Free to Be You and Me

We hold these truths to be self-evident… When Thomas Jefferson first wrote those words, some 234 years ago, he believed, as I do, that there are some things we just know. We really can’t explain them or offer any kind of proof or evidence. But we know them just the same – we understand, beyond [...]

Accentuate the Positive, Eliminate the Negative

Whenever someone is up for a review or is being critiqued, most experts agree: start with the positive feedback first. Studies suggest that people respond to constructive criticism better when they’ve first been praised for the good things. Anecdotal evidence certainly suggest that this is true, so it makes me wonder: Did the Republicans not [...]

Bleeding Heart

Last week, an earthquake ravaged Haiti, destroying schools, hospitals and homes as if they were nothing more than toy blocks. Hundreds of miles away, I sat in my comfortably – and sturdy – upper-middle class apartment and felt helpless. Aside from making a monetary donation to a relief organization, there was nothing I could do [...]