There Are Other Places to Go: Quitting As Success
If I were rich, I’d wear Vera Wang dresses to the galas and fetes that I assume would pepper my schedule. She’s known for the …
Happiness
If You Want to Be Happy . . . Find the Meaning in Your Life
Motivational psychology hinges on the idea that understanding what is most important to any individual person is the key to changing behavior. I’ve heard this …
Controlling Your Way to Happiness?
In some ways, control is at the heart of the most common clinical approaches to mood disorders like depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the “gold …
The Secret Ingredient to a Lasting Marriage? Kindness.
It seems silly to say this. The person you marry is supposed to be the person you love most. Of course you would be your …
Finding Happiness By Settling
Choice is a funny thing. Having autonomy is one of our basic shared human needs, and depriving people of choice certainly leads to unhappiness. On …
Using Art to Connect with People
A few weeks ago, I wrote about how asking other people for help is a way to forge a connection. The post was inspired by …
Where Home Is: Bill Murray on Authenticity
I’ve been collecting perspectives on authenticity as a way to be as happy as possible. I believe that being yourself helps ensure contentment; although life …
February Pick-Me-Up: Smell a Lovely Smell
I’m pretty open about my dislike of winter. Snow can be beautiful, but after a while, it can also be brutal. I miss feeling warm, …
Finding Your Strengths, Feeding Your Competence
Martin Seligman, one of the founders of Positive Psychology, points out that many resolutions are about quitting a bad behavior. People give up junk food, …
Blizzards and Happiness: Hedonic Adaptation
Last week I was in Portland, Oregon for work. The weather was about 45 degrees–a temperature that usually signals the onset of winter for me. …