We are always looking for ways to make the most of the limited time we have on this planet, which can be a tall order given the slew of responsibilities with which we have to contend.  But carving out the time is paramount! In fact, it's imperative we strive to make the most of each and every day. Sure, we can plan for the future and learn from the past, but we mustn't harp on either or we risk missing out on the here and now.  To ensure you live a fulfilling life, ask yourself this key question: If I were in my deathbed, what will I wish I'd done more? And go do it -- now! Will you regret not having spent more hours at the office? Not having bought more stuff to pile up in the closet or garage? Probably not. You'll probably wish you'd spent more time with your loved ones and pets, more time savoring the little things in life -- which, when you reflect on the totality of life, will seem like big things. Let's be real: Life can't be all fun and games all the ...

Whenever we fall into a rut, we may be tempted to "escape" to the past -- a time, our minds tell us, that was surely better than the present. But don't give in or you might sink into a depression! Reminiscing every so often is healthy. We've all taken part in wonderful experiences we can -- and should -- look back on fondly. And if we're lucky, we captured such unforgettable moments in pictures and videos, which certainly heighten the nostalgia. But attempting to run away from the problems we face today by living in the past certainly doesn't solve them; in fact, it can exacerbate them. So why do people seek refuge in the past anyway? Because the past is safe.  We already know what happens. Whatever issues we grappled with then have already been resolved -- as opposed to now, where we don't know exactly what will happen in the future. The mind has a way of tricking us into thinking that things were a lot better in the old days than they are n...

It's interesting how much life really changes as we get older. When we're young -- say, in our late teens and early 20s -- we have ample time for ourselves, but not much money to make the most of that time. Once we hit our 30s -- the time when we typically settle down to start a family and are more established in our careers -- we find ourselves on more solid footing financially, but with much less time available than we had in our post-high school years. It isn't until the kids move out for college that we transition back to a life where we can focus more on ourselves and our interests, but by then, those interests tend to be radically different than the ones we enjoyed when we were younger. It's no surprise more and more couples are waiting longer to have kids -- or are opting not to have them at all.  Perfectly content with their sans-kids lifestyle, such couples are in no hurry to go from a life of unfettered freedom to baby bottles and Dora the Explorer. ...

Ever notice that after a while, you get tired of the same things -- whether foods, TV shows, work responsibilities, or -- dare I say it -- people? Several people have asked me why this happens, so I thought it apropos to create a post that addresses this phenomenon. The more we're exposed to a given stimulus, the less satisfaction we derive from it over time. In psychology and economics, this is known as the law of diminishing marginal utility.  Here's the definition provided by BusinessDictionary.com: "The law of diminishing marginal utility is a psychological generalization that the perceived value of, or satisfaction gained from, a good to a consumer declines with each additional unit consumed or acquired." In other words, you can only eat so many Big Macs or watch the same movie so many times before you become completely sick -- which is termed disutility.  In advertising, wearout is defined as the declining effectiveness of a commercial or campaign ...

Our lifestyles are a direct reflection of various factors, including our personalities, jobs, and responsibilities at home. Parents' lives are presumably much busier and more stressful than those of the child-free. Teachers will lead much different lives than doctors, cops face a much different set of pressures than, say, couriers and chefs.  Some of us have more active social lives than our peers. While I have only three really close friends in my life, some people would need more than two hands to count all their buddies.  There are those who embrace a busy, strenuous life, and then there are people like me who prefer a more relaxed, deliberate pace. Neither is necessarily better than the other. We are each wired differently and derive stimulation from disparate sources -- the more introverted among us from reading, writing and other solitary activities, and the rest from social engagements like parties. Some of us go to church, others to sports games.  So...

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'...

This answer will differ depending on who you ask. People have varying sex drives that are affected by everything from one's energy and stress levels to other responsibilities in our lives, including work, chores, and children. We've all heard stories where one person in the relationship wants sex much more frequently than the other, causing an imbalance that eventually incites feelings of resentment in the former. How often a couple has sex depends largely on where it is put on their priority list. I think those who make a concerted effort to have sex, say, once or twice a week, can carve out a few minutes weekly to do so. But sometimes life gets in the way of even the most carefully laid-out plans, and couples have no choice but to leave it for another day. I think sex isn't the most important facet of a marriage or relationship. After all, as we get older, our relationship or marriage becomes less about passionate sex and more about companionship. Still, sex mat...

Society has perpetuated this notion that you haven't really made it in life unless you've risen to the top of your field -- that in order to truly be respected by your peers, you have to become a business owner or president, vice president, or director of a company. To me, this is pure hogwash. Not everyone wishes to be in a senior level position in which they're tasked with making pivotal decisions for their department or for the company as a whole. Nor do most people feel drawn to the idea of running their own company. Why? For one, people have different personalities. Introverts tend to be drawn to behind-the-scenes, production-oriented positions where they can let their work do all the talking. Let's not forget that the higher you move up in the chain of command, the less specialized your job is likely to become. For example, instead of only handling, say, research and development, you'll now have to worry about budgeting and assume other responsibilitie...

As I've stated in other posts, when it comes to the question of whether or not to have kids, I'm still on the fence. While I have moments where I envision myself being a good dad to a little girl, the realities of parenthood -- loss of sleep and freedom among them -- are rather off-putting. I've noticed that ever since my best friend and many of my family members had kids, my relationships with them haven't been the same. That's understandable considering the extent to which children change one's life and how much of your time they take up. However, I can't help but feel a smidgen of jealousy that the kids have "stolen" these people from my life. Not only does my friend have two kids, but he moved nearly 6 hours away from me for a job opportunity. I've noticed that when my friend gets time away from his family and is able to call me, he lets loose like he used to back in his pre-marriage/pre-fatherhood days.(When his family is around, he ...