Some say the best way to avoid disappointment is to never expect anything good to happen. But a huge part of what makes life joyful is imagining that the future may hold. What may be more helpful advice is to focus on learning how to deal with disappointment in a way that minimizes discouragement. If, […]
Picture this: you have a life coach on call 24/7. She is there before you send a text or make a call. She anticipates your every need and is as invested in your personal success as you are. Sounds amazing, right? It’s within reach for all of us. Because when we learn how to care […]
Many strategies to boost happiness encourage us to “let go”. The message is often that we should let go of negative emotions like anger, resentment, pain and hurt. But letting go of any feeling is challenging for most of us. We often have a particularly hard time when we try to let go of the […]
According to Wikipedia, gossip is “idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others; the act is also known as dishing or tattling”. Put another way, we gossip when we talk about someone else. Someone else who is usually not present. Or when we share other people’s secrets. One definition I […]
We use the term often and too casually. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is not a subject that should be taken lightly. It’s not just about feeling more comfortable when books face the same way, or about having a desire for an orderly pantry. OCD is a serious condition that can completely overtake the lives of those […]
It seems like common sense: friendships make us feel good, so they must be good for us, right? Our friends help us enjoy life by sharing fun experiences and providing companionship. Friends can also be a sounding board when we face challenges or need to make difficult decisions. At times, just having a trusted friend […]
Back in high school science, we were presented with a kind of riddle. We were given a range of materials to use and were asked to attempt to fill a jar to its absolute fullest potential. The gist of the assignment was, given the materials we had, which included rocks, pebbles, sand and water, how […]
Your read that correctly. I propose we stomp out preaching the Golden Rule, once and for all. We all know it: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. Well, from my perspective (and I reckon for many other people), that’s definitely not a road to happiness. If the people around me […]
Each day, we make choices. Many seem insignificant: what to eat, what to wear, where to shop. But consistently making choices that help us feel fulfilled can ultimately change the quality of our lives. Just choosing to do things that bring us joy. And choosing not to do things that don’t. Or deciding to do […]
Happy memories can be a huge contributor to our overall life satisfaction. In fact, it’s important that we actively work to dwell on them as much as we can. It’s not just because reflecting on good times is a pleasurable past-time. For one, we all have a responsibility to do our best to be happy. Second, […]
We have talked before about how doing new things helps boost happiness. Those with an innate sense of curiosity are usually those most likely to try new things. It’s interesting that curiosity leads us to explore things that are unknown to us. Not only does curiosity prompt us to venture into uncharted waters; in some […]
I’ve studied wellness and have read oodles of psychology, motivational and self-help books. I’ve experimented with well-being and wellness tactics and strategies and explored various approaches with colleagues and friends. Based on what I’ve learned, I’ve come up with a recipe that I call the “Secret Sauce” for well-being. It includes 7 basic ingredients we […]
For better or worse, the internet and digital devices have become an integral part of our lives. This goes for all people of all ages, including our kids. Even toddlers are often seen playing with their parents’ phones, while parents are driving, or otherwise distracted. It seems harmless, but while technology offers us many benefits, […]
“Compassion fatigue” refers to symptoms we experience due to prolonged stress from caring for, comforting, or empathizing with others. This ailment has become prevalent in our society and can lead to feelings of overwhelm, helplessness and depression. Compassion fatigue may also impact our physical health and put us at greater risk for serious illnesses. In […]
Feeling down? Don’t know why? It’s so hard to resolve feelings when we don’t know what’s causing them. Maybe we are dissatisfied with our home life? Or we don’t enjoy our jobs? Perhaps it’s because we’re in the wrong relationship or living in the wrong neighborhood? It’s possible these circumstances are contributing to our unhappiness. But […]
We most often speak of intimacy related to physical or sexual encounters. But intimacy has a much broader definition and is an essential component of a wide range of relationships. Sadly, many of our relationships today suffer from a lack of intimacy. It’s important for us to learn how to restore intimacy – before it’s too […]
For a while now, I’ve had a hard time doing anything that I consider “optional”. At first, I was proud of myself for letting some things slide. Not too long ago, I would’ve been tearing around like a maniac until I had checked off everything on my to-do list. I’d been working too hard for too […]
Understanding and articulating what we believe we are born to do – our unique life purpose – is one of the most powerful ways to focus our finite personal development energy in the right places. It’s also one of the most effective ways to begin to visualize and become our best selves. And when we […]
A journey of self-discovery can be life long, and for many, life altering. It’s exciting to think that we all still have much to learn about the person we should actually know the very best – ourselves! Back in the 20th century, we referred to this kind of soul searching as “finding ourselves”. But for […]
As far as we know, we only get one life to live! It’s best for all of us to make the most of this gift we’ve been given. To do so, we must take good care of ourselves. This includes looking after both our mental and physical health. Ideally, we need to manage stress, watch […]
Do you feel like you’re constantly under pressure? If so, you’re not alone. Millions of us struggle. But there are simple things we can do to reduce stress and anxiety in our daily lives. How to Reduce Stress and Anxiety Get Organized Clutter and mess can be major sources of stress and anxiety. Keeping our […]
Life is so busy. We all have responsibilities such as family and work that must be attended to and require the majority of our time and attention. To offset this busyness and resulting stress, many of us are constantly seeking strategies and secrets about how to be calmer. Any ideas are worth considering, just to […]
Do you have a vision of the life you want to lead in the future? A real, crystal-clear picture? How often do you think about it? Embellish it? Fine-tune it? Do your dreams include vivid examples of what your life will be like after you achieve them? When you’re actually living that future vision, living […]
Scientists say we enter a state of “flow” when we are fully absorbed in something we’re doing. Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi , a positive psychologist first came up with the term flow in the 1970s. His definition: “the mental state where we are so immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the […]
Many of us yearn to have more will power and admire people who seem to have an endless supply. Want to know some of their secrets? Read on.
Are you trying to enhance your life and health? Do you want to be happier? Finding ways to improve our mental health and well-being is one of the most important things that we can do to improve life. And it is also one of the key factors that can help us live a longer, and […]
We will each have a legacy. Something we leave behind after we are gone. Life is short, and we never know how much time we have left to impact the legacy that we will leave. We all know this. But the older we get, the more we begin to understand just how fleeting life can […]
Winter is a difficult time for many people. Seasonal changes can have a huge impact on our mental health and wellness in the colder months. It’s important to take extra steps to look after our health and well-being. Making good decisions about winter self-care can really help us to enjoy a more comfortable season. Winter […]
What possesses a healthy person to anonymously donate a kidney to a stranger? They will not be paid or rewarded. There will be no publicity. No public or even private praise. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Yet people do things like this. All the time. It would be amazing if these acts of generosity happened more […]
Education is a critical foundation for not only professional achievement, but also for achieving happiness in life. There are many downstream benefits for encouraging a love of learning in your children, and in doing all you can to ensure they have positive experiences with learning. Fortunately, there are many ways to help your child to […]
