Here's a big relationship no-no: Never hook up with Someone who only values your looks, bank account, or both.  I know what you're thinking: With some people, this isn't easy to tell in the beginning being that they can do a great job of masking their real intentions.  For example, you may have once dated someone whose penchant for gold-digging may not have become evident until two years after you began dating. Or, you may not have picked up on your boyfriend's aim to use you for only one thing until after the honeymoon phase passed. Fair enough.  Some individuals can be awfully deceptive. But as soon as they show their true colors, I implore you not to wait until they change (which is unlikely to happen) -- let alone embark to change them yourself. Just end it -- plain and simple -- before you become any more invested.  A partner worth keeping is one who covets what lies beneath more than they do the superficial. And that's because what lies deep within is what mak...

Have you ever stopped and asked: What if someone -- whether a world-renowned singer or acclaimed dancer -- weren't famous? Would they still leave the same legacy? In a blog post two days ago, I wrote about Jose Fernandez, a promising baseball star who died in a boating accident in Miami Beach on Sunday morning. Two other men on the boat -- both friends of his -- were also killed. The outpouring of grief across South Florida since the accident is unlike anything I've ever seen in baseball -- and in the community as a whole. Jose became something of a celebrity in his hometown and all around baseball, not only for his amazing talent but because of the energy he radiated on and off the field. You'd be hard-pressed not to find him smiling at, hugging, or laughing with someone. The two other men who died in the accident were not ballplayers or anyone famous -- they were just two regular young men whose lives were tragically cut short. Not surprisingly, Jose's frien...

There's a saying that one should always work to live, not live to work, and I wholeheartedly agree. In our deathbed, we won't be saying, Gee, if only I had worked more, I would have had a much more fulfilling life." Instead, a happy life is measured by memorable experiences and time spent with loved ones. Yes, promotions and other personal accomplishments make us feel good about ourselves, but will they figure prominently in the legacy we leave behind? Probably not. That's why we shouldn't let our jobs overtax us. It's fine to work hard, but not to the point of losing a lot of sleep and having it interfere with our personal lives. Once work trickles into your marriage/relationship and prevents you from enjoying life outside of work --whether that means playing with your kids or hanging out with friends -- that's when you know you may have to tone it down or get another job. It may be that you're single and love your job so much that you don'...

This morning, I was saddened to read about the death of a man, Lenny B. Robinson, who would dress up as Batman to cheer up kids with life-threatening illnesses in various Maryland hospitals. He drove around in a Batmobile (among the many cars he owned was a black Lamborghini sporting the Batman symbol) and spent thousands of dollars on his costume and memorabilia. Now, he is being mourned by family and fans around the world as a real-life hero. I came across a comment to the article that included this quote: "What you do for yourself dies with you. What you do for others lives on." It reminds me of a line uttered by Katie Holmes' character in, ironically enough, "Batman Begins," starring Christian Bale: "It's not what you are underneath -- it's what you do that defines you."   These kinds of quotes stand in contrast to the feel-good ones we hear that center around being happy with yourself, not caring what others think of you, and so ...