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Articles by Steve Goodier

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23 articles by Steve Goodier · showing 23

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By Steve GoodierAug 20, 20131 topic

Imagination Power

One of your greatest powers is ... your imagination. Let me explain. William James was a philosopher and one of the leading thinkers a century ago. He said this about the power of the mind: “Anything you may hold firmly in your imagination can be yours.” He believed there was tremendous power in imagination and wrote in length about how humans can bring about significant positive changes in their attitudes, behaviors and relationships by first holding a vivid image of the

Primary topic: Guided Imagery and Visualization
Guided Imagery and Visualization
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By Steve GoodierAug 13, 20131 topic

Destined or Determined?

A sky-diving instructor was asked, “How many successful jumps must a student make before he or she can become certified?” He answered, “All of them!” Sky diving, however, is the exception. Is your life built on a series of successes? Do you usually attempt something new and immediately succeed, then succeed again and again? Or more likely, do you find that it is the other way around? Our successes are often built on smaller failures. We fell off the bike a few times b

Primary topic: Achievement
Achievement
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By Steve GoodierAug 6, 20131 topic

A Better Prayer

One man, too inebriated to drive, was walking home along railroad tracks when his foot suddenly became stuck. He pulled and tugged, but could not free it from the tracks. Then he heard a noise and turned around to see an oncoming train. In a panic, he prayed. "Dear God, please get my foot out of these tracks and I'll stop drinking." Nothing happened. With the speeding train closer, he tried again. "Oh, Lord, get my foot out of these tracks and I'll stop drinking AND I'll quit

Primary topic: Spiritual Growth
Spiritual Growth
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By Steve GoodierAug 6, 20131 topic

Ten Leadership Blunders

Comedian Bill Cosby once said, “I'm not the boss of my house. I don't know how I lost it, I don't know when I lost it, I don't really think I ever had it. But I've seen the boss' job...and I don't want it!" Like it or not, there are times we are in charge. There are times we are all leaders – as a parent, in the classroom, through work, in a club, on a sports team or in a volunteer organization. And we can always become better leaders. Here are ten common leadership blund

Primary topic: Leadership
Leadership
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By Steve GoodierAug 1, 20131 topic

Following Your Call

One man says it really happened. At the conclusion of his medical exam, the doctor asked him if he would please call in the next patient. So, he opened the waiting room door and called, “Mrs. Colchester, please.” Then he left the doctor’s office. He had walked some distance along the street outside when he heard Mrs. Colchester’s voice behind him, “Where are we going?” She knew she was being called, but she misunderstood the intent. I wonder if she made it back in

Primary topic: Life Lessons
Life Lessons
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By Steve GoodierJan 4, 20081 topic

Nudging Without Nagging

We've all been there. We want to encourage a child to do her homework,nor a spouse to complete his project, or a colleague to complain lessnand act more. How can we encourage without criticizing, berating ornpushing too hard?nnHere are three techniques that can help you nudge without nagging.nn * Show appreciation. nnNovelist Arnold Bennett had a publisher who boasted about thenextraordinary efficiency of his secretary. One day while visiting thenpublisher's office, Bennett a

Primary topic: Motivation
Motivation
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By Steve GoodierAug 15, 20071 topic

Riches of the Heart

A funny story is told about a young woman who confided to her newnlover, "My father is gone and my mother is in very poor health. Itnlooks as if she will die soon and I will inherit all her money. Wenshould get married; after all I'm going to be a millionaire!" Twonweeks later the man became her stepfather.nnI have heard it said that from the time an infant first struggles tonget her toes into her mouth, life is a continual struggle to make bothnends meet. Those who are worki

Primary topic: Happiness
Happiness
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By Steve GoodierAug 13, 20071 topic

Looking for Diamonds

Albert Einstein said, "In the middle of every difficulty liesnopportunity." Once discovered, such opportunities are likenvaluable diamonds hidden in the sand.nnSeveral years ago I spoke at church about how we are surrounded byn"diamonds," if we could only recognize them. A man stopped by to seenme. I remembered him as somebody who had suffered through a painfulndivorce and was examining his life's priorities. His outstretched handncontained a small, plastic gem stone.nn"I ste

Primary topic: Positive Thinking
Positive Thinking
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By Steve GoodierAug 9, 20071 topic

Hang On to Each Other

Too often we feel alone. But there is always someone ready to take ournhand. There is a beautiful story of an overworked nurse who escorted antired, young man to her patient's bedside. Leaning over and speakingnloudly to the elderly patient, she said, "Your son is here."nnWith great effort, his unfocussed eyes opened, then flickered shutnagain. The young man squeezed the aged hand in his and sat beside thenbed. Throughout the night he sat there, holding the old man's hand and

Primary topic: Love
Love
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By Steve GoodierAug 6, 20071 topic

Worry - the Real Enemy

What does it mean to worry? The Latin concept of worry describes anturbulent force within a person. Worry is a heart and mind in turmoil.nnThe ancient Greeks thought of worry as something that tears a personnin two and drags that person in opposite directions. It is likenopposing forces in deadly conflict within the very being of thenindividual.nnThe word "worry" itself comes from an old Anglo-Saxon term meaning tonchoke, or strangle, and that is exactly what it does - it cho

Primary topic: Habits
Habits
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By Steve GoodierAug 1, 20071 topic

The Power to Really Live

I had just graduated from college and was about to move away to attendngraduate school. An older friend said something to me I thought wasnodd at the time. She cautioned, "Don't ever lose your enthusiasm." Inwas not particularly aware that I had much enthusiasm, nor was I surenhow to keep from losing it.nnBut since that time, I have come to realize what she meant. Over thenyears, I have been assailed by discouragement and difficulties. Atntimes I have felt totally without ene

Primary topic: Positive Thinking
Positive Thinking
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By Steve GoodierAug 1, 20071 topic

A Game Anyone Can Play

The most miserable people live in their own little worlds ofnisolation. They do little for others and rarely have much fun.nnI heard of one older gentleman who was considered by the townspeoplento be both rich and thrifty. His austerity earned him the reputationnof a miser. When he died, everyone expected the authorities to findnmoney stashed everywhere in his home. All they found were a few gallonncans filled with coins.nnIt came out that he had used most of his money to hel

Primary topic: Happiness
Happiness
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By Steve GoodierJul 29, 20071 topic

Someone to Look After

During my second year of college I was scouting around for a place tonlive, as my roommates had dropped out of school. One Sunday afternchurch the pastor put his arm around me and said, "I understand younneed a room. Our daughter is in New Zealand this year as a foreignnexchange student. If you'd like to stay with us you may use her room."nnTo be honest, I really didn't want to stay with "the preacher'snfamily." I was 19 years old and on my own. But then he told me hownmuch r

Primary topic: Love
Love
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By Steve GoodierJul 23, 20071 topic

Can You Pass the Triple Filter Test?

When should you pass news on and when should you keep it to yourself?nnA scholar in ancient Baghdad was said to be unusually wise. One day annacquaintance met the great scholar and said, "Do you know what I justnheard about your friend?"nn"Wait," the scholar replied. "Before you continue, let me ask anquestion. Is what you are about to tell me the truth?"nn"I don't know," the man said.nn"All right," said the scholar. "You don't know if it's true. Let menask another question.

Primary topic: Happiness
Happiness
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By Steve GoodierJul 23, 20071 topic

Encouragement Works

At one point during a game, the coach said to one of his youngnplayers, "Do you understand what cooperation is? What a team is?" Thenlittle boy nodded yes.nn"Do you understand that what matters is whether we win together as anteam?" The little boy nodded yes.nn"So," the coach continued, "when a strike is called, or you are out atnfirst, you don't argue or curse or attack the umpire. Do younunderstand all that?" Again, the boy nodded yes.nn"Good," said the coach. "Now go over

Primary topic: Self-Esteem and Self Confidence
Self-Esteem and Self Confidence
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By Steve GoodierJul 12, 20071 topic

Choosing Confidence

Carefully examining a display in the drugstore, a man asked thenpharmacist, "Do you really guarantee this hair-restorer?"nnThe pharmacist responded, "Better than that, sir. We give a comb withnevery bottle." Wouldn't you love to have that kind of confidence?nnOne man quipped, "When it comes to believing in myself, I'm annagnostic." One of the greatest problems many people experience is lacknof confidence. Some don't believe in their ability to speak in public,nothers are afra

Primary topic: Self-Esteem and Self Confidence
Self-Esteem and Self Confidence
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By Steve GoodierJul 10, 20071 topic

Alive and Present

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright once told of a childhood incident thatnmay have seemed insignificant at the time, but had a profoundninfluence on the rest of his life. It happened when he was nine yearsnold. It was winter. Young Frank was walking across a snow-coverednfield with his uncle. As the two of them reached the far end of thenfield, his uncle stopped him. He pointed out his own tracks in thensnow, straight and true as an arrow's flight, and then young Frank'sntracks mea

Primary topic: Happiness
Happiness
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By Steve GoodierJul 6, 20071 topic

Attracting People to You

In West Virginia folklore there is a story of a country doctornwho was called out to a holler late one night to assist a womannabout to give birth. By the time the doctor arrived at thenfarmhouse, things had progressed to a point where the doctornasked the husband to help him by holding a gas lantern upnhigh in order to illuminate the makeshift delivery room.nnBefore long, the courageous mother delivered a healthy baby boy.nAs the father lowered the lantern, the doctor barked

Primary topic: Friendship & Loneliness
Friendship & Loneliness
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By Steve GoodierJul 3, 20071 topic

When Are You Too Old?

When asked how it was that she has lived so long, one 91-year-oldnwoman replied, "I think God is testing the patience of my relatives."nnWhen is "too old"? At what age do we give up? At 100, Grandma Mosesnwas still painting, and Titian painted "Battle of Lepants" when he wasn98.nnAt 93, George Bernard Shaw wrote Far­fetched Fables.nnAt 91, Eamon de Valera served as presi­dent of Ireland.nnAt 90, Pablo Picasso still drew and en­graved.nnAt 89, Arthur Rubinstein gave one of

Primary topic: Adult and Senior Development
Adult and Senior Development
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By Steve GoodierJun 29, 20071 topic

Real Liberation

We humans experience two kinds of limitations: physical and mental.nnI had a remarkable conversation with a woman about physicalnlimitations. Nancy was a sufferer of M.S. She could no longer walk andnspent her waking hours in a wheelchair.nn "I'm not 'confined' to a wheelchair," she insisted one day. "Itndoesn't confine me. It sets me free."nnShe asked me, "Do you want to know my reason for living?"nn"What is it?" I wondered.nn"To liberate people. To set them free. Before I g

Primary topic: Positive Thinking
Positive Thinking
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By Steve GoodierJun 27, 20071 topic

To Honor Their Souls

Perhaps you have never heard of Katherine Lawes. Katherine was thenwife of Lewis Lawes, warden at Sing Sing Prison from 1920-1941.nnSing Sing had the reputation of destroying wardens. The averagenwarden's tenure before Lewis Lawes was two years. "The easiest way tonget out of Sing Sing," he once quipped, "is to go in as warden." Innhis 21 years he instituted numerous reforms - and an important part ofnhis success was due to his wife Katherine.nnKatherine took seriously the id

Primary topic: Happiness
Happiness
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By Steve GoodierJun 23, 20071 topic

"Reconciliation" - a Difficult Word

An office reports that they have an answering machine that instructsncallers to leave their name and address, and to spell any difficultnwords.nnEarly one Monday when the secretary was reviewing the weekendnmessages, she heard an enthusiastic young woman recite her name andnaddress and then confidently say, "My difficult word isnreconciliation. R-E-C-O-N-C-I-L-I-A-T-I-O-N."nnEveryone's a comic! But in another sense, reconciliation IS andifficult word. If not difficult to spel

Primary topic: Relationship Advice
Relationship Advice
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By Steve GoodierJun 20, 20071 topic

Don't Give Up on Trust

One woman describes herself as "five feet, three inches tall andnpleasingly plump." After she had a minor accident, her mothernaccompanied her to the emergency room. The triage nurse asked for hernheight and weight, and she blurted out, "Five-foot-eight, 125 pounds."nnWhile the nurse pondered over this information, the woman's mothernleaned over to her. "Sweetheart," she said gently, "this is not thenInternet."nnThe Internet is becoming known as a place where the truth is not

Primary topic: Happiness
Happiness
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