As a psychiatrist, I have the privilege of sitting in the front row as people from all walks of life entrust me with their deepest thoughts and feelings. Their life stories provide me with a wealth of knowledge that cannot be found in journals or textbooks.

Our achievement-oriented society diminishes the life of everyday people by glamorizing the accumulation of wealth, fame, and power. It elevates star athletes, successful entrepreneurs, and professionals with titles next to their names, as if they are not flawed human beings who experience struggles like the rest of us.

Yet, we have so much to learn from people we encounter in our daily lives. Though painful, their slip-ups remind us of the landmines hidden from plain sight. The cost of not paying close attention is needlessly repeating the same mistakes.

Their achievements also leave behind crumbs that can help you reach your own goals. Studying their success can provide you with a blueprint to achieve your desired goals.

Internet challenges can be fascinating to teens, who can be both impulsive and drawn to behavior that gets attention – especially in social media.

Some social media challenges, like the ALS ice bucket challenge or the mannequin challenge, can be fun and positive activities. But other challenges that pop up on the internet are dangerous and can lead to permanent harm.

You may have heard of social media trends like the Tide pod challenge, the choking game or "blackout" challenge, the cinnamon challenge or the salt and ice challenge. Then there's the Benadryl challenge and another that involves cooking chicken in NyQuil (the Sleepy Chicken challenge), which prompted the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to warn against the dangers of medicine misuse.

On the day of my mother’s funeral, I remember sitting in the back seat of our car, pulling into the parking lot where the service was going to be held, and seeing two old friends of mine from elementary school walking inside. I was 15 at the time. It had never occurred to me that they would miss school to be there for me. This simple act of support meant more to me than they will ever know.

Fast-forward about 20 or so years to the day my daughter got sent home from school with head lice. My friend showed up at my door unexpectedly and spent hours with me, helping to wash all the sheets and clothing, and keeping me tethered in my then-frantic state. These acts of kindness are indelible in my mind, and their power is immeasurable.

It turns out that the value of small and random acts of kindness is greatly underestimated by the one doing the kind act, and in fact, the person receiving the kindness is far more positively impacted than the doer imagines. This was explored in a series of research studies reported in the Journal of Experimental Psychology. In one study, participants at an ice-skating rink who were given hot chocolate had the opportunity to give away their cups to a stranger. When asked to rate what they thought the impact of this would be on the recipient, it turned out to be far lower than what the recipient actually reported.