Bethany Hamilton dreamed of being a professional surfer, but at 13, she lost her arm in a shark attack. You'd think that would be the end of her career plans, but that's not the case. The new movie, Soul Surfer, will show you three things that Bethany did to realize her dreams. You can do them, too. First, put the pain aside. Before you can do anything about your circumstances, you have to be able to move...

If a quick list of possessions or accomplishments just crossed your mind, consider this. True joy is an internal sense of satisfaction that isn't created or controlled by external factors. Inventor Frederick Koenig put it this way: "We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have." What gifts are you surrounded...

Your email has a feature that sends out a quick response to whoever's trying to contact you. That's fine for emails, but many of us carry that auto-reply mode into our daily conversations. Your kids ask you to play with them after work. Your auto reply is, "Not right now." Your spouse asks you to help with something around the house, without missing a beat, you reply, "I'm busy now. I'll do it later." Well,...

First, focus on the other person…open your posture, look them in the eyes, give them encouraging nods and acknowledging words. Second, summarize what they are saying. You might say something like, "So, what I hear you saying is such and such." Third, ask open-ended questions. Not questions that solicit just a yes or no answer. And don't use the word "why"... "why can't you…" "why didn't you…" "why aren't...

Every family has those moments. You know the ones…the grownups who just can't seem to get along when the family gets together for the holidays. Well, why not take a page from history? For many years, the Presidential family has been given a turkey for their family meal. The bird is intended to be roasted, fried, baked or fricasseed, but instead of getting what he deserves, the President pardons the poultry. ...

Honor them! Whether you're 5 or 50, you should honor your mother and father. How? First, pick up the phone tonight and tell them that you are thankful for the good things they did for you growing up. Second, realize that it's never too late to apologize, or forgive. Third, make it a point to enjoy their company whenever you have the opportunity. Invite them over for dinner and serve them for a change. ...

We've powered up our laptops, phones and video games. We've powered down family meals, drive-time conversations and date nights with our spouse. We've increased tech and decreased touch. What can we do about it? Just remember these four R's. First, Recognize that you can control technology. Second, Remember that your children will learn more from your online actions than your offline words. Third, Require...