There are consequences to everything. That might sound like an obvious oversimplification, but it is amazing how many people live as if this was not the case.

As we move forward, it is useful to have a way to view our progress. One concept I have found useful in periodically looking at my journey through life is the concept of seasons. A season is a period of time, often defined by particular types of weather. We think of seasons as different from the one before and the one after, but that is not always the case.

How do you feel about being told you are unique–one of a kind? We live in a time with the ability to mass produce and distribute many exact duplicates of the same thing. What really is the value of being unique?

There is a piece of folk wisdom that says we are known by the company we keep. Another aspect of that is that we tend to be influenced by the people we associate with.

It is very important through this process to constantly ask, ”Who am I listening to?” We all have a number of sources we go to for guidance, direction, information and advice. Not every one of these sources is equally valuable to us in helping achieve these goals.

What would you try if you knew you absolutely could not fail? That is an important question. Many people never try anything for fear of failure.

One of the strongest influences regarding how we function in various situations is point of view. Our relationships and experiences, past as well as present, can have a profound impact on our point of view.

When I look at people who appear to have achieved success in anything, the common element I see is their ability to be specific about the goal they are after. It is far from easy, especially in a culture like ours that offers an infinite number of choices, to focus on a specific goal, aim for that goal and develop and carry out a plan for reaching it.

As we strive to grow in establishing and maintaining healthy relationships, we look for those elements that appear to be a part of every good relationship and seem to be lacking in those that are not successful. One thing good relationships tend to be established on is respect.

The way we respond to stress and anxiety can give us a lot of information about how we function in relation to other people. In these situations, where you seem to be out of control and have no solution in sight, do you feel helpless or hopeless?