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•  Do you take yourself seriously?  Does it matter to you what other people think of you?  Are you troubled by the idea that someone else might not respect you?  If you answered "yes" to these questions, chances are other people think you're a jerk.  Generally, the more you want to get other people living in a way that satisfies your ego, the less they are going to want to do anything for you.  You might get some phony signs of respect thrown your way but the genuine thing is not likely to be there.  We can't make other people respect us.  All we can do is try to be worthy of respect and let the chips fall where they may.  If you're obsessed with being respected, it's unlikely you'll act in a way that makes you respectable.  Having and showing genuine respect for others is a good place to start being respectable. 
•  How you feel emotionally flows from your thoughts.  Positive thoughts breed positive feelings and negative thoughts breed negative feelings. This is why starting the day thinking about what you are grateful for is important.  These positive thoughts set the emotional tone for the day.  If you want to feel better, think better.  Think positive.
•  Gratitude is the foundation of happiness and success.  Be grateful for everything no matter how small.  Develop a habit of gratitude and you will grow happier, more confident, and more successful.  The quickest way to being more joyful is to practice being grateful.  Make a list of things you're grateful for and read it every morning and every night.  Think about each thing until you feel grateful.  Gratitude will transform your life.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27

 Today is the 256th birthday of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.  The guy was in a class by himself.  It would take me longer to make a list of his great works than it took him to compose them.  I would love to be able to listen to the orchestra inside his head as he conceived his masterpieces.  Can you imagine the sound?  He had an amazing gift and he used it generously.  I'm not going to pretend we can all be Mozart.  His level of talent is extraordinarily rare.  But, just because you're not Mozart doesn't mean you get to be nothing.  What's your calling?  Your purpose?  Pursue it.  Don't leave it to rot because you don't think you're good enough to do it.