November… Do you think of it as a time for thanksgiving, gratitude and upcoming social events? A time to savor life’s rich flavors? Or do you roll up your sleeves anticipating a demanding hub bub as you get ready for the holiday rush? Worse yet, is NOV a hot stress mess? I hope not! But if your Negative Noelle inner… Read more →
Have you ever paused to wonder about your well-being? I’m not talking about happiness. I mean your overall sense of being satisfied with how you live your life. Do you ask yourself, “What brings me MEANING?” I hope so! This question is often more appropriate than asking yourself, “How am I FEELING?”. Feelings are so blamed fleeting, like a firefly’s… Read more →
Did you ever get a delightful surprise that absolutely blew up your happiness balloon? I was thrilled when one of the editors of positive psychology’s esteemed, Positive Psychology News Daily (PPND) editors, Kathryn Britton, asked if I would contribute an article. Just getting asked was a gift. You know me. I needed to write something with a touch of fun… Read more →
Can you believe summer is half over? We are finally getting a few 80F lazy, hazy days of summer weather here on the shores of lovely, shimmering Lake Michigan. Hope you are staying cool and enjoying freedom, fun, and a vacation. I am waxing philosophically about my life. Maybe it’s because I am getting older. I am taking time to… Read more →
EARTHQUAKE!!! Have you ever experienced an earthquake’s heartless devastation? Or perhaps an horrific natural disaster or man-generated trauma? Imagine the world as you knew it literally crashed down upon you. You desperately try to locate your family and save your beloved cow and goats. Not pets, but your life-sustaining source of milk. Can you even visualize losing everything you owned… Read more →
Has your family ever been through a nightmare? Think 9/11 or Hurricanes Sandy or Katrina. Positive Psychology blesses you with ways to feel grateful no matter what the circumstance. But there are times when life blasts you with a 1-2 sucker punch, and you are down for the count. Not matter how upbeat you try to be, you cannot get… Read more →
The dreaded phone call came. I was sitting at my computer working, but taking pause to savor my stunning yellow, orange and red hibiscus, blooming in all its Puerto Vallarta glory. But peaceful calm was soon shattered. My best friend since childhood, Cheryl Satterfield Nash, called. Her beloved sister, Bonnie Satterfield Baker, had passed away. Gritted teeth, tearful gulps of… Read more →
Walking on broken glass…A hurricane of hurt…twisted gut grief. Kelly Nelson was my best Puerta Vallarta buddy. He was the brother of my heart, the kind of brother I had wished for when I was a kid. His unexpected death on Valentine’s Day at age 58 steam-rolled my psyche. I wrote this poem to honor him. After you read it,… Read more →
Have you ever been whale watching? Ever heard a whale sing or beheld a whale breaching to reach the sky? Ever had the opportunity to look a whale square in the eye? When I asked my friends visiting from Louisville, KY, Sheila and David Tasman, what they wanted to do in Puerto Vallarta, whale watching was their first request. We… Read more →
Did you ever think about adding to the quality of your life? Want to learn all about positive psychology from renowned MAPP University of PA grads? Now you can! My dear talented, kind and loving friend, Louis Alloro, along with his stellar and upbeat business partner, Emiliya Zhivotovskaya, have created a remarkable, outstanding well-being and flourishing educational treat, with your… Read more →
2015…Doesn’t it seem like yesterday we celebrated the Millennium? Pause for a second. Think back on how much your life has morphed since then. How mindfully aware and active were you in creating life-enhancing changes to make your dreams a reality? My photos this year remind me dreams really do come true. Yes, you do need to put into action… Read more →
Podcast with Robyn Stratton-Berkessel: Rev Up Your Relationship Resilience: 7 Positive Psychology Tips to Make Love Last Does your relationship need some positivity pizzazz? Or maybe you know someone whose relationship needs to ignite new heart-sparks. Here’s your opportunity to pay forward 140 cool partner positivity applications and 70 partnership photos I designed with couples’ smiles in mind. Whimsical partnership… Read more →
In the hub bub of the holiday season, do you ever pause and take a moment to think about yourself? Nope, it’s not selfish! Does gratitude come to mind? Want to feel less stressed? Pause and remind yourself who your ARE as a person, not just for all the things you DO and are able to get accomplished. Do notice… Read more →
Do you have a bevy of positive expectations before you travel, especially if your trip is exotic or highly anticipated? Psychology researcher Roy Baumeister (I’m really enjoying a MentorCoach course I am presently taking from the famed book author of, “Willpower“) reminded us humans are not very good at guessing how much pleasure a new experience might bring. We tend… Read more →
Do you have a dear friend who always floats your boat? One who emails you everyday reminding you of all that is good in your world? Who discusses books and life? I am blessed with a fun, brilliant, academically gifted friend like that. The idea for this blog bounced around in my neurons after my positive psychology metaphorically gifted buddy… Read more →
Are you a good partner? Are you invested in your lover’s happiness, meaning, and promise for a happy life together? Maybe you need a little polish to make the gems in your relationship shine. Yes, it does require a bit of elbow grease. But your rewards are mutual magic! Time to shake, rattle and roll your love life. Here’s how… Read more →
Have you ever dared to de-clutter? To de-stress and purge your mess? I promised myself last year, that this year, I would start letting go of stuff. Why? Because it’s time. Not to mention my house being sucked into the “stuff sink hole”. The urge to purge is ripe and ready. Our house is groaning, like it ate too much… Read more →
10 Positive Emotions Has someone put you down? Hurt you to your core? Can’t seem able to open your “happy again” door? This happened to my client the other day. She was reeling from a “frenemy” ambush. Her brain would not let go of her obsession, “NOT FAIR!”. It ripped at her incessantly. She was stuck. Wouldn’t you love to… Read more →
I bet you welcome it with the same pink purple passion as I do. Time to do a double flip. If you can do one for me, I’d appreciate it! It seems like a long time since I’ve touched base with you. I am sitting here in Puerto Vallarta. It’s 85F. Lovely! I hear melodic waves crashing their arrival on… Read more →
“I’ll be 65 tomorrow, April 16th”, I muse…When the hell did THAT happen? Time, you wondrous whisper. You magic melody. You symphony of sensations. A letter. A word. A sentence. A paragraph. A chapter. A book. And at my age, a library! My brain focuses on that number in jaw-dropping awareness and disbelief. Incredible, this age thing. Wasn’t it yesterday… Read more →