My wife and I became apartment dwellers eight years ago, and we were fortunate to move into a building where most of the people are friendly, greet you when you enter the elevator, and wish you well when you exit.  We have become good friends with a number of the hundreds of people who live […]

At this time of the year, when we just celebrated Mother’s Day and prepare to celebrate Father’s Day next month, it always brings to my mind a question that I remember from my youth. It was pretty universal in my generation to ask the following question – particularly after seeing  parents receiving gifts and being […]

We all have bad days – and some of them are of our own making.  Of course, sometimes things don’t work out because we are treated unfairly, and sometimes we are treated fairly but we don’t get the job or the relationship or the discount or the tax break that we want.  Even on the […]

Some very compassionate people have a difficult time expressing self-compassion.  According to Dr. Kristin Neff, self-compassion expert at the University of Texas, the practice of self-compassion involves giving ourselves the same kindness and care that we’d give to a friend. Why do some people find that concept so difficult?  In some cases, the problem is […]

No matter how positively we approach life and how satisfied we are with our situations, nothing ever turns out right all the time. We all wind up being disappointed at times, feeling regretful at times, and feeling that we are being treated unfairly at times. During those times, it is pretty normal to try to […]

  5 Lessons from Saint Patrick that Will Transform Your Life Today  Do you feel imprisoned? Oppressed by your life’s circumstances? Are you constantly annoyed by the division, polarization and intolerance in the world? Take a cue from Saint Patrick’s life and turn your annoyances into food for personal development. Saint Patrick’s Day is coming […]

Today is NOT Employee Appreciation Day – making it the PERFECT time to express appreciation to the people around you. Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition! Errrr… I mean… Nobody expects spontaneous appreciation! 😉 Why does this matter? I’m glad you asked! ,Gratitude improves retention. 53% of people say they’ll stay longer if they feel more […]

(Part 2 of a 5-part Series) Most people do not regularly experience gratitude at work, either as recipients or as an active intentional practice of their own. And yet we know that just generally, when we feel appreciated, we feel and do better. What would happen if we purposefully made gratitude a regular part of […]

(Part 1 of a 5-part Series) At its core, gratitude is an excellent antidote for the isolation which has become such a problem for so many of us. While the COVID-19 pandemic put a painfully bright spotlight on the problems that are caused by isolation, the truth is most of us are more functionally isolated […]

Practicing acceptance can be difficult for many of us. Because it goes against our natural inclination to resist change and hold on to what is familiar. It can be hard to let go of our expectations and desires. Or to accept the reality of a situation, especially if it is painful. We may struggle with […]