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...

Although everyone knows Starbucks for its delicious coffee and expresso drinks, it's the company's charitable efforts that are getting more attention of late. Starbucks announced that it aims to contribute 100% of unsold food in the U.S. to Feeding America, a hunger relief organization. The idea didn't come from the top brass at the company, but from batistas behind the counter who felt the leftover food should go to the hungry. Companies like Cheesecake Factory, KFC, Taco Bell, and Chipotle already donate surplus food. Still, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 30% to 40% of America's food supply is wasted. Starbucks plans to have distributed 5 million meals -- including everything from paninis to salads -- by year's end. I applaud CEO Howard Schultz for this initiative and sincerely hope that many other restaurants including McDonald's and Burger King will soon follow suit. Poverty is a serious problem in America and around the world....