How often we humans go through endless contortions to escape trials and challenges! We try to run away. We look for someone to rescue us. We pray that God will miraculously cut short the difficulty. But what if a struggle is serving some purpose? I found a surprising story recently, one that stimulated some deep thinking on this very question. See what you think. . . .

This week a reader emailed me, “I have found my life purpose. I have a clear picture of my dreams, but it is not an easy path. I feel discouraged. Some days are so difficult. What do I do?”

Mother Theresa once said, “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” Isn’t that the truth? When we get caught up in frustration, disappointment and anger with others for the way they treat us, we have very little energy left to love. This week I’d like to focus on seeing others through […]

Is there a person in your life you think needs changing? Almost all of us would answer “Yes” to that question. This week several of my clients have been facing struggles with people whose attitudes, words and actions they believe need major adjustments. As I worked with them, I gained valuable clarity for myself.

Behind the scenes each week there is a special person who helps me edit my work. She has been there since I started this column. She adds tremendous value and depth to these weekly articles. Her name is Gayle Dulcey. Gayle is one of the most highly educated people I know a former high school […]

You find yourself having a “bad day.” Things are just not going right. You feel frustrated, uneasy, and even miserable. Do you have to continue to spiral further into difficulty or can you shift your energy to feel better? You have more power to think and feel well than you might yet understand. Whether we […]

Just before the New Year I wrote an article asking you a question, “What is possible for you and Nigeria?” I wanted to encourage each of us to look closely at our mind set as we entered 2010. I hoped to help us clarify our commitment to creating the personal and national progress we each long for. Our mental set regarding what is or isn’t possible determines the way we spend our resources.

If you have been reading my column you have heard me mention before that when zwe were children the adults in our lives (parents, teachers, pastors and others) played a major role in telling us who we are. The image of ourselves we develop and carry is based on what we were told repeatedly during our formative years.

Are you being honest with yourself?
I’d like us to take an even deeper look at honesty this week. We want others to be honest with us yet we often overlook one crucial factor: we forget that we often deceive others and more important we often deceive ourselves. So how can we become more honest with ourselves?

All parents want their children to become successful adults. But parental standards for measuring success can be limiting.

This week I want to introduce you to four women who are serving Nigeria with passion and purpose. You may have never heard their names before.   But I felt you should know them.  Each is a change agent, a visionary of her generation. None of them seek the spotlight or recognition.  In fact, I […]

I have a life coaching client who suffered a stroke several years ago.  After her stroke she couldn’t walk, couldn’t talk well and didn’t look normal.  She told me that people would just stare at her, obviously questioning in their mind what had happened to her.  Yet, no one would ask about her physical challenges.  […]

We human beings are highly predictable creatures.  We want to believe that our life stories (especially the “tragic” ones) are unique.  Yet, when we look more closely we see, in general, a limited number of patterns, variations on themes. Dramas are being played out all around us every day:  parent-child, husband-wife, employer-employee, boyfriend-girlfriend, government-constituent, buyer- […]

Have you ever sat down and put in writing a detailed answer to the following question: “What do I desire to create in all aspects of my life?”Most people I encounter haven’t done this. While they may have a general sense of what they want to experience, they often couldn’t describe their vision for their […]

Do you feel lost in the darkness of uncertainty? Many people I encounter these days are struggling—facing layoffs, worried about the volatile world financial situation, concerned about paying their bills, dealing with difficult partners and challenging children. They feel exhausted from wrestling with their fears; their mind continually frets. How will they make it through […]