Have you noticed how some people don't come to appreciate the things you do for them until you stop doing those things? Whether you pack your lunch for your husband every morning, bring in your neighbor's trash can every evening, or take care of your cousin's dog everytime she's away on business, many people grow accustomed to being pampered without asking if there's anything they can do for you. These individuals come to expect such special treatment as if it were the norm; they conveniently forget that you're doing them a favor and have no obligation to accommodate them indefinitely. Even worse, many will fail to express their gratitude at all -- until, of course, you call them out on it or cease lending a hand for good. Relationships should involve reciprocal generosity -- a balanced exchange of give and take. Each of you should take turns doing favors. If only one person in the relationship is a giver, sooner or later they will feel taken for grant...

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...

To all my readers in the United States and around the world, I'd like to wish each and every one of you a very Happy Thanksgiving! Let me start off by saying that I'm grateful for the people for whom I passionately churn out content every day: you . This two-year-old blog -- nearly 1,100 posts and 212,000 views later -- wouldn't be what it is today without your support; I'll forever be indebted to everyone who takes the time to read, comment on, and/or share my posts. I look forward to writing more content in the coming days, months, and years that will continue to stimulate the substantive conversations my readers and I have on Google+, Facebook, and within the comments section of each individual post. It's obvious that many of you share my passion for so many of the topics I cover on this blog -- from psychology and human behavior to politics and history -- which is a real treat for someone like myself who has an insatiable appetite for learning. That sa...

If there's one trait that blemishes a person's character like no other, it would arguably be selfishness . I come across people every day -- at work, in the gym, at the grocery store -- who exude a palpable air of selfishness. You can just tell they put themselves before everyone else; they're constantly looking out for their best interest, even if they have to step on others' toes or rip them apart in the process. I'm sure you've met many a person who falls under this category. Here are a few words that typically describe selfish people: Manipulative Scheming Opportunistic Calculating Insensitive Self-centered Self-absorbed Greedy Contemptuous  Difficult Egotistical Stubborn  Dishonest Selfish people can be quite unpleasant to be around, especially when they can't manipulate you to get their way. They also tend to be quite unreliable, expecting you to be at their beck and call but refusing to be there for you when you need them. ...