I often wish I could snap my fingers and make people do what I want.  I wish I could speed up the pace at which I achieve my goals and slow down the pace at which pleasant things fade.  I wish I could write blog posts and books that everyone loves, [...]]]> http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2012/01/01/influence-vs-control/feed/ 10 http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2010/12/26/how-to-admit-youre-wrong/ http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2010/12/26/how-to-admit-youre-wrong/#comments Sun, 26 Dec 2010 19:48:41 +0000 Alex Lickerman http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/?p=6247 Photo: Stephen Brace

This last summer, my wife and I had a fight.  As with many fights between married couples, the surface issue was inconsequential but housed an important issue underneath.  I’d accidentally burned the hamburgers I was grilling for our dinner (because we hadn’t cleaned our barbecue for some time, grease had [...]]]> http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2010/12/26/how-to-admit-youre-wrong/feed/ 20 http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2010/01/24/how-i-met-and-married-my-wife/ http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2010/01/24/how-i-met-and-married-my-wife/#comments Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:20:12 +0000 Alex Lickerman http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/?p=4475 I am the eldest of four boys.  In 2002, my second-youngest brother and his wife announced they were going to have a baby.  The news absolutely floored me.  This would be the first baby of our generation and represented a significant life change for us all.

I left their apartment that night thinking about [...]]]> http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2010/01/24/how-i-met-and-married-my-wife/feed/ 35 http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2009/10/04/how-to-manage-anger/ http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2009/10/04/how-to-manage-anger/#comments Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:14:44 +0000 Alex Lickerman http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/?p=3851 Photo: darkpatator

Years ago, a hulk of a man came to see me with a lump in his neck.  He was as big as the lump was small, standing at least six and half feet tall with shoulders that seemed almost as broad.  His lump, in contrast, was only 2 cm wide.

Wide [...]]]> http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2009/10/04/how-to-manage-anger/feed/ 27 http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2009/07/26/the-effective-use-of-silence/ http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2009/07/26/the-effective-use-of-silence/#comments Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:25:13 +0000 Alex Lickerman http://happinessinthisworld.com/?p=562 Photo: Jule_Berlin

When I was a resident I was given the opportunity to participate in a series of seminars designed to improve my teaching skills.  In one discussion group the discussion leader asked us a question to which no one had an immediate answer.  He waited.  And waited.  And waited.  Finally, one of [...]]]> http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2009/07/26/the-effective-use-of-silence/feed/ 25