Like so many people, my smartphone has become a seemingly indispensable part of my life. I love much about it. I love looking up stuff on google, checking the weather, and accessing various social media. It's gotten me back into taking pictures, which I hadn't done (other than pics of…
Last summer I went whitewater rafting with my wife and a couple of wonderful friends who had very graciously invited us to stay with them at their upstate New York time share. We departed the lodge at 7:30am and arrived at the rafting place around 9:00am. It was a long…
This is a guest post by Julie Singer. Julie is a college sophomore. This past summer, I was a counselor for a dozen ten-year-old girls at a sleep-away camp in Pennsylvania. It's the same camp that I have attended for 10 summers before this one (the first eight as a…
Another September 11 is upon us. This is essentially a repeat of the post I wrote last year. I've been putting a lot of effort into being mindful again this year. As another anniversary of 9/11 comes, I realize that the events of September 11 are never something that takes…
My 16-year-old cousin Kyra (aka Kiki) is chronically unique (a term she invented.) Please watch her video and you will understand. It's 15 minutes in length and if at any point you decide to fast forward, make sure you watch the last 3.5 minutes to learn valuable happiness lessons from this amazing…
The following is a guest post by Vincent Clarke. Last week, I wrote about contentment. Many of us might imagine living in Hawaii to be a dream come true, but no place is immune from being taken for granted as Vincent explains in this piece. ------- The key to happiness…
Having written a book called Six Simple Rules for a Better Life, with a subtitle, “Practical, achievable ways to be happier, healthier, and more…” and a first chapter (the first rule) called, “Be Happy,” happiness—for myself and others—is clearly one of my missions. Late last year, I enjoyed reading A…
I recently had a 24-hour stomach virus. I was feeling queasy around mid-day Friday, threw up around 6:00pm, was in bed from 7:45pm until 7:15am (a fitful sleep), felt light-headed all the following morning, and felt almost 100% by mid-day Saturday. It was the first time I threw up in…
Listening well is an important skill in our lives—personally and professionally. In this guest post by Kevin Clarke, we hear about a dad and the hard work of really hearing what his son is saying to him. Kevin is a writer for America Magazine and this piece is reprinted with…
This is a guest post by John Gerhardt. As I’m sure we know, it’s impossible to completely avoid conflict, unfortunate circumstances, or making some tough decisions. Life is not always going to be nice to you, but it’s not healthy, and won't help your happiness, to let that turmoil build…
A couple of years ago, I read a book called The Go-Giver. The book’s lessons are delivered in the form of a parable about a young go-getter who is introduced to an older, wiser man, who teaches him about go-giving—putting others’ interests first and adding value to their lives. It’s…
In a chapter on being grateful in a book I enjoyed reading at the end of 2012, A Spiritual Renegade’s Guide to the Good Life, author Lama Marut suggests going on a weekly “complaining fast,” declaring a moratorium on complaining for one day each week. What will happen if you…