Cards, candy and flowers are great, but you don't have to buy a the "perfect" gift or spend hours to make a connection with another person. Try some of these simple tips below to create more meaningful interactions with everyone you meet during your day.

1. Be yourself. If you aren't being genuine, you won't make a true connection. Real intimacy happens with the armor off, so use your courage to speak from the heart and give at least three completely honest responses to people today. If your friend wants to go to a new movie and you just aren't a fan of sci-fi, let them know. Or tell them the truth when they ask if you like their new haircut, and why. And, don't be afraid to tell them what you like or appreciate about them.
2. Listen like you mean it. How often are we just waiting for other people's lips to stop moving so we can say something? Sometimes it is better to let others talk than, say, interrupting to solve a problem they might be having. Listening is one way to connect to others without trying to fix them. Today, simply listen to a few people without the burden of having to "do" anything other than giving them room to talk.
3. Eat, drink, and be merry. Sharing lunch with a co-worker or dinner with a friend is a great way to connect. Think about simply sitting and being with someone else without an agendaÑother than to get to know them better. Don't just talk about the weather or your favorite TV showsÑtry going deeper to get to really know them.
4. Tune in, not out. Simply saying "hi" and engaging in small talk with others is a great way to feel connected. Today, try turning off the iPod or putting away your Blackberry and talk to the person behind you in line at the grocery store, the coffee shop, or riding in the elevator with you. Talking to a stranger might not really be that strange!
5. Share the love. It is always appropriate to express gratitude. Sharing what we are grateful for reminds us of what we have and makes others feel appreciated as we thank them. We can even be grateful for our problems since working through them is what builds our skills to handle more and do more in our lives. Today, share your gratitude at least three times. How does it make you feel?

Do you struggle with bingeing on food? Are you the type of person who sneaks down to the freezer at 3 am for just at "taste" of ice cream? If you do, chances are you might be an emotional eater. Many times we use food as a way to stuff down the feelings that we are too afraid to feel. Listed below are ways you can feed yourself and actually feel good afterward!!!

1. Know thy self Start to track when you are craving unhealthy foods. Keep a running list of the what, when, and whys you eat and see if you find any patterns. Once you detect these patterns create some alternative strategies such as taking a walk when you are angry instead of eating French fries.
2. Talk! Before you pick up the ice cream pick up the phone and call a friend and talk about what you are feeling.
3. Nourish your mind Find hobbies such as scrapbooking, gardening, sewing or reading that spur your interest. Often times we eat because we are just plain bored.
4. Go on Dates Meet friends and loved ones at places that don't revolve around food, such as going to the park, museum, or art gallery.
5. Indulge yourself When you do eat, don't do it in front of the TV or standing over the sink. Sit down to a beautifully set table and enjoy and savor the experience.

Are you eating too much? Watching too much TV? Procrastinating or overshopping? We all have soft addictions – seemingly harmless habits that rob us of time, money, energy, and the happiness we long for. But a bigger life is possible for each of us – one that is fulfilling, meaningful, supportive, exciting, and real – a life of MORE. Use these tips to take the first step towards breaking through your old habits and creating the life of your dreams, a life filled with more health, more energy, more time, and even more money!

1. Tell yourself the truth about your soft addictions. Most of us minimize, hide, or deceive ourselves about our bad habits. But you're going to have to be truthful if you expect to set yourself free. What are your soft addictions? Overeating, oversleeping, too much Internet, or gossiping? Write them down. Be honest with yourself.
2. Get support. If you want to eat healthier, or let go of a habit you've had, let people know. You'll be surprised how much support you receive when you ask for help.
3. What are you feeling? Many people turned to snacks when they are having feelings – like being sad or upset. When you think the only thing that will make you feel better is a chocolate chip cookie, stop and think about how you are feeling. Are you angry, sad, afraid, or hurt? Tell someone how you are feeling.
4. Celebrate success. Maybe you ate two donuts this week instead of three. Maybe you exercised once after avoiding the gym for six months. Celebrate it! One of the most powerful tools for successful change is celebrating success in any fashion. Don't beat yourself up because you ate two donuts or you only exercised once; celebrate your success, no matter how small it seems.
5. Learn the skills you need. There is no quick fix for a meaningful, fulfilling, healthy life. But you can learn the skills you need – join me for the upcoming MORE Life training. Take that first step to overcoming your soft addictions and creating the life you have always dreamed of but never thought possible at the MORE Life training. Click here for details.

There are lots of ways to have a satisfying Thanksgiving. (Yes, more than just eating an extra slice of pie or cheering your favorite football team to victory.) If you want your satisfaction with the holiday to last longer than your after-dinner nap, use these five tips to help you create closer connections with family and friends, and make a day to remember.

1. Have the holiday you want. Decide that this will be a Thanksgiving to remember, and make plans accordingly. Maybe it means doing Thanksgiving Day a little differently. You may want to spend it with someone new, invite family and friends to your house, make reservations at a nice restaurant, or spend time as a family serving dinner at a homeless shelter. Regardless of where you spend Thanksgiving, remember that you can create beauty and bring meaning to any setting. It’s yours to create.
2. Make at least one meaningful connection. You don’t have to turn your holiday upside down to have it feel more special, but one great conversation can go a long way. Pick someone to connect more deeply with—ask them more about themselves, what challenges they are facing, what their dreams are. Or share yourself more fully with someone you know.
3. Create a new tradition. A lot of times we think holiday traditions are set in stone, but one of the great things about traditions is that you can start a new one any time. Maybe you start a tradition of going for a walk after the big meal, playing touch football outside, or having everyone say something they are grateful for. Creating a new tradition can be fun and can bring a fresh perspective to your routine. And you don’t need to do it alone, ask your guests or families for their ideas.
4. Shift your perspective on Thanksgiving preparations. If we don’t watch ourselves, it can be easy to feel resentful about our big holiday preparations. Make a choice that you will not be a victim to your holiday and see what happens. Remember the people that you are preparing for—think about what you appreciate about them. At the same time, see if you can find ways to make your tasks fun by doing them more quickly, differently, or sharing them with others who might not normally help.
5. Get in touch with your real hungers. It’s no accident Thanksgiving is the holiday we associate with overeating. It’s because we’re hungry – for connection and intimacy. Sadly, we all too often fill up on food rather than seeking out the personal connections we truly desire. In the end it’s your choice to seek aliveness and intimacy. Get more life for yourself – sign up and attend the MORE Life training.

All of our actions are guided by principles, whether we are aware of them or not. In all we do, we orient unconsciously to play or boredom, aliveness or deadness, truth or deception. Which principles do you gravitate toward each day? Which ones would you like to use in your life? Below are some examples of principles and how you can use them each day.

• Use the principle of truth to resolve a thorny conflict, change the direction of a conversation, or share a heartfelt message with someone you care about.
• Use the principle of engagement in each day. At work, if you usually don't speak up at meetings, be the first person to talk at the next meeting. Introduce yourself to a coworker you haven't met, or start a conversation with someone you don't know at the bus stop.
• Encompass the principle of beauty as you pick out your clothing, put on your make-up, straighten your desk, or set the dinner table.
• Try the principle of aliveness in a meeting today. Protest an idea you don't like or throw your energy behind an idea you like. When you're feeling burned out, give yourself an energy boost by going running, meditating, or taking a quick walk around the block
• Be the creator of your day with the principle of responsibility. Offer to take on a new assignment at work or help someone with their project. Actively seek out opportunities to support an event. When someone asks you why you didn't get something done, instead of offering an excuse, offer a solution for how you will get it done.
• Read "The Keys to the Kingdom" chapter in Judith Wright's book The One Decision to learn more about living a principled life.

1. Ask yourself what you're afraid of. Fears are the blinking neon signs that point to places you can change. When we notice that we're avoiding something, we can look at what it would take to move into that situation. Make a list of things you feel drawn to but are afraid to do.
2. Get support. You don't have to make success happen on your own. Pick one thing on your list and take a step toward making it a reality by asking for support. Ask for help! You'll be surprised to see how eager people are to help and how good their ideas are.
3. Support someone else. Bringing your new awareness out into the open gives you the opportunity to get support and ideas from others, but it also helps you support someone else on their own journey. Is there someone in your life who could use a "buddy" to help them achieve a goal? Partner up and support each other.
4. Notice your patterns. Try writing down what you believe about success and what is holding you back from achieving your dream. What do you believe about success, work, your strengths and weaknesses, your support system, or making your dreams come true?
5. Challenge your beliefs. If you believe that something is holding you back from success, or that you aren't capable of achieving a goal, do one thing today to help you break that belief. Notice all the things you accomplish on a given day; set a smaller goal and celebrate when you achieve it – and leverage those small successes into bigger ones.
6. Attend the More Life training. Inspiration, growth and achievement don't happen in a vacuum! Learn the skills you need to live a richer, more satisfying life, and surround yourself with people on the same journey by attending the next Wright Leadership Institute's More Life training.

Most couples don't know how to have a satisfying fight when they first get married. Here are some skills to help you be a more effective fighter and to have more satisfaction, truth and intimacy as a result.

• What are you fighting for? Sometimes we fight with others because of hurts from earlier in the day. If you can't say what you're fighting for, step out of the ring and figure out what you want to accomplish.
• No hitting below the belt. Name-calling and blaming are more harmful than helpful. Make agreements with your partner to keep your conflicts clean and clear.
• Don't dig up old fights. Don't talk about how your partner didn't do the dishes last month or your co-worker didn't handle something well in the past. Stay with the conflict at hand.
• Listen. Can you hear what the other person is saying, or are you only waiting for them to finish speaking so you can counterattack? Try repeating back what you hear to keep your conflict productive.
• Use "I" statements. Talk about what you feel and what you want instead of analyzing someone else.

Having a great life doesn't just happen. It takes skills, and they are skills everyone can learn. The tips below can help get you on your way to living a bigger and more satisfying life.

1. Make a list of the things you want. The first step in getting what you've always wanted is to allow yourself to dream big about what matters to you. List the things that you have always wanted to do and get going!
2. Try something different. Too often we're stuck in our ruts and routines; learning to live life as an adventure can help you break through the routine. Call an old friend, try a new restaurant, drive home a new way. Identify a rut you're in and try something new.
3. Be honest with yourself and others. Nothing changes if you can't tell the truth. List the areas in your life that you're not being truthful and honest about.
4. Notice where you're settling. Look around for places in your life where you feel unsatisfied – these are the areas where you can start applying a One Decision to turn things around!
5. Attend a More Life Training and make your One Decision.

Whether you work in an office or at home, you can get more enjoyment out of your job by playing and engaging more. Use these tips to help you learn and develop yourself on and off the job, to get more satisfaction at home, on the job, or wherever you are.

1. Interact more with your co-workers. This week, ask a client or a co-worker to join you at lunch, or participate fully in a meeting, or ask your co-worker about what matters to them. When you choose to have more engagement with your co-workers and treat them like teammates, you increase your level of connection and your sense of belonging.
2. Make a game out of work. Next time you are faced with a daunting list of to dos, challenge yourself. Set time goals for each task and do your best to beat the clock. When the timer goes off, cheer for yourself when you win and when you don't. Then set the timer again and try to beat it the next time.
3. Redefine what play means to you. Look at how you define play and how you define work. With your new perspective, brainstorm ways you can have more play at work and at home.
4. Play with play. Based on your new definition of play, pick one thing to do differently and try it out. Remember, play is about how you are being while you are doing something, not what you are doing. It's not necessarily about having fun – it can be serious, too.
5. Come to the More Life Training. Want to learn how to make work your playground and to feel more joyous and nourished in all areas of your life? Join us at the More Life Training weekend and experience the possibilities.

1. Use the list below to increase what you view as self-care options. Take advantage of all these great possibilities!
   • Organize your to-do list, starting with the tasks you want to do the least
   • Get a massage
   • Call in support: Use friends or co-workers to strategize on a tough problem
   • Take a yoga class
   • Find a place where you can yell, cry, or belly-laugh for one minute, then head back to your task
   • Take a bubble bath
   • Set a timer for a 20-minute catnap
   • Celebrate each task completed
   • Imagine yourself completing the task you're working on
   • Crank up the music and dance!
   • Take a quick break every half-hour to stretch or dance – keep your blood flowing and your energy up
   • Complete the thing that's bothering you the most before you go to bed – you'll sleep better!
   • Eat a nourishing snack
   • Go for a walk in the sunshine
   • Pick up a book of poetry at your local library and be inspired
   • Stop and smell the roses (or whatever flower is blooming!)
   • Talk to a friend you haven't contacted in awhile
   • Break a sweat with a good workout
   • Choose a task on your list, set a timer for 20 minutes, and see how far you get
   • Plan a reward for your hard work
2. Pick an item on your to-do list and tackle it. Notice how you feel after you finish it. Do you feel energized by the completion of the task?
3. Get support.You know when you need help. We all have areas where we need support. Where do you need support, and who could lend a hand?
4. Your feelings are trying to tell you something – listen to them. Are you feeling upset about something? This is valuable information. Are you feeling sad? Scared? Angry? Talk to someone about how you're feeling and let those feelings be the impetus to do something different.
5. Learn new skills that can help you overcome your soft addictions, learn about real self-care, and live a bigger more satisfying life.Join us for the next MORE Life training and find out how.