Want to be happier in your life? Here's a strategy for achieving it: Strive to achieve balance . You might be asking, "Balance what, exactly?" Good question. Happy people strike a healthy balance between setting goals and appreciating what they already possess or have achieved.  Look, there's nothing wrong with being ambitious. Some of us already have the next goal in mind even before we've achieved the present one. Whether we aim to lose weight, start a business, get a master's degree, or climb Mount Everest, setting goals keeps us motivated. Many people feel that if they have no goals in mind, they're just settling, thereby inhibiting their own growth. But it's important not to lose sight of how far you've come. Unfortunately, some individuals are never content. They view everything (and everyone) in their lives as disposable, and they find themselves unable satiate their hunger for a more challenging job, a bigger house, a prettie...

I want to wish everyone a very safe and Happy New Year filled with love, laughter, health, happiness, and everything else you could possibly want! 2017 was a milestone year for this blog. It garnered more views, comments, and likes than in any of the prior years since it was launched. And it's all thanks to loyal readers like you! Without you guys, this blog would have become obsolete long ago. All the time and hard work I put into it is well worth it because I have the most engaged, intelligent, and -- put simply -- amazing audience I could ever ask for. Whether you'll be awaiting the New Year at home with family, at a fancy restaurant with your significant other, or at a concert with friends, I hope you enjoy the final hours of 2017 to the max. I encourage you to reflect on the moments -- good and bad -- that defined the year for you, as they will help you chart a course for 2018. You'll not only want to replicate those good times in the new year, but build on...

As the late great British novelist C.S. Lewis once said, " You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream." I totally concur. Whether you want to switch careers at 40, make new friends at 50, or travel the world at 60, your age should not hinder you from striving to achieve goals big and small. I've read success stories about senior citizens starting new businesses, skydiving, finding love, and achieving other impressive feats. We can't assume that they didn't at least try to accomplish these things earlier in life. Maybe it just wasn't in the cards for them at that juncture, or it took a few repeated attempts before things worked out. These individuals inspire younger generations to pursue their passions at full throttle. Their remarkable achievements send a clear message: That it's better late than never. Just because you can't achieve something, say, in your 30s, doesn't mean you can't achieve it later in life. ...

Whether you're striving to fulfill a long-held dream or resolve a vexing problem, I'm here to tell you one thing: you can do it. There's really no way around it. You have no choice but to believe you're capable of doing it; otherwise, you won't get very far. Yankees great Yogi Berra once quipped, "It ain't over till it's over." What that means is that until you've thrown in the proverbial towel -- until you've given up -- you have a fighting chance at success. Instead of sitting around and serving up excuses for why you can't do something, try a different approach. With every unsuccessful attempt we gain more wisdom and experience, making us a bit more likely to triumph next time. Positive thinking attracts positive outcomes. However, success doesn't come without hard work, persistence, and sacrifice. It usually requires a serious investment of some resource -- whether time or money -- that we may not always be inclined to...

While certain circumstances in life are beyond our control -- death and taxes among them -- there are three things over which we can maintain control: (1) Attitude: We can see the glass as half empty or half full. Whether we view a situation negatively or positively is our choice. (2) Our words: The words that come out of our mouths, as well as those we put down on paper, ought to be chosen carefully, as they're not always easily forgotten. (3) Our actions: Life is less about what happens to us than what we do with what happens to us. Our lives are a direct reflection of the decisions we make. However, this is easier said than done. Oftentimes, we're blindsided by unforeseen circumstances that cause our emotions to supersede rationality, resulting in our later regretting some of the things we say or do. For example, you might be having an awful day after being passed for a promotion or getting fired. Upon getting home, you snap at your spouse when he complains for t...

I was known to sleepwalk frequently as a kid, though I don't believe I've ever seen someone else do it. What I have witnessed are people like my wife talking in their sleep. I find it creepy when people do normal things in their sleep -- talk about their job, throw something in the garbage -- that give others the impression they're wide awake when they're really not. These people later have no recollection of what they did or said. I've always viewed this as one's mind and body operating on their own -- outside of conscious awareness. I've always heard the worst thing you can do to a sleep talker or sleep walker is alarm or upset them. It's scary to think that people might open the front door and sleep walk their way out of the house and into oncoming traffic. Even if they don't leave the house, they could still sustain injuries by bumping into a wall or falling down a flight of stairs. I think it's crucial to have safeguards in place (e...