As many of you know, I’m studying to become a genuinely effective meditation teacher. I love it, I’m learning so much, and I promise to share anything and everything that I think you can apply to your own lives!

Those of you who have been subscribing to my newsletter for a while know how important being mindful is to one’s happiness. But what do you do when it’s hard to focus on mindful meditation? The other day I asked my teacher for her advice: How do you practice properly when you get an itch, for example, or are sitting in an uncomfortable position?

She explained that we can do one of three things:
1. Explore. What exactly is bothering you? If it’s an itch, where is it and what’s causing it?
2. Ignore. Don’t pay attention to the discomfort, just let it go.
3. Move. Do something to get more comfortable—scratch the itch, reposition your body …

I equate these meditation tools to life: When something isn’t the way we want it to be, we can either examine what’s not working and try to figure out why; we can simply let it go; or we can be proactive and do something about it.

Remember these 3 tips so you can tap into them the next time you are meditating—or apply them to a real-life situation whenever you’re uncomfortable. You are always in control!

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 have shared with you, I recently turned 60. While I’m really proud of many things that I’ve accomplished in my life so far—especially learning to be a more “present” and mindful person—in a lot of ways I feel like I’m just getting started.

I love learning and sharing what I’ve learned. My newest venture is a nine-month long intensive meditation program that will not only help me become a deeper meditator but will also certify me to be a meditation instructor!

I cannot wait to teach the practice of meditation because I believe so strongly in its benefits. People often say, “I can’t shut my mind off, I’ll never be able to meditate.” Not true. I also know how much anxiety and depression people are dealing with. It was palpable before the pandemic and it’s even worse now. Mediation can help—I want to help!

But… this isn’t just about me—it’s about you, too. What is it that you’ve always wanted to do? It could be taking up a hobby, or learning a craft, or picking up an activity you used to love and haven’t done in ages. There is so much in this great big world that we can be doing and enjoying and learning about. Don’t be complacent—take the world by the balls and do it! IT’S NEVER TOO LATE!!!

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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Are you stubborn? So many people are, but they don’t even realize it. Ask yourself if you tend to dig your heels in on things out of habit? Are those things even that important?

Stubbornness can be an automatic response, so pay attention to all the times you say no, all those instances in which you refuse to budge. Just notice. Sometimes we default to that negative place simply because we are used to it—it’s the way we’ve “always” done it, a knee-jerk reaction.

Guess what? You can change your mind, and you can just say yes! All it takes is practicing a little emotional flexibility. Once you realize you can control your stubbornness, you will ultimately feel a weight has lifted and you’ll feel a little (or a lot!) lighter. Your relationships will naturally improve, and I promise you’ll experience more joy in your days!

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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The other day a friend and I were sitting outside watching the magnificent sun setting. It sparked a great conversation about how life is like a sunset. As you watch it, the sun looks like it will always be there. But as we know, in the blink of an eye, it has suddenly disappeared.

I DON’T mean to sound morbid! I’m just reminding us all how important it is to appreciate all the moments in our lives (to enjoy the good and learn from the not so good) so that we can say at the end of our days that we really “soaked up the sun.”

Not every moment is great, and not every situation is easy; there are so many things that we just can’t predict. All I’m saying is that we all should try to do our best to diffuse the drama and make our lives as easy and joyous as possible—whenever we do have the choice!

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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When we think of generosity, we typically think of being financially generous. The term “generosity of spirit” is a totally different type of generosity.

Generosity of spirit is a kind of grace. It’s a way of being. It doesn’t come naturally to everyone but it can be learned. The more often you are kind and generous with your love, support and eagerness to help others without expecting anything in return, the easier it becomes.

Be deliberate. Start with your immediate family, then expand to your friends and colleagues. Next, practice generosity with people you randomly encounter during the day. You can—and will—have a huge positive impact.

This sort of selfless generosity is good for you as well. Researchers have found a connection between personal happiness and performing selfless acts. Generosity actually activates an area of the brain linked with joy and contentment! So go ahead, spread your generosity of spirit wherever you go!

To learn more about generosity, as well as the other 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 my birthday today and I can’t believe I am 60! The best part? I am truly proud to say it. I really do still feel at times that my inner age is 17 (I still have many of my high school friends!) but I love the knowledge, experience and wisdom that I have gleaned over all these years.

Someone asked me recently what advice I would give to my younger self. This is what I would say:

1. Figure out what’s really important to you (your values). Try to live true to those values and do your best to make decisions that support them.

2. Talk nicely to yourself! Be as kind and understanding as you would be to a friend.

3. Love yourself by taking care of your body (healthy food, exercise, sleep!)

4. Develop a few strong, supportive, loving relationships and nurture them.

5. Make sure you do things that you think are fun. . . and SMILE a lot!

I guess this all boils down to aging gracefully, which by the way isn't just about trying to look younger—it's about living your best life and having the physical and mental health to enjoy it!

To learn 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 sit here to write this week’s Motivational Monday, I am truly amazed at how using the four ingredients from my book (The Recipe for Real Happiness) LOVE, GRATITUDE, MINDFULNESS and LEARNING has made the incredible experience of planning my daughter’s wedding (which was on Saturday evening) so much easier, richer and more meaningful.

To learn ways of incorporating my four ingredients into your life, check out my book!

Sending you so much love!

I was definitely very lucky that she is a party planner by nature and knew exactly what she wanted, but there were still so many decisions and emotions that cropped up along the way.

Here’s how the ingredients helped me: My intentions were to ALWAYS come from a place of love (love of myself and trusting my gut, and love of others, understanding others’ perspectives and appreciating any differences etc.); constantly pausing to be grateful that we are able to do this celebration (for so many reasons especially given the craziness of the last year); being mindful and present to ALL of it—embracing the joy and excitement while reminding myself that challenges were temporary; and learning even more about my daughter’s incredible competence and how amazing she and her fiancé are together. I thought about how I managed my participation in her day, what I would do again and what I might have done differently.

It’s been a whirlwind and very emotional but I can honestly say that having these incredible mental tools at my fingertips are now my go-to in life. I feel so lucky!

I wish this for you, too. Try to use these ingredients in your life—Love, Gratitude, Mindfulness and Learning—and be amazed at how much more meaningful life can be!

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Every week when I sit down to write my Motivational Monday, I always try to talk about a subject that I feel will inspire and motivate you.

But last week was so busy (and rough—due to the loss of a couple of very close people) that I didn’t even have time to think. To cap off the week, as I was getting ready to meet my daughter for her final wedding gown fitting last Friday, I decided to take my dog Zoe for a quick run to give her a little exercise.

Sure enough, as I was running and rushing, my shoe hit an uneven piece of concrete on the sidewalk. I fell of course, sliding a few feet on the block, dropping the leash and sending my keys flying.

A nice woman walking by asked if I needed help and handed me my keys. Zoe stared at me as I assessed my situation—a cut hand and skinned knees. I was so relieved that nothing was broken!

I got myself up, went back inside, and got ready the best I could. I was even early to meet my beautiful daughter! All I could think of was how lucky and GRATEFUL I was—I wasn’t badly hurt, Zoe was fine, and I didn’t land flat on my face one week before the wedding!

My gratitude practice has truly become my default mode. It is a gift that you give yourself! It not only helps you to appreciate and enjoy the good times, it also guides you through the more difficult ones as well.

To learn ways of bringing more gratitude into your life, check out my book!

Sending you so much love!

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Stress can be good for us—or bad for us. When it’s useful, stress can help you accomplish tasks more efficiently and even boost your memory. Stress also acts as a vital warning system: when your brain senses danger, it floods the body with fight-or-flight chemicals like epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol.

On the other hand, too much stress can be detrimental. Chronic emotional stress that we allow to stick around for weeks or months can weaken the immune system and cause high blood pressure, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and even heart disease.

The ability to manage stress and stay emotionally present allows us to handle upsets and challenges without letting them overwhelm our thoughts and self-control. Being able to connect to your emotions is key. Ask yourself these three questions:

Do I experience feelings that flow, encountering one emotion after another as experiences change from moment to moment? In other words, not getting stuck in one emotion (sad, angry, even joy).
Do I notice changes in my body? Can I identify reactions in my stomach, throat, or chest as I experience different emotions?
Do I pay attention to my emotions? Do they factor into my decision making?

If none of this feels familiar to you, you may be a bit disconnected from your feelings. This isn’t unusual; many of us do this to protect ourselves from past upsets. But you can become emotionally healthier if you practice mindfulness.

Mindfulness is the practice of purposely focusing your attention on the present moment—without judgment. It helps shift your preoccupation with thought toward finding a way of appreciating the moment and experiencing a greater perspective on life. Mindfulness calms and focuses you, making you more self-aware in the process.

For a quick demo on my B.B.S (breath, body, sound) method for everyday mindfulness practice, click HERE!


To learn 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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I truly believe we are on this earth to live, love, enjoy, and constantly learn. If there’s anything I’ve learned from this last harrowing, truly scary year is that it made me so much more aware of how fragile life really is.

It’s one thing to gain knowledge, but it’s more important to USE that knowledge to move forward, get inspired, and truly appreciate all of the beauty around us (now that we can go out and actually appreciate it!). Pay attention to all the scents, flavors, colors, people, music, nature. . .all the beauty that is available to us every day. We lost it for a long while, and now we have it back.

Don’t take anything for granted! And whatever you do, don’t revert to auto pilot. Make a conscious effort to wear your favorite clothes (even the fancy ones), set the table with your special dishes, and love with all your heart! You have nothing to lose—but a new sense of appreciation to gain!

To learn 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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This may be a surprise to those who know me, but I used to be pretty shy. When I was with people I knew, I was friendly and fun but I wasn’t always comfortable with people I didn’t know. Most people aren’t.

Over the years I’ve come to learn that I can actually enjoy most people and I love making them feel comfortable—as well as inspiring those who want to be inspired! This was definitely something I grew into, and I’m so glad I did. Here’s just one recent story of what can happen when you’re friendly to strangers:

I was shopping the other day. A woman in the fitting room was trying on something I loved, and I was trying on something she loved! We began to chat. It was SOOOO nice—even the people working there got a kick out of our conversation.

She told me that she was from upstate and that her mom had passed away two weeks ago. She said she was sad and indulging in a little retail therapy. We had so much fun talking and “shopping together.” She said her mom was the friendliest person and talked to everyone, but that she was always shy and didn’t understand how her mom was like that. She couldn’t believe that she was so easily connecting with a stranger (me!).

She told me that her mom always said, “I’ve never met a stranger.” That stopped me—I LOVE that line! As crazy as it sounds...we exchanged numbers and I do hope to meet her in the city one day again and maybe even become friends. That’s how much I loved her energy!

Try it this week. Don’t think of people you don’t know as strangers. If you’re comfortable, strike up a conversation—you may just make a new friend!

To learn 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’ve all heard that you can’t change other people, you can only change yourself. It sounds so simple—yet it’s hard to put into practice! I so often hear, “If only he was more affectionate” or “if only she’d stop complaining and appreciate me more” ...

Instead of simply wishing a partner, relative or friend were different (or nicer or better somehow), try clearly communicating your feelings. Be honest without judgement or anger. This is not so easy to do—but it’s possible with practice. Also, be mindful of your part in the relationship. Are you enabling the other person to treat you in a way that makes you annoyed or upset?

Once we thoughtfully share how we feel, we can free ourselves from trying to “change” people—because we CAN’T! We need to speak our truth and accept that people are the way they are, and let go of how the relationship “should” be. As soon as you do, you’ll live with a greater sense of inner peace and freedom. Plus, you just may see a positive shift in the other person!

To learn 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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