You don’t need expensive tickets or a big name  artist to get the happiness boost of live music. There’s something magical about being surrounded by people, sharing the music, and feeling connected.

That feeling of togetherness is called “collective effervescence,” and it can lift your spirits long after the music stops.

So, this week, keep the summer going and find some live music. A concert in the park, a band at a café, or music on a patio. Bring a friend, bring a blanket, and let yourself enjoy the moment.

To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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It’s okay to feel sad.
 
Recently, I found myself feeling a little down. I’m not used to that feeling, and I didn’t like it. My first instinct was to figure out how to make it go away.
 
Then I realized something important.
 
The answer wasn’t in trying to “fix” my feelings. It was in getting out of my head and into the present moment. Looking around. Taking a walk. Calling a friend. Noticing what was right in front of me.
 
Sadness is part of being human. We don’t have to fight it—but we also don’t have to live there.
 
Feel it. Accept it. Then gently come back to the present. That’s where peace begins.
 
Practice for the week:
The next time you notice yourself feeling down, don’t ask, “How do I stop this?” Instead ask, “What can I notice right now?” Take five slow breaths and name five things you can see. Let the present moment be your way back.

To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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💛
“Enjoy yourself.”
 
What if we took those words seriously?
 
Enjoying yourself means being with yourself, listening to yourself, trusting yourself, laughing with yourself, understanding your feelings, and having fun.
 
It means living your life as though you are your own best friend.
 
And what a special relationship that can be. ✨
 
Practice this week:
Do one thing just because it brings you joy. No productivity. No pleasing anyone else. Just you, enjoying your own company.
 
Be your own best friend. And enjoy yourself. 🤗

To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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Disappointment is part of life. Things don’t always turn out the way we hoped, planned, or imagined they would. 
 
How we handle disappointment is a real skill and like any skill, it can be practiced.
 
The goal isn’t to pretend you’re not disappointed. Feel it, acknowledge it, and then ask yourself: What can I learn from this? What is still possible? Where can I put my energy now?
 
Practice for the Week:
This week …when something doesn’t go as planned, pause and say:
“This isn’t what I wanted… and now what?” You may not control what happens, but you always have a choice in how you respond.
 
Sometimes the best part isn’t getting what we wanted. It’s discovering that we can handle what we didn’t.

To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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As I get ready to turn 65, l have been thinking about what I would tell my younger self. There are so many things, but these rise to the top:

Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.

Don't compare yourself to anyone else. There has never been, and never will be, another you. Your uniqueness is your superpower.

Practice gratitude every day.
Gratitude is like a life insurance policy for your happiness. It changes the way you see everyone and everything.

Time goes faster than you can imagine. Don't wait for the "big" moments. Savor the ordinary ones-they become the extraordinary memories.

Take care of your mind and your body. Protect your inner peace and move your body regularly. Both are essential for a joyful life.

Love with your whole heart.
Love deeply, generously, and without keeping score. In the end, love is what matters most. ❤️

To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time with my 2½-year-old granddaughter.

The other morning we were on a crowded bus heading to camp. It was raining, we were squeezed together, and she looked up at me with the biggest smile and said, “Grandma Melly, this is so much fun!”

Over the next few days, she said it again and again during little moments of joy.

It made me realize something….she’s learning to savor life.

I couldn’t give her a greater gift.

Children learn what we model. When we pause to notice what’s good, and say it out loud, gratitude becomes contagious. It doesn’t just rub off on 2½-year-olds—it rubs off on everyone around us.

This week’s practice: Savor out loud. Notice the small moments that make you smile, and say them. You never know who might begin seeing the world differently because of you. 💕

To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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Balancing a full, demanding life isn't easy. But stress isn't always about how much you're doing.
It’s often more about how much you're resisting what you're doing while you're doing it.
 
This week, instead of wishing you were somewhere else or doing something different, practice being fully present with the task in front of you. Acceptance doesn't mean you love every responsibility,
It simply means you stop fighting the moment.
 
This week's practice: Several times each day, pause and ask yourself, "Am I resisting this moment, or am I living it?" Take one slow breath, soften your shoulders, and give your full attention to what's right in front of you.
Less resistance. More presence.
You may discover that peace isn't found in having less to do-it's found in how you choose to do it.

To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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We were all gathered around the table: my son, my daughter-in-law, their baby, my 2-1/2 year old granddaughter, my daughter-in-law’s parents, and me. It was one of those ordinary moments that somehow felt extraordinary.

My granddaughter looked around the table and said, “This is fun eating together. We are family”.

I was feeling exactly the same but she put it so simply and said it out loud.

Children don’t worry about who is related by blood, who married into the family, or how complicated life can become. They see love. They see belonging. They see people choosing to be together.

This week, let’s take a lesson from my granddaughter and remember that family is not defined by blood alone, but by love, kindness and the choice to simply be together. 

To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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“Everyone shines, given the right lighting.” — Susan Cain 

Sometimes we mistake a lack of confidence, energy, or joy as something being wrong with us. But often, it’s not that we’re failing to shine…it’s that we’re standing in the wrong light.

The right light might be supportive friends, new experiences, a healthier routine, inspiring conversations, or simply spending more time where you feel most like yourself. Part of self-care is intentionally moving toward the people and environments that help you come alive.

And then comes the hard part: trusting. Trusting that your light exists even when you can’t see it clearly. Trusting that growth is happening before the results are visible.

This week: Each day, ask yourself: “What is one thing I can do today to move closer to my light?” Then do it! 

Your job isn’t to force yourself to shine.

Your job is to keep finding the light…and trust that when you do, your shine will naturally follow. ✨

To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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Never say never.
 
I never thought I would travel to my favorite place alone: Paris.
But I did! Knowing I had friends who would be there made it feel a little less daunting.
 
I learned so much about myself. First, I really need to learn how to pack less! Second, I found a balance between a few tours, lots of walking, fun nights out with friends, and precious time on my own. I enjoyed all of it!
 
But the greatest gift I brought home is something deeper: a renewed sense of enjoying life. It’s the feeling I recognized even in my twenties that Europeans seem to embrace so naturally. I feel it now too... a greater appreciation for beauty, dressing with intention, lingering over experiences, and savoring everyday moments.
 
This week, slow down and remind yourself, as Paris reminded me, that life isn’t just meant to be lived. It’s meant to be enjoyed! ✨🇫🇷💕

To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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Dieting or avoiding alcohol alone rarely creates lasting change. Restricting ourselves often leaves us feeling deprived. 

Real change happens when our choices come from self-care rather than self-criticism. The focus shifts from what we're trying to avoid to the person we're becoming.

This weeks’ practice: Stop at some point each day to check in with yourself. Ask, "What do I need most right now?" Notice whether your answer is physical (perhaps some nourishment, a stretch, a walk) or emotional (a few deep breaths, a little gratitude, some human connection). See if you can respond to that need with one small act of self-care.

The more you connect with and nurture yourself the easier it will be to make any positive lasting changes!!! 💪🏻🫶🌟

To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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Joy isn’t something reliant on outside circumstances. It’s something we can cultivate. It grows when we accept life as it is. You may not like what is happening right now, but you can learn to be with it rather than fight against it. Joy is not the absence of difficulty, it is the ability to stay open-hearted within it.
 
Make your life worth living by pursuing what genuinely interests you, nurturing meaningful relationships and engaging in activities that bring you a sense of purpose and connection.
 
Practice: This week take a minute each day and ask yourself, “What in my life, can I appreciate exactly as it is right now,?”
 
Notice one simple thing… a conversation, fresh air, your morning coffee, a moment of peace. The more we practice noticing, the more joy becomes available to us. ✨


To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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