They say that happiness starts in the mind, and that is no exaggeration.  What people fail to realize is that we can actually put a positive spin on many of the things that leave us feeling anxious or sad. Of course, there are serious circumstances that you can't put a happy face on (e.g., news of an illness), but this technique still works for a wide range of situations in which a simple change in one's outlook can radically improve their day.  For example, many people fret over aging and reminisce about the "good old days." Instead of dwelling on the past, though, why not think that your best days are actually ahead of you?  Think about it: The younger version of yourself that you visualize was probably more naive and inexperienced. Chances are you were not as financially secure and had not the faintest idea what you wanted to do with your life.  So, in reality, you're in a better place now -- wiser and with a firmer handle on your goals an...

Albert Einstein once said, " Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow ." The vaunted theoretical physicist was not only succinct, but spot on. By learning from yesterday -- and what's implied is really learning from our mistakes -- we can create a better, more fruitful today. But we must guard against the impulse to dwell on those things we did wrong. Instead, we should see the start of a new day as akin to turning the page -- the chance to start anew. Yesterday is no more. Focus on what you can do TODAY so that it turns out to be an even better day than yesterday was. While no one likes to admit they've made a mistake, we're only human. As long as we recognize what we did wrong and aim to right the ship so that history doesn't repeat itself, we come out stronger and wiser in the end. Moreover, life is a precious gift -- one that can be taken away at any moment. We really don't know when it'll be our time to bid this world adieu,...

Today is the oldest you've ever been, and the youngest you'll ever be again . So said Eleanor Roosevelt, the longest-serving First Lady of the United States. You needn't harp on the past or stress over the future. Why?  Because you have little to no control over either one. The past is the past and cannot be undone. What lies ahead is, of course, a big question mark: even if we do things today to help shape a better tomorrow, we really can't foresee what lies on the horizon. Things may go our way, as planned, or they may not. That being said, what is there to do then? You got it. Focus on the present. Mindfulness means embracing in a non-judgmental way what's currently unfolding in your life. You neither cling onto nor reject the present; you simply accept it. We aren't getting any younger, which makes living for today all the more important. Don't shelve your goals for another day; start on them right now! You don't want to wake up one da...

University of Rochester researchers discovered that women who wear red may be more attractive to men. The study featured various experiments in which groups of about 30 male undergrads looked at black-and-white headshots of a young woman standing against either a white, green, red, gray, or blue background. Results indicated that the men perceived women standing in front of a red backdrop as more attractive and more sexually attractive, and were more likely to want to date them. Moreover, when men were asked to point out what factored into their attractiveness rating, few mentioned the background color, suggesting that the preference for red is subconscious. Red is also a color we not only associate with boldness, energy, and sexiness (think lipstick), but love: Think about how often you see red roses and red boxes of chocolates on Valentine's Day. I've also heard that those driving red cars generally get more speeding tickets. There you have it, ladies. If you want t...

I just finished reading a book called "Mindfulness" by Ellen J. Langer. While it wasn't the best psychology book I've ever read, there were a couple of key takeaways I'd like to share. First, mindfulness is the exact opposite of mindlessness , and Langer seems to suggest that most of society suffers from the latter. When you're mindful, you don't take everything at face value. You don't merely assume, for example, that a toothbrush's only function is to clean and whiten your teeth, or that a person missing an arm must be lousy at sports. Langer stresses that in order to achieve full mindfulness, we have to throw our preconceived notions, biases, and stereotypes to the wind. Most of us do seem to go through life in a rote, mindless fashion. We seldom question our own beliefs and the reasons why things around us happen as they do. She points out that because we begin discriminating against the elderly at an early age -- perhaps as a byproduct of...