Empowering, encouraging, uplifting words—a steady diet of them gives me the added boost I crave on good days and the inspirational medicine I need on difficult ones. That’s why I include a “Food For Thought” with each article I write for this column.

Have you ever taken time to deeply consider the following question: “What do I desire to experience in my life?” Most of us haven’t allowed ourselves this exploration. Oh, we have a vague sense of what we in life, but few can describe their vision clearly, let alone step into it.

I do like the good things in life. But I have come to understand that there is a far more satisfying currency than Naira, or U.S.“Benjamins.” It is called the currency of loving service.

Across the board, the United Nations, National Governments, NGO’s and Non-profit organizations are realizing the essential role that volunteers play in moving communities and nations forward in their development. Consider the words of Kofi Annan, “If our hopes of building a better and safe world are to become more than wishful thinking, we will need the engagement of volunteers more than ever.

If I told you I had found a process that could help you reduce, even eliminate, your personal suffering, would you be willing to give it a try? Today I’d like to share the insights of a woman whose life has been amazingly transformed.

In the heart of rural China, there lived an old woman who had two large pots. One had a crack in it; the other was perfect. Each day the woman hung each pot on one end of a pole and carried them across her neck as she made the long walk to the stream for water. Each day when she arrived home, the cracked pot would be only half full. The woman noticed but never complained.

Of late a theme in e-mails from my readers—business people, professionals and students—has been difficulty in concentration. Here are a couple of examples:

I just took a brisk walk in my neighborhood. I am fascinated by how cooperative my body always is with me. When I say, “It’s time for a walk,” my body gets up and starts moving! When I decide that I want to sit with some friends and relax, my body is willing to do that too.

Empowering, encouraging, uplifting words—a steady diet of them gives me the added boost I crave on good days and the inspirational medicine I need on difficult ones.That’s why I include a “Food For Thought” with each article I write for this column.

A year ago I met a young single mother with an infant son in my neighborhood. (I’ll call them Cindy and Joey to protect their identities). In the first conversation we had, the woman opened up and shared tremendous inner pain. She had grown up in a home where both parents were drug addicts. She was abused as a child. At 20, the girl was herself an addicthard core. She asked me for help

Yesterday a neighbor said to me, “My friend has been making me crazy! I don’t know what’s changed, but lately she criticizes everything I do and say and even think. I feel so attacked that I can hardly listen. I find myself cutting her off, attacking her in return. Then everything escalates. We move from issue to issue throwing darts at each other. I just don’t know what to do

Are you comfortable looking in the mirror? When you do, what do you see? Is it a friend? Or someone you don’t like very much, maybe even someone you are ashamed of? If your answer was self-critical, ask yourself why. What is it that dissatisfies you?

I am amazed. This article marks the beginning of my fourth year writing for Vanguard Allure magazine. Each week my goal is to share principles and ideas that will enable readers to transform their lives. I try to put these principles in practice in my own life, but I am humbly aware of my continued growth opportunities

I ran into a college friend the otherday. On one level, she looked great. She was stylish, upbeat and professional. Yet as I listened to her, I could hear undertones of inner conflict. Over coffee she began to open up