Love

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...

[caption id="attachment_138" align="alignleft" width="286" caption="Me with Ariana (left) and Cruz (right)"][/caption] I spent the past weekend in Florida visiting some old and new friends. It was amazing to spend time with Joe and Terry (the old ones) and their two-month old fraternal twins, Ariana Michele and Cruz Aiden (the new ones). How amazing it was to meet these little guys for the first time – so precious and sweet and innocent. So easy to love. I admire the measures Joe and Terry took to even have these babies. Given they are two men, these measures were creative, far from convention,...

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...

“Love is in the air, everywhere I look around Love is in the air, every sight and every sound” (lyrics by Paul Young) Love is such a strange phenomenon. We all want it. We all need it. But do we all have it?

I recently learned of a very cool definition of love: “Love is the flowing, the outpouring the rendering from the heart and soul of emotional goodness to yourself first, - - and then to others in your life.” (from the Hoffman Institute) With yourself first! Herein lies A KEY. * Do you love yourself? * * Do you really love yourself? * Love changes the brain. It’s all about...

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