My husband has just returned from the grocery store, where shelves were empty, people were tense and he waited in the checkout line for an hour. It’s stressful out there. As usual, I look to our character strengths, the foundation of positive psychology, for some...
For most of my life, I pushed myself very hard. As the first child, it seemed there was never enough I could do to help my mom. When my little brothers came along, I did all I could to help with them and to cause no trouble of my own. At school, I strove for straight...
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by life, perhaps you’ll relate to the idea of an unmoored bouy. Bouys are those things you see bobbing along the coast near marinas and shipping lanes; they tell boats which way to go and can be a place to hang on if the...
Here’s a little template for you to remind yourself of the many things that make you happy. Use it to boost your mood right now or as a reminder someday when you’re feeling blue. Click the title below to get the PDF. What makes me happy? If you use it,...
I almost drowned in the ocean when I was 16. I was playing with some friends along a rocky coast in northern California when the sand fell away suddenly and I got pulled into an undertow. For the next very long couple of minutes I tumbled around in the current and was...
Three things I’d be happy to leave behind as we cross into the new year at midnight tonight: Buh-bye, 2018 1. Cancer. An epic experience with so many lessons to teach: self-compassion, hope, HUGE love for and from others, the medical magic now available for...
I’ve been keeping a gratitude journal since my son was born almost 23 years ago. I got the idea from Oprah, who was doing it because she said it helped us appreciate the good in life and could even make us happier (science now proves her right). This mattered to me...
This is the fourth in a series of six posts exploring the strengths that make kids intelligent, courageous, good with other people, involved in their communities and connected with something larger than themselves. The purpose of the series is to give you new ideas...
“And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” ~ John Steinbeck ~ I’ve been sick for two weeks and the kids were home for spring break for one of them. I haven’t gotten much done. I haven’t written anything blog-worthy, haven’t been active on social...
This is the third in a series of six posts exploring the strengths that make kids intelligent, courageous, good with other people, involved in their communities and connected with something larger than themselves. The purpose of the series is to give you new...
