If you ever need a quick attitude adjustment, just play the song “Happy” written and performed by Pharrell Williams. You’ll be up and on your feet with a huge smile on your face within seconds of hearing the chorus “clap along if you think happiness is the truth, because I’m happy!” I have been using the song this month in my Qi Gong for Breast Health classes and it is perfect for a pre-routine warm-up. It’s been hard to get the catchy lyrics and beat out of my head which is one of the reasons why a recent video of Pharrell performing “Happy” at a children’s hospital fundraiser immediately caught my attention. The video clip features Pharrell’s performance, but he is most definitely not the star of the show. That title belongs to an extremely sweet nine year old girl named Eliana who is a patient at the hospital and was pulled on stage to dance during the song. Her exuberant attitude and lively dance moves impressed the crowd and then she asked Pharrell to hand her the microphone.  Read More

In any job or new venture, self-confidence is an integral part of your success. Your confidence impacts how others perceive you and how you feel about yourself. Read More

The house I grew up in was on a large corner lot in a lovely suburban neighborhood. Our beautifully manicured lawn was difficult to maintain because the neighborhood kids used it as a thoroughfare to quickly get from one street to the next. They used our front lawn to literally “cut the corner” and shave some time off their route through the ‘hood.   For the past several years my family has been busy visiting colleges in search of a perfect fit for each of our sons. On one recent visit, the student tour guide said “Notice that no one walks on the grass here at our college. There are no shortcuts in life, we make sure not to cut corners here at college either.” I loved hearing this! If we are paying attention, there are life lessons all around us! Read More

Do you give yourself an inspection before you leave the house in the morning? Perhaps you use a full-length mirror or a magnifying compact. You may even rely on the visor mirror in your car to make sure that you 'have it all together' before you head out for the day.   My sons attend a military high school and Morning Inspection is a mandatory daily drill. Every member of the student body/brigade has to appear before his inspector each morning before the start of classes. My eldest son is the Cadet Colonel which means he is the person who is responsible for overseeing the inspection process. He was recently telling me how frequently the inspectors have had to say the words "belt-socks-fail". I asked what this meant and he explained that the initial part of the inspection is "silent" as each platoon leader quietly checks the members of his unit for uniform compliance including haircut, shave, tie, name tag, rank stars and bars, ribbons, buttons, etc. Then the inspector says the words: "belt" and "socks"because this prompts the cadet to lift up his sweater or coat and bottom of the trousers in order to show that he is wearing a belt and socks. So at the end of the inspection, you either hear "belt-socks-pass" or "belt-socks-fail" and apparently there have been a lot of fails lately. I was left wondering how it is possible to fail for belt and socks and I quickly learned that there are days when many a cadet leaves home without putting on what I consider to be essential articles!How do you leave home without them? Read More

Apple made headline news again this week. Many people who plunked down $1k+ for the ‘latest and greatest’ iPhone have been understandably upset that their new device has not been charging when plugged into a power supply. Apparently there is a software or hardware bug that is preventing the phones from charging properly. We have come to expect charging problems from our older-model phones that have been dropped, cracked, used and abused. It is another thing entirely when you are unable to use the newest member of your technology family because it is already acting up.   “Charging” is a big topic in my home. “Where is my charger?”...”My charger isn’t working!”...”My phone doesn’t have enough charge!”....”I need a new charger.” If you’ve been to an airport or a Starbucks recently, you have witnessed the masses vying for an available outlet in order to charge up their devices. During a recent trip, while I was waiting in the airport for a connecting flight, a woman stood right next to me (and my charging iPad) waiting/stalking until I was ready to relinquish the coveted spot next to the wall outlet. You probably have had a similar “charging” experience. Read More