theconnectionsnj.com HEALTH & WELLNESS PAGE 49 his month, I’m proud to share some exciting news—the release of the special edition hardcover of The Adventures of Little Billy… In Search of the Magic Tree. This children’s book is more than just a story—it’s the result of decades of research on the core traits every parent hopes to instill in their children. Over the past 30 years, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing world-class thinkers, business leaders, and inspirational achievers. From thousands of conversations—on radio, television, podcasts, and in person—five universal qualities consistently emerged as the foundation for living a meaningful and successful life. If you distilled lessons from 14 business and inspirational books, combined with all of those interviews, you’d be left with five essential traits: Service, Attitude, Courage, Empathy, and Determination. These are the “5 Secrets” that I believe can help guide children—and adults—toward their best lives as described in timeless quotes that capture the heart of each trait. SERVICE Life isn’t meant to be lived selfishly. The key to success is shifting the question from, “What can I get?” to “What can I give?”. Whenever you feel stuck, it’s often because your focus has turned inward. The moment you redirect that focus outward—toward helping others—you’ll find everything flows back to you, often tenfold. The greater your impact, the greater your rewards. “Catch a passion for helping others and a richer life will come back to you.” -William Danforth ATTITUDE “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so, it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.” – Charles R. Swindoll COURAGE The problem with courage is one of perception. Most of us think that courage only applies to the proud to share some excit book is more than just a sto big things: saving someone’s life or bravery in extreme circumstances. But if you struggle day to day to overcome adversities large and small (and we all do), you show a great amount of courage when you press on instead of just giving up. It’s the opposite of being discouraged. It’s looking inside yourself, being honest with yourself, and knowing that going after your goals and dreams may be difficult and you may not succeed. But in the end, you know that choosing to follow your heart because you know it is right and good, is courage. “Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.” – Marie Curie EMPATHY What is one of the key attributes high achievers have for connecting and building important relationships? Listening was at the top of that list, but it went much deeper than that. How can you understand someone unless you’re putting yourself in their situation.? It not only helps to connect to that person but to establish a clear and positive path to move forward together. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines empathy as: the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present, without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner. “Look on the inside of those you see, and you will find the Magic Tree.” - Ruppert the Toad DETERMINATION Determination is always backed by confidence. And hard work is what gives us confidence that allows us to believe that we have earned the right to “core confidence.” And when I say “core confidence,” I am referring to the belief system and strength that lies deep within each of us. That core confidence will be tested as difficult situations arise. Don’t second-guess who you are and what you believe in. The goal is to improve who you arenot to try to be like someone else. But our determination and belief will become very powerful. Why? The English philosopher and economist John Stuart Mill once wrote, “One person with a belief is equal to a force of 99 who have only interest. One of the differences between people with interests and people with beliefs is that the people with deep-seated beliefs set goals and act on them.” “A dream doesn’t become a reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.” – Colin Powell The wisdom of those who came before us continues to light the path ahead. When we keep these five attributes close, we not only elevate ourselves, but we also uplift everyone around us. And that’s where the real magic begins. THE ART OF LIVING The 5 Secrets By Barry Farber, Diamond Minds T
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