Category: Mindset

How Much Screen Time Is Too Much?

Always consider your child’s developmental age when deciding how much screen time is appropriate. At young ages, adhere to the more conservative pediatric guidelines that call for very strict limits. That’s no more than a few minutes a day of exposure. This youngest developmental period involves the most rapid neurological growth. During this period learning and…


7 Habits Saving My Life Right Now

If you search the internet for “best habits to do”, I’ll bet there are hundreds of meaningful ones that will benefit your life. But no one has the time and space for that many routines, even if your motivation is high. Deciding once what is best for you personally is what will bring the most inner simplicity and effectiveness to…


The Neuroscience of Compassion

Neuroscientists are affirming what people have known for centuries: We can train our brain for compassion. Ancient practices include cultivating compassion; in modern parlance, we say we can retrain the brain. These changes can increase our capabilities for love, happiness, and success. Once you learn how easy it is to rewire your brain for compassion,…


Embodying the Truth 

The truth is a powerful thing, but unraveling what is true isn’t nearly as straightforward as we might believe. The dictionary meaning of truth points to an indisputable fact or an accurate portrayal of objective reality. Honesty, integrity, and transparency allow the truth to be seen. Lies, denial, and deceit cover it up. You may…


Virtues: Our Best Bet for Happiness

“What constitutes a good life?” “How should one live?” “What kind of a person should one be?” In their answers to these perennial questions, history’s great minds have frequently invoked the concept of virtue. Philosophers ancient and modern have argued that the road to a happy, thriving, worthwhile life is paved with virtues. Aristotle, for…


In Defense of Old-Fashioned Hard Work


Cooking Dinner — An Invitation to Showing Affection

As I embark on this journey of finding the sacred, intimate, and tender in daily life tasks and responsibilities, I want to be careful to not make this deeper than it needs to be. This isn’t about “unicorns and glitter”-ing everything but seeking out the beauty in a seemingly mundane aspect of life. There is…


The Many Ways We Helped Each Other During COVID

When the pandemic first came to California and lockdowns were instituted, many of my neighbors set out to help each other. Some called elderly neighbors to be sure they were OK. Others collaborated with local restaurants to create a low-cost food delivery service, feeding people around the city while helping restaurants find a source of…


Struggling With Meditation or Mindfulness?

In this day and age, just about everyone associates meditation and mindfulness with improved well-being. Especially now, as people deal with COVID-19, there’s an invigorated interest in staying well—mind, body, and soul. But many people aren’t sure where to start. In my experience, cultivating a meditation and a mindfulness practice that works for you is…


The Antidote to Mindless Eating

When a French friend of mine first moved to London, she found one local tradition utterly mystifying. It wasn’t the English penchant for talking about the weather, or for apologizing when someone else steps on their toes. It was that Londoners eat while walking down the street. “Devouring a Niçoise salad and dodging pedestrians at…