I've met some people whose interests might make you flinch at first blush. One guy I met in college liked collecting bugs. Another had the most extensive collection of coins I'd ever seen. What's more, a woman I currently work with says she enjoys watching videos of people getting their hair cut. However outlandish your interests may seem to the world, you should never apologize for them . They're one of the many things that make you you . You're a composite of various unique behaviors, quirks, thoughts, and interests -- ones you should never change for anyone unless you truly desire to. As long as you truly love the activity in question, aren't being pressured into it by anyone, and aren't doing it merely to conform to societal expectations, you should never feel weird for calling it one of your passions. I myself collect historical memorabilia -- from figures of presidents to books and DVDs to reproductions of historic documents. I've been call...

Dictionary.com defines a narcissist as "a person who is overly self-involved, and often vain and selfish." Other words associated with narcissism include: Self-love Self-admiration Self-absorption Self-obsession Conceit Self-centered Self-regard Egoism  I don't take exception to people who are self-absorbed without showing off . It's when people have the impulse to voice -- loudly, I might add -- how great they are, how beautiful they are, how much better they are than anyone else. It's when people are so arrogant as to take credit for everything -- whether at work or elsewhere -- when they know full well that they received ample support from others.  Selfishness isn't necessarily a bad thing. There's nothing wrong with turning down invitations from friends or family so that you can spend the evening alone, or treating yourself to a hearty lunch at a nice restaurant following a difficult week at work. Loving yourself is actually a key...

Can you think of something that's simultaneously fun and stressful? At first blush, those two words may seem all but contradictory. While many of us might point to parenthood, school, or our jobs, there's one thing I'm in the midst of doing that might also make the list for many of you: travel planning.  My wife and I are currently planning a trip to Boston.  As you probably know, there's a plethora of things to do and see in Beantown, from walking along the 2.5-mile stretch known as the Freedom Trail to taking a tour of Fenway Park to visiting a wide array of colleges and universities in the area, most notably Harvard and MIT. As a history nerd, the thought of soaking up so much of it is highly stimulating, not to mention orienting myself with a city I've only seen up to now in pictures, books, and movies.  But as any avid traveler would note, planning a vacation takes some time and effort. For example, you have to be mindful of the busine...

The notion that opposites attract is a persistent myth that many people continue to swear by to this day. Opposites do attract to a certain degree, but only in the early stages of dating . And, to be honest, I don't know if I would even call it "attraction." A more appropriate word might be "intrigue." Meeting someone who seems like our complete opposite seems like a breath of fresh air at first. After all, we're used to having friends and dating people who share our interests, so this can feel like a pleasant change. However, as time wears on, the differences begin to really manifest themselves, and what once seemed like an interesting quality in the other person begins to get on our nerves. Here are a couple of examples: A liberal person dating a conservative one A neat freak dating a slob An avid football fan dating someone who loathes sports A well-heeled professional dating a person who's constantly broke and unemployed An introvert...

It's a new day -- one full of fresh possibilities.  Let all your reasons for not achieving a goal yesterday be quashed as of this moment. Apply for that certification exam to enhance your qualifications. Commence your job hunt as the first step toward leaving the dead-end position you're in now. Start researching what it takes to get your fledgling business off the ground. Take an imaginary sledgehammer and smash the "t" in "can't" into oblivion. You can do anything you set your heart or mind to. The only one holding you back from reaching for the sky is yourself. Do away with any grudges you may hold towards friends or loved ones. If you find that the relationship is beyond repair, absolve yourself of all negativity by cutting ties and moving on once and for all. And resist the urge to compare yourself to others. Their lives are their own problem. Stay focused on you . We all have a tendency to put things we want to do off because, well, life ...

You'd be surprised to know that some people actually admire -- and would love to emulate -- Donald Trump's personality. They say they wish they could speak their minds with no hesitation like he does. I'm not exaggerating when I say that Trump is the most bombastic, outspoken, and extroverted person I have ever seen on television. I'm sure most of you would second that statement. Interestingly, he appears a lot more composed -- almost slightly reserved -- in interviews with David Letterman and other TV personalities in the 80s and 90s. (You can find plenty of these on YouTube.) If you ask me, he looks and acts far more presidential in these clips than he does now. It seems he's gradually evolved into an irascible, unfiltered man who can't get enough of the spotlight. Scores of people are united in their contempt for the real estate mogul-turned-presidential-candidate, but some actually embrace his fiery, no-nonsense temperament. Among the latter are ...

I scolded a male friend of mine recently for making a stereotypical remark about women: That they all take forever to get ready, whether for work or any social occasion.  To support his argument, he added that all his girlfriends have made a habit of telling him they won't take that long but wind up taking an hour, if not more. I responded that it says more about the women he's dating than about the female population as a whole. Not all women are this high maintenance. Take my wife, for example. Even if she's dressing up for a wedding, party, or other social event, she's usually done getting ready in under an hour. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with women who like to take their time. But to say all women are this way just isn't accurate. It's like saying that all men get ready in a flash. I know some guys who spend a good amount of time applying spray/gel to and combing their hair until they're satisfied. They can also be finick...

Today I'd like to share a quote comes from Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962), the longest-serving First Lady in U.S. history. She held the post from 1943 to 1945, during President Franklin D. Roosevelt's unprecedented four terms in office. It seems I discover a new great quote from Roosevelt every so often; I've featured roughly five of them already on this blog. "Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart." I think this quote rings true for many of us. We have met more people in our lives than we can remember. And even though the passage of time, death, long distance, or other circumstances might bring certain friendships to an end, we never forget those who have made a positive impact on our lives. Most of us will always have a special place in our hearts for our closest friends from elementary and high school, for example, even though we may have lost touch with them. Perhaps we shared special ...

Lying . We all do it almost daily, though in varying degrees. Some of us have made a habit of lying through our teeth, while others are masters in the art of little white lies that often go unnoticed. Whatever one's propensity for lying, we can usually detect lies through certain verbal and non-verbal cues, some of which I elaborate on below: 1. Eye contact : If a person is having a hard time maintaining eye contact while talking to you, it usually means they're hiding something. For example, let's say the person you're chatting with routinely looks at the floor or ceiling during the conversation. Yes, this can be indicative of sheer boredom or a lack of self-confidence, but in most cases, it signals that the individual can't deliver his or her words with conviction. Instead, he or she is displaying the kind of sheepishness characteristic of a person caught in a lie -- or about to be caught in one. 2. Speech patterns : When someone is lying, they're more...