This past Friday, I “attended” a funeral. My dear friend’s mom passed away from COVID a couple of weeks ago. From many miles away, my friend coordinated the funeral her mother would have wanted, with a full Catholic Mass. Observing safe social distancing practices, a very small number of people…
Among the many e-mails, articles, blog posts, and other attempts at inspiration I have received during the COVID-19 crisis, two have stood out. One came to me from the Lodge at Woodloch, an outrageously wonderful, high-end spa resort where I’ve had the good fortune of being the guest speaker a…
I keep hearing, reading, and using the word crazy (as in, these crazy times). The word crazy feels right because almost nothing feels normal. Like many of the people who are fortunate to have a job that can be done remotely, I have been working at home for nearly two…
When I was a teen, I did not read a lot of books. I resented the reading requirements in high school and do not recall enjoying more than the handful of novels I read for pleasure. The reading load in college was overwhelming. I didn’t love most of it, but…
Happy New Year! As I have done for quite a few years, here are some of the many experiences I enjoyed this past year: places I visited, what I listened to, what I read, what I watched, and more. Reading For the last several years I had read fewer and…
This past summer, I began an intentional change in my media consumption. As a result, over the months since, I cut back on, or gave up completely, a bunch of activities. I stopped watching late night talk shows. I had been DVRing them, and then watching the opening monologues the…
At least once a year, an event in the speaker series at 92Y in Manhattan catches my eye. I’ve seen several of my favorite writers, including Malcom Gladwell (three times) and Michael Lewis. This year, I saw Arthur Brooks in conversation with Simon Sinek. I have become a fan of…
With summer upon us, I wanted to write, as I did last summer at this time, about the importance of taking time off from work. I was fortunate to have participated for many years in Strategic Coach, a personal and professional development program where I learned, among many other things, the…
I don’t like wasting resources. Money, food, and time come quickly to mind as the most obvious examples. Recently, I realized I have learned how to make better decisions by understanding the interaction between these resources. The net result is a positive impact on my happiness. For example, last summer…
Last year, I wrote about a webinar on emotional resilience that was part of our company’s wellness program. In a follow-up e-mail sent out by the leader of the session, Jen Arnold of Redesigning Wellness, Inc., she made suggestions of Ways to Practice Gratitude. Here, again, are a couple: Three…
As I have done for each of the past few years, here are the many ways I enjoyed the experiences of my year: places I visited, what I listened to, what I read, what I watched, and more. Reading I love reading and I love learning. I read quite a…
There is a very nice family I've known them for nearly 25 years. Several of them are real estate brokers and they have a monthly newsletter. I’ve been on their mailing list for many years and often find helpful tips. A recent newsletter contained a list of ways to practice…