How to Manage Time: The Wisdom of the Stoics

Picture of the stoics (Seneca, Marcus Aurelius , Epictetus) about the value of time

“Time is the currency of life” is a popular quote that emphasizes time’s importance. However, so few of us know how to manage time. American poet and biographer Carl Sandburg put it this way, “Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it […]

The Devastating Consequences of Excuses and 8 Ways to Stop Them

man and woman by the beach arguing over the consequences of excuses

Life can be a complicated dance, and one thing is sure — we are all likely to make excuses for our mistakes along the way. That is because none of us is perfect. Sometimes we fall short and fail in our personal behavior, and the consequences of excuses reflect that. When faced with situations, the final choices […]

Why You Fail to Take Responsibility for Your life

Man who is living in denial and failing to take responsibility for his life

I am often asked, “Why do people fail to take responsibility for their actions?” As motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said, “Either you run the day, or the day runs you.” This quote highlights the importance of taking charge of our habits or inadvertently allowing our choices to dictate our states of being. Due to […]

If You Want a Remarkable Life, You Need to Stop Chasing a Normal One

Picture of a black man standing in front of a sign saying girls girls for John R. Miles blog

Famous ancient Greek philosopher and scientist Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” This factual statement emphasizes the power and importance of the daily micro choices you make and the habits you form in determining who you are and, ultimately, the kind of life you […]

Unconditional Love: What It Means and 8 Ways to Find It

Brother expressing unconditional love to his baby brother

Unconditional love is a term that most of us don’t frankly understand. We live in a transactional world where people often offer love contingent on certain conditions, not because they genuinely care about those they give it to, but so they get something in return. What is unconditional love? The term unconditional love does not […]

Six Ways to Benefit from the Importance of Patience

A man demonstrating patience as he fly fishes for John R Miles blog

We all have goals, dreams, expectations, and aspirations that we strive for each day. The achievement of these things makes us feel whole, joyful, and fulfilled and gives us reasons to keep living, even when things get tough. But in achieving them, we often want to jump to the finish line without going through the […]

What is the Importance of Our Daily Micro Choices?

Man trying to make the micro choice of what to drink for john miles blog

Today, much emphasis is placed on our big decisions like having children, getting married, learning to drive, buying a house, getting divorced, and quitting a job. But the reality is that it’s all the thousands, if not tens of thousands — of micro choices that create our character and determine our identity. We often forget that our […]

How to Unlearn Fear: Why Fears Are Not Just Passively Forgotten

Girl with blue eyes pulling a black sweater over her face in a show of fear

 A Japanese proverb states, “Fear is only as deep as the mind allows.” This proverb does a great job of illustrating that fears only exist in our minds and will only grow as much as we allow them to and the essential reason why we must unlearn fear. Fear is a complicated thing. Even though […]

What Is Learned Helplessness and How Do You Overcome It?

A man sitting on a sofa with his hand over his face feeling helpless for John R. Miles blog

Do you know people who never seem to take action to change their negative situations for the better? For example, an alcoholic may repeatedly try and fail to quit drinking. Have you ever felt you had no promising future? Do you ever feel out of control and unable to address the unpredictability of your life? […]

The Science of Learning: It’s Vital For Your Success

Picture of a boy learning by reading a book using a flashlight under his covers

In order to learn anything, whether it is math, a foreign language, or how to dribble a soccer ball, you need to create and strengthen pathways in your brain. Think about the first time you tried to kick or throw a ball. Your first time doing it, you didn’t have a pathway for that movement […]

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