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  • Sound Advice for Achieving Happiness – by Dr. Ross Reck

    Sound Advice for Achieving Happiness – by Dr. Ross Reck

    Art Fettig

    Art Fettig, a friend of mine, passed away two years ago at the age of 91. Art was an international author and speaker, actor, playwright, and railroad executive. Art led a wonderfully long, happy, and rewarding life. Several years before he died, Art decided to share with the world his advice for achieving happiness. He said, “Don’t let the pursuit of money, power or material possessions become your master. It takes away all the fun. Realize that in life, the more you give, the more you’ll receive. But don’t give just to get something in return. That’s not giving, that’s trading. Learn to give for the pure joy of giving. That is the secret to happiness and the pursuit of happiness makes for one very rewarding life.”

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  • Maintaining Our Personal Relationships is High Touch not High Tech – by Ross Reck

    Maintaining Our Personal Relationships is High Touch not High Tech – by Ross Reck

    Friendship
    Pixaby

    We all know that having lots of warm, personal relationships, whether with family or friends, is the key to our health and happiness. Relationships are strong living connections between two people. They need to be intentionally fed and cared for if we expect them to thrive. This involves connecting with people in person, by phone or dropping them a note. Your friends need to know that you truly care about them. While electronic communication makes it possible for us to exchange information with large numbers of people rapidly, it falls short when it comes to the caring and feeding of personal relationships. That’s because maintaining strong relationships is a “high touch,” not a “high tech” activity. I recommend spending time each week to touch some of the people on your “relationship list” just to check in and ask how they’re doing. If you do, your relationships will remain strong and vibrant, which means you and your friends will be happier and healthier.

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  • Nothing Else in Life Guarantees What Kindness Does – by Ross Reck

    Nothing Else in Life Guarantees What Kindness Does – by Ross Reck

    Kindness
    Pixabay

    Kindness often gets dismissed as a trifling activity and yet nothing has the power to impact our life more and the results for being kind are guaranteed! Numerous studies show how kind people are healthier, live longer, feel better about themselves, are more popular, more productive, enjoy greater success in business, have better relationships and are happier than those who aren’t kind. On top of that, kind people experience less pain, stress, anxiety, depression, live more interesting and fulfilling lives and they never walk alone through adversity because they’re surrounded by friends. As Piero Ferrucci, world-renowned psychologist, and author of The Power of Kindness states in his book, “It (kindness) has surprising power to transform us, perhaps more than any other attribute or technique.” In other words, nothing else in life guarantees what kindness does.

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  • Same-Sex Weddings – Differing Opinions

    Same-Sex Weddings – Differing Opinions

    Flashback to October 25, 2022, from the Ahwatukee Foothills News

    Original article by By Jeff Grant and Eric Mungenast – Daily News-Sun and Tribune (read the entire article as a PDF)

    Joe Connolly and Terry Pochert
    Joe Connolly and Terry Pochert

    ….. Saying no to a couple has consequences beyond forcing them to look for another church. It can cause conflict within a couple who wants to be part of a faith community or house of worship. It may ultimately may result in them leaving, noted Terry Pochert, who married his husband, Joe Connolly, in California in 2008.

    “When a church says ‘we don’t want you here,’ what you’re finding is mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers are no longer attending that church. In churches that are affirming (of same-sex couples), not just gay people are being welcomed but extended families are starting to come back to church,” Pochert said.

    Pochert and Connelly filed suit, Connolly v. Roche, to have their out-of-state wedding recognized by Arizona. Their case, along with Majors v. Jeanes, led to U.S. District Court judge John Sedwick to rule against the state’s ban in October. The defendants in the Connolly case filed an appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in November 2014. …..

  • No Road is Long with Good Company by Dr. Ross Reck

    No Road is Long with Good Company by Dr. Ross Reck

    Long Road
    Pixabay

    The above is an old Turkish proverb that I came across on Facebook recently. Picture yourself taking a car trip by yourself across the entire country. Such a trip would be long, tedious, and boring as you watch the mileposts slowly pass by. Taking that same trip, on the other hand, with a friend turns the trip into a pleasant, fast-moving adventure as you take in the sights and experience the rest areas, cities, hotels, and restaurants along the way. At the end of the day, you can discuss the highlights of the day’s episodes with each other like the fantastic hot fudge sundae you had for dessert. The same is true for life in general. If you choose to go it alone, it can be a lonely, boring, and tedious journey. But, if you surround yourself with friends, the experience becomes an exciting, dynamic, and memorable adventure that you never want to see end.

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