Not all Presidents of the United States are equally worthy of being quoted. Some have even been downright dreadful for the country. And yet we can confuse the issue with what historians call presentism, judging historical figures by contemporary standards. With this caution in mind, while our first three Presidents were certainly imperfect and products of their times, their words continue to inspire us today.

Are you an optimist? Do you see silver linings and half-full cups? Optimism is an essential quality for happiness at its potential. The pessimists refrain that “I don’t think things will work out for me” is hardly the recipe for happiness, after all. But what are the basic beliefs of the optimist? Click on in to read my take on the Optimist Creed!

The Olympic Games are thrilling and compelling because they embody human excellence. They remind us of tha value of determination, dedication, will and stamina, refusing to allow life to get in the way of living it at its highest, pushing for what seems impossible, reaching amazing levels of human capacity. The passion and drive, hard work, sacrifice and blood sweat and tears in every step, every jump and even in every stumble, inspires us.

The reasons for change are endless: A new career. An old habit. A new one. Acquiring a skill. Overcoming a fear. Ending procrastination. Becoming happier. But no matter the reason or the kind, all change has a starting point. This post is a tribute to the late Dr. Stephen R. Covey. Change is made possible by understanding the principles undergirding change. Covey taught those principles.

The inside of your life will always be more important than the outside in determining how happy your life will be. How you think and interpret life — how you view the world, seeing it as a cold and lonely place or one of adventure and opportunity — that will change how you feel about life. The secret to living a passionate life of happiness, then, is to start looking at life with new eyes.

Countries have constitutions. Companies have corporate mission statements. Clubs and other organizations have vision statements, taglines or mottos. So why not us? I recently asked some blogging friends to share their mottos here at M2bH. The result is 15 mottos that inspire and motivate.

Millions upon millions of corporations, nations, cities and states, government agencies, non-profit organizations, clubs and events have created and adopted mottos as expressions of what they want to be and how they want to be seen, what they strive for and as a reflection of their core beliefs and values and as a way to infuse into the organization those values they want absorbed into the organizational climate. Why not individual and family mottos as well?

Obsession is a lot like holding a flame in your hand. It is powerful and can produce the heat of passion and power and drive. But it can also consume and destroy. The trick is to keep the flame burning without succumbing to the temptation to aim the heat too exclusively at a single target. But to be obsessed with life is to be obsessed with making use of every moment, of appreciating the ebb and flow of living. I recommend 6 obsessions here that can improve your life and make 2012 an amazing year.

Second in an ongoing feature here, excerpts from comments left by readers are used to introduce topics. My readers comments are about as eloquent and insightful and pithy as the most famously quoted. Come see what I mean and discover the passion to live higher and bolder, taking action in your life to build something out of the clay of your life that will be richly rewarding, deeply happy and profound.

Are you your worst critic? Do you beat yourself up over small mistakes? Sometimes we can find it so difficult to allow ourselves the right to simply be human. We demand and expect so much of ourselves. Come read this post and see what permissions Life would grant you as you struggle to figure out the balance between self-expectations and self-acceptance.

Are you secretly longing for something more? Are there obstacles that stand in your way? Or have you fallen asleep at the wheel of your life? Well today is the time to wake up! Grab hold of the wheel, and start steering in the direction of what ticks inside your heart and soul. Now is the time. Stop waiting for things to change. And start taking action to change your life forever!

What kind of life do you want to live? Who do you want to be? What kind of family do you want to have? What goals do you want to pursue? Early one morning, I was attacked by a crazy mosquito that taught me something about life and goals and success. Come read and find out what this bug taught me and how it can help you break through the barriers in your life today.