Hope

She is an old soul with a young spirit who I met at a mutual friend’s cocktail party sometime last year. She and I were hanging out in the kitchen with several others talking about what we “do” – typical cocktail party banter. But when it came to Amanda’s turn to share, she had an atypical response: she told us how she was a dog-walker in Chelsea and that she loved what she did. I’ll never forget how she spoke her words with such conviction, they resonate in me still today. She was an easy pick for my newer blog...

Hello Mother, Hello Father Greetings from summer sleep-away camp. Really, I write this tucked away in the woods in northeastern Pennsylvania – a tiny spot of heaven called Camp Happy Times – aptly named for a place where two hundred kids who have or have had cancer come for a week’s time of fun, fun, and more fun. They come here to celebrate the joy of life. Essentially, they come here to be kids, not just the “kids with cancer”. [caption id="attachment_132" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="This is me (center) in the middle of the table in a cake eating contest. I...

I posted this on Facebook yesterday . . . “Relationships are hard. All types. (Am eager to know what y'all think about this as I write this week's newsletter, so speak up - please.)” . . . because I wanted to see what would happen (see below for the results). But as soon as I posted it, I realized something interesting: * Isn’t the fact that I say ‘Relationships are hard’ part the very reason they remain so? * Now, granted, I am by no means suggesting that only because I say it, I will it (Well maybe I am a little bit). There are certainly...

As you may imagine, I come in contact with so many people - clients, friends, relatives -yearning for loving relationships - for real, loving relationships - the kind that make everything else all worth it. But for so many people, this is not reality. Either we’re in dead end relationships or none at all. In either case, we’re not getting what we want in life; we’re not happy. * What do you want more of in your life? What do you need more of? * Better relationships? Meaningful work? Health? Happiness? Surely, these are needs important to many, if not all,...

Last week I saw (from the first row, and in 3-D) Disney Pixar’s Up, an animated film about life, adventure, and friendship. The film certainly pulled on my heart string in a very “other-people- matter”-positive-psychology-kind-of-way. The film also speaks to this month’s PPND theme of fun. In it, a young hopeful and optimistic Carl Fredricksen becomes fascinated with a hero of his time, a world-famous aviator and explorer, Charles Muntz, who encourages imagination, creative play, and adventure.Up opens with young Carl playing “explorer make-believe” by himself. He stumbles upon a tomboy named Ellie playing a similar game. A few frames later,...

Given the GEC (global economic crisis) AND my traditionally poor management of money, I've been thinking a lot on this idea of really what's negotiable lately. I've come to one conclusion: everything. Financially: Think about it: you park your car on a lot on Eighth Avenue. You pay an astronomical $320 per month for the spot (extra, for a dang SUV!). You approach the lot manager and simply ask, with love and hope: "Is it possible to lower my monthly fee?" "I know that things are really tight these days, but I may be tempted to park closer to the river, where the...

[caption id="attachment_97" align="alignright" width="225" caption="Grandma Liz at 93!"][/caption] After getting an email from my sister Lisa this week entitled, “secret to a long life,” I’ve been wondering really, what it’s all about - for me. Then, serendipitously, I had the chance to do some action research this past weekend, which I spent in Cleveland, Ohio at my friend’s grandmother’s 93rd birthday. NINTY THREE YEARS YOUNG. Her name is Liz and let me tell you - she's a spitfire. She can hear, she can see (after recent cataract surgery, where for the first time in 88 years, she can really see), she can...

“Positive Psychology is all about having a YES in your heart.” –Marty Seligman * Do you have a YES in your heart?  * I am a Master of Positive Psychology. From my experience, I can tell you wholeheartedly and honestly that learning this stuff puts a YES in your heart. It did for me . . . so much so that now I am working with individuals and systems to implement these principles into the daily lives of others. This stuff works! Positive Psychology is a newer field within the traditional discipline that studies the capacities that make life worth living. It’s not...

Changes As we enter a new era in the American political landscape, the promise of change is in the air, as Derrick Carpenter so eloquently says. Like all promises, though, this one can lead to false expectations if we fail to recognize that lasting change has to come from within each of us, individually. It is a choice. Dave Shearon’s simple framework “to happier” helps create a positive intention: Hi, my name is Louis, I want to be happier and I’m willing to work on it. John Yeager’s piece takes this intention to will and says that while wishing is important, developing new habits...

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