My husband and I were walking down a busy street in downtown Chicago.  Suddenly, my husband gasped. “What?” I said. “You didn’t see that?” “No, what are you talking about?” “In front of us.  A bird just swooped down and tried to grab a sandwich out of that woman’s hand.” “No kidding, that’s crazy!” “You’re really not that observant, you…

We are a few weeks into 2012 now and some of us that made New Year’s resolutions have discovered that in our zeal to achieve change, we have created resolutions that have us feeling too constrained. For most people however, success lies in practicing a balanced approach to life. Finding balance means adopting the path…

Productivity is the result of the decisions we make and mindset we have. These things in turn create habits that we tend to follow, sometimes too rigidly. Do you want to make a positive change inside you that leads to better productivity and improved self-confidence? If so, then I suggest that you take a look…

As you venture your way into 2012 and try to reach the goals, make the habits, and finish up the projects that you have outlined for yourself, you may start to see a bit of stress and overwhelm building up in your life. You become so concentrated on what you have setup for yourself…

Standing before you is a game filled with a complex network of mazes and ladders. When you came into this world this game was already established. All of the rules were set in place. A path was laid out before you, and as you grew, you slowly became indoctrinated into that world, into that game. It was…

Now is the time of year where things can get pretty hectic — and likely already are. Today’s offering in Lifehack’s 12 Days of Giveaways is one that can serve to slow you down when you’re going to need it the most. It’s a great book by Patrick Rhone (Minimal Mac, the Enough podcast) called…

November 24, Thanksgiving. Today in the US it’s a day of pure gluttony, football, and possible uncomfortable situations with family members that you may or may not like. Oh, yeah, and the whole “know and reflect on what it is to be thankful and grateful.” During the holiday season many people forget what this time of year…

In some parts of the world, today is a day set aside to remember those who have fought for the freedom that their citizens enjoy. It is a day where these nations reflect on those who have died for a cause and those who fight for it even to this day so that peace can…

Ebb and flow. Contraction and expansion. Highs and lows. It’s all about the cycles of life. The entire course of our life follows this up and down pattern of more and then less. Our days flow this way, each following a pattern of more energy, then less energy, more creativity and periods of greater focus…

Mindfulness has become a popular and fashionable activity in recent times. The act of focused awareness on the flow of the present moment. It brings us into the here and now so that we are conscious of what we are doing when we are doing it. It may seem both simple and obvious but when…

“Alright everybody…back to ones.” This is what you’ll hear if you’re working on a film set and they’re going to reshoot a scene. I’ve been an extra in several films, and the more times I heard that phrase meant the more hours I was going to be spending on set that day. It wasn’t the greatest…

Instead of just sitting on some tropical beach and sipping pina coladas during your vacations, it is very possible to get a ton of personal growth from your travels. But in order to do this, you will have to get off those all-inclusive beach resorts and five-star hotels. Although there might be some exceptions, most…

Today marks Columbus Day in the United States (as well as other countries who pay it observance, such as Spain and several Latin American countries) and Thanksgiving in Canada. These holidays have shared the same date – the second Monday in October – for exactly 40 years, and considering that many people on both sides…

Every day I’m struck with new ideas, whether they’re for a new writing project, an article I know that would resonate with a wide audience or something that would help keep my family life flowing. The problem with ideas is that until they are acted upon, they are just ideas – and aren’t worth much…

Could you imagine going a full day without your iPhone or BlackBerry? What would it be like if you couldn’t check Facebook and see what your friends had been up to? Or if Twitter was temporarily out of action and your feed of 140 character messages were eliminated from your day? What if the newspaper…