From Adversity to the Presidency

Monday was Presidents’ Day. When I think about those who have served as our nation’s presidents, I am struck by how many faced tremendous adversity, misfortune, and harsh conditions.  George Washington lost his father when he was ten. His half-brother Lawrence became...

The Happiness Disconnect

I was reading a biography of George Washington recently and came across a passage that intrigued me. The writer spoke of George Washington’s happy return to Mt. Vernon after completing his second presidential term. For over twenty years, George’s life had been...

An Unconventional Thanksgiving Story

Growing up, I had always heard about Lou Gehrig’s famous speech as a dying man: “Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this Earth….” But I had never read the extensive context of that story until a few years ago when I bought a copy of Luckiest Man:...