Kindness rocks. In all its forms be it big or small, random or planned, from strangers or loved ones. As I paddle through life right now it's more on the kayaking through choppy water side than canoeing on a placid lake. Interesting, challenging, character building, and at times a bit rough. But rather than vent about that, I want to take a moment to appreciate the kindness I've received and witnessed lately.

Previously I've written about the upside and downside to positive thinking. And while positivity and negativity might be polar opposites, combining optimism with action can lead to finding a balance between the extremes.

Not long after I graduated from college, I worked at a government agency. One of my co-workers was in the middle of a bitter divorce. Prior to the divorce, he stayed home caring for his two young sons. Once his wife left him, however, she filed for custody of the children. At the time, he did not contest the filing, as he did not want to upset his kids any more than they already were. However, he was clearly heartbroken and missed nurturing his children.

Let's face it. Advice is a dime a dozen. If you ask two people their opinion you'll get at least three or four different answers. Every corner you turn in your office, in your business stands someone who wants to tell you what they think you should do. So, how do you know who you should listen to?

I've done some unsubscribing to electronic communications that I consented to when I was trying on identities that I've since let go in an effort to tame my email inbox. Lately however I've begun to hit unsubscribe when the authors of those digital missives begin to annoy me. What does it take to get me to banish someone? Well, let me tell you...

First they called her "that girl". Then, "madam". Eventually, they referred to her as "sir."

Last week I wrote about looking for silver linings and finding gratitude even when we are feeling less than thankful. But is positive thinking always the right approach? Author Barbara Ehrenreich says no.

This week several events transpired that had me musing upon the power of making and keeping a commitment. Not in a martyr sort of way, but in the way that speaks to your character and your potential. Your reputation and relationship with self and others is built on the foundation of you doing what you say you will do. How do you measure up to your own speech?

Whenever I hear arguments about how women perform their jobs differently than men, I cringe. Usually it is meant as a compliment, like the idea that because women are supposedly inherently nurturing, consensus seeking, peacemakers, we are better managers or legislators or whatever. Really, what's important is when women who are able and competent get jobs they deserve. No example is more obvious than that of Ft. Hood civilian police Sgt. Kimberly Munley.

I practice gratitude and offer up to the heavens a silent "thank you" when small ordinary miracles appear. But gratitude in the face of the obvious is easy. How do you find the silver lining in the maddening, seemingly nothing but frustrating moments? Going complaint-free is a good start but moving past merely not complaining and into a space where I am actively appreciative of the hard is harder.

So many people are afraid of failure that they fail to start. We look to paragons of success around us and never see the series of failures that happened along their path. For some reason we think we need to be immune from failure if we are to amount to anything in our careers, our businesses, our lives. Yet the very opposite is true. it is not failure but what we learn from failure that is the key to success.

For the past four years, the World Economic Forum has studied the gender gap - that is, the amount of resources dedicated to boys and girls and women's opportunities to fully participate in society - in over 100 countries, then ranked them. (In 2009, the Index included data from 134 nations. At least 12 of 14 indicators used for the Index must be available in order for a country to be included.) The goal, according to the 2009 Global Gender Gap Report, is: