“The biggest happiness is when at the end of the year you feel better than at the beginning”– Henry David Thoreau I do the same exercise each year as the year comes to a close and the next starts. And I love it. As a reminder, here is the link. I encourage all of us to look back at the last year and also determine what your goals or aspirations are for the year to come. How will you approach 2018? http://yearcompass.com/ Also a fun tradition Todd and I started this year and will continue, is to write down at the end of each month our two top favorite memories together. And we put them in a mason jar. At end of the year (today), we then take them all out and read them to each other. A joyful way to celebrate the year and remember all the wonderful times. Try it! You will love it. Great to do solo, as a couple or as a family. I hope your year ends with more joy and …

What a fun time of year! Today all the kids anticipate what Santa will bring, adults everywhere have so much fun with the idea of it for kids (and the stress in a fun way), and it is a day where everyone comes together. As an adult, have you lost the spirit and anticipation yourself? It is too much pressure between gifts and travel (and the money that comes with it)? I love these quotes below. While the idea of Santa (and for some…… even baby Jesus as your faith changes) may not stay with you in the same way as we get older, the idea of giving freely, appreciating and loving your fellow human beings (especially family), and treating each other with kindness doesn’t need to escape us. How do you keep that all in perspective and not let the stress of the holidays take over? How do we keep the joy we had as a child? Merry Christmas!

“The true secret to happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life”- Williams Morris I liked this quote. When you think about it, when you pay attention, you start to take more joy and entertainment in the day. You see the silly and funny interactions between people. The funny faces or comedic moments. You see the tender looks or subtle displays of affection. You see the kind gestures between strangers. Note: Keeping it real. You also see the bad stuff that makes you grumpy and annoyed with your fellow human (especially driving in a city). And so I did a little social experiment and spent a weekend really trying to pay attention to the details in interactions and in my surroundings. And I immediately did perk up a bit. It made me grateful for so many things. I instantly had a little more gratitude and joy. It made me feel more connected to others. And it made me really appreciate this holiday season too! Try it and see what …

This is a really good article. I especially like the tips at the end/ I’ve summarized a few but it is really worth reading the whole thing! Here is the link: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/10/get-rid-of-everything/543384/ And a special thanks to a wonderful person that sent it to me. Please keep sharing articles like this. In terms of choosing a place to live, people who live near water—whether it’s a lake or river or an ocean—are about 10 percent more likely to be happy than people who don’t. And people who live in medium-sized cities are more likely to be happy than the anonymity of a big city or perhaps the too in-your-face, limited-possibility environment of a tiny town. You’re more likely to be happy if your house has a sidewalk, and if you live in a bikeable place. Financial security is also, obviously, huge. It really does deliver more happiness over time than most anything that money can be spent on—after your needs are taken care of and you maybe treat yourself occasionally. If you have money left over, …

Stretching. I never do enough of it! My first goal this week, use a tennis ball (or I have a ball that is slightly smaller) and place one foot like you are standing on it. You may need a wall to hold onto and balance. Move your foot around on it and roll it out. Press down onto the ball as you move your foot around. It hurts but works! miraculously I can touch my toes so much easier! My brother taught me this trick. Second goal I am trying to use the foam roller each day for 4-5 minutes each morning. If you don’t have a foam roller, highly advice buying one. You can check out all sorts of stretches online. I have a few go-to for my hips and back. But there are a ton of ways to use it and you can get lots of tips by just simply googling foam roller stretching. Third goal, every hour not only am I going to try to do a lap around my office or …

As we all finish up our Thanksgiving weekends and head into another week of work I think it is a great time to reflect. Reflect with gratitude on what we have. There is someone who is less fortune than you this evening. So regardless of what is going in your life tonight, be thankful for what you have. If the holidays are hard due to a loss or memory, be thankful it is a memory and you aren’t going through that intense pain this year. And be thankful for the positive memories you have had instead. Be thankful you are alive to make more of those positive memories and to heal. If this year is the hardest of your life, be thankful you are making it through and trust that this time too shall past. We have all been there and there are people that love you. Reach out to them. Be thankful for a chance to live another day and keep making your life better. Be thankful for having the opportunity to make someone …

“We are so accustomed to disguising our true nature from others, that we end up disguising it from ourselves.”– La Rochefoucauld I liked this quote when I read it. It made me think about our outside image to others. Whether that is on social media, with friends, or even at times to our family or partner.  We all do it. Hopefully that not often, but definitely on social media. We don’t share our moods with everyone on social media. We don’t share our hard times usually. If we do, it is often judged as being a bit too revealing, people eye roll, think you are crazy, or honestly just don’t want to hear it. Social media is our escape to look at the perfect pictures, fun times, and lives to be jealous of. They make us all depressed but addicted to also posting our best pictures to the best parts of our life. And this new social media craze leaves us so disguised that do we even know ourselves? Are we so busy keeping up …

How much of the dreams you have are not fulfilled due to doubt or fear in yourself? Do you hold back from your career ambitions? Or from making the next move in your life with a love interest, starting a family, trying a new hobby, etc? The more and more I talk to people, doubt and fear play such a huge role in the choices people make. And it kills so many dreams. So many of the regrets people have are about what they didn’t do. And when you ask why they didn’t do it, it is usually based off a fear or doubt in themselves. So I challenge us as we start our workweek, throw away your anxiety, doubt, and fears to live the life that you will not regret. Very rarely do the worst scenarios come true. And if they do, we survive them. And the alternative, true happiness and fulfilling dreams is SOOO worth the risk. Don’t left doubt and fear win. Let joy, dreams, and the next step be your destiny.

“To be really happy and really safe, one ought to have at least two to three hobbies, and they must all be real.”– Winston Chruchill After a few more weeks of wanderlust- to Cleveland Ohio (caught a baseball at the Indians game!) and NYC I am ready to relax back at home. A wonderful few months of travel and wanderlust. And now time to explore my own city, relax at home and enjoy the change of season to fall. As I settle back in to day to day life along with a hectic work schedule, I come to really think about the quote above. I have lots of hobbies. Is it time to fill that wanderlust void with a new hobby. Perhaps photography? As I make sure my cup is running over with not only memories, family and love….but also hobbies. I truly believe in order to be fulfilled you need to love spending time with yourself and also keep evolving as a person. And in order to do this, you do need new hobbies …

“A comfortable home is a great source of happiness. It ranks immediately after health and a good conscience.” — Sydney Smith I realized that one of the reasons I have adapted to moving so much in my adult life is that I have the ability to create a home quickly. To create my safe haven that is comfortable, warm, and peaceful. And my home in DC is my safe haven. My peaceful place. My place where I can curl up on a couch, smell my favorite candles and flowers, read, sit in silence, and just be myself. As I go through the holidays, I decorate no matter what place I’m in with a tree and cozy little winter blankets. And the smell at fresh cookies in the oven. And a warm tea. And I realized through this quote, how important all these little things are to me. They calm me and give me a safe place to just relax. They provide me happiness and contentment. How do you create a home where you live? What …