When I first I learned about the importance of mindfulness practice in reducing stress and improving health, I inwardly whined, Another thing for the to-do list! As a committed transcendental meditation disciple, I thought I was doing enough to train my brain for optimal functioning. Then I interviewed Dr. Ron Siegel, assistant clinical professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School…
Do you know why you behave the way you do? Getting down to the core of what motivates your perspective, thoughts, feelings, and actions is key when you want to rewire who you are or how you live. While the nature vs. nurture debate rages on, archetypes—your energy guides—offer a simple way to envision your identity, plus how and what…
When my brother and I were little, we went grocery shopping with our mother on Thursday afternoons. As the five-year-old, I was in charge of making sure my mother had her grocery list and checkbook. As the two-year-old, my brother’s task was simply not to have a screaming fit when told that, no, he could not buy another ball out…
Over dinner my friend Jane makes an offhand comment: “I couldn’t stand my husband when I first met him.” Immediately, I’m intrigued. They’ve been married eight years and she’s head over heels in love with him. She continues, “He was the most obnoxious, pompous know-it-all I’d ever met.” “What finally changed your mind?” I ask, expecting some big gesture on…
Recently I interviewed neuropsychologist Rick Hanson about his specialty: hardwiring happiness. Using neurological techniques, Hanson says, you can change the structure of your brain by building neuropathways for feeling good. “When it comes to negative experiences, your brain is like Velcro,” he said. “With positive experiences, the brain is like Teflon.” He went on to explain that for survival purposes,…
Recently I took my mother to see tap star Savion Glover at our local performing arts center. The hall was packed, mostly with children whose parents had brought them to see the legendary dancer. Predominant in the crowd were students from inner-city performing arts schools. During intermission my mother and I went to the concession stand, where candy was on…
You want something—maybe it’s a car, a job, a dream vacation, the end of an illness, the start of a relationship, Whatever it is, you set your sights on it and then…as the Stones so eloquently said, “You can’t always get what you want.” But will you be satisfied to only get what you need? In a life where free…
Anxiety easily becomes a lifestyle when your body and mind see threat and danger everywhere. What do you do then? Learn to live in The Worry Zone, or develop daily practices to rewire your body and brain. I spoke with licensed clinical social worker Guy Oberwise for some tips on how to reduce anxiety naturally. First, can anxiety and its…
In 2010 Brother International funded a study to discover the monetary losses from disorganization. The staggering results revealed that the cost associated with just one problem—employees looking for misplaced items—topped $89 billion annually! The average employee spends 38 hours a year searching for things. If you experience moments of “I can’t find what I need!” in your life, you know…
