Welcome to the last week of 2021. Making it this far is definitely an achievement and something worth celebrating. New Year’s Day is traditionally a time when people set goals and intentions, designed to shape and change their lives. Like most people I know, including Yours Truly, they prefer to know where they are going. To use a hiking analogy: using a compass keeps us on course; and when visiting a new city, we rely on maps. There is a…..
Do you ever wonder why some people seem to bounce back after misfortune and crises while others don’t? There are a myriad of reasons, some of which are 100% beyond their control (genetic luck, geographic random location), but some things are not only controllable, but can be cultivated. Your happiness set point can be determined by many things, but these four things represent major areas: • Financial cushion • Health — mental, spiritual, physical • Community • Family These are…..
One of my life coaches suggested that I use my blog as a tool to teach other people how to notice the beauty in the world. Recognizing beauty in unusual places is one of the ways you can reset your Happiness Set Point®. Above is an image I shared on my Instagram, paired with the following caption: “I was starting to see that what looks like garbage from one angle might be art from another. Maybe it did take a…..
For a few years now, I have watched in horror as my country implodes through a self-inflicted massacre. Doomscrolling on Twitter hasn’t helped. If you’re really interested in watching my brain unspool in real time, it’s all still there. Twitter is a way that I process things. As a way to stave off the negativity, positive-thinking clichés cascade through my head. I use them as mental pitons to stabilize my thoughts as they spiral downward. Stabilize they must, because at…..
While there are many definitions of success, if you examine the lives of various people considered successful in their respective industries or fields of endeavor, you will find that they do these things each day. If you take the time to cultivate these habits (customizing them for your own interests), I can promise that you will become successful as you define it. It is a guarantee. 1. Silly: Be silly. Learn to laugh. Do something each day that helps you…..
We optimists sometimes get a bad rap, usually accused of being naïve, stupid, or most commonly, “unrealistic.” On the contrary; I would say that optimists are extremely realistic. They see things as they are — as they exist. • I know what it’s like to be fired. • …have a spouse cheat on me. • What it’s like to be betrayed in public—blindsided by those who I thought I could trust. There have been some seriously dark nights of the…..
Before I get too far into today’s post, I want to let you know that I am extremely aware of the catastrophically terrible financial impact 99% of us have experienced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even as billionaires have increased their profits by trillions of dollars, many of us are facing evictions and bare cupboards. When you’re experiencing the bottoming-out of the market, you have an opportunity to build back. Use this time to plan for the rebound,…..
Today, I’m sharing a chapter from my book Circuit Train Your Brain: Daily Habits That Develop Resilience. Resilience isn’t an action, per se; it’s a state of being — a state which can be cultivated and developed by investing in small habits, practiced consistently. When you spend just a small amount of time each day on positive habits, the cumulative effect provides you with a reservoir or capacity to withstand greater stressors. Taking ownership of our thoughts and actions is…..
The picture above is of me at approximately 29 years old. Two of my daughters are with me outside the daily newspaper where I worked—my oldest daughter is probably inside the building, chatting up the reporters in the newsroom. My youngest daughter recently posted it on her Instagram (she’s the baby in the picture). She is currently 29; her older sisters 30 and 34, respectively. What follows is a bit of introspection and work-in-progress exposition for my next book. I…..
Who occupies the driver’s seat in your life? Are you the pilot? Or are your outcomes determined by ceding power to others? When I consider possible mentors and role models, a cartoon character like the comic strip scamp Calvin seems like an unlikely choice. But should it be? “From now on, I’ll connect the dots my own way.” — Calvin In a rare reference to the number, quantity, interactivity with or any other reference to my social media accounts, faithful…..