When you hear the two words “dear diary”, does it conjure up images of teenagers doodling hearts and writing about their latest crushes in a book that comes with a lock and key? Or perhaps you think of Oprah Winfrey who got us all gratitude journaling in the 1990's and has said many times over the years that she made her BFF Gayle King promise that in the event of Oprah’s untimely death, Gayle will immediately destroy all of Lady O’s diaries before they can fall into the wrong hands. It turns out that diaries are good for everyone, not just teenagers and famous talk show hosts. A recently released study supports the idea that there are many benefits of journaling to both our physical and mental health. This is such an important topic that I even had to take a few classes on journaling when I was studying to become a Certified Health Coach!If you are interesting in reducing your stress, clarifying your thoughts and feelings, resolving conflicts, solving problems more effectively and getting to know yourself better, then you are going to want to jump on the journaling bandwagon. Read More

There’s nothing better than crawling into bed after a long day. It’s incredible how rejuvenating a good night’s sleep can be, but for many of us, a restful night isn’t always a guarantee. Read More

A few weeks ago Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary released their list of newly added words. Among them are....generation z, tent city, mocktail, hangry, instagram, airplane mode and my personal favorite - nothing burger. For years I thought that a “nothing burger” was the sandwich that I used to make when I was a teenager and we were out of cold cuts. I used to slather mayonnaise between two pieces of white bread and call it a day. I loved those sandwiches filled with a whole bunch of nothing!   Lately, the words “nothing burger” have been used by both sides of the (political) aisle to describe something that has been over-hyped and has high expectations but turns out to be insignificant, average or absolutely nothing. One of my friends has a very interesting parenting approach with her toddler that has worked out quite well. Instead of over-hyping every little thing that goes wrong, she treats every issue as a nothing burger. Whenever she senses a tantrum coming on, she meets the impending outburst with the phrase “nobody cares, Leo!”Her brilliant strategy works every time. The little guy ends up putting his tantrums on hold as soon as he realizes that no one is listening to his demands. Read More

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

Setting your own hours, doing work you love, and sharing your true passion are all perks of being your own boss. While it may seem overwhelming to make the step to becoming the leader of your success, as your own boss, you now have the ability to manifest your future and create the life you’ve dreamed of. Read More

Tuesday was National One-Hit Wonders Day. As I am certain you have noticed, there is a National Day for just about everything. While One Hit-Wonders Day isn't as exciting as National Donut or Ice Cream Day, it is fun to stroll down memory lane to reacquaint ourselves with the many, very popular songs by artists who sadly only had momentary success. For me, it's very easy to come up with my favorite..."Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley. It is not the most original pick since this song is considered by many to be the most successful one-hit wonder of all time. The reason I love the song isn't because it brings me right back to 1987 when I hear it. It's because all of these years later, the music and lyrics still never fail to get me moving. I did not write this Blog so we can all start contemplating "What ever happened to....?" about Soft Cell ("Tainted Love"), Dexys Midnight Runners ("Come On Eileen") or the Baha Men ("Who Let The Dogs Out?"). I chose to write about one-hit wonders because I seriously think that we should each ask ourselves if we have become one. Read More