Have you said any of these words lately? A) “Can you please bring extra aioli for my truffle fries?” B) “Put all the money in a bag and they’d better be unmarked bills.” C) “Wow, I didn’t know I needed that!” If you said A, we are automatically friends; we should go out for all...

"The greatest burden a child must bear is the unlived life of its parents."  — Carl Jung How do you interpret this quote? Let me guess: you’re picturing the thwarted beauty queen who encourages bulldozes little Kimmie into rabidly-competitive pageantry as soon as she’s in Pullups. Yes, parents have been known to live vicariously through their kids—pushing them into activities...

Do you ever go back and re-read the notes you took from a class or a conference or event? (Okay so we’re starting with the assumption that you’re a note-taker to begin with, and if you’re not, oh honey, today’s the day your life is going to change for the better! I’ll wait here while...

It’s Summer Activity Time! (Quit your groaning over there, Kiddo.) Take out a piece of paper and draw three columns. In the first column, write out the summer jobs you held as a kid/ tween/ teen/ young adult … however you got paid before you became a Responsible Adult with a Real-ish Job. (And if...

When my friend Jen said, “I decided to turn drudgery into joy” the other day, I knew I had to write it down on a sticky note (because everyone knows that Post It notes are where all good ideas must go to germinate). I knew she was onto something good and I knew I was...

“I’d roll over in my grave if people called me a cheapskate,” said the man in the third row. Bashfully, the man sitting next to him admitted, “I really don’t want to be described as boring.” “I’d just die if someone called me scatterbrained,” a woman at the back of the room offered … ironically....

Imagine for a minute that it’s the year 1903 . . . so you haven’t been born yet. The people who made you probably haven’t been born yet either. So it’s more than a hundred years ago, and all sorts of things in the universe are conspiring for you to be born . . ....

What’s a human trying hard to hang on in this world to do? We all need coping mechanisms, and habits are among the most benign in a world where there are a lot of strong drugs out there that’ll help “take the edge off.” But habits grow weary on us.... They lead to the mind-numbing...

What would you rather do? A) Ask for help B) Smother yourself in chum and then splash around in shark-infested waters If you picked A, you’re a liar, but that’s okay because I’m here to help (EVEN THOUGH YOU DIDN’T ASK FOR IT). Psychologists confirm that we’re notoriously and repeatedly out to lunch when it...

One of the early researchers in the field of positive psychology, Chris Peterson, was asked to sum up positive psychology (the scientific study of what makes life worth living) in two words or less. What do you think his answer was? A) "Housebroken pets." B) "Red wine." C) "Other people." I know, I know. It...

Summer! It’s arriving this Thursday, June 20, 2024, at 4:51pm EST, and like life, it’ll slip ‘n slide away from us unless we stop for a hot sec and figure out how to make these 94 days matter. Let’s do a quick temperature check. Where are you on the Summerlicious Heat-o-Meter? Regardless of where you...

Where do you fall on the Life Bullshitometer? Is there a dream or plan or notion you find yourself talking about ... fairly often ... and then promptly doing absolutely nothing about? You’re not alone. Here’s an assortment of examples: “I’m going to go back to school to finish my degree someday.” “I’m going to...