I just finished reading a wonderful book, Zen Habits: Mastering the Art of Change, by Leo Babauta. Leo has written, in many ways, what I have envisioned as a possible follow-up to Six Simple Rules for a Better Life. I wanted Six Simple Rules for a Better Life not to be another one…
A few weeks ago, I woke up and my left hand hurt, specifically the lower half of my thumb down to where it met my wrist. After two weeks of trying to avoid using my thumb in certain ways, it was better, but not all the way, so I went…
After receiving quite a bit of positive feedback on a recent newsletter piece, I am publishing it here... At an end-of-year yoga class, the instructor asked us to form an intention for the coming year. I decided to focus on respond vs. react. Responding instead of reacting is something I…
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about some catchphrases I like. As I said, I don’t use many, but the ones I use I use a lot. That day I wrote about how “This Too Shall Pass” helps me. Shortly after, a friend sent me this insightful, helpful note: I…
I like catchphrases. I don’t use many, but the ones I use I use a lot. In Six Simple Rules for a Better Life, I wrote about a few. Two examples: Mind Over Mattress, which helped me to get out of bed when I was getting into the routine of…
I saw full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal just before Christmas from AT&T that said: Put the "happy" in holidays. That was incredibly distasteful to me. The iPhone 6 is not what makes holidays happy. Neither you nor your family members are going to remember 20 years from now…
I was reading a wonderful blog post about the way the impermanence of things enhances our appreciation of them—and how instead of lamenting loss, we can realize if we had these things all the time we would begin to take them for granted; their beauty is tied to their impermanence.…
This is a guest post by Alissa Jones. In it, she talks about what she learned about the dangers of diet soda. It's perfect timing for this piece because Thanksgiving kicks off the season, between now and the end of the year, where people often eat too much and feel…
After having some oral surgery, which I was told was as the result of improper brushing, it was recommended I use an electric toothbrush. The one the periodontist (gum surgeon) recommended was pricey, but I found a coupon on the Web and was able to cut the cost. Of course,…
Several times after speeches people have told me things I said (or written in my book) are things they have also learned in AA’s Twelve Step program of recovery: Progress, not perfection. Early on when I was a participant in the Strategic Coach Program®, founder Dan Sullivan preached the importance…
My book, blog, newsletter, and speaking engagements are peppered with suggestions for ways to enhance your happiness. My recommended path to greater happiness is not a magical one where you can snap your fingers and change your life; my message is not “la-di-da, let’s just be happier.” What I recommend…
In order to make changes that stick, I take my big goals and break them down into small pieces. Then I focus on one at a time until it becomes a habit. The goal of safer driving is a good one, but it's one of those big, non-specific goals that…