Happiness

Happiness is a great book group meeting! I'm in three book groups -- one in which we read books aimed at adults, two in which we read book aimed at children and young adults. Being part of these books groups is among the joys of my life.

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France now has a law against psychological violence in marriage. I personally loathe government interference in our personal lives. But having treated more than 6,000 perpetrators, victims, and children of emotional abuse in America, I ‘m convinced we need a similar, though more precise law to protect families. Read More

Watching a national dog show on TV two nights ago, my husband and I marveled at the beautiful creatures striding and sleeking around the stadium. "Look how happy that one looks," my husband said of the Siberian husky. The standard poodle looked snooty. The Irish setter looked proud. But were they, really? Were what looked like smiles and smirks just functions of each species' particular anatomy -- or were we actually discerning the dogs' emotions in their eyes? Not long ago, I interviewed Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson about animal emotions. He used to own dogs. But not anymore. And never again, he said.

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2010 Resolution: Dress Like a Power-Player (Part II)

When there's a Part I, Part II will follow.  Here you go; a continuation of how to acquire and sustain power so your personal and professional goals don't languish, but produce results.  If your intent is to emit visual authority, here's a novel look at what you need to know.  Part I listed suggestions 1-5. Let's talk 6-10 and yes, pictures included. Read More

Hello, everyone! I hope you all have a good week. Seeing as it's almost Valentine's Day (that's February 14, for you men out there!), this week will be devoted to exploring that crazy little thing called love and how sometimes, looking for love with a physical disability, makes it just a little bit crazier. Here's my tango-with-love story to get things started...

Let this be a special lesson for you guys out there. Why?

Because it just might teach you not to be so quick in dismissing that girl who looks at you every day - a seemingly ordinary girl - and wants to tell you something so badly, but you just never seem to see her. She's not invisible. Just look.

P.S. Look for Part II tomorrow. Read More

When an important relationship ends, just grieve. Don't go looking for a rebound. You can't run away from your problems. Only time will heal.

I agree with that common advice whole-halfedly. I think it's absolutely half-true, and so would like to make the case for the other half. Read More

Humans have a strong desire to perceive life as meaningful and a glance down the self-help aisle of any major bookstore suggests that many people are looking for a roadmap to assist them with this quest for meaning. So what does the scientific literature say about this issue? That is, what are the variables that have actually been proven to provide meaning in life? Read More

Scientists believe that your brain has a built-in "negativity bias." In other words, as we evolved over millions of years, dodging sticks and chasing carrots, it was a lot more important to notice, react to, and remember sticks than it was for carrots. Read More

I Got My Mojo Workin'...

Likely you have heard the word mojo used in reference to virility as in the Muddy Waters' song with that immortal lyric: "I got my mojo workin'." You might also remember The Doors' lead singer Jim Morrison belting out, "gotta keep my mojo risin'..." at the end ofL.A.Woman, repeating the lyric faster and faster to simulate making love. Younger generations may recall the Austin Powers film The Spy Who Shagged Me, wherein the spoof-hero loses his mojo while in bed with Ivana Humpalot. So, to many of us who learned about this word through pop culture we think of our mojo as our sexual power. Yet it means a lot more than that. Read More