In order to make changes that stick, I take my big goals and break them down into small pieces. Then I focus on one at a time until it becomes a habit. The goal of safer driving is a good one, but it's one of those big, non-specific goals that…
This is a guest post by Julie Singer, who teaches us, among other things, something we've discussed before: one of the great sources of happiness is helping others. As a college student, at times you can feel like you have no control over anything. It may be your emotions, your…
When I was a kid, I was a speed eater. My dad would tell me and my siblings to chew our food 30 times before swallowing, but we ignored his advice and his good example (he is the slowest eater I have ever met). I did learn to eat more…
I’ve been biting my nails since I was a kid. I have no idea how young I was when I started. I also have no idea how many times I’ve tried to quit. It’s a quite a few. What I know is I finally kicked the habit when I finally…
This is a guest post by Jane Sheeba Implementing tips is a great way to manage or deal with life situations in a quick manner. But I’m more of a strategic person. What’s the difference between implementing a strategy and practicing a tip? Tips are quickie solutions—you face a problem,…
I’m a long-time reader of the weekly ScienceTimes section in Tuesday’s New York Times. One of my go-to columns is Jane Brody's on "Personal Health". In last week's column, Brody wrote about recent studies showing the health benefits of nuts. I’ve known about the health benefits of nuts for a…
One of my friends participated in a training program and told me what he heard in a lesson on listening reminded him of some of what I said in my book, in “Be Nice,” the second of my Six Simple Rules for a Better Life. Listening is an important "Be…
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…
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…
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…
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…