I recently stumbled upon this perspicacious quote by 18th century essayist and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882): "The only person you're destined to become is the person you decide to be." Let's stop for a moment and acknowledge the undeniable truthfulness contained in this one statement. Essentially, Emerson is saying that you are in the driver's seat. You are manning the ship otherwise known as your life, and the direction you take the ship in is of your choosing. Your will is your meal ticket. Whether you wish to be raking in the big bucks as a businessman; making a big difference in the community as a teacher; or simply living a quiet, unassuming life by the lake, you can fulfill your dreams so long as you: Work hard Believe in yourself Resist other's efforts to impose their views and opinions on you, and  Never give up Do things always turn out exactly as we planned? Obviously not. But part of the deal is navigating the vagari...

It's not every day that you have the opportunity to stay at one of the oldest hotels in the United States. If you ever decide to visit Concord, Massachusetts, you'll get just that. Concord's Colonial Inn's original structure was built in 1716. One of the Inn's original buildings served as a storehouse for arms and provisions in 1775 during the Revolutionary War. When the British arrived to seize and destroy the supplies, the Minutemen met them head-on at the North Bridge for what became the first battle of the American Revolution. The event is commemorated every April with a parade near the Inn and a ceremony at the North Bridge on Patriots' Day. In the early 1800s, parts of the Inn's were used as a residence and variety store. From 1835-1837, author and philosopher Henry David Thoreau, who was born and died in Concord, stayed at the Inn while attending Harvard. In the mid-1800s, the building was used as a boarding house and a small hotel called the ...

So said author Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), whom I've quoted here in the past. Here's the quote in its entirety: "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined." Maybe your dream is to be an astronaut, salesperson, or environmental researcher. Perhaps you want to be the next Denzel Washington or Michael Jackson. No matter what your goals are, never let someone dissuade you from pursuing them. Never let them convince you that they're unrealistic or unattainable. We only have one life to live, folks. Even if we don't succeed at achieving exactly what we want -- or all we want -- we can at least say we gave it our best. Notice Thoreau says to go "in the direction of your dreams." Never does he explicitly say that those dreams have to be fulfilled. Let me give you an example. My dream would be to make big coin as a renowned historian -- I'm fiercely passionate about the subject. While it's c...

It has become an epidemic in society: People care far too much about what others think . Many of us base our purchasing decisions around what we think others will like. How many times have you bought an article of clothing or item for the house because you've thought it's the one people will fancy the most? Or, worse, you have people with you at the store tell you which product they prefer, and you end up going with that one. Many people go so far as to only date men or women who receive someone else's stamp of approval - be it a friend or relative. While it's fine to seek recommendations from other people, we mustn't get into the habit of mindlessly letting them make decisions for us. After all, we all have our own tastes and opinions. We still have a responsibility to do our own research before we commit to making an important decision -- whether it's to buy a house or get a master's degree. Unfortunately, far too many of us take others' advice...

I may be in the minority here, but I aim to live as tranquil and simple a life as I possibly can. I remember reading about transcendentalists like Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson in school, both of whom stressed that true happiness lies only in simplicity and solitude. As I grew older, this resonated with me. While others around me have seemed perfectly fine living life on the fast lane, I've always been one to relish a slower-paced life -- one in which I can contemplate, absorb, and relish the moment. When it comes to reading, writing, and learning, I immerse myself in those subjects about which I am most passionate, including psychology and human behavior. If I feel as though I'm being rushed to absorb the material, I can become rather irascible. I realize that the world as we know it today does not exactly cater to people who favor a slower pace. Blue- and white-collar workers feel more pressed than ever to meet stringent deadlines. With all the responsib...