits in your life, it's best to let them go. It can be hard to come to terms with the fact that someone who thought you'd spend the rest of your life with didn't turn out to be the person you envisaged. The same goes for an individual you thought you'd be lifelong friends with. Whether you or the other party is to blame for a faltering relationship, sometimes trying to make it work only results in deeper resentment. It is very difficult to part with something we've invested a lot of time and energy into -- something we assumed would last indefinitely. This can also be applied to jobs. Many of us have grand plans of staying in the same company for many years, if not our entire working lives. However, quarrels with our bosses or coworkers, unfulfilling/unchallenging ...

Feeling frustrated? Stressed? Gloomy? I've been there myself. Whether we're at work or home, it's normal for negative thoughts to permeate our thinking, leading to depression, anxiety, and other unpleasant health outcomes. Here are 3 proven tricks for turning that frown upside down: 1. Just smile: Research shows that merely smiling for no reason can raise your spirits in a big way. In fact, studies have found that when subjects smiled while talking to someone on the phone, the people on the other end perceived the subjects as being in a good mood. 2. Focus your attention on what makes you happy: Seeking out positive, feel-good stimuli allows you to mentally disconnect from your troubles, even if only for a minute or two. For example, I have always had a soft spot for animals. When I'm down in the dumps at work, nothing changes my attitude for the better like seeing pictures or videos of baby animals, whether they be kittens, puppies, or pandas. In your case, it mi...