Lou Tice

To some extent, each of us is affected by the environment around us. But when your happiness depends on what goes on around you, you are in trouble.

Have you ever thought about what happens when we let what goes on in our environment determine how we feel on the inside?  When things are going well, we feel good, cheerful, positive, and full of enthusiasm.  But when the least little thing goes wrong, we start to come un-glued.

If this happens, we can start feeling like a victim, and when we feel this way we give up control of our… >>>

Is there anything good about bad times? Like some of you, I have felt shock and dismay at recent events such as the scandal at Penn State involving Joe Paterno or the "Occupy" protests around the world that have dissolved into violence. Perhaps it's time to talk about the positive uses of adversity.

Bad things sometimes happen to good people, and while it is impossible to always understand why that may be, one thing is clear: No matter who you are and how bad things seem at the time, some good can come from every bad situation. Yes, I mean… >>>

Everyone wants to be happy, but not everyone knows how. Today, I will tell you about two ways to be happy.

How do you define "happiness"? Some people think happiness is getting all or most of the things they want. They always have lists of new things they want or are about to get: cars, vacations, fancy clothes, new furniture, or the latest electronic toy.

But often these people are deeply discontented, for no matter how much they acquire, they never seem to have enough. A new acquisition brings them pleasure, but only for a little while. Happiness is always… >>>

What have you gotten used to in your life, and why?

It has been said that people can get used to almost anything. If it happens gradually over time and in small enough increments, I believe this is true. And when you become used to things being a certain way, you develop what we call a comfort zone around them. When you are in your comfort zone, you don't really have to think too much about it.

If you are used to cleaning up your house every day because you like things neat and tidy, it will put you out… >>>

Who do you listen to? Who do you allow to guide your growth and development? Today, let's talk about the value of good guides.

Many people who are blind rely on a guide dog to see what they cannot. If you wanted to explore the African jungle, you'd probably seek out an experienced leader. Whenever you are entering unfamiliar territory, it can help enormously to have a guide, one you can trust and count on for good advice.

Children rely on their parents, parents have trusted friends and family members, and nations look to their political leaders for guidance and… >>>

What does the sugar pill have in common with potential?  Plenty, I think.

A placebo, sometimes called a sugar pill, is a substance sometimes given to people who are sick, in pharmaceutical research studies, to compare against the "real" medication.  It has no medicinal qualities at all, but quite often people who are given placebos get better anyway. This is powerful testimony to the strength of beliefs and expectations.

People are healed of illnesses because they strongly believe they are being healed. It is not just in medicine that the power of expectations is apparent. School children perform up to… >>>

Have you hugged your kids today? This isn't just "bumper sticker" philosophy. Today, let's talk about the importance of affectionate touch to "kids" of every age.

A child's experience with touch is crucial to his or her ability to relate affectionately later in life. Now, it's certainly true that no one would expect a mother, for example, to indulge in as much physical behavior with an adolescent as she would with an infant. Our needs for affection change in degree and kind at different times in our lives.

However, demonstrated love and affection is important to our mental and physical… >>>

It's about the time of year the networks pull out MGM's "The Wizard of Oz" movie, so I thought sending this "Best of" was appropriate. - Lou]

Have you ever thought of the Wizard of Oz as a story about the power of beliefs? I taught a "live" seminar several weeks ago, and one thing I like to use is the story of "The Wizard of Oz" to illustrate some of the concepts we teach at The Pacific Institute.

You see, Dorothy and her pals all wanted something. As is often the case, they looked for someone else to give… >>>

If you are interested in pursuing personal growth, does this mean you are a selfish person? Today, let's look at how personal growth affects relationships.

There's no question about it. We need to have a caring relationship with ourselves before we can expect others to do so. However, being interested in personal growth doesn't mean you're selfish. In fact, it's quite the contrary.

In his book, "The Psychology of Romantic Love," Nathaniel Brandon wrote, "The first affair we must consummate successfully is the love affair with ourselves. Only then are we ready for other love relationships."

You see, no matter… >>>

Have you ever heard of the concept of "is-ness?" "Is-ness" is not a term that you are likely to see in a textbook, but it is an idea that has a profound effect on who we are and how we behave. Let me give you an example.

A person who believes that he or she "is" an optimist will naturally tend to look on the bright side as a day-in, day-out experience. But someone who simply feels optimistic right now may be very well feel pessimistic tomorrow. You see, an optimist "is" not who they are.

A person who believes… >>>