Phil Humbert, Ph.D.

Years ago, I heard a story that when he had more money than anyone on earth, J. Paul Getty received a letter from his brother that began, "From the Richest Man in the World, to The Wealthiest." Here's a question, would you rather be rich or wealthy?

I know I'm playing word-games, but my answer is that I want to be rich! Like "rich" chocolate or "rich" coffee, I want a life that is rich and full, and that includes all the money I can honestly earn. If I had to choose, it's more important to me to be rich than merely wealthy, and this week I was reminded of how rich I really am!

This will go out the day after Christmas, and I wanted to share a few of the most important Life Lessons that have made a difference for me. Sometimes it takes a while but I have learned a few things, and when I remember to use them, they make life better. Over the years, we do begin to figure things out, and knowing the "rules" sure makes life easier!

Which leads to my first Big Truth: we just have to learn some things for ourselves. I've read lots of books, studied with smart people, and been given great advice. Unfortunately, in the eagerness of youth, I chose to ignore most of it. It takes time to figure life out and other people's advice doesn't always fit, and that's ok. Give yourself some time and a bit of slack. You don't have to get the hang of this all at once.

Last week, I wrote about the "Four Cards of Achievement" and an unusual number of folks wrote to say how helpful that was. Many comments specifically focused on the idea of using positive questions to open doors and motivate ourselves, so I thought I'd follow-up on that idea.

[ You can read last week's TIPS (and many past issues) by visiting the archive at: http://philiphumbert.com/TIPS ]

This week I heard a Julie Andrew's recording from "The Sound of Music" and as near as I could catch the words, she sings "when the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad." In the song, she celebrates falling snow, apple strudel, and presents wrapped up with string, and adds, "these are a few of my favorite things."