“Oh my God, I have to have it!” I laughed, as the woman at the market stall showed me her husband’s latest creation. Holding a camera made out of a flattened beer can, she pushed the button, and a spring-loaded, wooden face with wild, yarn hair and a huge sequin grin came popping out of the lens. That camera for …
Seriously?
As the woman from my health plan abruptly cut me off and put me on hold for the fourth time, I thought to myself, “Seriously?” While normally, I’m a very patient, laid-back person, two things canquickly send me over the edge: computer problems and bad customer service. It took two hours, three transfers, and five unfriendly, unhelpful service representatives to …
Marble and Mantras: Lessons from Mexico
Last month, I lived in Mexico. The last time I visited Central America, I went as a backpacker, staying in barebones hostels and interacting with low-income, indigenous families. This time, I lived with an upper class, Spanish-descent family, studied at a private language school, and taught at a well-funded university. Wanting to stay in shape while abroad, I enrolled …
Don’t Forget to Party
This may seem like a silly reminder, but you’d be surprised how often we forget to celebrate. So caught up in achieving our tasks and goals, we check one off the list, then rush ahead to complete the next. All too often, we forget to pause, pat ourselves on the back, and rejoice. I myself am celebrating today. Exactly one …
Happiness on Hold
“Please hold. A happiness representative will be with you shortly.” Why do so many of us put our happiness on hold? How many times have I heard friends and relatives who hate their jobs say, “It’s only for another 2 more years, 5 more years, 10 more years…?” So many people I’ve talked to who are in relationships that aren’t …
Choosing Joy
“Che brutto giorno!” (“What an ugly day!”) the woman scowled, dragging on her cigarette as she looked out at the pouring rain, flooding the streets into rivers. Rosario and I felt otherwise. Laughing as we splashed through the puddles, we jumped from doorstep to doorstep, stopping to make out and embrace under each dry alcove. We arrived back to …
Lighten Up!
Why are we so intense in our culture? Why do we tend to work so hard and take ourselves and life so seriously? What happened to our carefree days of childhood, when we would spend all day playing, laughing, and eating? Perhaps school squashed the lightness out of us, perhaps our families did, or perhaps both. How do we regain it …
How to Be Happy When Your Life is Crappy
How to be happy is no easy question, nor is there a short answer. Great philosophers and spiritual teachers have spent centuries tackling the quest for human happiness. Letting go of struggle and negativity and freeing yourself to joyously love and be loved is a lifelong journey. Meanwhile, there are a few basic check-points on the road map to happiness that …
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