One reason our lives can seem empty...

Most of us seem to engage in linear thinking when mulling over how we think our lives will play out. We presume we'll work until our mid to late 60s, retire, and then live another 20 to 30 years. In the meantime, we try to "live life to the fullest" by staying as busy as we possibly can -- doing everything from traveling to having more kids to working multiple jobs.

The fact is, none of us really know how long we'll be on this earth. We'd all like to think we'll live to be 90 or 100, but none of us can see into the future to know for sure.

Without getting too morbid here, I'd like to go straight to my central point in this post:

Is a good life necessarily one where you're so busy that you can't even stop to enjoy the music?

How many people do you know who still stay home on the weekends just watching movies or reading books? Do you know anyone who actually does his or her best to slow it down as opposed to getting caught up doing a million things?

This has been a recurrent theme on this blog, only because I feel so strongly that people cram too much into their lives rather than simplify them.

I have a frame hanging on my wall that says the following:

"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you will look back and realize they were big things."

A Saturday spent watching movies with your partner or friends may not seem like much; some people might even feel that would make for a boring day. But I am of a different mindset: To me, the best moments in life are those you can enjoy at a leisurely pace: a nice, quiet dinner at a restaurant; a rainy afternoon spent reading a good book at the library; a tranquil walk around the park at sundown; a relaxing evening at the opera.

Our lives are so busy and fast paced as to often preclude these kinds of sedate engagements. And that's where I think many of us are going wrong.

If you find that you're so busy that you just can't find the time to stop and take a breather, I advise you to consider putting on the brakes as of today.

Why not make the effort to reserve at least a little time each week toward activities that will let you unwind a bit -- whether it's yoga/meditation, a dip in the pool, or painting? You can start slowly by only designating 10 minutes a week for the activity, then gradually work your way up to 30 minutes, one hour, two hours, and so on.

Taking a little time each week to do this can be both physically and mentally soothing. By now, I'm sure you've come across at least one article or TV report stressing how beneficial such activities can be to your mental health.

There's nothing wrong in trying to live life to the max, but no one says that has to involve being out and about 7 days a week.

Again, we don't know how long we're going to live. But as Abraham Lincoln, arguably the best U.S. president who ever lived, once said: "In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."

Every once in a while, slow down to savor the simple things in life.

Women vs. Men: Who likes to backstab more?

Whether it's on TV or in the workplace, the general consensus seems to be that women gossip, backstab, and stir up more conflict than men do. But, as with every other topic, I thought it only fair to put this so-called stereotype under the microscope. If you watch reality shows like Celebrity Apprentice, you'll notice it's the women who spend far more time bickering. While the men do at times become embroiled in tit for tat, it's the women who are portrayed as meaner and more hostile. In the workplace, I have noticed that women seem to gossip far more than their male counterparts. I haven't really seen any cases where a person blatantly backstabs the other, but I have caught both men and women in little white lies. If it is true that women are generally more into backstabbing and gossiping than men, why is this the case? I believe that it isn't fair to make a blanket statement like "all women play these games while all men keep to themselves and pre...

Do you have Isolophilia? Find out...

You're probably asking yourself, "What in the world does Isolophilia mean?" It sounds like it would be something negative, doesn't it? After all, words that end in "philia" (e.g., pedophilia) tend to involve things we want nothing to do with. But Isolophilia isn't something all people deplore. In fact, introverts like me welcome it. Put simply, Isolophilia is defined as having a strong affinity for solitude. It describes a person who relishes being alone. While extroverts can only take so much solitude, we introverts find that it rejuvenates us. In order to recharge our batteries, we need to retreat to a quiet environment where we we're left alone to rest and/or gather our thoughts. Extroverts, on the other hand, become bored and drained when they're alone for a lengthy period of time. Social interaction is the fuel that drives them. So while an extrovert would probably do anything to avoid feelings of Isolophilia in most cases, an...

Men prefer to marry brunettes

Study after study shows that men prefer blondes as girlfriends or mistresses and brunettes as wives . It seems many men see brunettes as more trustworthy and loyal. What's more, even though participants claimed that blondes are better in bed, they feel brunettes are better kissers and more affectionate than blondes. I find these results to be rather interesting. In my high school and early college days, I actually had a preference for blondes myself -- that is, until I hooked up with my now-wife. From that point on, I deemed brunettes as more attractive and marriage material, probably because they reminded me of and more closely resembled her. I think we can blame Hollywood, shows like Baywatch, and Playboy for painting blondes as wild, big chested, promiscuous and loose. (Yes, I know that there are brunettes in Playboy, but they seem to be in the minority.) When someone tells a man to think of an attractive blonde, who do you think likely crosses his mind? More likely than...

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