They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Similarly, happiness means different things to different people. Joe's ideas of happiness may be earning 200K a year because it provides him the means to afford his big mansion and fancy cars -- even if it comes at the expense of having to work long 60 hour weeks. Ana's version of happiness may be far more modest. Give her a small apartment filled with books and pets and she's in bliss. Sam, for his part, might find happiness in moving to a different city every other year, while Betty might take delight in being a stay-at-home mom. Different strokes for different folks. Judging others for their likes and lifestyles is no less inappropriate than passing judgment on, say, their physical appearance. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, yes, but that doesn't grant them the latitude to criticize others' choices just because they don't align with theirs. I may aspire to become a manager, but you mi...

Being a kid is similar to being a parent in that someone else usually dictates and/or influences many of the decisions you make . As a child, you answer to your parents and abide by their rules. As a parent, your spouse and kids exert a major influence on your choices. Either way, your flexibility is limited, as other people in your life play a chief role in your overall lifestyle. Things are markedly different in our late teens/early 20s, however, as we transition into young adulthood. For most people, the college years are the only time in our lives where we're responsible for -- and answer to -- no one but ourselves. I don't look back on my childhood fondly. My parents got divorced when I was only 3, and my father was extremely overprotective of me. Having to go from one house to another each week was not fun in the slightest. Middle school and high school were largely forgettable. College, on the other hand, afforded me the opportunity to reinvent myself. I reli...

When I am having a lousy day, all it takes is seeing a cute animal -- or even a picture or video of one -- to turn my frown upside down. And, from what I've gathered, a host of people I know feel similarly. Indeed, certain stimuli, from pets to teddy bears to cartoons, can redirect our thoughts and put us in a better mood. Beyond making you happier, such a strategy can ease tension and relieve stress, thus positively affecting your health. When we've hit a rough patch, it isn’t always easy to disconnect and focus on, say, a picture of a puppy or a memento from your childhood. But undoing negative energy begins with the mind. In order to extricate ourselves from negative feelings, we have to focus on positive things. Maybe all it takes to help you unwind is a screen saver on your computer with tranquil scenes of nature, or a tabletop fountain whose soothing sounds melt your worries away, if temporarily. The mind is awfully powerful. Unless we do things to pivot our negativ...

If you were to write a note or letter to a much younger version of yourself -- say, your teenage self -- what would it say? Which life lessons or tips would you be sure to incorporate? Here are a couple that I would include: Enjoy your college years to the fullest. Once you graduate, you'll be entering the not-so-fun world of bills and responsibilities. Don't rush to find love. It's better to take it nice and slow. You don't want to feel like you trudged through a significant chunk of your life with someone who turned out a poor fit. As you get older, you'll encounter people at work and elsewhere who will try to get you to change. If you don't drink, you'll run into people who will pressure you to do so. They'll also question things like why you aren't married, why you don't have kids, why you're so reserved, why you didn't become a doctor or lawyer, and so on. What should you do? Never give in, of course. If people can'...

Most of us would agree that this is an exciting time to be alive. It's the digital age -- one governed by such corporate heavyweights as Apple and Samsung. To be sure, technology is the name of the game in the 21st century. Everyone and his brother has a smart phone or tablet. It's simple, quick, and convenient to find whatever it is you want on the internet -- be it a song, movie, or information for a research paper. Still, it seems many of us can't help but reflect on a much simpler time in our lives -- our childhood -- where we took pleasure in the smallest things. From reading a book to playing tag outside with friends, we had little difficulty finding ways to entertain ourselves. It can certainly be argued that technology makes life a whole lot easier. No need to walk to the library to buy a book or do research. No need to tune into the local radio station to listen to a popular song. The internet can facilitate practically anything these days. So why would som...