The Power of Solitude
In my last ETR essay (“Accessing Your Inner Guidance”), I gave you three questions to ask yourself. The objective was to get in touch with your feelings — to look deep inside in order to evaluate your life and determine what truly makes you happy.
READ MOREWhat Jim Brown Knows
Jim Brown is arguably the best all-around athlete ever.
He was a track star, one of the nation’s finest lacrosse players, averaged 38 points per game on his high school basketball team, and broke NFL records as a running back for the Cleveland Browns. In 2002, The Sporting News named him the greatest football player of all time.
READ MOREAre You Losing Your Soul?
I recently bumped into an old acquaintance I hadn’t seen in years. “Are you still managing money?” he asked.
“No, I write investment advice now,” I said.
READ MORENever Lose Hope
In Greek mythology, Pandora opened her fabled box and let out all evils except for hope, which the Greeks considered to be as dangerous as the world’s other evils. Soon they discovered that without hope to offset their troubles, humanity was filled with despair. So Pandora let out hope as well. In the myth, hope was more potent than any of the other major evils.
In modern times, we consider hope to be anything but evil. It’s what gets many of us through our worst days. Lingering unemployment, foreclosures, dwindling retirement funds, businesses folding — any of these could make a person lose hope.
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Are You an Existentialist?
Existentialism is a philosophical movement that came about in the late 19th century. It is not some abstract set of theoretical truths.
READ MOREA Perfect Way to Spend Christmas Day
As I’ve done every Christmas for several years now, I’ll be spending the day at home with my family. We’re going to have a blast, doing all the traditional things one does on Christmas. The stockings, hung by the chimney, will be opened first thing. I especially like the stocking…
READ MOREIt’s Time to Count Your Real Blessings
I opened this issue by looking at the little things to be thankful for today. Now, let’s get serious… Be thankful for your wealth. You haven’t hit the Forbes list. But you have enough money to put clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and food in your…
READ MORE10 Little Things I’m Thankful For
It’s Thanksgiving. So let’s be thankful. Later in this issue, we’ll talk about the big things to be grateful for. But let’s start with some little things. These are 10 of mine: 1. Padron Aniversarios — simply the best cigar in the world. I prefer the naturals, which are medium-bodied.…
READ MOREGiving Thanks
Of the many execrable things that happen to you when you approach 60, the recognition of mortality is the worst. You can’t avoid it. People you know — even friends and family members — are seriously sick or dying. I see death is a hateful thief. I know he will…
READ MOREIrrational and Rational Faith
In Erich Fromm’s 1956 classic, The Art of Loving, he provides unique insights into the subject of faith. Fromm did not believe faith is in opposition to reason or rational thinking. On the contrary, he simply made a distinction between rational faith and irrational faith. He believed that irrational faith…
READ MOREGet Happy by Trying Not To
The secret to more enduring happiness is to do less for yourself and more for others. Happiness comes to you not when you are making yourself the center of your universe but when you forget yourself and look outside. This is a truth I learned late in life. And it…
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