Are You Hovering?
I’ve been hearing a lot about helicopter parenting lately. It’s natural for parents to want to protect our children and help them to be successful. And while there
We're Not So Different
Our children recently returned from a summer study program in France. In addition to improving their French and experiencing life in a different country, they also had the chance to
Increase Happiness by Savoring the Past
I have written a number of blogs about how mindfulness or paying attention to the present moment can increase happiness. Becoming more mindful has been especially helpful to me because
How Positivity Helped Build the Panama Canal
At a dinner I attended this week, Pulitzer Prize winner David McCullough spoke about the building of the Panama Canal, the topic of his book, The Path Between the Seas.
You Don’t Win by Proving You Are Right
Relationships are strengthened through positive interactions. This means that too many arguments can hurt a relationship. When you get into an argument with someone with the aim of proving you
20 Years and Counting
My husband and I were married 20 years ago today. Happy Anniversary, honey! In honor of our anniversary I wanted to write a post about love. Looking for inspiration, I
Sochi Olympics, All About the “Spoice”
When Sage Kotsenburg won a gold medal in slopestyle, his message was to “keep it spoice!” According to the urban dictionary, “spoice is an exclamation of gratitude towards life. It’
People Matter
Your relationships are one of the most important factors affecting your happiness. Being around people reduces our stress and increases our joy. People give us help and emotional support. This
Perseverance Pays Off!
I wrote a blog about Diana Nyad after her fourth attempt to be the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. I thought we could
Vulnerability: A Leader’s Greatest Strength
We typically think it is important for leaders to show strength and decisiveness, however, it may be equally important for them to show their vulnerability. In my last post I
Embrace Vulnerability
One of my favorite TED Talks is Brené Brown on the power of vulnerability. Clearly I’m not the only one who likes it because it has over a million
Active Constructive Responding Strengthens Relationships
In a previous post I talked about the value of celebrating other people’s good news. The best way to respond when something good happens to someone we care about
The Space Between
I recently read Search Inside Yourself, written by Chade-Meng Tang, Google’s Jolly Good Fellow. Seriously, that’s what it says on his business card. The book describes a mindfulness-based
Celebrate Other People’s Good News
How do you respond when something good happens to someone else? Do you celebrate with them? Or are you more likely to say “that’s great!” and continue on? Actively
4 Ways to Bring Your Life into Better Balance
Leading a balanced life is extremely important for our well-being, but it is something that many of us struggle with. How balanced is your life? Here are some things to
Choose Your Friends Wisely
In a previous blog I mentioned a study by professors Christakis and Fowler that found that kindness is contagious. In their book Connected, they site many other examples of social
The Power of Positive Reinforcement
Our new puppy is giving me lots of opportunities to practice positive reinforcement. And believe me it is quite challenging at times! As a psychologist I know that the very
Appreciating the Ebb and Flow of Life
“Your joy is divine and so is your suffering. There’s so much to be learned from both.” ~ Wayne Dyer Spending a week at the beach inspired me to re-read
Take up Something Positive for Lent
Giving something up for Lent is a Christian practice that is supposed to remind us of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. But that sacrifice was to show us how
Boost Your Positivity with a Mentor
I’m very pleased to have my first guest blogger, Rene Petrin, share his thoughts about the positive benefits of mentoring. You’ve had a challenging day at the office
You Get What You Expect
Pygmalion was a sculptor in Greek mythology who fell madly in love with a beautiful female statue he had carved. He named her Galatea and he treated her as if
Why Religious People are Happier
Research shows that religious people in America are happier than non-religious people. Since many people will be celebrating Easter or Passover this week I thought it would be a good
Combine Compassion With Assertion
I enjoyed reading Rick Hanson’s book, Buddha’s Brain. In it he presents many thought provoking ideas, one of which is, “pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.” He
Beat the Holiday Blues by Practicing Positivity
The holidays are a festive time of year when families come together and everyone is happy. Or not. The truth is that for many people the holidays can be a
Better Together
Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow. ~ Swedish Proverb I’m going to my college reunion next week. I won’t tell you how many