In a recent blog post I talked about the ABCs of happiness or the three core themes to live a happier life. Now I want to step back and talk about some of the myths of happiness. We have to understand what happiness is and also what it is not in order to live happier […]

I talked, in my last post, about what we learn from science about happiness and suggested three core themes from the happiness literature (the ABCs of happiness). I want to continue this topic by sharing a short video on the topic. Before you watch it, let me just share a bit of the backstory. The […]

I’ve long been interested in understanding happiness and, consequently, have stayed abreast of this body of research over the last several years. Now I want to share what I’ve learned from the  science of happiness (as well as share a number of tips to be happy). According to science, our happiness can be attributed to […]

  Your brain is a lot like Amazon.com. But instead of books, socks, and vacuum filters (or whatever you buy on Amazon), your brain sells THOUGHTS. Millions of them. And you are the customer. Every day, every minute, inside your mind, you are searching for thoughts, browsing through thoughts, and clicking on the ones you […]

  One of the most important decisions you will ever make in life is how you feel about yourself. Of course, we don’t usually think of this as a decision. It’s a given, just the way it is. And yet, I want to suggest it is a decision and one with far reaching consequences. How […]

Vulnerable Listening In my last article, I talked about the importance of being vulnerable in your communication. Being vulnerable is a willingness to own and communicate your thoughts, feelings, needs and wants in a clear and yet non-dogmatic or blaming way. It’s communicating in a way that allows you to assert yourself while also showing […]

In my last post, I talked about four different styles of communication: dominating, accommodating, avoiding, and collaborating. Collaborating means that you’re honest about your own thoughts, feelings, needs, and wants. You’re also willing to show empathy for your partner’s thoughts, feelings, needs, and wants. This is the healthiest of the communication styles and becomes particularly […]

I’ve written a lot of articles, in the last several months, about how to create a happy and loving marriage or relationship with your life partner. A common theme throughout has been the importance of doing things, intentionally and proactively, to foster a climate of positive rather than negative sentiment. Sure, there will always be […]

Here we are at the start of 2022—a new year, a new beginning, a new kind of resolution. Our brains like new starts. A 2014 study from the Wharton business school called it “the fresh start effect.” They defined this as a landmark moment in which we take an accounting of ourselves. We relegate imperfections […]

In just a few days we’ll be celebrating one of my favorite holidays—Thanksgiving. I love the holiday for two primary reasons. First, it’s a day to pause and give thanks for the bounty and abundance of our lives. We know from science that people who make gratitude a part of their everyday lives are happier, […]