Can You Live a Meaningful Life Without Being Exceptional?

“I have seen and touched and danced and sang and climbed and loved and meditated on a lifetime spent living honestly. Should it all end tonight, I can positively say there would be no regrets. I feel fortunate to have walked 90 years in my shoes. I am truly lucky. I really have lived 1,000 times over.”Those are the opening lines of the final entry in my grandma Zelda’s journal—a 270-page leather-bound journal she wrote small entries in almost every morning during the final decade of her life.

On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and delivered what would become one of the most powerful speeches in history, “I Have a Dream.” Speaking to over 250,000 people during the March on Washington, his call for racial equality echoed not only across America but throughout the world.More than just a moment in history, Dr.

My electric toothbrush has seen it all.

We sabotage our best intentions when we saddle new resolutions with these common ADHD traps: thinking too big and expecting overnight change.Ever optimistic, the ADHD brain assumes that it will hit the gym seven days a week, even after a long track record of doing the opposite. It believes it will craft elaborate, gourmet dinners every night after months of DoorDash and frozen pizza. It imagines it will wake up every day at the crack of dawn after a lifetime of hitting the snooze button.When we inevitably fail to overhaul our lives at breakneck speed, we feel ashamed and overlook our efforts.

Not available September 9? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.Chronic pain is more common in autistic children and teens with and without ADHD than it is in neurotypical youth.

Empathy is the emotional glue that binds all relationships. I’ve never had an adult client come into my office and say, “My parents took too much time to truly listen to me. That really messed up my childhood.”When children refuse and resist, responding with empathy feels unnatural.

August 13, 2025Serotonin dysfunction occurs in nearly three-quarters of psychiatric and somatic comorbidities linked to ADHD, according to a new systematic review published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.1The study identified 182 comorbidities in ADHD populations and found strong evidence linking 135 (74.2%) of them, including 91 psychiatric and 44 somatic conditions, to imbalances in the brain’s serotonergic system.“This association confirmed the occurrence of comorbidities within a clearly defined ADHD population (rather than the presence of ADHD within a population with a particular condition), and also confirmed that the comorbidity was a co-occurring condition and not an adverse event elicited by ADHD treatment,” the researchers wrote.The research team examined close to 50,000 papers published between January 2010 and March 2024. Based on the volume of articles and the overall high grade of evidence, they concluded that the top five psychiatric ADHD comorbidities associated with serotonin dysregulation include:The top five somatic ADHD comorbidities associated with a serotonin dysregulation include:The brain’s “feel good” chemical, serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood, impulsivity, and physical functions, such as sleep and digestion.According to a recent study in Nature, serotonin neurons signal to the brain the expected value of near-future rewards.

On the average day happiness is letting go of what you assume life is supposed to be like, and sincerely appreciating it for everything it is.Over the past fifteen years, as Angel and I have gradually worked with hundreds of our course students, coaching clients, and live event attendees, we’ve come to understand that the root cause of most human stress is simply our stubborn propensity to hold on to things. In a nutshell, we hold on tight to the hope that things will go exactly as we imagine, and then we complicate our lives to no end when they don’t.For example, there are a number of times when our minds cling to unhelpful ideals…In all of these common examples the mind holds on tight to something—an ideal—that isn’t real.

“The only people who get upset when you set boundaries are the ones who benefited from you having none.” ~Unknown

The most important decision you will ever make is what to do with the time given to you.I recently received a thank you email from a reader named Hope. She said our work helped motivate her through an arduous recovery process following a serious car accident last year. Although her entire story is both heartbreaking and inspiring, this one line made me pause and think:“The happiest moment of my life is still that split-second a year ago when, as I laid crushed under a 2000 pound car, I realized my husband and 9-year-old boy were out of the vehicle and absolutely OK.”Dire moments like this force us to acknowledge what’s truly important to us.

The words of this Spiritual Art Fiction do not merely tell a fable… they pulse with energy, carrying the weight […]

Eleanor Roosevelt“When you say “yes” to others, make sure you aren’t saying “no” to yourself.” Paulo CoehloWhen you get stuck in the habit of being a people pleaser then that can have a sneaky and negative effect.Not only on you but also on the people around you.Because as you try to please the other people in your life:So trying to please others pretty much all the time is often an even worse choice that one may at first think.But how can you change this behavior and stop being a people pleaser?This week I’d like to share 7 powerful insights and habits that have helped me with that.1. Realize that with some people it isn’t about you and what you do (no matter what you do).Some people just can’t be pleased.

Be OK with walking away. Rejection teaches you how to reject what’s not right for you.As you look back on your life, you will realize that many of the times you thought you were being rejected by someone or something you wanted, you were in fact being redirected to someone or something you needed. Seeing this when you’re in the midst of feeling rejected, however, is quite tough.

You did everything “right.” The grades. The jobs. The grind.You followed the rules and pursued success, maybe even achieved a great version of it.

“Emotions are not problems to be solved. They are signals to be felt.” ~Vironika Tugaleva

Jill Stirk is one of the coaches that we found this month and we did a little interview with her. […]

Curiosity. Risk tolerance. Innovative thinking.

Stimulants are the first-line treatment for most people with ADHD, yet few clinicians receive training on fine-tuning medications like Adderall, Ritalin, or Vyvanse to achieve the best outcomes.No practical, modern protocol exists regarding how to efficiently adjust stimulants to optimize their performance in managing ADHD symptoms and mitigating side effects. The only guidance available stems from the Multimodal Treatment of ADHD (MTA) Study, published in 1999, but the MTA’s research methodology often took as long as eight months to determine each subject’s optimal medication and dose.This is completely impractical in the real world, where insurance coverage pays for only two or three sessions of clinical assessment and medication adjustments.

In the ADHD world, to-do lists are often synonymous with overwhelm. There’s the risk of losing them or forgetting they exist (out of sight, out of mind, right?), filling them with vague goals instead of clear tasks, feeling guilty about ignoring them, and falling into myriad other traps that render to-do lists useless and ineffective.For a better, more effective tool you’ll stick to, try these to-do list ideas.If you find yourself writing the same type of list over and over, why not make a more permanent list that you can refer to repeatedly? Here are a few ideas.[Get This Free Download: Finish Your To-Do List TODAY]Long, vague lists are easy to ignore.

“True belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world. Our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.” ~Brené Brown

Before you journey further into this profound Spiritual Art Fiction, I invite you to ground yourself by reading “Thunderland“. This […]

You ultimately become what you repeatedly do. If your daily habits aren’t helping you, they’re hurting you. Here are some fairly common and widespread examples of the latter that will drain all your joy if you let them:Try to use frustration and inconvenience to motivate you rather than annoy you.

No matter how you use them I hope they will inspire you and help you to send more gratitude and positivity out into your world and build even better relationships.“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” – Walter Winchell“There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.” – Thomas Aquinas“Thank you for being there. For all those late night calls.

Diana Sorkin is one of the coaches that we found this month and we did a little interview with her. […]

“Do not ruin today with mourning tomorrow.” — Catherynne M. ValenteEver feel a little overwhelmed? Or really overwhelmed?This quick read is for YOU…Once upon a time there was a man who had been lost in the desert for three whole days without water. Just as he was about to collapse, he saw what appeared to be a lake a few hundred yards in front of him.

In today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world, challenges are not just inevitable, they are essential. For global organizations, challenges push leaders to unlock creativity, develop resilience, and pursue excellence.The key to overcoming these challenges lies in a clear, adaptable strategy paired with curiosity, persistence, and a proactive mindset.To steer their organizations toward sustainable success, strategists and senior leaders must first become exceptional problem solvers.That starts with developing two distinct but complementary strategies: a static strategy for internal challenges and a dynamic strategy for external ones.Every organization moves through the product life cycle: introduction, growth, saturation, and decline.

GDP to meet supply needs.The following list of temporary regulatory flexibilities that will be allowed address the current exceptional circumstances. The challenges arising from to COVID-19 are likely to change.

.Published figures relating to staff directly employed by HM Prison and Probation Service is available from the start of the pandemic up to the end of July 2022 and can be found .The link to the February 2023 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 10 March 2023.The link to the January 2023 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 10 February 2023.The link to the December 2022 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 20 January 2023The link to the November 2022 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 16 December 2022.The link to the October 2022 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 11 November 2022.The link to the September 2022 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 14 October 2022.The link to the August 2022 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 12 September 2022.The link to the July 2022 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 12 August 2022.The link to the June 2022 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 15 July 2022.The link to the May 2022 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 17 June 2022.The link to the April 2022 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 13 May 2022.The link to the March 2022 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 14 April 2022.The link to the February 2022 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 11 March 2022.The link to the January 2022 figures have been added to

.Any deferred VAT outstanding after 30 June 2021 will be treated as debt and may be subject to a penalty.If you are unable to pay and need more time, find out what to do .To find what other support is available, use the .A financial penalty may be charged if you did not take any action to pay your deferred VAT in full, or make an arrangement to pay by the deadline of 30 June 2021.The legislative framework for the penalty is contained in the Finance Act 2021 section 99 and schedule 19.If you did not pay your deferred VAT in full or made an arrangement to pay by 30 June 2021 you must pay a penalty, this is calculated on the amount of unpaid deferred VAT.Making an arrangement to pay included either:The penalty is charged at 5% of the deferred VAT that’s unpaid when the penalty is assessed.You must pay the penalty within 30 days of the date of the penalty assessment.You can appeal against a penalty if you have a .You can have your tax decision reviewed by someone at HMRC who was not involved in the original decision.

A University of Arizona study found shoes can hold over 400,000 units of bacteria. Within just four steps indoors, those germs hit your floors—and can linger there for days.

One of the most underestimated jobs today is modern parenting. The management of different schedules with work and after-school activities can make the average citizen dizzy. Between work commitments, multiple children, and activities scattered across town, something always seems to go wrong. A meeting runs late, traffic backs up, or a child forgets about an early dismissal day.

Let’s start off with a simple question:Why do we always take things personally?There are admittedly quite a few valid reasons to consider. But the one Marc and I have found to be most common through 15 years of working with our coaching clients and live event attendees is the tendency we all have of putting ourselves at the center, and seeing everything — every event, conversation, circumstance, etc. — from the viewpoint of how it relates to us on a personal level.

There are hidden corridors of consciousness where the boundaries between reality and illusion dissolve. This Spiritual Art Fiction beckons the […]

The coaching industry is booming, projected to reach over 7 billion by the end of 2025. But it wasn’t always […]

You don’t realize how often you block your own present blessings by holding on to everything so tightly.It’s always necessary to accept when some part of your life has reached its inevitable end. Closing the door, completing the chapter, turning the page, etc. It doesn’t matter what you title it; what matters is that you find the strength to leave in the past those former parts of your life that are over, and those little ideals in your mind that simply aren’t meant to be.Over the past 15 years, as Angel and I have gradually worked with hundreds of our course students, coaching clients, and live event attendees, we’ve come to understand that the most common cause of human frustration on an average day is our stubborn propensity to hold on to things long after it’s time to let go. In a nutshell, we hold on tight to the hope that things will go exactly as we imagine, and then we complicate our lives to no end when they don’t.So let’s take a look at some of those things we often regret holding on to in life…Try to use frustration and inconvenience to motivate you rather than annoy you. You are in control of the way you look at life. Instead of getting angry, find the lesson.

.See Local restrictions: areas with an outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) for a list of areas with additional local restrictions, including information for local authorities, residents and workers about what to do and how to manage the outbreak.The rest of England should follow the .Local authorities may also have put in place local restrictions. You can find out more about this on your local authority’s website.

are used to:See more information on the .Added latest report (23 September 2021).Added latest report (13 September 2021).Added latest report (27 August 2021).Latest report added (15 June 2021).Latest report added (27 May 2021).Added latest report (20 May 2021)Added latest report (6 May 2021).Added latest report (29 April 2021).Updated to add latest report for 22 April 2021.Latest coronavirus data added for 11 February 2021.Latest coronavirus data added for 5 January 2021.Latest coronavirus data added for 30 December 2020.Latest briefing packs added to collection, 23 December.Added coronavirus data for 17 December after weekly briefing.First published.

Emotional dysregulation and impulsivity can hijack learning when students’ ADHD symptoms collide with academic pressure, peer conflict, transitions, or other stressors. Understanding the neuropsychological underpinnings of, and triggers for, these outbursts is the first step to curbing them – with efficacy and empathy.Not every meltdown is preventable, nor is every response perfect. But educators can minimize the impact of emotional dysregulation in the classroom by building a toolkit of proactive and reactive strategies designed to create a supportive environment for all students.[Free Webinar: “Classroom Behavior Strategies for Students with ADHD”][Download: Free Guide to Solving Behavior Problems Rooted in Executive Function Deficits ]Educators can help students understand and support their emotionally dysregulated classmates with the following tactics.Taylor just had a meltdown in class and, wow, it was a doozy.

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“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years.”As you age you will learn to value your time, genuine relationships, meaningful work, and peace of mind, much more. Little else will matter.Deep down you know that already, right?Yet on most days, just like the majority of us, you get distracted by so many others things. You give your time to lots of meaningless time-wasters.

“True healing is not a straight line. It is a spiral. You come back to things you thought you understood and see deeper truths.”

School accommodations unlock learning for many neurodivergent students. But when a child has ADHD and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), certain commonly used accommodations may unintentionally trigger symptoms, and lead to harmful effects.Here are several accommodations that should be carefully reconsidered when supporting a student with ADHD and OCD:This is helpful for students who struggle with processing speed and focus.

OHID) to support the surveillance of coronavirus (COVID-19).Reports and analysis on the disparities in COVID-19 cases, hospitalisation and death in relation to a range of socio-economic, health and equality measures.Excess mortality reports, broken down by age, sex, region or upper tier local authority , ethnic group, level of deprivation, cause and place of death.Mental health and wellbeing surveillance reports, compiling routinely updated indicators from multiple sources and summarising important findings from ongoing surveys.Added 'The impact of COVID-19 on access to dental care' and the the 'Excess mortality: bespoke analyses' to the collection page.First published.

So in today’s post I’d like to simply share 51 of the most funny fall quotes. To help you and the people in your life get a few good laughs and release some stress.I hope you’ll find something helpful here.“Some say fall is the season when the leaves change. I say it’s the season when my sweat pants never change.” – Katie Nicole Felton“Summer makes me drowsy.