Finding Happiness

Although we can all agree that the pandemic years were quite bad, 2023 hasn’t been all that easier either. And though sometimes the days can seem grim, each day and in every situation, we have a choice. We can choose to focus on the negative…

When I look at my dogs, I marvel at their astonishing, vibrant self-esteem. My two big puppies, four and eleven years old, respectively, never question their deservability. They assume, and rightly so, that they are fully worth being fed yummy meals…

I began my downsizing journey many years ago. I found that it is more of an ongoing process than an event. Even though there were many events within the process, it was always focused around the removal of things. All of those cherished possessions…

I’m intrigued by the mythical land of Shangri-la – that magical location that symbolizes perfection. James Hilton talked about it in his 1933 novel, Lost Horizon, and song lyrics have referenced that idyllic place where you experience a perpetual…

Hopscotch. We played the game every day after school. We played it on the sidewalks and in the playgrounds outside the eighteen-floor brick building that was our home in Brooklyn, New York. We played as a way to hang out with each other…

I caught myself dancing in the kitchen this morning as I waited for my coffee to drip. Rain was coming down at about two inches an hour, but it couldn’t drench my mood. I’ve been feeling happy. Really happy. We all know the happy feeling…

When I was a young girl, still in the single digits of life, I dreamed of walking onto the stage alone to sing for an audience. In my imagination, I grudgingly allowed for there also to be a pianist onstage with me. As a very shy person whose musical vision…

Follow your bliss has become a popular catchphrase found on a blossoming array of self-care sites and, like the word awesome, is so overused that its original meaning has been obscured. Following your bliss is not the same as personal pursuit of pleasure…

Every year, the Holiday Season brings with it a mixed bag of people and things. There are relatives you look forward to spending time with, friends you can’t wait to get together with, gifts you enjoy and parties galore. As well as, sigh, relatives you can’t stand…

When you are not feeling your best, what is your go-to medicine? There are endless remedies for what may be ailing you. But there is one particular medicine guaranteed to lift your spirits, heal emotional trauma, and have you loving more of your life…