To Tell the Truth 
I remember the first time I experienced injustice.  It was when the grumpy old man at the end of my boyhood street accused me of throwing a rock at his house.  It seems that a few of the neighbor kids has committed the heinous act and conspired to blame it on me.  When he accused me I felt indignation such as I had never experienced.  I had received injustice!

Superman was known for his mantra “truth, justice and the American way.”  Let’s be “super people” and known as lovers of truth and justice and let’s demonstrate that to those near us.  We also should be known as people who give others the benefit of the doubt because sometimes we don’t know or can’t get all the facts. 

Mark Twain seemed to have something to say about everything.  On the subject of “truth” he advised, "Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please."

Talk Less. Listen More.

Moderation
Have you ever had lunch with someone you want to get to know and they spend the whole meal talking about themselves and their accomplishments?  If you are like me, you wanted to learn about their life but you wanted them to learn about yours too.  Boasting, bragging or monopolizing in conversation is a relationship killer.

A good test as to whether there is moderation in your conversation is to look to see who has eaten the most food.  If your plate is much fuller then your guests, then you are talking too much and asking too few questions.

My father had a great, if not a bit raunchy, term for people that talked too much.  He called it

“diarrhea of the mouth.” On this matter John Wayne had great advice for managing our speech.  He said, "Talk low, talk slow and don't say too much."

Celebrate and Dance to the Music

Celebrate In All Circumstances

When things are not going well, the last situation we want to be faced with is interacting with someone who is experiencing life’s great blessings.  Isn’t it interesting that when we are down we frequently face this scenario? 

It is hard to celebrate someone else’s success when we feel unsuccessful.  When this is our reality we must reject the temptation to be jealous and act in their best interest.  We don’t want people to pull us down when we are flying high and we shouldn’t do it to them either.  Plus, the consequence of not celebrating with them can cause a loss of relationship.

Plan your own celebrations as well.  For example, where you take on a significant task and complete it successfully reward yourself.  Also, at the end of the day reflect on the contributions you made to others and celebrate having improved their day.

Poet Mattie Stepanek, provides this insight; "While we are living in the present, we must celebrate life every day, knowing that we are becoming history with every work, every action, every deed."  So, celebrate and dance to the music!

Kindness: The Less Traveled High Road

Kindness
Few of us are downright mean people but most of us fail to be kind at one time or another.  If you ever struggle with this, my advice is to simply act toward others the way you want to be treated.

You have probably seen the bumper sticker that reads “Practice Random Acts of Kindness.” I experience this for myself while in a drive-thru line.  I pulled up to the window and the cashier said that the person ahead of me paid my bill.  I was blown away by the act and immediately wanted to return the favor.

Another remedy is to do something kind for someone who may least deserve it.  Performing such an act can be better than therapy.

It is such a great feeling to receive kindness. Our giving it back feels just as good to those we interact with. 

Here is what Mark Twain had to say about kindness, "Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."

The High Road of Patience

Patience 
The other day I was late to an appointment and was waiting for a one-person-bathroom to come available.  I could hear the toilet paper roll dispensing, the toilet seat closing, the toilet flushing, the sink running and the hand towels dispensing.  But all of this was taking inordinately too long.  I was furious at the insensitivity of the person behind the bathroom door.  Well, furious until the door slowly opened and out shuffled a shriveled up old tinny handicapped woman apologizing profusely for taking so long.  I felt really small. 

Because “patience is a virtue,” I am facing my shortcomings and diligently practicing being patient.  If you suffer from this as well, all I can suggest is that you face your impatience, refresh your commitment to act with class, and redouble your effort to act patiently.  One practical suggestion: allow adequate time for what you need to do, because if you are pressed-for-time, impatience is just around the corner.  Take Ralph Waldo Emerson’s advice, "Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience."