So. The holidays are comin’ like a freight train. And also like a freight train, they are loaded. With hope. Or hopelessness. With peace. Or stress. Maybe you have too much to do. Or not enough to do. Maybe you have family drama. Or not enough family to create drama....

One day, I came home to find a sticky note on the counter. It said, “Aphrodesiacs in the freezer.” My husband was at it again. He’d been to the grocery store, and as I peeked inside the freezer, I found the four containers of Breyer’s chocolate/peanut butter ice cream...

Are you in a tough place right now? Here’s a little counterintuitive advice for finding some joy, even in the middle of your hard place: Do something thoughtful for someone else. You may not exactly feel like it, but that’s okay. Granted, in this episode, I do that in...

Pain = no fun ever. And it doesn’t make a lot of sense to go back to the place of your pain after you’ve healed. Or does it? What if your revisitation could help someone else mend? I won’t lie; holding a hurting person’s hand could possibly involve a few tears or some...

Like you, probably, I have had to deal with a few bouts of body betrayal—times when the body does not cooperate with the desires of the soul--when your body is not behaving in a manner acceptable to you, and you are over it. It may be a serious illness. Then again, it...

The challenges of moving from one stage of life to another start early…and the transitions don’t get any easier as time goes on.  Maybe you’re at an age at which you find yourself doing a fair amount of reflecting on your life--looking back at your past, taking stock...

Have you ever passed up an opportunity for joy because you were self-conscious about the way others perceive you? Maybe you wanted to dance at a celebration, but were so concerned about what people would think of your moves, you sat instead. Maybe you wanted to try...

Can we talk about what you look like? My guess is, you're already cringing, which is sad because sometimes our perception of our own looks can keep us from a life of joy, and, may I just say, "Ain't nobody got time for that." If you're a regular person, there's...

You are most likely very familiar with the concept of a bucket list--it's a list of things you want to do before you kick the bucket, right? To invite more joy into your life, however, you might want to consider a change in terminology, since "bucket list" connotes...

When you’re presented with an opportunity, is your first response usually a “no”? Maybe you’ll change your mind later, but is your typical knee-jerk a negatory? Or maybe you know someone like this, and think, “sure glad that’s not me.” But that mindset is very common,...

Have you ever wanted to try to do a something, but never did because you were afraid you’d be really bad at it? (I’m talking to you, perfectionists.) Well, let me introduce you to someone who didn’t let incompetence stop her. Her story is almost unbelievable, but...

If the words “I really shouldn’t be doing this at my age,” have ever crossed your mind, I would love for you to join me in a manhunt for whoever made “the rules” about age-appropriate behavior. I think we learned these rules when we were very young, watching other...

What makes you uncomfortable? Your answer to this question can tell you a lot about yourself. And I’m talking about the kind of uncomfortable that sits in your gut, saying, “Wish I would, maybe I could, I really should,” but then hesitates, because thinking about...

Ana is a mother who shared this story on Twitter: When her 8-year-old son was buckled into the back seat of their car, he asked his mom, “Is it okay to throw the confetti in my pocket?” Her understandable response was, “No, not in the car! Why do you have confetti in...

Not long ago, I was in a local bookstore and came upon an irresistible title that I’m convinced you will love as much as I do: Dessert Can Save the World: Stories, Secrets, and Recipes for a Stubbornly Joyful Existence. It’s the kind of book I put on my nightstand to...