Many people feel that if they're unsuccessful at something, they've failed -- not just themselves, but others as well. They take a defeatist attitude, convincing themselves that they're losers. They second-guess their decisions.  They beat themselves up over not trying hard enough.  They tell themselves that if only they had said this or done that, they might have prevailed.  I'm here to tell you this:  You don't lose. You either win, or you learn. For example, maybe you didn't get the job, but you realize you can polish your resume a bit and work on improving your interviewing skills. Perhaps you made a couple of uncouth remarks on your blind date that are likely to blame for the fact you never heard from the person again. This shows you that thinking before you speak might be something to shoot for.  Or, maybe you failed an exam you assumed you could pass by cramming for a few hours the night before, demonstrating how importan...

You may have already heard or read that the Powerball lottery now sits at a whopping $800 million. It's reasonable that anyone would intend to use some of that money on some pure indulgences, from resplendent mansions to luxurious jewelry. What disturbs me, though, is that I've hardly heard anyone say they'd use some of the money toward noble causes, like: Donating to charities  Donating to schools Helping preserve historic buildings and monuments Building new schools, hospitals, and other facilities  Creating new jobs for thousands of people Repairing and rebuilding crumbling infrastructure  Instead, all I hear is talk of using the money to buy lavish things that none of us really need. The world has gone to hell in a hand basket. $800 million is far more than any one person or family would ever need. I hope that whoever wins will put truly needy people before themselves. I'm sure a good chunk of that payout would do organizations like St. Jude Chil...