What's RIGHT With Your Life?

Do you feel inundated with bad news? The financial shifts, the election, the housing market? Descriptions of "crisis, panic, and meltdown" seem to be all you hear from the media. When your primitive nervous system hears these words, you freak out, just as Mother Nature planned.

No one is denying that these are challenging times, but what if you step away from the stories of doom and gloom that boost television viewer ratings, and take a break? What if, instead of focusing solely on your 401K losses, you acknowledge what you still have? 

Do you have good health? A loving relationship? Happy kids? Caring friends?

There is a time and place, with calm heads, to figure out how you'll respond to the changes in the market. Your brain will guide you better when you're calm. And there should also be a time and place to notice all the good in your life that fluctuating markets can never take away from you.

The Times They Are A-Changing

Summer is my favorite time in Greenwich Village -- the busy, artsy town just a train-ride from my old home on Long Island.

Every time I return to New York, my friend Erin and I go to the Village, always stopping for a cappuccino at our favorite place, Le Figaro Cafe. The 50-year-old haunt was the original gathering place for the likes of Bob Dylan and the Beatniks, a cultural fixture on Bleecker Street, and a personal landmark for us.

Then we saw the sign on the door. CLOSED. Le Figaro Cafe will become a burrito chain restaurant.

Have you ever lost something you thought would last forever? It doesn't feel too good. Now, in the grand scheme of things, Le Figaro is not groundshakingly important, but for Erin and me, it was a piece of our personal history, and it was gone. As Dylan once sang, "The Time They are A-Changing."

I was stunned, but rather than stay focused on something gone, I thought about the good things that still remain, like the fact that I was walking down Bleecker Street with the same wonderful friend I've known since my first ventures into Greenwich Village. 

"Well," we said, "Let's walk across the street to the Cafe Del Mar and try their cappuccino." And we did.

Happiness Is Just A Click Away!

I just stumbled across a website called MindHabits, and it's utterly fascinating. Its' creators claim that by playing their specially designed computer games you can get happier, and they've got the research to back it up.

Each of the four free games challenges you to focus on the smiling faces or positive words displayed on your screen. The authors' research suggests that people who played MindHabits just five minutes a day were able to boost their confidence and self-esteem and even reduce the stress hormones in their bodies.

I really liked the game "Matrix." Wanna give it a try? Click here. Then drop me a line. I'd love to know what you think.

Are You A Biophiliac?

Millions of Americans will tell you they are, and they're proud of it! Chances are you're a biophiliac, too!

So what is biophilia? Pulitzer prize winning biologist Edward Wilson coined the term to describe, "the connection human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of life."

That means you have a deep need to interact with your natural world whether it's a walk in the woods, sitting in a garden or just playing with your dog. You do it because it makes you feel good, and science shows it makes you happier and healthier.

So get out this weekend and enjoy some nature. Can't wait until then? Here's a dose of biophilia right now.

How To Get Rich

There are lots of ways to get rich, and making money is just one of them. The other is cultivating the relationships that matter most to you. That's the path I'm taking. 

Yes, I love nice things just as much as the next girl, but I'm banking on the richness I get from the people I love. Spending time together watching a movie or going to the beach outweighs most anything I can think of. Here's a picture of my husband Bryan and our daughter Sophia at Disneyland doing just that!

So next time you're feeling down, ask yourself this question, "Do I have one person in my life who loves me and I love back?" If so, you are rich indeed.

WHAT'S YOUR REAL AGE?

You've probably already heard of the Real Age guys, Dr. Mehmet Oz, a frequent Oprah Show contributor, and his partner Dr. Michael Roizen. I love them both! They offer practical strategies to help you feel and look your youngest, and their tips are easy to implement into your life.

Here's a statistic from their book that really grabbed me. According to these super docs, when you learn to manage your emotions, you can slow or reverse your physical aging up to 16 years! Once again, the connection between our emotions and our health is clear.

In addition to their many books and TV and radio shows, they have an amazing website that allows you to calculate your actual age and your body's "real age" based on your health habits and emotional tendencies. Check it out. Follow their advice and you may just be younger by your next birthday!

I LOVE TED!

No, TED isn't a guy. TED is a conference that happens once a year to give some of the greatest thinkers of our time 18-minutes each to share their innovative ideas with the world.

One speaker in particular really moved me. In part because her story is so amazing, but also because her vision speaks to everything I believe. She is neuroanatomist Dr. Jill Taylor. Watch as she explains how tapping into the power of our right brain can transform our lives. 

 WATCH THE VIDEO