The most important life hack of all (do you agree?)

cereal bowl with tiny person swimming on one last cornflake in a sea of old milk

It wasn’t just the cereal bowl. It was everything.

Every morning, my first husband would sit in the living room and eat a dish of cereal. When he was finished, he’d set the bowl on the floor next the recliner with half an inch of used milk still in the bottom. Then he’d go on about his day and not think about it again. I, on the other hand… couldn’t NOT think about it.

But that wasn’t what bothered me most. What turned a minor nuisance into a raging insult was my interpretation.

How to be far less flappable

unflappable seagull at Niagara Falls

You know how some people can change your mood, just by being around them? Some people spread happiness like grass seed. On the other hand, you might be feeling fine until you run into Mr. Pit of Despair. If you’re not careful, you can absorb his mood and feel like […]

Atlanta traffic, fear of failure, and finally being good enough

ready to come out of hiding

What are you afraid of? I’m not talking about things like spiders or snakes. I’m talking about your real fears. If people saw the things you’re trying to hide about yourself, what would they see? And what are you afraid would happen if they did? This is on my mind […]

How to do something big

Is there something you’ve always wanted to do? Something grand and ambitions? Maybe you’ve always wanted to write a book, or build an airplane, or hike the Appalachian Trail. It’s huge, life-changing even, and you’ve known for a long time that you want to do it, but you haven’t done it. Here’s how to change that.

How unhappiness works–and how to beat it

Pop quiz: only one question and it’s multiple choice. What would make me happy? a) winning the lottery b) my loved ones truly appreciating me c) a lifetime supply of chocolate d) my neocortex Happiness, and unhappiness, are actually pretty simple, but they’re not caused by circumstances like most people […]

The #1 stumbling block for smart people (and how everyone can avoid it)

A lot of people think intelligence, or innate talent, is responsible for success. It seems to make sense, right? But actually, that’s not quite true. It’s the people who keep growing that come up with the best ideas and are willing to take the risk of trying something new. There […]

How to ditch your worst excuse and start getting things done

Do you have a hard time getting things done, or even started? Do you give yourself a lot of excuses for why? I do. It’s come to my attention that I have a lot of excuses for why I don’t/ won’t/ didn’t get something done, and they all come down […]

How to become an optimist (and how to use pessimism to your advantage)

Apparently, at some point in my life, I “learned” that it’s safer to expect things to turn out badly. Then you’re always either right or pleasantly surprised, right? Well, yes, but that’s a bit limiting. The thing is, if you believe you can do something, you’re more likely to try […]

Fighting The "Perfection" Disease

Way too many people are so busy being perfect-on-the-outside plastic shell people, we’re afraid to face the realities of our lives, let alone admit them to others. Here’s the thing: if you never let people see the real you, you can never have a deep relationship with anyone.