Who Are You? Who do you want to be? Which are the principles by which you want to live? Do honesty, perseverance, and wisdom define you? Are sincerity, generosity, and a caring attitude your trademark? Having a vague idea of the benchmark traits you wish to exhibit is not enough. To be extraordinary

Where There’s Smoke… A lone shipwreck survivor on an uninhabited island managed to build a crude hut in which he placed all that he had saved from the sinking ship. He prayed to for deliverance, and anxiously scanned the horizon each day to hail any passing ship. One day after scavenging on the isla

What Gives? People often characterize themselves as either “big picture” or as “detail oriented.” Truth be told, we need to be a little of both. Accounting for the details often brings images of sweating over the small stuff. If we’ve got a good view of the big picture, why fret the details? Whether

The Power of Relationships Have you ever lost out to another for an appointment to an important committee . . . or leadership post . . . or career promotion? If so, you may have commented (at least to yourself) that it was “politics” that deprived you of the opportunity. So was it really politics, o

Personality Test Let’s hope today’s “inspiration” isn’t actually true, although we’ve all probably felt that way at one time or another. Regardless of the percentage, however, it cannot be denied that incompetence really does exist in every profession, even those like physicians, attorneys, school b

Daydreaming Isn’t All Bad Do you believe Orville & Wilbur were first to fly because they had a hammer, nails and a free weekend? Think the television was created by accident? Did Bill Gates just stumble upon the software code that has changed the world? Not a chance! The Wright brothers created the

BY CASSIE WALKER JOHNSON (With Permission)May 21, 2024In today’s rapidly changing real estate landscape, understanding the critical role of buyer representation has never been more essential for homesellers. With implementation of the National Association of Realtors’ settlement on the horizon, many

You’re the Photographer Most people, when they have their camera in hand, take snapshots of other people or things. The focus is on anything and everything outside themselves. What many don’t realize is that they also have a super high-resolution camera in their minds. The words of William James are

Saturday, May 25, 202411:00 AM – 12:30 PMMcDowell Mountain Regional Park16300 McDowell Mountain Park Dr.Fountain Hills, AZ 85268 (602) 506-2930 ext 3 Saguaros are beloved for a reason, and they are usually blooming this time of year. See if they live up to the hype at this ranger table with visual d

DESIGNATED DETOUR: Northbound I-17 drivers will be detoured onto the northbound frontage road to SR 74 (Carefree Highway).• Eastbound Loop 303 at I-17 and westbound Sonoran Desert Drive at I-17 also will be closed to allow northbound detour traffic to freely flow through the intersection.• Eastbound

A Mantra for Success Today’s inspiring quote puts a spin on the Serenity Prayer: “…grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” The question is, how do you handle change? Which of the above categories do you fit i

Spring–A Time of Change The changing of the seasons presents several opportunities throughout the year to consider how life itself changes and how it remains the same. Hearing the first frog calls of spring feels at once reassuring, and also just a little unsettling. It’s consoling to know that the

Tend Your GardenThe human mind is like a garden. It directly reflects the care and attention given to it. Consider two gardens side-by-side, in the same soil.The first is bursting with color, gives off the most delicate of fragrances, is free of weeds, and a lush green. New buds continually replace

Feeling Wired? Do you constantly feel on edge? Not sure what to expect next? Nerves frayed? Feeling overwhelmed by today’s complex world situation? How is it that some people are calm, fearless, and content, while others are frightful, worried, overwhelmed, and uncertain about the future? Think of y

Leave Them in Your Wake When we dream and share those dreams with others, the response isn’t always positive. Author Wayne Dyer has a wonderful analogy on this topic. He equates our lives to being in a boat and watching the wake it leaves behind as it moves through the water. He explains that the wa

You Can’t Have It Both WaysWalk into a totally dark room. What do you see? “Absolutely nothing,” you say. Now, turn on the light. Where did the darkness go? Really – where is it now? Hopefully you will agree that darkness cannot exist in the face of light.During a lifetime, we experience many types

Which Bouquet Would You Choose?Whether or not you have a green thumb, you probably know that gardens may contain either annual or perennial flower varieties. Annuals are fun to grow for several reasons: 1) they sprout quickly from seeds, 2) they flower the first year, and 3) their colors can be bril

What Could Go Wrong? In an older television commercial, the scene is set in a small Italian village, with excited townsfolk lined up on a bridge spanning a wide river. A man stands at the edge of the bridge, with large “wings” constructed of fabric, metal and wood attached and spread wide on his bac

Living With Passion When you’re ready to ride, don’t wear your sandals. Put on your boots and spurs, and let your horse know you mean to ride hard. Then – ride with passion. How many times have you thought of achieving a dream – only to spend more time in the dreaming and planning than in the doing?

Be Like ArkadIn 1926, George Clason introduced advice on thrift and financial success which were widely distributed by banks and insurance companies. He used parables set in ancient Babylon to make his points; The Richest Man in Babylon is familiar to millions.In the story was a very rich man named