Choose a cleaner approach. — Choose a cleaner approach. Sometimes, during the heat of life’s battles, I say nasty things. To myself. About myself. If I send an email with an obvious typo, I may call myself a dumbass. Or worse. Or if I blow an easy layup playing pickup basketball, I mutter vile things…

Your path is unique. — Your path is unique. The Secondhand Inspiration Project begins with a motivational quote and ventures wherever the creative path meanders. “From this point, your strategy is to make everyone else get on your level, you’re not going down to theirs. You’re not competing with anyone else, ever again. They’re going…

Stop looking in the wrong places. — Stop looking in the wrong places. It is no secret that the past two years have been challenging. Endless periods of adjusting and readjusting to the new abnormal and of growing distant from each other muddled our minds. This resulted in lives that felt incomplete and unfulfilled. How did many…

Speak good things into existence. — Speak good things into existence. You work your butt off and perform minor miracles each day to gain popularity and solicit support from classmates, relatives, teachers, supervisors, neighbors, clients, and a whole cast of characters. And as long as those folks are not toxic or manipulative, it is okay to…

None of these are earth-shattering, so they should be easy to try. — None of these are earth-shattering, so they should be easy to try. 1. Talk to people you admire. Ask for advice on whatever qualities they have that you want to emulate. Don’t let shyness keep you from making the connections you need to thrive. 2. Spend time developing new, value-added…

There is no substitute for self-confidence. — There is no substitute for self-confidence. The Secondhand Inspiration Project begins with a motivational quote and ventures wherever the creative path meanders. “I learned that you have to push away the demand of people’s expectations by believing your instincts and believing in what you’re doing.” — Stefano Pilati Read self-help…

A humble answer to a common corporate icebreaker question. — A humble answer to a common corporate icebreaker question. What talent or skill do you wish you had that you don’t? I was recently asked this silly hypothetical at a team-building session. And I did not have to think long to answer this question. Yeah, it is probably not considered…

There’s no reason to pretend you are tight with people you cannot stand. — There’s no reason to pretend you are tight with people you cannot stand. I mentor someone who recently lamented the aura of fakeness that people feel obligated to show socially and professionally. We talked about this extensively, as we both, unfortunately, had numerous examples of this self-sabotaging behavior. “I just…

Whatever is kicking your butt right now is temporary. — Whatever is kicking your butt right now is temporary. Stress can be emotional air pollution. It is all around and impossible to avoid inhaling it. Stress feels devastating when you’re swimming through the thick of thin things, balancing too many tasks at work, dealing with the demands of parenthood, or…