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Articles by Ronald Ross

Browse published articles attributed to Ronald Ross, with full-archive search.

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By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

5.7: One Easy Thing You Can Do to Help You Persevere!

Do you have someone around you who whines about the sun when it’s hot and then when it is winter he/she complains about the cold? Do you have a friend or relative who dumps their problems on you but they never attempt to change the way they think, speak or act? Some people feel so bad about their miserable lives they go out of their way to make other people feel miserable. They shoot down new ideas, scoff at big goals, and snicker at grand dreams.

Primary topic: Motivation

969 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

How to Wiggle Out of the Mud! - 15

Get Rid of Impatience FAST! By Dr. Ron Ross Nearly every serious mistake I have made in my life (and I’ve made many) was the result of my restless desire for change and stimulation. My impatience has cost me good jobs, financial opportunities, professional advancement, and more. Most of us at one time or another have quit too soon, or jumped before we should have, or took a bite of pizza before it had cooled off. It’s because we want to see some action, measure progress, stop the pain, or start the venture.

Primary topic: Motivation

969 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

The Quickest Cure for Loneliness

The quickest cure for loneliness is to find a friend. Like everything worthwhile, it is easier said than done. Lonely people need a few guiding principles in their pursuit of friendship. Here are five principles that will help you develop good friends. Principle No. 1: You must diversify your activities. Find a variety of ways to get involved with others: take your lunch break with someone new, join a group involved in playful activity, volunteer to meet some need you identify with, or join a study group. To make friends you have to get out of the rut you are in.

Primary topic: Motivation

969 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

How to Wiggle Out of the Mud! - 12

Think Possibilities By Dr. Ron Ross Born in Ireland in 1884, child prodigy William Thomson was enrolled in Glasgow University at age ten. He became an accomplished mathematician, astronomer, chemist, and physicist who made a significant contribution to the laying of the transatlantic cable in 1858. His distinguished scientific career was confirmed when he was elected to the Royal Society where he served as its president. He was also known of as the First Baron Kelvin of Largs.

Primary topic: Motivation

965 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Part 2.1: Think - a Five-Step Process for Problem Solving

If you want to do something significant with your life, you are going to have to do some real thinking. The mission you have been given is too important to leave to irrational thoughts, emotion-filled guesswork or hasty judgments. Since you have been given a mission you also have the ability to fulfill that mission but before you do anything, THINK. Here is a five-step process for problem solving:

Primary topic: Motivation

964 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

You Can Live With Faith

Wikipedia’s explanation of faith begins with this line: “Faith is belief in an idea that is unsupported or contradicted by evidence … largely reserved for concepts of religion.” Humbug. That’s not faith, that’s stupidity. Faith is not something for weak minds or emotional morons. True faith engages the mind, emotions and will for a confident anticipation of advantage.

Primary topic: Motivation

964 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Manners Matter 15

Manners of Personality By Ron Ross “An ugly personality destroys a pretty face.” Does that sound true to you? If so, allow me to introduce you to a few ugly personalities and make sure none describes you! The arrogant. The arrogant have a need to diminish others in a pitiful attempt to elevate themselves. It is rude to devalue other people just so you can feel superior. Self-confidence is a powerful and attractive personality trait but arrogance is repulsive and a sign of weakness.

Primary topic: Motivation

960 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

How to Wiggle Out of the Mud! - 7

Work on List Three By Dr. Ron Ross Everyone keeps three silent lists deep within their heart. The first is a list of the things we’ve done for which we are ashamed. For some of us it’s a long list: people we’ve disappointed, friends we’ve hurt, selfish things we’ve done, words we shouldn’t have spoken, places we should not have gone, temptations we should have withstood, etc.

Primary topic: Motivation

959 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Two Sad Reasons Many Live Boring and Insignificant Lives

There is great potential within you! Yet so many prefer to live only ordinary lives; to live as if each day has no importance and each year can pass without anything significant happening. Why are so many so content to live lives of quiet desperation? Two reasons: Why do so many people live lives of quiet desperation? First of all, most people do not actively seek meaning in life. They are content to let life happen to them rather than take the effort to make something meaningful out of each day or week or month.

Primary topic: Motivation

958 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Bad Belief Systems You Must Lose if You Want to WIN - Part 17 - MATERIALISM

Materialism is a philosophical theory that matter is the only substance, and reality and everything else — thought, emotions, intellect, and existence — are explained in terms of physical phenomena on matter. Do not confuse materialism with stuff-ism — the constant acquisition of possessions — see # 9.

Primary topic: Motivation

954 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

How to Wiggle Out of the Mud! - 11

Avoid Trifling Conversation By Dr. Ron Ross The Ellen DeGeneres show was on the TV when I walked into a waiting room. I had to listen to it because, well, because it was on and I had to wait. I didn’t want to hear it so I did my best to tune out her inane conversation with some celebrity. What I heard serves to make the point of this edition’s way out of the mud: avoid trifling conversation.

Primary topic: Motivation

953 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

You Don’t Have To Worry

Our nephew, an enlisted man in the Army, is heading to a dangerous part of the world for a second tour of duty. His parents and the rest of our family are justifiably conce ed for his safety. A businessman watches carefully as a strong competitor opens a business two blocks down the street. Grandma is going to the doctor for her health check-up next week and she is apprehensive about what may be found. Each scenario is an occasion for worry.

Primary topic: Motivation

936 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Four Good Reasons to Be Thankful

By Ron Ross Feasting, football games, and of course, Black Friday sales often bury the true meaning of Thanksgiving. I must confess that at our house during the Thanksgiving weekend we do feast, I watch a little football, and my wife does some shopping. But through it all we do take time to give thanks and you should too! Here are four good reasons you should give thanks, not only on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of the year.

Primary topic: Motivation

935 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

You're Something Special

Who is that person wearing your skin? Where have you come from, where are you going, and what are you supposed to be doing in the meantime? In short, who are you?

Primary topic: Motivation

934 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Six Super-Duper Resources for Discovering Your Purpose for Living

The coffee table I built in wood-shop in the 11th grade has never wanted to be a ladder, dining room table or a boat. It has had one purpose in life, and has been quite content to be a coffee table. OK, I used it once or twice to stand on to change a light bulb, however that did not make it a ladder. But we humans are not inanimate objects like coffee tables or couches or clocks. Our individual purpose for living is more complex and many need help disce ing it.

Primary topic: Motivation

930 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Three Reasons Why You Are Shy and the One Thing You Can Do About It

“I’m shy. That’s just the way I am,” said a young lady I spoke to recently. To her, shyness is in the same category as the color of her eyes or the size of her feet – something she cannot change. But she can change, and so can you. You do not have to be stranded alone in the corner of a room while everyone else has a good time. Here are three reasons why you are shy and one thing you can do about it.

Primary topic: Motivation

929 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Manners Matter 10

Manners on the Road By Ron Ross Every road you drive on is filled with cheerful people who are courteous and careful on their commute, right? Wong. You and I, however, are always considerate and polite when we are behind the wheel, right? Wrong again. All drivers are guilty of angry responses to rude drivers from time to time. If you would like to know how I need to improve my manners on the road – keep reading!

Primary topic: Motivation

915 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Bad Belief Systems You Must Lose if You Want to WIN - Part 9 Stuff-ism

If stuff-ism were a religion, the local self-storage rental facility would be the place of worship. In America today, there are 1.7 billion square feet of self-storage space for rent. Most of the sites run at a consistent 90% occupancy with an individual monthly fee of around $90.

Primary topic: Motivation

909 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

You Can Solve Any Problem

“I suppose you think you’re problems are worse than mine, right? Well let me tell you something, pal – you don’t know anything about having problems until you’ve taken a good look at MY problems, so cut me a little slack here, OK?” Is that how you feel about your problems? Do you think no one else has ever faced what you face? Does it look like your problems are huge while everyone else’s insignificant? Here are five universal truths conce ing problems.

Primary topic: Motivation

908 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

You’re A Creative Whiz!

Artists and musicians are not the sole proprietors of creativity. Common folk like you and me are also able to solve problems, write music, create art, and come up with new ideas. Remember when you were a child and you could fly airplanes, drive trucks, dress like a princess, or travel around the world all within the confines of your own living room? What happened to those uninhibited creative forces? Where has the sense of adventure gone? Lost, most likely I suppose, to the urgency of the mundane – to the requirements of daily living.

Primary topic: Motivation

898 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Five Forces That Hinder or Enhance Togethe ess - Part 4

“We seem to be growing apart.” “Whatever happened between you and Sharon?” I asked Sharon’s ex-husband. "Oh, she’s moved back to Phoenix with her sister.” I remained silent to give my friend time to say more. He sighed heavily and said, “We just seemed to grow apart over the years.”

Primary topic: Motivation

895 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

How to Get Some R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Aretha Franklin sings about it, Rodney Dangerfield complains he doesn’t get any at all, and the rest of us would appreciate a little more of that curious thing called respect. Some say that every human owes every other human a measure of respect. But are we obligated to respect everyone?

Primary topic: Motivation

884 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Five Forces That Hinder or Enhance Togethe ess: Part 6

"NO TRESPASSING.” Secreting of the true self: Fear, sin, low self-esteem, insecurities, etc. cause us to hide/protect our true self.

Primary topic: Motivation

874 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

How to Express Your Anger Without Getting Arrested - Part 1

My neighbor came charging across the street. His eyes bulged out, and his fists clenched as he came screaming into my yard, “Why the *&^%$ did you call the cops on me?” “Because you cannot keep your dogs from barking, and the entire neighborhood is fed up with it,” I said in as quiet a voice as I could, hoping to calm him down. It did not work. He kept yelling at me and threatened my life. From inside the house, my wife saw this was turning nasty, so she called the police. They arrived within minutes and calmed down the neighbor.

Primary topic: Motivation

870 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Bad Belief Systems You Must Lose if You Want to WIN - Part 10 Humanism

Those who believe in Humanism advocate a doctrine that allows them to engage in anything which the human body may desire. They tolerate immorality, advocate abortion up to and including the ninth month, and support euthanasia, homosexuality, adultery, and any variety of invented "gender" identity.

Primary topic: Motivation

861 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Five Forces That Hinder or Enhance Togethe ess - Part 2

Part 2. Mud Puddles and Patent Leather Shoesr Or, “You’re not like me.” Innate Differences A handsome young couple with two children walked out of church just after a rainstorm left several puddles in the parking lot. Their 2-year-old son let go of his mother’s hand and went immediately for the closest puddle. He walked right into it and stamped his feet to splash the water as high as he could. His big sister, dressed smartly in her Sunday dress and patent leather shoes, carefully avoided the puddles.

Primary topic: Motivation

854 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Five Forces That Hinder or Enhance Togethe ess: Part 3

Part Three: “Why do you act like that?” Lifetime experiences Education. How were you educated: homeschooled, private school, parochial school, or public school? How did your teachers and coaches treat you? Were you a part of the in-crowd or not? Was school easy or difficult for you? Who were the people who influenced you (for good or bad) during your formative years?

Primary topic: Motivation

848 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Manners Matter One

Are Manners More Important tha Laws? By Ron Ross I had a rude neighbor. He owned a motorcycle and loved to work on it in his garage. He would rev the engine as he tuned it then let it idle loudly for hours. Every time he came in or out of his driveway he would roar the noisy machine as loudly as possible with no regard for his neighbors.

Primary topic: Motivation

843 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Manners Matter 9

Table Manners By Ron Ross When you eat by yourself you may gobble your food like a hungry pig if you want because no one cares. But when you eat with someone else, and especially when you eat in public, table manners matter.

Primary topic: Motivation

835 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Humor is Better tha Exercise!

Reason #2 God Gave Us Humor: Humor is Better tha Exercise! By Ron Ross You may have read the meme, “Rabbits jump, and they live eight years. Dogs run, and they live 15 years, turtles do nothing, and they live for 150 years. Lesson learned.” Or how about this one: “A balanced diet is having a cupcake in each hand.” OK, one more: “I signed up for an exercise class and was told to wear loose-fitting clothing. If I HAD any loose-fitting clothing, I wouldn’t have signed up in the first place.” Are you laughing yet? I hope so because laughter is better than exercise.

Primary topic: Motivation

832 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Thirteen Reasons God Gave Us Humor Reason 1: Humor Fights Disease

Where did the idea come from that laughter is the best medicine? King Solomon, considered one of the wisest men who ever lived, may be the source. He didn’t say that laughter was the “best” medicine, but he did say, “A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.” Proverbs 17: 22 Doctors doubt that laughter heals like a properly dispensed anti-biotic, but they agree it does improve your health. Psychologists have also long believed that the practice of positive thinking and an abundance of laughter brings pleasure and facilitates good health.

Primary topic: Motivation

832 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Bad Belief Systems You Must Lose if You Want to WIN - Part 16 - It'll-do-ism

"It'll-do-ism" is the belief that good enough is good enough. It is the opposite of perfectionism (Bad Belief System #5). The day I turned 16-years old, I already knew how to drive, so I got my driver's license. I wasn't a very good driver (though I thought I was), but I was good enough. When I was 19-years old, I married the cutest, sweetest little Colorado girl you ever saw. I was good enough to win her love and convince her to marry me, but neither of us was good enough on our wedding day to guarantee a happy marriage, though we were married for over 52 years.

Primary topic: Motivation

826 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Bad Belief Systems You Must Lose if You Want to WIN - Part 4 Aloof-ism and Excuse-ism

Two extremes can invade your thought process and cause you to lose your battle with self and others. One says, “I don’t care,” and the other says, “It’s not my fault.” Aloof-ism is a word I created that refers to the mental and emotional escape route for any personal responsibility revealed by the pronouncement, “I just don’t care.” When you are aloof, you are insensitive and self-absorbed with a cold-fish kind of personality. If you care not one whit what happens to the person next door or in the next neighborhood, or the people in the next country, you’re an aloof-ism practitioner.

Primary topic: Motivation

820 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

How to Express Anger Without Getting Arrested - Part 2

The best way to deal with anger (discussed in Part 1) is to learn how to effectively SPEAK OUT your anger without shouting, cursing, complaining, hiding, punching, seething, or running. Here’s how: S-P-E-A-K; it’s an acrostic for the appropriate expression of anger. S—SUPERVISE YOURSELF FIRST. In every tension-filled encounter, someone needs to be the grown-up, let that person be you. Take control of your emotions, your body, and your tongue.

Primary topic: Motivation

818 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Manners Matter 12

Rude Pets and Rude Pet Owners By Ron Ross My wife used to share her ice cream cone with our dachshund. The neighbor girl wasn’t impressed, however, when he took a lick of her cone. What is socially acceptable to a dog or to a dog owner is not necessarily acceptable to humans. Sniffing, jumping, licking, and biting are just a few examples. We might giggle when a dog sniffs someone in an inappropriate place or licks its master in the mouth, but it’s not so funny when an unruly mutt does it to us. Here are a few guidelines for safe and friendly dog interaction.

Primary topic: Motivation

818 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Manners Matter Two

What to do about a cell phone addict By Ron Ross Rudeness happens when you are with someone who is obsessed with his/her high-tech device such as a cell phone or tablet. How loudly can I say this: CONSTANTLY CHECKING YOUR CELL PHONE FOR TEXT MESSAGES WHILE VISITING WITH SOMEONE IS RUDE!

Primary topic: Motivation

818 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Bad Belief Systems You Must Lose if You Want to WIN - Part 14 TOMORROW-ISM

Tomorrow-ism and procrastinationitis are two words I've created to refer to the habit of putting off until tomorrow that which can (should) be done today. You suffer from procrastinationitis if you think, "Tomorrow I'll spend more time with my children" or "Tomorrow I'll work on being a better husband, wife, father, mother, or person." When you live this way, you often miss out on some of the greatest moments of life because life is not lived in tomorrow – it's lived in today. And most of life is about the little things that happen each day.

Primary topic: Motivation

807 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Bad Belief Systems You Must Lose if You Want to WIN: Socialism

You've heard of such interesting words as magnetism, tourism, and individualism. Recently, I asked myself, "What precisely is an ism?" Dictionary.com had the answer: an –ism is a suffix added to the end of a word to indicate that the word represents a specific practice, system, or philosophy. Using -ism at the end of a word also suggests the word is related to a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as an authority by a group or school of thought. Then I noticed that there are good, bad, and neutral isms.

Primary topic: Motivation

783 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Bad Belief Systems You Must Lose if You Want to WIN - Part 2: Hedonism & Narcissism

Two destructive dogmas popular today are hedonism and narcissism. Hedonism is a socially destructive ethical theory that asserts pleasure is the highest good and proper aim of human life. If you've heard someone whine, "But I just want to have fun," or, "I just want to be happy," they are hedonists. Oscar Wilde, an Irish poet and playwright of the 1800s, summarized hedonism: "Pleasure is the only thing one should live for, nothing ages like happiness."

Primary topic: Motivation

762 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Five Forces That Hinder or Enhance Togethe ess - Part 1

Five Forces That Hinder or Enhance Togethe essrnA six-part series of articles about improving your love relationship Part 1. The Phantom Speaks for All of Us Toward the end of The Phantom of the Opera, the Phantom finally captures his not-so-secret love Christine and takes her to his hiding place beneath the opera house. Here he lived for many years in darkness and loneliness away from the rest of the world because of his badly distorted face.

Primary topic: Motivation

755 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Acquire Confidence - Part 1: How Confident are You?

How confident are you? It makes a difference, you know. The measure of your self-confidence is revealed in a variety of ways: your voice, the language you use, your body language, your grooming and much more. Self-confident people have a natural magnetism about them. They can be identified almost immediately when they enter a room. They walk with buoyancy, stand with dignity, speak with conviction, and love with passion. They know where they’ve been, where they’re going, and why. They believe they are able to solve problems, overcome obstacles, and achieve goals.

Primary topic: Motivation

750 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Butterflies or Thorns?

Your life, like mine, is a series of interwoven relationships. Some are (were) wonderful, life-giving experiences and some are (were) absolutely horrible, but all worked together to make us who we are today.

Primary topic: Motivation

745 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

3.6: Protect your mind from Pride

It is very easy to think, I’m wiser, I’m prettier, I’m more talented, I’m smarter, I’m more popular, I’m better than you at this or that or something else. Of the seven deadly sins, pride is considered the most alluring and the most destructive. Bad pride shows up as conceit, self-importance, and rudeness. It is me-oriented, I-focused, self-congratulating and self-obsessing. You don’t like people like that and you don’t want to be that kind of person for three reasons:

Primary topic: Motivation

742 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

3.2 Protect Your Mind from Depravity

Do you watch those mystery documentaries where they take a crime and re-live it, then follow through to the capturing of the perpetrator, his/her trial and ultimate incarceration? We do. One especially gory episode we started to watch featured a variety of hideous acts that led to the brutal deaths of a whole family. Before the story got too far along I grabbed the remote control and shot it toward the TV with great vigor, pressing the OFF button.

Primary topic: Motivation

741 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

4.0 Five Questions to Ask Yourself When Thinking About Your Own Personal Success Question 3: Which will ultimately result in a better me: continued dependency or self-reliance?

There may be times in your life when you need outside help to survive. That is why there are a variety of wonderful charities and social services to help people in times of need. But the reality is programs like Welfare, food stamps, free lunch, and government housing, are ultimately harmful to many who become perpetually dependant on them.

Primary topic: Motivation

732 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Bad Belief Systems You Must Lose if You Want to WIN - Part 5 Perfectionism

As a kid, I was not too fond of report cards. My mother never saved a one (thankfully). Perfectionism is a never-ending, never good enough report card on who you are and what you do and say. It's "a personality trait characterized by high expectations and standards." (Psychology Today)

Primary topic: Motivation

732 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Bad Belief Systems You Must Lose if You Want to WIN - Part 11: Criticalism

No one likes a critic, but that doesn't stop many who criticize darn near everything that happens. Those folks suffer from a belief system that is personally and socially destructive. They believe that nothing is ever right or good enough. There are two kinds of critics – the kind we're most familiar with is the person who belittles others' achievements and finds fault with the words or deeds of nearly everyone they meet. For these kinds of folks, no one or nothing is worthy of compliment or praise.

Primary topic: Motivation

719 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

2.7 Prepare of Action – Count the Cost

Do you know the difference between price and cost? The terms “price” and “cost” can be confusing. The two terms are related, but quite different. The price is the amount you pay for a product or service. When you pay a price for something, the price represents the value of what you give up in order to purchase the product or service. The cost is the amount spent by the business to make the product or deliver the service. Let’s say you want to buy a candy bar.

Primary topic: Motivation

702 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Bad Belief Systems You Must Lose if You Want to WIN - Part 18 Utopianism

We all search for a little heaven on earth, but so far, no one’s found it. We want to live in a place where we are safe, comfortable, and content, but it won’t be found on this planet.

Primary topic: Motivation

702 views

By Ronald RossRecently published1 topic

Bad Belief Systems You Must Lose if You Want to WIN - Part 3

Opinionism and Stupidism Here are two "belief systems," Opinionism and Stupidism, that will not be found in any dictionary. I've defined these as belief systems out of seven decades of observation of humanity. It seems to me (my opinion) that there are two kinds of opinionism that are bad: First of all, the belief that my opinion is the only one of any validity and everyone else is an idiot. The second kind of opinionism that is bad is the kind that thinks everyone else's opinion is better than mine.

Primary topic: Motivation

692 views

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