I am writing this blog in memory of my Father, who passed away two years ago and would have celebrated his 75th birthday today . My Dad was a huge fan of the comedian Steve Harvey . He enjoyed watching his daytime talk shows very much and really appreciated Harvey's rags-to-riches story. I admit that I did not know that much about Steve Harvey other than the fact that he seems to have more shows on television than anyone else I can think of... the Steve Harvey Show, the Steve Harvey Morning Show, Family Feud, Little Big Shots, Little Big Shots: Forever Young, Steve Harvey's Funderdome and the Miss Universe Pageant . He is also a successful author, an Emmy and NAACP Image Award winner, and the father of 7 children.Because of my Dad, I decided to read up on Steve Harvey and I was struck by his story. Read More

If you work a 9-to-5 job, chances are much of your day is spent sitting – whether during your commute, at your desk, or in meetings. But recent research has highlighted that long periods of sitting can be bad for your health. Read More

We can all agree that Curious George is one of the most beloved characters in children's literature. First published in 1941, the very popular books have been in continuous print since then. What we know and love from the books (and the PBS television animated series) is that the storylines always revolve around the mischief that George gets into because of his inquisitiveness. The only other recurring character in the books is the unnamed "Man With the Yellow Hat" who brought George home with him to the 'big city' after a trip to Africa. He is responsible for many of George's mishaps because he brings him on adventures and fortunately, he seems to always come to the rescue just in the nick of time. The moral of each and every story is George's curiosity is the cause of much peril, stress and tension. I love that mischievous monkey and I think we should all be more like him! Read More

I recently met a friend of mine for tea at a local "mom and pop" tea shop. The atmosphere was lovely, they had a wide assortment of teas and comfortable chairs, and the service was wonderful. As impressive as all of that was, what I found most remarkable was that my lovely friend knew everyone in the shop and they all knew her! She was warmly welcomed, our server had my friend's tea order committed to memory, and when some of her other friends stopped by, they knew exactly where in the shop to find her. It reminded me of the fictional television character "Norm" from the 1980's sitcom "Cheers". Norm regularly dropped into his neighborhood bar and was always greeted by a chorus of everyone shouting out his name. The show's theme song was even called "Where Everybody Knows Your Name." My tea shop visit was perfectly timed because just this week, there were news stories about 'loneliness' being at epidemic proportions and that it is considered a serious health hazard.That's the bad news. The good news...there is a cure. Read More

Have you ever been so engaged in something that you love to do that you completely lose track of time? You were so present and attentive to a creative activity that everything else seemed to just fade away. In those moments of authentic joy, you experienced mindfulness. Read More

Are you in the middle of your annual Spring Cleaning? If so, you may be tackling the project one closet, drawer and box at a time. The general rule of thumb is to get rid of anything that no longer serves a purpose, brings you joy or is taking up much needed real estate in your home. What about the sentimental items? They are hard to part with, aren't they? Since I am a Health Coach and not a professional organizer, I am going to tell you to keep those things that once meant the world to you instead of relegating them to the local landfill. I specifically want you to unearth your old trophies. Read More

Where is Mr. Miyagi when we need him? The Japanese-American actor Pat Morita played the fictional character Mr. Miyagi in one of my favorite movie franchises - The Karate Kid. In the movies, Mr. Miyagi was responsible for training a young man named Daniel LaRusso (played by the actor Ralph Macchio) to become a competitive martial artist. You may recall the “unconventional” training methods that Mr. Miyagi used to teach Daniel karate, for instance waxing cars, sanding floors and painting fences. I have watched the original movie from 1984 (and its sequels) so many times over the years and each time I am struck by the wisdom and messages filled within. There was a method to Miyagi's madness and it wasn't to get his household chores done by Daniel. As a matter of fact, there are so many life-lessons and words of wisdom from the extremely wise and wonderful Mr. Miyagi that they have come to be known as “Miyagisms”. One of the brilliant pieces of advice given to the Karate Kid was Mr. Miyagi repeatedly telling Daniel “you need to focus Daniel-San. Always look (in the) eye.” When he got frustrated with Daniel, he told him “Daniel-san, your focus needs more focus.” The reason that Mr. Miyagi did not want Daniel to lose eye contact is because he knew that the minute that Daniel looked away, he would get distracted, lose his focus and not be able to see his opponent coming. He taught him the importance of living a balanced life and not letting distractions prevent him from reaching his goals. Read More

Do you have a boss that emails you about work after hours and on the weekends? Have you ever said to yourself - “there ought to be a law against that!”? Well then you will be happy to hear that a NYC legislator has recently proposed legislation that will prohibit your boss from having an all-access pass to your time. While we don’t all live in NYC, it is only a matter of time before other law makers follow suit. After all, we are several years behind other countries on this issue. Two years ago a law went into effect in France that gives workers the legal right to to avoid responding to work emails or texts at night and on the weekends. In NYC, the superhero working on this issue is Rafael Espinal, who is a city council member from Brooklyn. He recently introduced the “disconnecting from work” bill that will make it illegal for businesses to contact employees via email or instant message when they are off duty, on vacation, using personal days or home sick.  Read More

Today is Major League Baseball's Opening Day and for just the second time in history, every baseball team will begin their season on the exact same day. All 30 teams are on the schedule to play today. Many people look forward to this day with great anticipation as the excitement mounts for a new season. 'Hope springs eternal' in the heart of every baseball fan since, as of today, every single team is in first place. I hear people saying things like "the lineup looks good this year", "they looked great in Spring Training", "I'm so glad we signed that free agent!" However, when a baseball fan hears the expression "he dropped the ball", positive images are not conjured up. I am married to a life-long, die-hard Red Sox fan, so the phrase "dropping the ball" invokes a PTS-like response and brings him right back to Bill Buckner in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series against the New York Mets (if you don't know what I am talking about, google it). The phrase "drop the ball" is defined as "making a mistake, mishandling things" as in "I really dropped the ball on this one." So you may be surprised that my advice to you today, on this Opening Day, is to intentionally DROP THE BALL! Read More

I recently realized that I was buying fresh herbs from the grocery store every week. I love adding fresh basil, rosemary and parsley to my meals and I think it's wonderful to be able to add fresh mint to lemon water. When I looked at several months' worth of my grocery receipts, it occurred to me that if I grew my own herbs, that I could save a lot of money. Then I remembered that I live in the northeast and winter seems to last forever (especially this year) which is not conducive to cultivating a year-round herb garden! What a coincidence it was when I turned on the television and my favorite tv shopping channel was featuring a countertop herb grower! When I first set the thing up, I was skeptical about my green thumb potential because there is absolutely no soil involved in the growing process. The herbs come in pods and are grown completely in water...lots of water and nutrients that are added weekly. In addition to a full spectrum lighting system, the countertop growing process is supported by a reservoir of water that, at various times throughout the day, you can hear "swishing" through and around the roots of the herbs. In a matter of weeks I had a fantastic supply of basil, mint, thyme and dill. The best part? NO WEEDING NECESSARY! There is practically no work involved in this process...just filling it up with water every few days. Read More