Category Archives: Inspiration

Certainly, a strong sense of individualism is a valuable asset to possess. Free market capitalism is based in large part on the ability to be both clever enough and individualistic enough to see a need and meet that need in a way that no one else has done before. After all, it is the individual […]

In its simplest context, a bridge is a solution for getting from point A to point B. The best bridge is one that accomplishes that task with the least amount of difficulty. But bridges, even the metaphorical symbolic ones, come in all shapes and sizes. In northern India, the roots of the banyan fig tree […]

One of the more important characteristics of a successful business is resilience. Without resilience, a business that suffers any setback is far more vulnerable to hardship or even complete collapse. In fact, failures frequently precede success in many people’s efforts in business or otherwise. Just look at some of these examples. Walt Disney was fired […]

As American actor and social icon John Wayne said, “Courage is being scared to death …and saddling up anyway.” Observed acts of courage are nourishing to the spirit and inspiring to all of us. In business, this is just as true and important as it is anywhere else. Three company leaders who went above and […]

Norman Vincent Peale’s famous book, “The Power of Positive Thinking,” may not have been the first such motivational book, but it certainly achieved fame as one of the most popular and enduring testaments to a positive attitude. As Peale put it, “Change your thoughts and you change your world.” If one person’s life can illustrate […]

Accidents and mistakes have given us many advantages that otherwise might have never come about. In fact, experimental accidents have been responsible for many of our scientific and medical advances over the past few centuries. The business world has also learned to take mistakes and failures to heart as learning experiences rather than obstacles. Our […]

When we picture successful people, we tend to lean toward the extroverts — those who speak up more, get noticed more, and interact with others more than their introverted peers. But introverts have much to offer beneath their quieter demeanor, and they are more than wallflowers. They are not necessarily even shy. Extroverts thrive on […]

Irish author James Joyce once said that anything you don’t feed dies. He was talking about spirituality, but the statement applies to just about every facet of your life from your stomach to your imagination. Positive energy is something each of us benefits from in several ways. It helps generate positive feelings within us, but […]

There’s something undeniably different about this time of year — an almost palatable sense of wonder, excitement, joy, and possibility not always seen in our everyday routine. Amid the hustle and bustle of shopping, planning, and reconnecting with family and friends, we often find ourselves thinking back to seasons past — and forward to the […]

Optimism is not a trait born necessarily out of good fortune. Edgar Guest was 11 years old in 1893 when his father lost his job. Barely a year earlier, the family had emigrated from Birmingham, England, to Detroit, Michigan. Now, young Edgar had to take on odd jobs in a still unfamiliar land to help […]