Category Archives: Self-improvement

I don’t recall when I first heard the quote. It was at least 25 years ago. It made so much sense, however, I did not truly appreciate it, at least enough to put it into practice. I was too young, too naive, and too focused on myself. As I received yet another InMail message (LinkedIn’sContinue reading “The Golden Rule(s)”

I am imperfect. No matter how hard I try, I simply can’t get it right. Despite my best efforts, I somehow find a way to make someone unhappy with me. It makes me sad, but it doesn’t make me want to quit. In fact, after I allow myself to grieve, I am motivated to learnContinue reading “Neighbor, You Can Count on (Imperfect) Me”

Any given day, I encounter people who are homeless. When I drive home from my office on the North Shore of Pittsburgh, I pass 3-5 homeless people with signs asking for help. They are usually situated at intersections with traffic lights. When the light is red, I usually feel awkward. Do I make eye contact?Continue reading “Small Acts of Mercy”

How do we become more resilient over time? Without challenges, without stress, our resilience is not tested. In 2007, my children’s resilience was low. In 2022, they are two very resilient young adults. Simply stated, resilience is the capacity to recover from difficulties. In the professions of engineering and construction, resilience is the ability toContinue reading “Neighbor-Zone Resilience”

Each and every one of us was created and redeemed for a big noble purpose. Deep down inside, we crave to become who we’re meant to be. We have trouble putting it into words and we have difficulty seeing it clearly, however, we feel it. That’s the one big task we have to do inContinue reading “Big Noble Purpose”

There are some problems for which the solution is a win-win for everyone. However, they are rare. The most significant solutions are win-lose. Someone is going to lose in the short run. That’s the problem of life. You’re going to lose more often than you win. How one handles those losses make the difference inContinue reading “Get in the Neighbor-Zone”

I believe in one God, Creator of the universe. That He governs it by His providence. That He ought to be worshiped. That the most acceptable service we render to Him is doing good to His other children. That the soul of man is immortal and will be treated with justice in another life respectingContinue reading “Working in the Neighbor-Zone”

The pursuit of happiness is an unalienable right with which we are endowed by our Creator. That is a self-evident truth as stated in the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America. It’s as true today as it was in 1776. As with any pursuit, it’s always helpful to know where you’re going.Continue reading “Finding Happiness in the Neighbor-Zone”

The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States, the set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity, success, and upward social mobility achieved through hard work. It is the belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what class they were born into, can attain their ownContinue reading “The American Nightmare”

When you think about the day-to-day mechanics of life, certainly in America and most of the modern world, how would you answer the question, “Who is the greatest?“ Did you think about something along the lines … The team who won. The athlete who had the most points. The student who was valedictorian. The manContinue reading “The Problem with Grace”