Rick decided to publish it himself. To promote the book, he took a booth at a regional

A strong man cannot help a weaker unless the weaker is willing to be helped, and even then the weak man must become strong of himself; he must, by his own efforts, develop the strength which he admires in another. None but himself can alter his condition.

No, it's not wrong to need people. But some of our biggest disappointments in life are the result of expectations we have of others that they can't ever possibly meet. That's when the desire to connect becomes an unrealistic need. Unrealistic neediness is actually greediness in disguise.

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

Am I trying to prove or improve?

comparison steals celebration. And a life void of celebration is a life empty.

I'd much rather run to the mall and get a new shirt than run to God and get a new attitude. I'd much rather dig into a brownie than dig into my heart. I'd much rather point the finger at other people's issues than take a peek at my own.

Finally, if some situations or relationships feed our insecurities, maybe we need to take a break from them for a season.

know who you want to be and take the next step that points you in the direction of that character quality.

If I look at my dreams, desires, and hopes for the future as coming from a place of scarcity and the world's limited supply, it will constantly feed the notion that someone else's success is a threat to mine.

We get empty when we park our minds on comparison thoughts and wallow in them.

We must respect ourselves enough to break the pattern of placing unrealistic expectations on others. After all, people will not respect us more than we respect ourselves.