Does Less Ambition Make You Happier – But Also Less Useful?

Ambition, as we have seen this week, can be a mixed blessing. Edison said poignantly, “If I had not had so much ambition and not tried so many things, I probably would have been happier, but less useful.” Is that the tradeoff: Give up happiness for being useful? Do you think Edison’s ambition was for […]

Beating Ourselves Up Has Not Been Confined To Individuals

Beating ourselves up is not limited, of course, to individuals. We as a country seem to be engaged in a serious and prolonged syndrome of beating up ourselves and each other. How much do you feel any sense in the U.S. that we are beating ourselves up over any key issues such as wars, damage […]

“My One Regret In Life Is That I Am Not Someone Else.” ~ Woody Allen

We humans have often beaten ourselves up based on comparisons that we make of ourselves with others. Comparison, skillfully used, can be highly beneficial. Yet, if unskillfully used, comparison causes enormous self-inflicted pain. Woody Allen said, “My one regret in life is that I am not someone else.” Have you ever thought that someone else […]

Ending “Pre-Emptive Strikes” Against Ourselves

There was a very bright woman in my high school French class in senior year who, each time we had a test, would announce dramatically that she was going to fail. Inevitably, she would get an “A,” and usually the best grade in the class. She taught me about what I call “pre-emptive strikes” – […]

Has Beating Yourself Up Ever Been A Habit For You?

Who among us has not made some huge mistake – or at least a mistake that felt huge at the time? Perhaps a careless comment, a unfortunate traffic matter, or misplacing something so that we cost ourselves or someone else some money. Often, our response has been to beat ourselves up – and to continue […]