Cultivate purpose (with me on retreat!)
Burned out? Do you feel like your life is lacking meaning? Are you longing for fulfillment? Do you struggle with self-doubt or worry? Or just… Read more
Dear Christine: How Can I Set Boundaries for the Holidays?
Dear Christine, My brother and his family will be visiting us from out of town the week of Christmas, and I generally make myself too… Read more
Celebrate “No”vember with 5 Research-Based Ways to Say No
“No”vember means it’s time to start saying no to the things that drain your energy. ‘Tis the season to practice saying no. Many of us… Read more
How to Structure Your Day to Feel Less Stressed
If you don’t control your schedule, your schedule will control you. As we enter our third year in a pandemic, chronic stress rules the day. Widespread… Read more
1-Minute Secret to Forming a New Habit
My TED Talk was named one of the Top 10 TED Talks of 2021 on TED.com! I’m greatly humbled by this and thrilled to be… Read more
Free Habits & Resolutions eBook
You want to lose weight. Learn to meditate. Eat more leafy greens. This is your guide to setting and keeping your resolutions. Download this free… Read more
Customizable 2022 Planner
Jumpstart your annual goal-setting and daily planning with these customizable worksheets and planner pages. Download this free planner. Read more
How to Help Kids Adjust to College
At this time of year, I start receiving dozens of tearful calls and panicky emails from parents whose children are off at college for the… Read more
How to Deal When a Child Goes Off to College
Dear Christine, My oldest child is off to college. In the last few weeks, relatives have been offering him their sage “how to succeed in… Read more
The Best Advice for New College Students (Not From Me)
This morning I said goodbye to Tanner, who is driving to Boulder with his dad for his first year of college. Next week, I will… Read more
Unplug for 1 Day this Week
We’re all spending a lot more time online. That makes unplugging every once in a while even more beneficial! To get started, download this free… Read more
Anchoring New Habits to Old Ones
Before we begin practicing a new behavior that we’d like to form into a habit, we’ll do well to consciously designate an anchor or trigger… Read more
Making Resolutions? Track Your Progress
What we measure, we improve. (Or, “what gets measured, gets done.”) An important aspect of successfully getting into a habit is measurement. For example, we… Read more
Why an Unambitious Habit is Better Than an Inspirational Goal
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” –Aristotle (via Will Durant) Perhaps you are setting some resolutions… Read more
If You Don’t Think About This, You Probably Won’t Achieve Your Goals
A fascinating line of research shows that the more we fantasize about achieving a challenging goal, the less likely we are to actually take a… Read more
Coping with Constant Interruption + Tips for Focus
Several years ago, I devised a system for quickly getting into the “zone” while I worked. Free from distractions and interruptions, I wrote quickly, joyfully,… Read more
Dear Christine: What If I Don’t Agree With My Co-Parent?
Trying to get your co-parent to parent your way? Here’s what to do. Dear Christine, What should I do if my husband and I don’t… Read more
Seven Ways to Cope with Uncertainty
What should we do when everything feels so out of control? Living with so much uncertainty is hard. Human beings crave information about the future… Read more
My Kids Have Nothing to Do This Summer. Now What?
This Dear Christine column offers tips for structuring your family’s summer during the pandemic. Dear Christine, Since school ended, my whole family is floundering. We… Read more
Resources for Learning about Racism
What am I doing to be a better antiracist? Learning — both about myself and about the racist systems, policies, and beliefs that are driving our… Read more
A Conversation About Race with Julie Lythcott-Haims, Nefertiti Austin, Christine Koh and Leslie Priscilla Arreola-Hillenbrand
Probably like many of you, my “plans” for the summer are not what I anticipated they’d be. And my summer reading list has changed. I’m… Read more
Summer Parenting MASTERCLASS
I know many parents are feeling burned out on summer (already). I have a great resource for you! It’s a virtual masterclass called Parenting in… Read more
All I Want for Mother’s Day Is an Equitable Division of Labor
Here’s how to renegotiate the unfair burdens created by the coronavirus lockdown This Mother’s Day is going to be a doozy for a lotta moms… Read more
How to Help Teens Handle the Loss of Proms and Graduations
Losing these ceremonies is a big deal. We need to help them grieve. Yesterday at dinner, one of my children was sad and irritated. She… Read more
Comfort Yourself Today
“I have so much to accomplish today that I must meditate for two hours instead of one.” ― Mahatma Gandhi This whole global pandemic thing… Read more
Parenting in the time of COVID-19
People keep asking me for “best practices” for sheltering-in-place. My honest answer: We don’t know what the best practices are. We’ve never been through this… Read more
How Divorced Parents Can Get on the Same Page
Dear Christine, I’m a divorced dad who remarried, with a son and a stepdaughter. When shelter-in-place hit and school was canceled, everything changed. We all… Read more
Coping with Disrupted Routines
Are you following along with our daily routine make-over? (In other words: Are you trying to keep everything from going to hell in a handbasket?)… Read more
Coronavirus: The 1st Few Weeks
Holy smokes, friends! Perhaps foolishly, I came outta the gates pretty hot last week. On Monday, I posted an article optimistically titled How School Closures Can… Read more
How to Help Teens Shelter in Place
Teens are not made for isolation, which makes COVID-19 especially hard on them. Here’s how to help your teenager to see the bigger picture. Parents… Read more
How Self-Quarantine Can Strengthen Your Family
Here are three ways to cope while sheltering in place. As our kids figure out how to learn online, we can retool in our families,… Read more
Have Dinner Together
Tonight, have dinner together. Shared meals deepen our connections with one another, and give us the sense that we are part of something larger than… Read more
How to Reset Your Sleep Clock
Moving our clocks forward this past weekend changed our bodies’ principal cue (light) for keeping time with our circadian rhythm. This usually causes us to… Read more
Hallmark Home and Family
Thank you Hallmark Home and Family for having me on last week. It was such a pleasure to meet you and share all that is… Read more
What to Do Instead of Nag
Nagging doesn’t feel good to the person doing the nagging, and it certainly doesn’t feel good to be nagged. Moreover, when kids know we… Read more
Unplug and Reconnect
From sundown on Friday, March 6 to sundown on Saturday, March 7, 2020 is National Day of Unplugging. Before you think, “there’s no way I… Read more
Grace Cathedral Forum
Booklaunch highlight: Participating in the Forum last weekend at Grace Cathedral. I love Dean Malcolm Young; it was so fun to be with him again.… Read more
Come See Me!
Let’s hang out in person! I would love to meet you!! Join me at the Hillside Club in Berkeley tomorrow, Thursday, 2/20/20 (how’s… Read more
Launch Day!
The New Adolescence: Raising Happy and Successful Teens in an Age of Anxiety and Distraction launches today! Many of you have already pre-ordered it or… Read more
Three Ways to Change Your Parenting in the Teenage Years
“Wow. Ugh. That’s amazing!” This is the usual wide-eyed response when people hear that I have four teenagers. Sometimes people grimace, like the mere thought… Read more
Dear Christine: How Do I Motivate My Teen?
Bossing them around won’t work forever; we need to help teens manage their own lives. Dear Christine, I have two teenagers, a boy who is… Read more
Thursday Thought
Angela Duckworth, the celebrated psychologist who first defined “grit” as perseverance and passion for long-term goals, has a theory about success. Instead of seeing achievement… Read more
The Quiet Secret to Success
When we look at people who are at the top of their field, they all have grit: persistence and passion for their long-term goals. But this doesn’t… Read more
How to Raise a High-Achiever
When we look at people who are at the top of their field, what do we know about how they got there? We used to… Read more
New Year’s Thought
You want to lose weight. Learn to meditate. Get out of debt. Eat more leafy greens. Call your mom more often. But you’re afraid to… Read more
Why New Year’s Resolutions Succeed
Three steps to victory in keeping your New Year’s Resolutions You want to lose weight. Learn to meditate. Get out of debt. Eat more leafy… Read more
So You Gave Your Kid a Phone for Christmas…Now What?
Many lucky kids got new smartphones or tablets over this holiday season; these days more than two-thirds of kids own a smartphone by age 12.… Read more
Today: Comfort Yourself
This is a tricky time of year: We’re often tired and triggered and hopped up on sugar. Even when we really love the holidays, they… Read more
How to Calm a Stressed-Out Teen
Do you have a stressed-out teenager? You aren’t alone! A recent survey by the American Psychological Association found that fewer than half of teenagers today… Read more
Thursday Thought
On some level, our society has come to believe that our economy depends on a gift-giving extravaganza and that the holidays wouldn’t be the holidays… Read more
Are We Wired to Want Stuff?
I’ll never forget a holiday moment several years ago, when I found myself in a negotiation with my daughter, then a first-grader, over her gift… Read more
The Sanctity of Opportunity
Like Lateefah Simon, I believe deeply in the sanctity of opportunity. I also believe in Tipping Point, and the opportunity that this amazing organization is… Read more
Thursday Thought
Dinnertime conversation, I’ve found, goes really well when it’s structured. I’ve posed planned questions for my kids at dinnertime since they were in preschool, starting… Read more
Gearing up for The New Adolescence
Hi friends, I am gearing up for the February 2020 release of The New Adolescence: Raising Happy and Successful Teens in an Age of Anxiety and… Read more
15 Questions to Ask Kids at Dinner
Dinnertime conversation, I’ve found, goes really well when it’s structured. I’ve posed planned questions for my kids at dinnertime since they were in preschool, starting… Read more
Thursday Thought
It starts by forgetting about perfect. We don’t have time for perfect. In any event, perfection is unachievable: It’s a myth and a trap and… Read more
Why I Aim to be a “Deeply Disciplined Half-Ass”
Throughout my life, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with hard work. I credit both my past successes and my past anxiety problems to how hard I’ve worked,… Read more
Join Me this Weekend!
There’s still time to join us at a rejuvenating weekend retreat from November 1 to 3, 2019 at 1440 Multiversity, a beautiful 75-acre campus nestled in the California redwoods… Read more
Dear Christine: My Friend Has Cancer. What Should I Say?
Dear Christine, One of my best friends was just diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer. She has two little kids, a loving husband, and a… Read more
How to Get Your Kid to Tell You Everything
Parents are always asking me how to get their kids to talk to them more (especially the parents of boys), how to get kids to… Read more
How — and Why — to Go on a REAL Vacation
Nearly 40 percent of US employees feel like they have too much work to take a vacation. But research suggests you’ll be happier, healthier, and… Read more
Dear Christine: How Can I Get My Teenager to Listen to Me?
Dear Christine, My daughter has a chronic health problem that we’ve been dealing with since she was almost three years old. Until very recently, I… Read more
How to Only Do Things You Actually Want to Do
Recently, I started getting loads of requests for help managing too-long task lists, and so I published this process for organizing them. Ineffective task lists… Read more
Dear Christine: How Can I Get More Sleep?
Hi Christine, I have a habit of going to bed later than I want and then being rushed in the morning and getting to work… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Everything is calmer if things feel predictable.” –Christine Carter from A Family Guide for Surviving the Summer Read more
A Family Guide for Surviving the Summer
While not all of summer is destined to feel like a day at the beach, setting routines and expectations for the season can make it… Read more
This is What I Hope I’ve Taught You
This week, my sweet Fiona graduates from high school. As longtime readers of my blog know, Fiona went to a boarding high school. Having her… Read more
Thursday Thought
“What we learn with pleasure we never forget.” —Alfred Mercier Many of our children are graduating this month! My wish for my children and yours… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Our unconscious mind is our best source of intelligence, communicating through intuition and bodily sensations, not words.” –Christine Carter from This is What I Hope… Read more
Helping Stressed-Out Teens
Dear Christine, I know you have teenage daughters around the same age, so I’m hoping you have some insight about how to help kids deal… Read more
How Being a Stepmom Makes Me a Better Parent
Imagine, if you’ll indulge me for a minute, what it must be like to be one of my children. As a professional advice giver, I’m… Read more
Thursday Thought
“God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers.” —Jewish Proverb Read more
Thursday Thought
Stress is healthy and helpful when it creates enough tension and strain to foster growth. Think of a muscle that is stressed by weight training:… Read more
Am I Really Going to Have to Ask You Again?
I asked my daughter to help me make dinner the other night; soon after that, I got caught on the phone. When I finally emerged… Read more
Dear Christine: How Do I Deal with My Son’s Substance Abuse?
Concerned parents confront the fact that their son may be addicted to drugs and alcohol. Dear Christine, We are writing you about our son, who… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Living with others is, in many ways, living in a constant state of unmet expectations.” —Christine Carter from Am I Really Going to Have to… Read more
Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Read more
Thursday Thought
“Tiny ruptures in our relationships drive love and connection out of our lives.” Christine Carter from How to Keep Technology from Ruining Your Relationships Read more
3 Ways to Keep Technology from Ruining Your Relationships
In Triumphs of Experience, George Vaillant writes that “there are two pillars of happiness revealed by the seventy-five-year-old Grant Study. One is love. The other… Read more
Dear Christine: Should I See a Therapist?
A member of the Sandwich Generation struggles with feeling overwhelmed, sad, and stuck. Dear Christine, My mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s two years ago, just… Read more
Swedish Proverb
“Love me when I least deserve it, because that’s when I really need it.” Swedish Proverb Read more
Should You Talk to Strangers?
A half dozen recent studies demonstrate the power that connecting with strangers has to make us happier. Research also suggests that that talking to strangers… Read more
How to Improve Your Luck. Seriously.
“Lucky people meet their perfect partners, achieve their lifelong ambitions, find fulfilling careers, and live happy and meaningful lives. Their success is not due to… Read more
Thursday Thought
“If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities.” Maya Angelou Read more
Thursday Thought
Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get. Ray Kroc Read more
Thursday Thought
“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” Helen Keller As we look ahead to the weekend and… Read more
Thursday Thought
“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.” Audrey Hepburn Read more
Misery Loves Expectations
Irritated with your husband (or your wife)? You probably expect too much. I find it ironic that the month after Valentine’s Day tends to be… Read more
Happiness Tip: Let Someone See Who You Really Are
These days, you can have both an actual life AND a life you present to others that’s been optimized for your audience. There can be what… Read more
Thursday Thought
“I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.” Bruce Lee Read more
Thursday Thought
“Once in awhile, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale.” –anonymous quotation Read more
4 Ways to Keep Passion Alive
Research shows that with a little elbow grease, romance can last a lifetime. This week, put some energy into your relationship. How can you best improve… Read more
Thursday Thought
“There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.” George Sand Read more
Questions to Bring You Closer
Like it or not, the season of love is beginning! Already the stores are filled with cheesy red-and-pink Valentine-related stuff. Why not use this Valentine’s… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon… Read more
Thursday Thought
Unless you are some sort of superhero, you will not be able to establish a new habit perfectly the first time. Christine Carter Resolutions Slipping?… Read more
Passion + Adversity = Success?
Now that the kids are back in school, I’m thinking about what really leads to success—as well as happiness. Part 3 in a 3 part series.… Read more
Resolutions Slipping? 5 Quick Ways to Stay the Course
We all understand that when we first attempt to drive a car or ride a bike, we’ll make mistakes. Behavior change is no different; it’s… Read more
The Power of Taking Time Off
Do you work around the clock, just because you can? If so, you aren’t alone. These days we check our smartphones (and laptops) constantly to… Read more
Thursday Thought
“I am larger, better than I thought, I did not know I held so much goodness.” —Walt Whitman, Song of the Open Road Read more
Habits Are Everything
You might know how to be happy, but can you do it? Watch a video of any elite athlete or performer before a big game… Read more
Thursday Thought
“The remedy is not to suppress negative experiences; when they happen, they happen. Rather, it is to foster positive experiences—and in particular, to take them… Read more
Free Webinar: New Year’s Resolutions 101
Drawing on the neuroscience of habit formation and goal-setting, I’ve developed a plan for setting and keeping resolutions that will stick. In this short webinar, I’ll… Read more
Thursday Thought
New Year’s resolutions are an amazing act of creation, an art form where the canvas is the self. —Christine Carter 3 Resolutions to Make You… Read more
3 Resolutions to Make You Happier
I do understand why people don’t like New Year’s resolutions: they can be a source of failure, year after year. Folks often pick resolutions that… Read more
Why New Year’s Resolutions Work
Thinking of making a New Year’s Resolution this year? This quick, research-based explanation by Dr. Mike Evans of why New Year’s Resolutions are a… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future.” —Earl Nightingale Read more
3 Signs You Won’t Keep Your New Year’s Resolution
Like most self-help authors and coaches, I love New Year’s Resolutions. Weeks ago I started asking my kids what theirs were going to be. I… Read more
Parenting Video: The Neuroscience of Happy Memories
You can definitely try this at home! There are three steps to Rick Hanson’s “Taking in the Good” technique: 1. Teach kids to notice the… Read more
Two Surprising Ways to Make the Holidays Less Stressful
Feeling overwhelmed? Wondering how you’re going to get it all done? Wishing you could just lie down? You aren’t alone. The holidays can be stressful.… Read more
Thursday Thought
“If what kids are really seeking is greater happiness and fulfillment, materialism is a terrible coping method.” –Christine Carter, Making the Holidays More Meaningful –… Read more
Making the Holidays More Meaningful – and Less Materialistic
Last year about this time, an Instagram photo showing a mountain of shiny wrapped presents – nearly as large as the seven-foot Christmas tree behind it –… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Materialism is a cycle. Unhappiness tends to lead to materialism which feeds back into those feelings of unhappiness.” ― Christine Carter, Shopping is not a… Read more
Shopping is not a Happiness Strategy
“A new dress doesn’t get you anywhere; it’s the life you’re living in the dress, and the sort of life you had lived before,… Read more
Thursday Thought
“How come your family knows how to push your buttons? Because they installed them…” ― Elizabeth Gilbert The Easiest Way to Deal With a Difficult… Read more
20 Questions to Ask at Your Holiday Dinner
Like many families, ours followed this year’s midterm elections with passion. This will no doubt give us lots to talk about over the holidays and… Read more
Thursday Thought
Unlike learning a new language, practicing gratitude can be blissfully simple. Just count the things in your life that you feel thankful for. —Christine Carter,… Read more
5 New Ways to Feel More Grateful
One of the most powerful positive emotions we have in this life is gratitude; mountains of research indicate that gratitude is part of the happiness… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Our success and happiness are based as much on what we choose NOT to do as what we choose to do.” —Christine Carter Do You… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Let others be consumed with the chase if they choose to, while you learn to relax. Rather than focusing outward, turn inward.” —Wayne Dyer, paraphrasing… Read more
How to Raise Grateful Kids
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion… Read more
How Independent Should Our Teenagers Be?
When one of our teens, who shall remain nameless, was 15, my husband Mark and I got a surprising email from another parent we’ll call… Read more
Thursday Thought
“The perfect is not only the enemy of the good; it’s also the enemy of the realistic, the possible, and the fun.” —Rebecca Solnit Why… Read more
Do You Sabotage Yourself?
Our success and happiness are based as much on what we choose NOT to do as what we choose to do. What things in your… Read more
Thursday Thought
“I’ll take a small success over an ambitious failure any day.” –Christine Carter How to Get Better at Reaching Your Goals Read more
Thursday Thought
“Life is not a dress rehearsal. Every day, you should have at least one exquisite moment.” Sally Karioth Read more
Three Counterintuitive Ways to be Courageous
Last week, I lead a workshop for 20 top female executives from around the world — it was a great pleasure and a great honor. We… Read more
Parenting Video: Harnessing the Power of Dinnertime
Dining with one’s friends and beloved family is certainly one of life’s primal and most innocent delights, one that it is both soul-satisfying and eternal.”… Read more
How to take a break from your phone, email, and work
Being constantly connected to our work and smartphones makes us feel vaguely stressed and anxious. It prevents us from focusing and thinking deeply, and from… Read more
Tips for Letting Go of Old Regrets
Recently, I went to high school Back-to-School night with my first husband, Mike, and we ran into a colleague of his I’d never met before.… Read more
Thursday Thought
First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others. Thomas A. Kempis Read more
Thursday Thought
Love consists in this, that two solitudes protect and touch and greet each other. –Rainer Maria Rilke Read more
Find Ease This Weekend
Are you longing for more meaningful work or more fulfilling relationships? Or just more time to focus on what matters most? (Or how about just… Read more
How to Be Anxious and Miserable
Sometimes it’s easier to see how we can achieve fulfillment and contentment when we examine what we’re doing in to sabotage them. I hope you… Read more
Thursday Thought
If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.… Read more
Do You Want to Feel More Confident? Or Successful? What About Content?
What do you want to feel more of in this one wild and precious life (as Mary Oliver would say)? I’m not wondering about what… Read more
Thursday Thought
You cannot lead where you do not go. –Author Unknown Read more
Thursday Thought
To live and let live, without clamor for distinction or recognition; . . . to write truth first on the tablet of one’s own heart—… Read more
What Will People Say When You Pass Away?
Since her own bout with burn-out and crippling exhaustion, Arianna Huffington has been giving great advice for finding greater meaning and fulfillment in life: Start… Read more
Thursday Thought
The opposite of talking isn’t listening. The opposite of talking is waiting. Fran Lebowitz Read more
Is Screen Time Toxic for Teenagers?
Screen time is a likely cause of the ongoing surge in teen depression, anxiety, and suicide. Some days, I can see how profoundly anti-social technology… Read more
How to Fulfill New School Year Resolutions
Help your kids reach their goals this school year. (Or set some goals for yourself!) Now that our summer break is wrapping up, I’ve started… Read more
Thursday Thought
On no account brood over your wrongdoing. Rolling in the muck is not the best way of getting clean. –Aldous Huxley Read more
Flow Class: Finding Meaning at Work
“Success is about getting; significance is about giving: we make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.” –Satinder… Read more
How to Ditch the Drama in Your Relationships
“You are unimaginably cruel. I could never have done something like that to you.” One of my clients—we’ll call her Sara—received that in a nasty… Read more
Parenting Video: How to Foster Grit
This video is the 4th in a series about fostering academic success from The Raising Happiness Homestudy. It covers: Why relieving kids’ pain also takes… Read more
Chase Meaning, Not Happiness
These days, a lot of people don’t feel totally in control of their choices and their priorities, especially at work. But you do always have the freedom… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Unkindness almost always stands for the displeasure that one has in oneself.” — Adrienne Monnier Read more
Flow Class: The Problem with Pursuing Pleasure
This video is from a series about how we choose to spend our time in my online course, Science of Finding Flow. “Compelling research… Read more
Thursday Thought
When you have to make a choice and don’t make it, that in itself is a choice.” — William James Read more
Parenting Video: Raising Learners
“The only thing you can control is your own effort.” –Theodora van den Beld This video is the 1st in a series about fostering… Read more
Thursday Thought
Whoever is happy will make others happy too. — Anne Frank Read more
Flow Class: What is Productivity, Really?
To me, productivity is the ability to produce or create something of value and meaning for myself and others. As such, productivity as a “knowledge worker”… Read more
Thursday Thought
The thing that’s important to know is that you never know. You’re always sort of feeling your way.” ― Diane Arbus Read more
Bring Back the Raising Happiness Habit Tracker!
This video is the 4th in a series about being happier as a parent from The Raising Happiness Homestudy. Watch the rest of the videos… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” Albert… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Learn how to take criticism seriously, but not personally.” –Hillary Clinton Read more
Thursday Thought
“We are continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.” –Lee Iacocca Read more
Why Parents Aren’t Happy
We say [‘I’m SO BUSY’] to one another with no small degree of pride, as if our exhaustion were a trophy, our ability to… Read more
Thursday Thought
“I’m grateful that I didn’t let fear get the best of me. It only holds you back from possibilities and greatness.” Mariska Hargitay Read more
Overwork… Doesn’t Work
This post is from a series about the ideal worker archetype in my online course, Science of Finding Flow. Read the rest here. We can… Read more
Thursday Thought
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. -Thomas Jefferson Read more
Want to Feel Appreciated on Mother’s Day?
Here’s an icky confession: I used to dread Mother’s Day. When I first became a mother, the holiday somehow left me feeling unappreciated. I tended to… Read more
Thursday Thought
“The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but your thoughts about it.” –Eckhart Tolle Read more
Thursday Thought
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. Lao Tzu Read more
Thursday Thought
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Martin Luther King, Jr. Read more
Thursday Thought
“A society grows great when old [people] plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” Greek Proverb Read more
Meet Your Instructor
A sociologist and senior fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, Christine Carter, Ph.D., is the author of The Sweet Spot: How to Find Your… Read more
Thursday Thought
Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone – we find it with another. Thomas Merton Read more
How to be Imperfect
Last autumn, horrific wildfires raged near our home. People we knew were losing their houses left and right. In the midst of disaster, I had… Read more
Thursday Thought
Love is a better teacher than duty. Albert Einstein Read more
Thursday Thought
Immature love says: ‘I love you because I need you.’ Mature love says ‘I need you because I love you.’ Erich Fromm Read more
You Spot It, You Got It
The other night, I did something that I am not proud of. We have four teenagers, so dinnertime is never dull, but this particular evening… Read more
Thursday Thought
You could search the whole world and never find anyone as deserving of your love as yourself. Buddha Read more
How to Create More Loving Relationships
Research shows that our feelings of being in love come from what we do and how we behave around our beloveds — more than from… Read more
Thursday Thought
Let nothing dim the light that shines from within. —Maya Angelou Read more
Should You Stay or Should You Go?
Lucky us: We live in a world where many of us have an abundance of choices–where to live, what to do for a living, and,… Read more
Thursday Thought
We must be our own before we can be another’s. –Ralph Waldo Emerson Read more
3 Things I Wish More Parents – and Teens – Knew About Pot
We live in California, where marijuana is now, as of Jan. 1, legal for recreational use. My four teens report that pot is already very easy to… Read more
Nelson Mandela
A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination. —Nelson Mandela Read more
Thursday Thought
Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted. —William Bruce Cameron Thanks to the kind reader who informed… Read more
Mary Oliver
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? —Mary Oliver Read more
Book Giveaway!
Happy New Year!! I’ve teamed up with a few of my favorite authors to offer you the chance to win signed copies of these great happiness and productivity books.… Read more
Find more joy and fulfillment this year
It’s not to late to join our Brave Over Perfect coaching group! Our next live call is on January 10th. That gives you plenty of time… Read more
Rainer Maria Rilke
And now let us welcome the New Year—full of things that have never been. —Rainer Maria Rilke Read more
Flow Class Activity: Tell Your People
Emerson once wrote, “The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual… Read more
Flow Class Activity: Hide the Bowl of Candy
If you were trying to eat less candy, would you carry a bowl of it around with you? Would you put it on your nightstand… Read more
Happiness Habits Worth Cultivating
Happy New Year! Do you need some ideas for how to be happy in the New Year? Check out this oldie but goodie Greater Good graphic!… Read more
Flow Class Activity: Designate Device-Free Time
Just because we can take a laptop into the bathroom does not mean that this is a sensible thing to do. (Fecal matter can be… Read more
Flow Class Activity: Take a Minute to Disable Notifications
We all know we’d do well to disable the push features, alerts, and notifications on our mobile devices, desktop, and laptop computers that distract us.… Read more
Flow Class Activity: Prepare to Drop Into THE ZONE
This video and post are from a series about how to focus from my online course, the Science of Finding Flow. Although we usually assume… Read more
Flow Class: 5 Ways to Stay on Your Detox
This post is from a series about gaining control of your time, attention and energy in my online course, Science of Finding Flow. Read the… Read more
Flow Class: Is Checking Email Productive?
This short video is from a series about gaining control of your time, attention and energy in my online course, Science of Finding Flow.… Read more
Flow Class Activity: Schedule Specific Checking Times
Instead of just willing ourselves not to check our phones, social media, and email so often, we need to configure our online time so that… Read more
Harry Lee McGinnis
If you do not have a dream in your pocket, run, don’t walk, and find yourself a dream to become and be. —Harry Lee McGinnis Read more
Thursday Thought
Remember this: Very little is needed to make a happy life. —Marcus Aurelius Read more
Thursday Thought
He who obtains has little. He who scatters has much. —Lao Tzu Read more
Thursday Thought
You must not ever stop being whimsical. —Mary Oliver Read more
3 Steps to a Low-Stress, High Joy Holiday Season
Many people love the idea of the holidays more than their actual experience of them — mostly because their list of holiday-related tasks and obligations… Read more
How to Cope with a Difficult Relative Over the Holidays
My paternal grandmother died young, at age 49; within a year of her death, my grandfather had remarried the woman who would become my grandma.… Read more
Thursday Thought
The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return. —Eden Ahbez Read more
When is it Better to Just “Fake it”?
People seem to be taking issue with my claim that happiness comes when we live with total integrity—when we stop people-pleasing and start living more… Read more
Thursday Thought
The world is before you, and you need not take it or leave it as it was when you came in. —James Arthur Baldwin Read more
Accessing Authenticity
What if you didn’t have to worry about what other people think of you? Does your body sigh with relief at the thought of all… Read more
Thursday Thought
The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook. —William James Read more
What Does it Mean to be Brave Over Perfect?
Susie: In the summer of 2016, when I received some horrible news about my health, I sent my family camping and sat on my bed… Read more
Mother Teresa
If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are. —Mother Teresa Read more
Teaching Teens to ‘Just Say No’
Today’s teens are busy. Last week, one of my teens was sitting in the kitchen replying to her emails while I prepped dinner. “Help me… Read more
Thursday Thought
“May I be the tiniest nail in the house of the universe, tiny but useful.” -Mary Oliver (Upstream) Read more
Thursday Thought
“No matter how dark the moment, love and hope are always possible.” — George Chakiris Read more
What is the Secret to Happiness?
Everyone I meet eventually asks me this question, usually sooner rather than later. The good news is that there are many secrets to happiness. But… Read more
Corrie ten Boom
Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength. –Corrie ten Boom Read more
Three Steps to Say “No” Gracefully
Yesterday, a friend asked me if she could borrow my car to run a long-distance errand because my little car gets better mileage than her… Read more
Thursday Thought
It’s a bit embarrassing to have been concerned with the human problem all one’s life and find at the end that one has no more… Read more
Thursday Thought
There is no path to peace. Peace is the path. — Mahatma Gandhi Read more
Thursday Thought
The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts. –Marcus Aurelius Read more
Thursday Thought
“If we have no peace it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” Mother Teresa Read more
How to Get Better at Reaching Your Goals
Busy women tend to struggle with similar challenges. We get overwhelmed. We take care of others before we take care of ourselves. We question our… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Ask yourself this question: ‘Will this matter a year from now?’” — Richard Carlson Read more
Elie Wiesel
“We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. “Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives… Read more
Back-to-School Happiness Advice (Video)
We have four teenagers headed to high school — two of them 9th graders at new schools this week. Remember how nerve-wracking it can be… Read more
Flow Class: Finding Meaning at Work
This excerpt is from a series about how we choose to spend our time in my online course, Science of Finding Flow. We assume… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Every girl must decide whether to settle for adoration or to fight for love.” –Glennon Doyle Melton Read more
How to Get Kids to do Chores
“Work is not man’s punishment. It is his reward and his strength and his pleasure.” –George Sand Parenting Practice: Getting Kids to Do Boring But… Read more
Welcome, Susie! (And our new website!)
Friends! I want you to meet Susie! She and I have been friends since 1995, when we were both hired out of college to mentor teenagers… Read more
Shantideva
“The source of all happiness relies in thinking of others.” —Shantideva Read more
What is Productivity, Really?
This post is from a series about the ideal worker archetype in my online course, Science of Finding Flow. Read the rest here. To me,… Read more
Eight Ways to Achieve More While Working Less
I spend about five hours a day slacking off. Really: I spend that much time doing stuff I enjoy, that isn’t on a task list anywhere.… Read more
What Makes Teens ‘Most Likely to Succeed?’
As a sociologist who’s done much research on elite performance and productivity, I’ve given a lot of thought to the skills that lead to success… Read more
Directions for Handling a Toxic Relationship
Last week, I had lunch with a friend. As we were walking out, she mentioned that she had to see someone who hadn’t always been… Read more
How to Help Your Teen Deal With Stress
“Are your kids totally happy and squared away?” a reporter recently asked me earnestly during an interview. Gah. I really hate that question. My kids… Read more
Greater Happiness in 5 Minutes a Day
Want a quick hit of happiness? Research demonstrates the incredible power of loving-kindness meditation; in fact, this simple practice might be more effective than Prozac. Also… Read more
Why We Aren’t as Good at Saving the Earth as We Want to Be
A little while ago at a birthday soiree, I got to sit across from one of UC Berkeley’s cutting-edge ocean researchers. I asked him to explain… Read more
Confessions of a Bad Meditator
When I was in high school, my advisor, Michael Mulligan, called my parents to recommend a special treatment for my anxiety: Transcendental Meditation (“TM”). I was… Read more
10 Conversation Starters for Talking to Teens About Sex
Personally, I would love it if we could just have one “sex talk” with our kids and be done with it. Or, it would be… Read more
Happiness Tip: Let Yourself Feel What You Feel
We are living in an age of anxiety, and when we feel stressed out (or sad, or disappointed, for that matter) our world offers us… Read more
Spend Some Time Alone
Usually, you’ll hear me tellin’ ya to spend more time with friends. This is because the best predictor of a person’s happiness is the breadth… Read more
The New Sex Talk: 3 Tips to Get You Started
The summer before I started high school, unbeknownst to me, my mother tasked my father with giving me the “sex talk” on a six-hour road… Read more
Happiness Tip: Lower Your Expectations
My father — the most disciplined person I’ve ever known — always quips that his “only goal is to climb a low mountain.” As an… Read more
Three Risky Ways to Fall Deeply in Love
Love feels magical and biological—something that just happens to us, something beyond our control. Research shows, however, that love is better thought of as behavioral—or… Read more
What’s a Good Friend Worth?
We spend a lot of time working, hoping to increase our feelings of well-being by making more money. But we’d do better to cultivate our… Read more
Tuesday Tip: The Best Habit To Start Now
You already know, of course, that getting into a regular exercise routine is probably the best thing you can do for yourself — whether you… Read more
FREE Live Webinar: Awakening Joy in Kids
Mark your calendars! I’m hosting a free, 45-minute online webinar on January 10, 2017 with James Baraz and Michele Lilyanna. We’ll be talking about their new… Read more
Health & Happiness Reminder: Try Meditation
I’m sure you already know this: Scores of studies have shown the benefits of meditation to be broad and profound, including the inducement of positive… Read more
How do you want to feel?
This post is from a series about how we choose to spend our time in my online course, Science of Finding Flow. Read the rest… Read more
How to Amplify Your Positive Emotions
Sometimes good things happen to us, but we don’t really register them — we hardly look up from our phones, we barely slow down to… Read more
Why It’s Generous to Ask for a Favor
A fun fact: Asking for favors can strengthen your connections to other people. Because giving to others brings the giver such huge benefits, when we give others… Read more
Flow Class: The Perils of Multitasking
This post is from a series about how to focus from my online course, the Science of Finding Flow. It is incredibly easy to tip… Read more
Sleep and Exercise Make Us Happy and Smart
This video is the 1st in a series about high impact happiness routines from The Raising Happiness Homestudy. Check out the rest of the Homestudy… Read more
Flow Class: Step Awaaaay From the Busyness Competition
This fun video and short post is from a series about how to focus from my online course, the Science of Finding Flow. Does anything… Read more
Get a Life…and Get More Work Done!
“Creative people’s brains unconsciously connect experiences they’ve had. Which means they’ve probably had a lot of diverse experiences; that’s the raw material of insight.” Worried what… Read more
Flow Tip: Take a Nap
I know. I know! I know what you are thinking right now: Now you’re really pushing it, lady. You WANT to take a nap. You may even… Read more
Flow Class Activity: What Makes You Happy?
When was the last time you felt a strong positive emotion? Perhaps you felt really grateful, joyful. or excited. Can you identify the circumstances and… Read more
The Benefits of Slacking-Off
Slacking-off has several obvious benefits. For starters, we human beings need stillness in order to recharge our batteries. The constant stream of external stimulation that… Read more
The Problem with Nothing
I’m endlessly fascinated by a series of studies led by Tim Wilson where the research subjects were put alone in a room, with nothing to… Read more
Are you bored? Or threatened?
“Even more than they are boring, downtime and daydreaming are threatening to our sense of self.” Join the Discussion How would you feel if you… Read more
Welcome to Unit 5 – Slack Off!
“When was the last time you just did nothing? I mean NOTHING AT ALL?” This short video is from a series about “strategic slacking” from… Read more
Are Your Relationship Problems Solvable? (Raising Happiness Homestudy)
Never let a problem to be solved become more important than the person to be loved. –Barbara Johnson Welcome to Theme 5 of the… Read more
Flow Class Activity: Build Yourself a Focus Fortress
This is a recommended practice from a series about how to focus in my online course, Science of Finding Flow. When we are re-building our… Read more
Day Dreaming 101
Ever feel like you’ve lost time and productivity because you couldn’t keep your mind from wandering? I can’t believe that I’m writing this, but perhaps… Read more
How to Keep Friendship from Fading
As an affectionate extrovert, I probably have always been a bit predisposed to creating “micro-moments of positive connection” with others. (If you aren’t sure what… Read more
Performance Tip: Swap Stress for Courage
There you are, freaking out in front of your colleagues when you should be calmly giving a presentation. Or you’re sweating bullets in the ER,… Read more
Quick Happiness Tip: Foster Curiosity
What are you curious about? What have you been meaning to look up? What is really interesting to you these days? Go ahead, Google it!… Read more
The Key to Effective Apologies
People make mistakes in relationships all. the. time. Not just bad people, or weak people. All people. Our mistakes are what make us human. And… Read more
The Great Happiness Amplifier
The advent of social media connections has introduced a lot of confusion when it comes to the strength of our social fabric and our ties to one… Read more
Finding Inspiration and Awe
In our rigorous pursuit of happiness, we often forget that inspiration—along with its cousins elevation and awe—are positive emotions that make us feel more content,… Read more
How to Teach Kids Optimism
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” —Oscar Wilde Covered in This Video: Three easy ways… Read more
The Power of Office Friendship
It probably won’t surprise you to learn that research shows that having an ability to build relationships predicts how well people do at work. I was a… Read more
Welcome to Unit 7: FLOURISH!
“What if I told you that you have a good deal of control over your emotions? Here’s how.” This short video is from a series… Read more
Wrapping up Unit 2…
This post is from a series about how we choose to spend our time in my online course, Science of Finding Flow. Read the rest… Read more
Need a Quick Hit of Happiness?
This quick video is about the some research-based low-hanging happiness fruit you can pick right now. 🙂 More low-hanging fruit: Watching amusing videos online. According to a study… Read more
How to Coach Yourself
So you’ve finished taking “The Science of Finding Flow”? Wondering what now? Well, I have good news and I have bad news, folks. First the… Read more
Happiness Tip: Do a Few Quick Favors
There are countless things we can do for others that take very little of our time. We can make an introduction, help a fellow traveler… Read more
Flow Tip: Eat Lunch, Even if You Are Super Busy
Are you too busy to leave your desk to eat lunch? If so, you aren’t alone, as only 1 in 5 office workers regularly takes… Read more
Should You Feel Happier More Often?
Research shows that “flourishing” people are happier and more resilient. These are the are high-functioning individuals who score well on things such as self-acceptance, purpose… Read more
Flow Tip: Take a BREAK
Are your feeling too overwhelmed and time-starved to slack-off? Then what you need more than time to work is downtime. You need a BREAK. Today, take… Read more
How to Inspire Behavior Change in Kids
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” –Robert Louis Stevenson Parenting Practice: Fostering Behavior Change Think… Read more
Flow Class Worksheet: Outline Your Flow Ritual
This is a recommended practice from a series about how to focus in my online course, Science of Finding Flow. Using the list you generated… Read more
The Surprising Benefits of Generosity
So if our happiness and our success are best predicted by the quantity and quality of our relationships with others, and our relationships are built… Read more
The Happiness Tipping Point
Over time, our broadened vision and the other positive effects of happiness grow. There is, as doctors say, a dosage effect or, more accurately, a… Read more
Some Final Thoughts
“It’s very important to remember that this work doesn’t end here.” Join the Discussion What helped you the most in this course? What do you… Read more
Flow Class: An Illness We Are Choosing
This video is from a series about how to focus in my online course, the Science of Finding Flow. Busyness is a sign that we… Read more
Flow Class: How Bad, Really, Are Interruptions?
This post is from a series about how to focus from my online course, the Science of Finding Flow. Several years ago, I devised a… Read more
Flow Class Activity: Schedule Time to Single-Task
This is a recommended practice from a series about how to focus in my online course, Science of Finding Flow. Do you want to focus… Read more
Happiness Tip: Send Well Wishes
LOVING-KINDNESS MEDITATION AUDIO (MP3) When I’m feeling stressed or overwhelmed or just a little sorry for myself, I make a conscious effort to think like… Read more
Where Creativity Comes From
So what is actually happening in your brain when you stare into space, or when you let your mind wander? Turns out, a LOT. We… Read more
Wrapping Up Unit 8
“The more connected you feel, the happier and more successful you are likely to be.” Join the Discussion What worked best for you in this… Read more
What Science Shows Happy Couples Do
This video is the 4th in a series about the science of great relationships from the Raising Happiness Homestudy. This week, why not do some… Read more
Happiness Tip: Smile at the Barista
Did you know that research show that a even brief connection with a stranger can make us happier? In one study, researchers randomly assigned volunteers… Read more
How to Emotion Coach Kids
Patience, n. A minor form of despair disguised as virtue. –Ambrose Bierce Welcome to Theme 4 of the Raising Happiness Homestudy. In this theme you’ll… Read more
The Secret to Happiness at Work
So what does the “real ideal worker” ACTUALLY look like? If you’re finishing this “The Science of Finding Flow” online class, I’m guessing you know by… Read more
Why Happiness Makes Us More Intelligent
When we are happy, we are more creative and motivated, more productive and skilled socially. This means that when we are joyful—or experiencing even… Read more
The Problem with Rewards
This video is the 2nd in a series about boosting emotional intelligence from The Raising Happiness Homestudy. Check out the rest of the Homestudy here. Parenting… Read more
Perfectionism is a Disease
This video is the 3rd in a series about fostering academic success from The Raising Happiness Homestudy. Watch the rest of the videos here. “They say… Read more
How to Close the Gender Wage Gap
Did you know that women still make only 79 cents to men’s dollar—and that this income differential has barely budged in the last decade? At… Read more
The Power of Positive Emotions
All of our emotions, both positive and negative, can have a profound physiological effect on our bodies and our brains. We feel this the most… Read more
Wrapping Up Unit 7
“The most powerful emotions of all (are) love, empathy and compassion.” This post is taken from “The Science of Finding Flow,” an online course I… Read more
And the Single Strongest Predictor of Happiness Is…
“People with many social connections are less likely to experience sadness, loneliness, low self-esteem, and problems with eating and sleeping, and are more likely to… Read more
Pick Your Top 5 Priorities
Once you’ve identified what will bring you joy, ease, strength, and meaning in your life — or how you otherwise hope to feel— it’s time… Read more
The Virtue of Love, Even at Work
As it turns out, all positive emotions were not created equally. Love and the similar emotions that we experience when we feel connected socially—like affection,… Read more
Two Powerful Things You Can Say to Kids
“The only thing you can control is your own effort.” –Theodora van den Beld This video is the 1st in a series about fostering… Read more
Putting Science of Success Into Action
“I don’t divide the world into the weak and the strong, or the successes and the failures… I divide the world into the learners and… Read more
How to Pick a Fight (Raising Happiness Homestudy)
What are the four things doomed couples do when they argue? More importantly, what is it that you and your partner do? Fortunately, we… Read more
Flow Class: Countering the Novelty Bias
This post is from a series about gaining control of your time, attention and energy in my online course, Science of Finding Flow. Most of… Read more
Flow Class: The REAL Ideal Worker
You now have some really important tools for creating a more just, productive, and innovative society. You are now equipped to solve some of the… Read more
Happiness Tip: Take Time to Rest
This may be “the happiest time of year” for some, but if it isn’t for you, I think it’s at least in part because we… Read more
The Simplest Way to Feel More Joyful (Right Now)
“Abundance can be had simply by consciously receiving what has already been given.” — Sufi Saying Everywhere I go, people ask me this one question:… Read more
Stress-Relieving Tips for the Holidays
I joined Candace Rose for an interview to discuss how we can avoid disappointment this season and stop being so hard on ourselves, the secret… Read more
How to Enjoy the Holidays
My teens are obsessed with Christmas carols this year (and every year). “It’s the holidays!” they exclaim when I suggest that perhaps we could listen to… Read more
How to Buy Happiness
Even though we say we can’t buy happiness, we often behave as though we can. Why else would we spend so much time shopping? What… Read more
Why Start Exercising, Now, Over the Holidays?
If you are anything like me, you are not inclined to join a gym, or start training for a new race, or begin an exciting new exercise plan right… Read more
How to Practice Extreme Gratitude
Ahh, Thanksgiving. For many of us regular gratitude-practicers, this extra grateful time of year can seem like a bit like more of the same. Sometimes… Read more
Take a Hike
My grandmother always told me that getting outside for a little walk could clear our heads and lift our spirits; now we have plenty of… Read more
The Best Way to Protect Yourself From a Cold this Winter
“But who could have foreseen . . . that he would die a happy, giving, and beloved man? Only those who understand that happiness is… Read more
Practice Saying No
We are coming to that time of the year that is both blessed and cursed with zillions of invitations. Here are some that are in… Read more
Are You Busy or Productive?
Until a couple of years ago, every time someone would ask me how I was doing, I would always give the same answer: I am… Read more
9 Ways to Ease Overwhelm
Ever feel like you are constantly drinking from a firehose of information? We have more information (and stuff) coming at us than ever before. In… Read more
The Real Cost of Interruption
Several years ago, I devised a system for quickly getting into the “zone” while I wrote. Free from distractions and interruptions, I worked quickly, joyfully,… Read more
Why Being a Stepmom Makes Me a Better Parent
Though you probably didn’t realize that today is a national holiday celebrating blended families (who knew?), I’m taking a moment to relish being a stepmom.… Read more
Color Your World With Kindness
Small acts of kindness can positively change the feelings and attitudes of everyone around you! Read more
Grit Needs Passion, Not Fear
It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” — Albert Einstein When I first started writing about how to foster… Read more
How to Achieve Your Goals on Autopilot
At each turn of each season, lots of achievement-oriented people set goals. The start of the school year is my favorite time to do this for… Read more
Why Staring into Space is an Important Strategy for Success
The answer is a cliché: You were probably in the shower. Creativity doesn’t come from the bathroom, we know, but it sure does seem highly… Read more
Restoring Teens’ Identities
There are so many ways to make other people’s lives better. This video inspired me to think about how I can best use my own talents to help people… Read more
Are You a People Pleaser?
People ask me all the time what the secret to happiness is. “If you had to pick just one thing,” they wonder, “what would be… Read more
How To Remain Productive Over The Summer
Researchers believe that the brains in both humans and animals evolved to feel calmed by repetitive behavior, and that our daily rituals and habits are… Read more
19 Ways to Reduce Workplace Stress
A new poll by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health finds extraordinary levels of workplace stress, with… Read more
What Kids Really Want From Vacation
As a follow up to how — and why — you need to take a real vacation, I offer you this sound advice from Kid… Read more
Feeling Time Starved?
Are you feeling anxious or frustrated that you don’t have enough time? If you’ve got 20 minutes, I’ve got a new free webinar you’ll appreciate.… Read more
Thursday Thought
“You wander from room to room hunting for the diamond necklace that is already around your neck”. –Rumi Read more
Thursday Thought
“My country is the world, and my religion is to do good.” –Thomas Paine Read more
Parent Shaming
Parent shaming is not a happiness habit. Parenting isn’t easy for anyone. Seek out ways to support each other rather than breaking each other down. Read more
Father’s Day Inspiration
In honor of my dear old dad, who is decidedly NOT old, and who is redefining aging for me and my children every day. #HappyFathersDay Read more
Keep Loving Each Other
“Keep loving each other, keep respecting each other, and keep on dancing.” –Jimmy Fallon Read more
Thursday Thought
Control is an illusion. Really, your only choices in each moment are: How much Grace and Beauty you can show up with? And how well… Read more
14 Steps for Self Care
So many good tips in this video! Read more
Thursday Thought
“Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have.” –Jim Rohn Read more
At 100, Still Running for Her Life
I love this lady! There’s so much we can all learn from her spirit and determination. “Do the thing that you don’t like to do… Read more
Thursday Thought
“What we see depends mainly on what we look for.” –John Lubbock Read more
Tuesday Tip: Create an Anti-busyness Ritual
Researchers believe that the brains in both humans and animals evolved to feel calmed by repetitive behavior, and that our daily rituals are a primary… Read more
Thursday Thought
“A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” —Mignon McLaughlin Read more
Create a More Effective To Do List
Ah, the to-do list. Lately, I’ve had dozens of calls from high-achievers (a Head of School, a university athletic coach, a tech industry Chief Marketing… Read more
There is No Failure
Oprah speaks so many truths here, but I do love this line: “You get just as much from your losses as you do from your… Read more
Thursday Thought
“I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than the things I haven’t.” Anonymous Read more
Five Surprising Steps to a More Effective To-Do List
Ah, the to-do list. Lately, I’ve had dozens of calls from high-achievers (a Head of School, a university athletic coach, a tech industry Chief Marketing… Read more
Should We Fight Back Anger?
Or let it lay down beside us? I love this reminder about “feeding” our emotions. Read more
Thursday Thought
“Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.” ― Etty Hillesum Read more
Tuesday Tip: Focus on One Thing at a Time
In his awesome book The Organized Mind, cognitive neuroscientist Daniel Levitin has quantified how overwhelmed by information the poor human brain is: “In 2011, Americans… Read more
Thursday Thought
Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness. –Seneca Read more
The Mother’s Day Note You Deserve
I love how this Mother’s Day note captures all the little things we do to keep our families humming and happy. Happy Mothers Day! Read more
Thursday Thought
There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in. – Leonard Cohen Read more
How to Practice “Discontinuous Productivity”
Doesn’t “practice discontinuous productivity” sound so technical and important? It IS powerful, but honestly it just means: Take a break. Rest your brain. But if… Read more
Don’t text and drive
… in the mean time, enjoy this funny public service message. Read more
Thursday Thought
How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. –Anne Frank Read more
Tuesday Tip: Choose not to complain
Leading a joyful life does not mean always trying to be happy, or pretending that we don’t sometimes feel annoyed, disappointed, irritated, or hassled. These… Read more
Unconditional Love
The determination, patience and love that this father demonstrates is a lesson to all parents. Unconditional love is the answer to every question. #AutismAwareness Read more
Thursday Thought
“Where we love is home—home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.” ― Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. Read more
Tuesday Tip: Consider Who You’d Be Without Fear
About a year ago, a dear friend of mine gave me a gift that changed my life forever. The night before Wisdom 2.0, my friend orchestrated… Read more
Be the Punchline
Little shifts in mindset make all the difference. Read more
Thursday Thought
Right is right, even if everyone is against it; and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. – William Penn Read more
Watermark Conference for Women
I’ll be in San Jose, CA in a few weeks to participate in a dynamic panel discussion on burnout. We’ll talk through how to expand the… Read more
Things Kids (Really) Want From Vacation
I’ll be back when I’m done having the time of my life. (Chuckle.) Happy Spring Break! Read more
Thursday Thought
Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change — Brene Brown Read more
Tuesday Tip: Stop Compulsively Checking Email
I have a full and rewarding career, and four teenagers who go to four different schools. I couldn’t have the life I do without email.… Read more
Thursday Thought
To change one’s life: 1. Start immediately. 2. Do it flamboyantly. 3. No exceptions. William James Read more
Tuesday Tip: Plan Now to Enjoy the Weekend
Want to know the secret to enjoying next weekend? Pretend you’re about to move out of town, and spend the weekend seeing the friends you’ll… Read more
How Stress Affects Your Body
Our hard-wired stress response is designed to gives us the quick burst of heightened alertness and energy needed to perform our best. But stress isn’t… Read more
Thursday Thought
“But I know also that still more interesting discoveries will be made that I have not the imagination to describe – and I am awaiting… Read more
One Day I Will
Such a lovely tribute to dreaming big. I love that this International Women’s Day Doodle includes women of accomplishment — Jane Goodall and Malala Yousafzai… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Seek patience and passion in equal amounts. Patience alone will not build the temple. Passion alone will destroy its walls.” Maya Angelou Read more
Tuesday Tip: Stop Trying to Find Balance
All our talk and worry about “work-life balance” is such a bunch of baloney. I don’t mean to be depressing, but you will never find… Read more
You Will Never Find Work-Life Balance
All our talk and worry about “work-life balance” is such a bunch of baloney. I don’t mean to be depressing, but you will never find… Read more
Share the Load
If you didn’t think a laundry soap ad could make you cry… guess again. Even if it is just marketing, this commercial makes a important… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast — you also miss the sense of where you… Read more
Tuesday Tip: Give Yourself a Shot of Awe
Are you feeling starved for time? Impatient? New research shows that experiencing awe can make us feel more satisfied with our lives, more patient, more… Read more
The Good Life
What makes us happy and healthy as we go through life? This inspiring TED talk discusses some key findings from the longest running study of… Read more
Thursday Thought
“There’s an important difference between giving up and letting go.” –Jessica Hatchigan Read more
Why Working Longer Won’t Make You More Productive
I’m calling for a new conception of the “ideal worker.” I don’t know anyone who has worked for a traditional business and hasn’t run up against… Read more
Thursday Thought
“The beginning of love is the will to let those we love be perfectly themselves, the resolution not to twist them to fit our own… Read more
Tuesday Tip: Schedule Positive Experiences
All of our emotions, both positive and negative, have an often profound physiological effect on our bodies and our brains. We are most familiar with… Read more
The Power of Positivity
Such a simple idea: Step 1: Spend 10 minutes every day complimenting the people around you. Step 2: See what happens. Step 3: Report back… Read more
Thursday Thought
Live today by the Buddha’s words: “You could search the whole world and never find anyone as deserving of your love as yourself.” –Martha Beck Read more
Join me at this Free Event in Bend, Oregon!
I am so excited to share this FREE workshop with you. I’ll be in Bend, OR in a few weeks to talk through how to expand… Read more
3 Surprising Ways to Feel More Loved
Are you focused on romantic love this Valentine’s Day? If so, you’re missing an opportunity! Building stronger connections with those around us can lead to a happier,… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Mirror
We can be imperfect and it won’t scar our children. Really! (But they reserve the right to hold it against us at a later date!) Read more
Thursday Thought
“Confidence that comes from never having been burned is different from confidence that comes from having been in situations where it all went wrong.” —South… Read more
Tuesday Tip: Expect (at Least Minor, Sometimes Major) Failure
We all understand that when we first attempt to drive a car or ride a bike, we’ll make mistakes. Behavior change is no different; it’s… Read more
Don’t Chase Your Passion And Maybe You’ll Find It
Don’t know what your true passion is? Here’s a reason why that is good. Read more
Thursday Thought
Adversity causes some people to break; others to break records. — William A. Ward Read more
Tuesday Tip: Never Say Never
Never say never, because limits, just like fears, are just an illusion.” — Michael Jordan If you’re working through your New Year’s resolutions, you’ve probably faced… Read more
Francine Christophe
Watched this video with my daughter and we both got #goosebumps! This is a story that puts it all in perspective. Read more
Thursday Thought
You miss 100 percent of all the shots you never take. — Wayne Gretzky Read more
Happiness Tip: Go Easy on Yourself
Fun fact: Most people are starting to falter at their New Year’s Resolutions by now. If you are anything like me, setbacks, lapses, and mistakes… Read more
Have You Kicked off Your New Habit? It’s Never Too Late to Start!
I’ve been having a blast coaching people to new habit success. If you haven’t joined yet, it’s not too late to learn how to successfully… Read more
On Being a Wife and a Mother
Wow. Jada Pinkett Smith gives good happiness (and marriage, and parenting) advice. She sums up what is to me the most important component for a… Read more
Back by Popular Demand! Free Live Coaching
YOU’RE INVITED! What: A FREE live Q&A about HOW TO MAKE THE RIGHT RESOLUTIONS When: Thursday, January 14 at 12:00 PM PST RSVP: Register here! I’ll be… Read more
Thursday Thought
“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.” —Mother Teresa Read more
Tuesday Tip: Make a “NOT-To-Do” list
You have a to-do list. But do you have a not-to-do list? I just listened to a fantastic conversation between Ron Friedman and Peter Bregman… Read more
Lafayette Library Science Cafe
Please join me at a fundraising event in support of The Lafayette Library and Learning Center on January 13 ,2016 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. Science Cafe:… Read more
Focus | Gratitude Revealed
Do you have a lot of options? This is often a quick ticket to anxiety. Filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg explains how guiding your focus back to the… Read more
Thursday Thought
“There is only one success — to be able to spend your life in your own way.” —Christopher Morley Read more
You’re invited to my FREE live Q&A – TODAY!
YOU’RE INVITED! New Year’s Resolutions 101 What: A FREE live Q&A about HOW TO MAKE THE RIGHT RESOLUTIONS When: TODAY!! January 6 at 2:30 PM PST /5:30… Read more
Free live Q&A — Set the Right Resolution this Year!
YOU’RE INVITED! New Year’s Resolutions 101 What: A FREE live Q&A about HOW TO MAKE THE RIGHT RESOLUTIONS When: TOMORROW, January 6 at 2:30 PM PST /5:30… Read more
Don’t Make the Same Darn Resolution Year After Year
Now that the holidays are behind us, and our daily routines are settling back into place, I’m ready to take this fresh start that the… Read more
Eight More Ways to Say No
“I know I should say ‘no’ more,” everyone seems to be telling me. “But how? It’s so hard.” Saying no can be hard. Here are… Read more
Join Me for a “New Year, New You” Event in Marin
Please join in Mill Valley, CA on January 7 , 2016 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. A GREAT way to kick off the New Year! The… Read more
Energy | Gratitude Revealed
Jason Silva, a freestyle philosopher, conveys why we strive to come alive to our authentic selves and why that’s enough to change the world. If… Read more
Thursday Thought
If I have learned one thing in this life, it is that God will not tie my shoes without me. — Doug Boyd Read more
Free live Q&A — Set the Right Resolution this Year!
YOU’RE INVITED! New Year’s Resolutions 101 What: A FREE live Q&A about HOW TO MAKE THE RIGHT RESOLUTIONS When: January 6 at 2:30 PM PST /5:30 PM… Read more
Tuesday Tip: How do you want to feel?
Before you start to make your New Year’s Resolutions, ask yourself not what you want to achieve, but what, in your heart of hearts, you… Read more
Are You Setting the Right Goals?
Could you be setting better ones? I’ve always found the idea of setting goals appealing. But—and I hate to admit this—it has been years since… Read more
Thursday Thought
Whenever you see darkness, there is extraordinary opportunity for the light to burn brighter. – Bono Read more
FREE Coaching Program!
Need help sticking to a new routine or setting goals that work? Enroll in my FREE 90 Day coaching program. A completely revised version of my most popular… Read more
Wonder | Gratitude Revealed
Wonder and awe allow us to transcend the ordinary and be in the moment. Wonder inspires us to open our hearts and minds to engender… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.” ―Joseph Addison Read more
90 Days to a New Habit (that Sticks!)
Need help sticking to a new routine or setting goals that work? Enroll in my FREE 12 week coaching program. A completely revised version of my most… Read more
Tuesday Tip: How to Buy Happiness
Even though we say we can’t buy happiness, we often behave as though we can. Why else would we spend so much time shopping? What… Read more
The Easiest Way to Deal With a Difficult Person
How come your family knows how to push your buttons? Because they installed them… I had a great teacher in India who said to me,… Read more
Forgiveness | Gratitude Revealed
Deep suffering ends the moment you decide to forgive. Malynn Utzinger, MD, a certified yoga instructor and specialist in holistic medicine, describes why forgiveness is… Read more
Thursday Thought
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a… Read more
New Dr. Oz Episode today
I’m on Dr.Oz today, 12/8! Fun episode about ways we can find balance. We’ll discuss the secret to “just clean enough” to feel happier and… Read more
Take a Lunch Break, Especially if You Are Too Busy
Too busy to leave your desk to eat lunch? If so, you aren’t alone, as only 1 in 5 office workers regularly takes lunch these… Read more
Eight More Ways to Say No
“I know I should say ‘no’ more,” everyone seems to be telling me. “But how? It’s so hard.” Saying no can be hard. Here are… Read more
Generosity | Gratitude Revealed
Hear author Lynne Twist’s advice on letting go of a toxic idea about abundance—and the simple way to reach the ”absolute exquisite experience of enough”… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Here are the two best prayers I know: ‘Help me, help me, help me’ and ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you.’” –Anne Lamott Read more
Gratitude | Gratitude Revealed
Brother David Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine monk, shares simple ways to let go of worry and expand your gratitude to include the extraordinary nuances in our… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Giving thanks for abundance is sweeter than the abundance itself…” -–Rumi Read more
Tuesday Tip: Tell a Story from Your Family History
Here’s a way to foster family connection: Share a story from your family history. It doesn’t even have to be a good story! Research shows that… Read more
Connection | Gratitude Revealed
Humans are hard-wired to connect with each other. In this energetic and poetic Gratitude Revealed video, Jason Silva explains how our innate yearning to connect… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Real life isn’t always going to be perfect or go our way, but the recurring acknowledgement of what is working in our lives can help… Read more
Tuesday Tip: Be a Deeply Disciplined Half-Ass
My perfectionism is still solidly in remission, but at times I’m a little anxious that I don’t feel guiltier for not constantly striving to… Read more
Purpose | Gratitude Revealed
The secret to a long and happy life? Do what you love with genuine passion and joy! If you enjoy this, check out the rest… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Gratitude is the memory of the heart.” –-French proverb Read more
10 ways your kids’ friends are ruining your family
by Susan Swann, FamilyShare When your kids’ friends are a problem, how can you step in without socially isolating your child? No matter how much… Read more
Why Entrepreneurs Should Look for Meaning, Not Happiness
By Damon Brown IMAGE: Getty Images If you’re looking for happiness as an entrepreneur, then you’re probably barking up the wrong tree. JetBlue Airways has… Read more
Gratitude Revealed: Happiness (Video)
I was honored to be a part of filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg’s Gratitude Revealed series — 16 film shorts that explore what gratitude is. Over the… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Perfectionism is not a quest for the best. It is a pursuit of the worst in ourselves, the part that tells us that nothing we… Read more
3 Surprising Ways to Feel Less Busy
Busyness stinks. Although people tell me all the time they like feeling busy — perhaps because it makes them feel important and significant — I’m… Read more
Chariots of Dreams
This makes me smile more than Halloween candy. Read more
Thursday Thought
“You make a mistake, and that happens to take you in a new direction. Without that mistake you stay in the same place.” Giovanni Hidalgo Read more
10 Friendship Skills Everyone Needs
by Sunshine Monke As parents and adults who work with youth, we can positively impact kids’ lives through helping them build good social skills, which… Read more
HumanKinda
Does your to do list have a to do list? Are you human or humankinda? I had a lot of fun participating in this short… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Some pursue happiness, others create it” -Anonymous Read more
Thursday Thought
“They who want to expand the field of happiness in the world, let them lay the foundation of it on the bottom of their own… Read more
The Crossroads of Should and Must
Throughout our lives we arrive over and over again at what writer, designer and artist Elle Luna calls the “The Crossroads of Should and… Read more
Thursday Thought
“The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react.” —George Bernard Shaw Read more
Free Inspirational Quotes
Remember how fun it used to be to receive a handwritten note? People seem to love posting my weekly “Thursday Thoughts” online, and so we made… Read more
8 Tips for Setting an Allowance That Works
by Christine Carter and Candice McGarvey @herdollars Following these rules will teach your kids to be responsible with money. In a radio interview that went… Read more
Demand A Plan to End Gun Violence
How many more mass murders before our leaders pass common-sense laws to prevent gun violence and save lives? Demand a plan. Read more
Thursday Thought
“Speak when you’re angry, and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret.” —Lawrence J. Peter Read more
The Power of Optimism
How could a little optimism change your day? Read more
Thursday Thought
“In every difficult situation, there is glittering opportunity: stronger relationships, deeper understanding, new meaning. If accepted, these opportunities can bring us fulfillment and even joy.”… Read more
Friday Giggle: The AMAZING Dishwasher
Tired of nagging? I’m going to let Jen’s humorous approach work it’s magic with my teens. (My husband is hoping that I’LL take her tips… Read more
Thursday Thought
“The opinion which other people have of you is their problem, not yours.” —Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Read more
Three German Students Surprise a Homeless Guy
This sweet film is a heartwarming story of compassion and creativity. By using the universal power of music, walls are brought down to expose a… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Everything you’ve ever wanted is one step out of your comfort zone.” —Anonymous Read more
0-100: Change the World
If you could change anything in the would, what would it be? Read more
Thursday Thought
“People wish to be settled; only so far as they are unsettled is there any hope for them.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson Read more
Three Tricks to Find Your Flow
Athletes call this mental state being in “The Zone”; psychologists call it “flow” or peak experience, and they have linked it to leading a life… Read more
One Day More
What a surprising and fun break from all this back to school chaos! Read more
Thursday Thought
“Even as real grief breaks your heart, something in you knows that you’re being broken open, and there is something profoundly hopeful at the core… Read more
This is What I Hope I’ve Taught You
My baby Fiona giving her 8th grade commencement talk. (A reminder to me that she’s got this thing — she gave better advice to her… Read more
Always #LikeAGirl – Unstoppable
Do we limit girls and tell them what they should or shouldn’t be? Do we box them into expected roles? Read more
Thursday Thought
“The reason most people do not recognize an opportunity when they meet it is because it usually goes around wearing overalls and looking like Hard… Read more
Enlightened Parenting –Tips for Raising Confident and Loving Kids
By Meredith Montgomery Shelly Lefkoe, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Guide to Effective Parenting, believes that children learn what we model as important… Read more
Close to Home | It Can Wait
A startling reminder about what matters most — and what doesn’t matter at all. Read more
Thursday Thought
“Life is short. Break the rules. Forgive quickly, kiss slowly. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that makes you smile.” ― Mark Twain Read more
The Three Parts of an Effective Apology
People make mistakes all the time. Not just bad people, or weak people. All people. Our mistakes are what make us human. And even when… Read more
Dream Workshop with The New York City Ballet
When she reached out to the New York City Ballet about a dance program for children with special needs, she didn’t expect a response. But… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Panic causes tunnel vision. Calm acceptance of danger allows us to more easily assess the situation and see the options.” —Simone Sinek Read more
The Brewing Backlash Against Busyness
By: Justina Reichel Today it seems like all ‘successful’ people in life are the ones who keep up with the breakneck pace that society sets for… Read more
8 Ways to Achieve More While Working Less
Really: I spend that much time doing stuff I enjoy, that isn’t on a task list anywhere. I walk through the beautiful university campus near… Read more
Happiness Tip: Trade Expectations for Gratitude
Feeling frustrated or disappointed? It isn’t that we shouldn’t have high expectations, or that we shouldn’t feel hurt when someone lets us down. But one of the… Read more
The Ugly Judgement of Society
As women, we face judgement no matter what path we take. Let’s stop judging and start supporting. Read more
Thursday Thought
“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson Read more
6 Ways to Be Happy Alone
By Dr. Sanjay Gupta A study suggests that people have a hard time being alone with their thoughts. What can you do about it? Everybody spends… Read more
Start your own meditation practice
The benefits of meditation are tremendous. In a world that is “on” 24/7, few of us get much regular rest. We go go go — perhaps getting… Read more
Living Lives of Gratitude
Gratitude has inspired both of these women in two very unique ways! See their heartwarming stories here. A film by Hailey Bartholomew. More at 365… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” – Anais Nin Read more
Force yourself to unplug while summer is still with us. You will thank me later.
Turn off your cell phone — really and truly, totally off — for several hours today. Technology can be addictive, and it can change… Read more
A 4-Minute Trick For Massive Productivity
Fantastic productivity tip from Marie Forleo. This 4-minute trick has helped me get more done with less stress — I find I can get to… Read more
Thursday Thought
“The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or… Read more
13 Incredibly Smart Tips To Be Happier From Mental Health Experts
By Anna Borges Everyone wants to feel happy, right? Then why does happiness seem so hard to find? Well these thirteen mental health experts may… Read more
How to remain sane — and even productive — over the summer
Researchers believe that the brains in both humans and animals evolved to feel calmed by repetitive behavior, and that our daily rituals and habits are… Read more
Looking for Adam
Want to participate in a global matchmaking effort by this sweet son? Read more
Thursday Thought
“I think if you can dance and be free and not embarrassed you can rule the world.” –Amy Poehler Read more
Happiness Tip: Just Eat
I know, I know — you’re thinking this happiness tip is pretty bogus. I mean, who doesn’t feel happier when they eat? Am I really… Read more
Love Can’t Wait
Lennie and Pearl just celebrated their 48th year together and their first anniversary. #LoveWins #loveCantWait Read more
Free Inspirational Postcards
Remember how fun it used to be to receive a handwritten note? My daughters are away at camp right now, so we’re sending and receiving more mail than… Read more
The Price of Admission
Feeling annoyed by your significant other? Sometimes irritation is the price we pay for love. Funny (but profane) relationship advice from Dan Savage. Read more
Thursday Thought
Spend less time tearing yourself apart, worrying if you’re good enough. You are good enough. – Reese Witherspoon Read more
Tell Them Now
Don’t hold back, tell your dad why you’re grateful. Read more
Being with Jane Goodall
Why science needs heart in addition to brains! I watched the hug at the end several times. I adore Jane Goodall!! Read more
Thursday Thought
“When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt Read more
11 Ways to Raise a Child Who is Entitled and Rude
I’ve been re-reading Amy McCready’s excellent parenting book, The “Me, Me, Me” Epidemic. In so doing, it’s occurred to me that our generation of parents… Read more
Dear 16-year-old Me
Melanoma killed my grandmother when she was about my age — I never got to meet her. I’m told she was a creative, funny and… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” Leonard Cohen Read more
Stressed? Tired? Just busy?
Please join me at a free event in Mill Valley on June 7, 2015 from 4:00 to 5:00 pm. If you are heading into summer feeling… Read more
Thursday Thought
“One who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; one who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.” -Chinese Proverb Read more
My Best Happiness Advice (Video)
I’ve made a lot of happiness mistakes. I know you will make some of those same mistakes. But there are certain things I’ve finally learned… Read more
What’s Stopping You From Achieving Your Goals?
What’s stopping you from achieving your goals? The answer is surprising! (Need tips for being conquering your fear? Check out this week’s blog post on… Read more
Thursday Thought
Every day, do at least one frightening thing that contributes to the fulfillment of your desires. – Martha Beck Read more
Mind Body Spirit Living
Our culture sends us mixed messages about being “busy”, but there is a way to use our minds and physiology to help us find a… Read more
Thursday Thought
“When you are grateful fear disappears and abundance appears.” Anthony Robbins Read more
9 Ways to Cheer Yourself Up in 30 Seconds
by Celia Shatzman for Women’s Health Just Smile Making eye contact and grinning at a stranger can brighten both of your days. “Research shows it… Read more
How to help kids achieve more, but stress less
Kids today are more stressed and exhausted than they’ve ever been — and the pressures on them to achieve are only mounting. What can we… Read more
Heart-Space
by Joy Sawyer-Mulligan Shared in my monthly newsletter this week, this beautiful essay is my top pick for Mother’s Day reading this weekend. I’d been… Read more
Relax into Your Sweet Spot
Don’t get addicted to busyness, or let it become a badge of honor. You can do less—and feel good about it. Check out my interview… Read more
The power of forgiveness
This small business owner is offering a year of yoga to the vandals who damaged her property. I hope they take her up on it! Read more
Thursday Thought
“Laughter is an instant vacation.” — Milton Berle Read more
A good idea
Now THIS is a good idea! Read more
Thursday Thought
“Either you run the day, or the day runs you.” — Anonymous Read more
3 Easy Ways to Find Your Sweet Spot
What is the sweet spot, you ask? (It has been called to my attention by several readers of this blog that I have not really… Read more
I like being 98
This absolutely made my day. I want to be just like this woman. (Starting now: For the record, I love being 43.) Read more
The Happy Middle School Student
Do you have middle schoolers? I do! In fact, I have THREE middle schoolers. It’s safe to say I think a lot about this critical… Read more
The Opposite of Busy is…Productive
I’ve written a lot about how busyness is less a sign of significance or success than it is a sign of what researchers call “cognitive… Read more
Opening Doors
Such a great demonstration of how a simple shift can have an amazing effect on your life. Read more
Thursday Thought
Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are. -Malcolm S. Forbes Read more
Blind Trust Experiment
A beautiful and moving demonstration of blind trust and and important reminder that we are all a part of a common humanity. Read more
Thursday Thought
One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul.… Read more
A Flourishing Life
I had another fun interview with Mindfulness 4 Mothers’ Kellie Edwards! Take a listen to her “A Flourishing Life” show. CLICK HERE to play or right… Read more
Do you have a middle-schooler?
I do! In fact, I have THREE middle schoolers. It’s safe to say I think a lot about this critical developmental period in children’s lives.… Read more
Change The Way You Look At Women
Isn’t it time to see more realistic — and truly inspiring—images of women in the media? I’m sure ready. This video is a wonderful, and… Read more
Thursday Thought
There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. –Edith Wharton Read more
The Opposite of Optional
by MommyTasker Finding the right balance can be tricky and takes concentration If I take a brief scan of my life over the last decade… Read more
Break Yourself Off a Piece of Happiness
To celebrate the International Day of Happiness this past Friday, I participated in an interview with Snapchat Stories. Enjoy! Snapchat: What’s one of the biggest… Read more
Thursday Thought
Nothing determines who we will become so much as those things we choose to ignore. –Sandor McNab Read more
Think Busyness is a Sign You’re Succeeding? Think Again.
Until a couple of years ago, every time someone would ask me how I was doing, I would always give the same answer: I am… Read more
Love has no labels
I love being surprised! Read more
Thursday Thought
Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them. –Marcus Aurelius Read more
Achieve More by Doing Less!
It’s very hard for us to accept that more is not necessarily better, and that busyness is a mark of importance and success. But when… Read more
A Quick Way to Clear Clutter
Photo by Iain Watson It’s approaching that time of the year again: spring cleaning. Although we may know that we want to deep clean or… Read more
Thursday Thought
How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours. –Wayne Dyer Read more
Wisdom 2.0
I love love loved being at Wisdom 2.0 this weekend. One of the great highlights of my life. Read more
A Lesson on Focus
Photo by Michael Dales I’m naturally very distractible and messy – a “big-picture thinker, but not so much a detail person,” as my father would euphemize when… Read more
Instructions For A Bad Day
Having a bad day? Take a few minutes to listen to these truthful and poetic words. Let them uplift you and know that this too… Read more
Thursday Thought
“You will never realize your best destiny through the avoidance of fear. Rather, you will realize it through the exercise of courage, which means taking… Read more
How to Find More Than 24 Hours in a Day
Find the minimum effective dose — of everything. The “minimum effective dose” (MED) is considered to be the lowest dose of a pharmaceutical product… Read more
“Genius” Relationship Advice
Love this advice for navigating all important relationships in your life. Read more
Thursday Thought
“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” –Buddha Read more
How To Be Happier
We’re all in search of ways to become more productive, less stressed and better balanced between work and play. This hour, we’ll talk to sociologist… Read more
How to be happier and more productive – by doing less
by Dave McGinn for The Globe and Mail When asked how we are doing, most of us will answer with “busy.” We say it with… Read more
Is Your Phone Actually Controlling YOU?
Social media can stress us out — or help us feel love and connection. The key is to understand their impact and use them strategically.… Read more
This is What I Hope I’ve Taught You
My baby Fiona giving her 8th grade commencement talk. (A reminder to me that she’s got this thing — she gave better advice to her… Read more
Thursday Thought
“With life as short as a half-taken breath, don’t plant anything but love.”- Rumi Read more
Thursday Thought
“Kindness, I’ve discovered, is everything in life.” – Isaac Singer Read more
7 Ways to Feel Loved and Connected
Photo by xxFr0z3n Celebrate other people’s success. The people we love feel closer to us when we actively rejoice with them. When they succeed, whoop and… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Busyness is not a sign of success, significance or importance. It’s a sign that we are not fulfilling our potential.” — Christine Carter in the… Read more
How to Find Your Sweet Spot
Jill Suttie sat down with me recently to talk about my new book In 2009, Christine Carter felt like she had it all. On top of… Read more
Fail at Your New Year’s Resolution
Photo by Avern This week is an important one for people who made New Year’s resolutions (I hope that’s you)! If you can keep your… Read more
The Sweet Spot Manifesto (Video)
In honor of book launch week (yay!), check out this video my publisher put together for my Sweet Spot manifesto. Get a beautiful printable version here. Read more
Thursday Thought
“In our materially rich but spiritually bereft culture, we often forget that how much we enjoy our lives really matters.” — Christine Carter, The Sweet… Read more
Happiness Tip: Find a Manifesto (Free Download)
Before I wrote The Sweet Spot, I needed a manifesto — something to organize my passion for the project. I started keeping lists of phrases… Read more
How to Multi-task Without Making Mistakes
If you find that you make more errors while multi-tasking, you aren’t alone. Watch this to learn how to multi-task skillfully and strategically — so… Read more
Thursday Thought
“The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling… Read more
Happiness Tip: Stop Checking Your Freaking Phone
Photo by Andres Rodriguez I would love some help figuring out a tiny habit to help me unplug from my phone. It’s the first thing… Read more
What do you receive when you give?
If you are wondering whether you are pursuing the right goals in 2015, or whether your resolutions will truly make you happy, watch this. (Or… Read more
Thursday Thought
Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. — Ralph Waldo Emerson Read more
Five Foolproof Ways to Feel More Joy in 2015
Photo by Jorge Sanmartín Maïssa These first few weeks in January are a precious time for setting getting ourselves on a path toward more joy… Read more
Win a FREE Book!
Happy New Year! As we count down to the release of my new book, The Sweet Spot: How to Find Your Groove at Home and Work,… Read more
7 Easy Things You Can Do to Enjoy Today (and Tomorrow) More
Photo by Tom Fahy Take a good old-fashioned recess in the middle of the day. For every 60-90 minutes that you focus, take a 10-15… Read more
Happiness Tip: Make a Really Specific Plan
Photo by Carrie Eberhardt If you are setting New Year’s resolutions this year, whether or not you are able to keep your resolutions will depend on… Read more
Thursday Thought
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” Charles Darwin Read more
Need help making your resolutions??? Enter to win a free coaching session!
Photo by Snapshooter46 Know what one of my very favorite things to do is? I LOVE coaching people through making New Year’s resolutions. Sign up… Read more
Free Online Class!
We’re excited to offer a completely revised version of my most popular online class ever as a gift for ordering The Sweet Spot: How to Find… Read more
How one man changed the world
This moving piece makes me think about Ferguson and how every atrocious situation presents an opportunity for us to be big hearted and truly good,… Read more
Thursday Thought
“If you want to feel rich, just count the things you have that money can’t buy.” Proverb Read more
Happiness and Meaning
Wondering what exactly a “sweet spot” is? Check out this video and learn what inspired me to write the book. If you’re intrigued, check out… Read more
Happiness Tip: Establish a Tiny Habit
Do you have resolutions you’d like to make this week? Maybe you’d like to read or workout more, or remember to call your mom on… Read more
Last Chance – Order by NOON PST today!!
How to give The Sweet Spot as a gift: (1) Pre-order the book. (2) Fill out the form below to get a gift card and/or a signed… Read more
Does Your Family Push Your Buttons?
Heading home for the holidays? We’ll all do well to heed @Elizabeth Gilbert’s great advice! Read more
The 3 Most Important Things for Keeping Resolutions
Don’t join this failing 50% in the new year! Instead, follow these three research-based strategies for making resolutions that stick: 1. Make your resolution a… Read more
Thursday Thought
“Happiness depends on conditions being perceived as positive. Inner peace does not.” –Eckhart Tolle Read more
There is Still Time to Order This Gift!
How to give The Sweet Spot as a gift: (1) Pre-order the book. (2) Fill out the form below to get a gift card and/or a signed… Read more
Happiness Tip: Enjoy Every Sandwich
Imagine you’ve just been told that you have less than six months to live. What do you need to do? Who do you need to… Read more
I Can’t Breathe
A skillful, artful protest. Read more
Thursday Thought
Thinking a lot about recent deaths of innocent young men. What meaning will we give their lives, and their deaths? The Young Dead Soldiers Do Not Speak… Read more
Why Happiness is the Wrong Pursuit
Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.” –Helen… Read more
Happiness Tip: 9 Ways to Ease Overwhelm
A lot of my new book is about easing the overwhelm that comes from the busy world we live in. Here are 9 of my… Read more
FREE bookplates & gift cards!
How to give The Sweet Spot as a gift: (1) Pre-order the book. (2) Fill out the form below to get a gift card and/or a signed… Read more
3 More Ways to Make Your Holidays Happier — Even if You are Super Busy
The holidays can be a mixed-bag for some people when it comes to happiness. Many of us tend to look forward to this time of… Read more
Graphic: Make Your Holidays Happier
(even if you are super busy). Chase created this little graphic based on some of my holiday happiness tips… Read more
Stress Reduction Teleseries — Download Now!
It’s not too late to listen in! I so enjoyed my recent teleseries designed to teach simple but critical skills for… Read more
Thursday Thought
“This is the gift: to have a wonderful capacity to appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe,… Read more
How to Practice Extreme Gratitude
Ahh, Thanksgiving. For many of us regular gratitude-practicers, this extra grateful time of year can seem like a bit like more of the same. Sometimes… Read more
Happiness Tip: Make a Holiday Game Plan
So that I can actually enjoy the holidays, I’ve had to devise a three-part plan for tackling all that needs to be done at this… Read more
Endless Ripple
Ah…how moving I find these little acts of kindness… hat tip: Shawn Achor Read more
Thursday Thought
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” – Gilbert K. Chesterton Read more
How to Enjoy the Holidays
My teens are obsessed with Christmas carols this year (and every year). It’s the holidays! they exclaim when I suggest that perhaps we could listen to… Read more
Happiness Tip: Practice Saying No
I am rarely so unhappy as when I’ve committed to do something I don’t really want to do; dread is such a yucky thing to… Read more
It’s not too late to join us live!
These conversations are designed to teach simple but critical skills for reducing the stress in our busy lives. We’ll be talking… Read more
One Stitch Closer
Take control of the life that you want to lead. #womeninspire Read more
Thursday Thought
“Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm.” Author Unknown Read more
21 Ways to Just Say No
I’ve found it incredibly helpful to have go-to ways to just say no. I mostly just say “I’m already booked” (see below), because that is… Read more
Our new tele-series continues tomorrow!
It’s not too late to join us! . These conversations are designed to teach simple but critical skills for reducing the… Read more
Happiness Tip: Stare into Space
When was the last time you just sat down and stared into space? Put your feet up and did nothing? Spaced out in the shower?… Read more
Salve Regina
I love the unexpectedness of this video — the juxtaposition of a monk shredding the streets — using his natural talents in his chosen vocation.… Read more
Thursday Thought
“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” Peter Drucker Read more
How to Stop Feeling Time-Starved
Although I presumably spent most of my childhood daydreaming, I seldom do it anymore. Occasionally, I’ll catch myself spacing out in the shower, just standing… Read more
Low-Stress, High-Joy Holidays: Here’s How The Experts Do It
My new tele-series kicks off today! . . Please join me for 3 fun conversations designed to teach simple but critical skills… Read more
What a Baby Can Teach Us
One of the greatest things a baby can teach us is how to give affection without expecting anything in return. Read more
Thursday Thought
This day is a journey, this very moment an adventure. Rebecca Pavlenko Read more
Low-Stress, High-Joy Holidays: Here’s How the Experts Do it
I’m so excited to be offering a new tele-series! . . Please join me for 3 fun conversations designed to teach… Read more
Happiness Tip: Find Something to Love About the Moment You Are In Right Now
When I drop my kids off at school in the morning, I ask them one question: “What are you going to do today?” They always… Read more
Ashes and Snow
Ashes and Snow by Gregory Colbert from Gregory Colbert on Vimeo. Need help cultivating wordlessness? This incredible film is a meditation of sorts, and it… Read more
Thursday Thought
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” Anaïs Nin Read more
Low-Stress, High Joy Teleseries
My new tele-series kicks off today! . . Please join me for 3 fun conversations designed to teach simple but critical skills… Read more
Happiness Tip: Cultivate Wordlessness
While I’ve long known about the neurological benefits of meditation, it wasn’t until I watched Jill Bolte Taylor’s TED talk that I started thinking about how many… Read more
Beautiful
Despite the soul-crushing moment in the middle, I love this narrative about seeing your own beauty when you are in your groove — in that… Read more
Thursday Thought
Now that all your worry has proved such an unlucrative business, why not find a better job? –Hafiz Read more
Happiness Tip: Find Your Sweet Spot
A long-time perfectionist and over-achiever, I used to accomplished my goals through the sheer force of my iron-clad will, my grit, and darn hard work.… Read more
One Bar Closer to Humanity
“I imagine a world where we smile when we have low batteries because that will mean we are one bar closer to humanity.” Check out… Read more
Happiness Tip: Don’t Take a Picture
This last weekend was my nephew’s first birthday party, and because he is absolutely the most adorable baby EVER and I love him so much,… Read more
Friday Inspiration: A Different Take on Gratitude
In case you are in need of inspiration for this week’s Happiness Tip, here is a different take on gratitude. Read more
Happiness Tip: Write Down the Good Things
I am not a journaler; after sitting in front of my computer all day, it doesn’t usually occur to me to end the day by… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Blended Family
I think most of us divorced people with kids never thought we’d ever be the ones to get divorced. This week is the anniversary of… Read more
Happiness Tip: Fall in Love All Over Again
Last weekend was my first wedding anniversary with my husband, the first of what I hope will be many in a long marriage. But because this is… Read more
Thursday Thought
No one can give you anything–love, shame, self-esteem–until you give it to yourself. Today, give yourself good things.” –Martha Beck Read more
Friday Inspiration: Chloe’s Wedding Day
We all have so many gifts to share that can change the course of other people’s lives profoundly for the better. Here, the father of… Read more
Thursday Thought
Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.” — Japanese proverb Read more
Happiness Tip: Take a Free Happiness Class
Did you know that happiness is much better thought of as a set of skills you can learn and practice than it is an inborn… Read more
Friday Inspiration: End Bullying
I love this! A great way to foster compassion and make sure no one is made to feel less-than. Empower kids to #endbullying. Read more
Thursday Thought
Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up.” — Jesse Jackson Read more
Happiness Tip: Say Cheese
Are you documenting this Labor Day with lots of pictures? (My kids are certainly smiling–only 3 days of school and already a holiday!) Say cheese along… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Stop Dreaming
Why we need to stop dreaming about becoming someone we admire, and get busy becoming ourselves. Read more
Happiness Tip: Return to Your Routine
I LOVE THE FALL!!! I’m getting very excited for September, and not just because my kids are headed back to school this week…I love the… Read more
Back to School Friday Inspiration
My kids go back to school on Wednesday. Until then, I’ll experience vicarious joy through @WhatsUpMoms Read more
Thursday Thought
In the East they say that luck favors the prepared mind. I believe that life favors the prepared mind.” —Robin S. Sharma Read more
Thursday Thought
Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony.” —Thomas Merton Read more
Friday Inspiration: Unloved
I like this video for its moving reminders about why we should find ways to say no politely, and to behave well when someone doesn’t… Read more
Thursday Thought
Education is when you read the fine print. Experience is what you get if you don’t.” — Pete Seeger Read more
Happiness Tip: Hang Out with Your Pet
We recently adopted a dog, which has given me a new perspective on how animals bring happiness to humans. We were certainly happy before we met Buster (pictured below),… Read more
Thursday Thought
Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.” –Albert Camus Read more
Thursday Thought
Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.” –Albert Camus Read more
Happiness Tip: Disconnect
Turn off your cell phone — really and truly, totally off — for several hours today. Technology can be addictive, and it can change the… Read more
Thursday Thought
Play is the only way the highest intelligence of humankind can unfold.” — Joseph Chilton Pearce Read more
Friday Inspiration: Elevator Joy Bomb
Go ahead: really smile while you watch this. Maybe even get up and dance! Advanced challenge: Go out and do something that is playful like… Read more
Thursday Thought
In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends.” — John Churton Collins Read more
Happiness Tip: Catch Someone Else’s Joy
When was the last time someone else’s happiness became your own? Last weekend I was at a fundraiser where several musicians were playing live. I… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Straighten Up
Following on this week’s Happiness Tip, this TED talk is about how hugely our posture can impact our success. Read more
Thursday Thought
Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”… Read more
Happiness Tip: Straighten Up
Starting in 6th grade — about the time when I became painfully self-conscious, and really didn’t want my mother’s advice — my mom started to… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Look In Your Neighbor’s Bowl
Although the lesson is clearly lost on this little girl, I like the message: If you want to be happy, stop looking in your neighbor’s… Read more
Thursday Thought
The stuff of life never ends. That is life.You will never clear your plate so you can finally get to the good stuff. So you… Read more
Happiness Tip: Memorize Part of a Poem
We often forget that inspiration — along with its cousins elevation and awe — are positive emotions that make us feel more content, joyful and… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Run Like a Girl
Why can’t the phrase “run like a girl” mean show your strength or win the race? Read more
Thursday Thought
Set me a task in which I can put something of my very self, and it is a task no longer; it is joy; it… Read more
Less Busyness and More Flow
Feeling too busy? Does busyness impact your happiness? In this video with Lindsay Reed Maines, I discuss that ever-present feeling of being too busy and… Read more
Friday Inspiration: A Happy Little Thing Called “Thank You”
I love this experiment in gratitude. These college students are caught off guard when they are asked to share their letters with those for whom… Read more
Thursday Thought
Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible… Read more
Friday Inspiration: 99 Problems…
No dream is impossible. This (wonderfully hilarious) woman is living proof. Read more
Thursday Thought
A racing mind that reacts sensitively to little things indicates thinking that has lost its spiritual strength. Meditation restores that power.” –Anonymous Read more
Friday Inspiration: Lessons from the Mental Hospital
Glennon’s courage will move you to accept yourself exactly as you are–and inspire you to live a bolder, more meaningful life. Read more
Thursday Thought
Give yourself entirely to those around you. Be generous with your blessings. A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.” —… Read more
Friday Inspiration: A Teacher’s Alter Ego
Think you know someone? Often, you don’t know the half of it! This story about an old school teacher warmed my heart a little! Read more
Thursday Thought
Genius is the ability to renew one’s emotions in daily experience.” –Paul Cezanne Read more
Why I Yell at My Kids
It was an afternoon like any other. I had picked my kids up from their after-school activities, and we were driving to dinner at my… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Love No Matter What
We love our children unconditionally, but do we accept them as they are? Andrew Solomon sheds light on this question in his poetic and provocative… Read more
Thursday Thought
Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” — Rumi Read more
Take Your Happiness to New Heights!
Register for our Happiness on Autopilot online class to learn five high-impact habits that will make you — and your kids! — happier now. This class will cover:… Read more
Happiness Tip: Just Eat
I know, I know — you’re thinking this happiness tip is pretty bogus. I mean, who doesn’t feel happier when they eat? Am I really… Read more
Friday Inspiration
Is there a connection between wealth and unseemly behavior? You bet there is. Check out this amazing video! Read more
Thursday Thought
Happiness does not reside in strength or money; it lies in rightness and many-sidedness.” — Democritus Read more
Why We Don’t Short-Change Dinnertime, Even When We are Pressed for Time
Now that my kids are pre-teens and teens, dinnertime keeps getting pushed later and later, squished between after school activities and homework time. I know that… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Be Like Water
This is a little random. Made me giggle, and remember to “be like water, my friend.” Read more
Thursday Thought
After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relations.” — Oscar Wilde Read more
How important are family dinners? You be the judge!
In this new video from Kids in the House, I discuss the benefits of family dinnertime. Need tips on making family dinners easier? Check out my… Read more
Happiness Tip: Take a Stroll
My grandmother always told me that getting outside for a little walk could clear our heads and lift our spirits; now we have plenty of… Read more
Friday Inspiration: The Mother’s Day Note You Deserve
It’s a marathon not a sprint — I love how this “Mother’s Day note we all deserve” captures the little things we do to keep… Read more
Thursday Thought
A well-spent day brings happy sleep.” –Leonardo da Vinci Read more
Bonus Inspiration: World’s Toughest Job
In case you need a little reminder to thank your mother for all she’s done for you… Read more
Friday Giggle: Four Kids
Hilarious look at childbirth and life with a large family. Read more
Thursday Thought
This is how we usually behave — we see a reflection of our less-than-perfect traits in others, and rather than realizing that we are seeing… Read more
Hardships and Mistakes Benefit Kids
It’s important to let your kids make mistakes — to learn and grow from them. Check out this Kids in the House video for more… Read more
Friday Inspiration: The Science of Character
Fascinating (very short) film on the science of character. Building on strengths can have a lasting effect on our happiness and well-being. Read more
Thursday Thought
Every event is the right one. Look closely and you’ll see.” — Marcus Aureliuss Read more
Happiness Tip: Ground Yourself
You might know that your TV needs to be grounded electrically to get a clear picture, but did you know that your body also needs… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Stroke of Insight
I first saw this stunning TED talk at least 5 years ago (maybe more) but I still think about it all the time! Worth a… Read more
Thursday Thought
I’m proud to pay taxes in the United States; the only thing is, I could be just as proud for half the money.” – Arthur… Read more
Motivating your kids with bribes (or threats)?
“If you empty the dishwasher right now, I’ll give you a dollar.” Does this sound familiar? We’ve all done it: offered our kids little bribes… Read more
Coach Your Kids to Emotional Literacy
Studies show that kids who are emotion coached experience fewer negative emotions and recover more quickly when they are upset. Register for our Raise Kids’ Emotional… Read more
Friday Inspiration: The Gap
Great piece about overcoming failure in your creative endeavors and trusting your instincts. Read more
Thursday Thought
The opposite of anger is not calmness, it’s empathy.” — Mehmet Oz Read more
Greater Happiness in 5 Minutes a Day
Might be that sitting with your legs crossed repeating stuff like “May all beings be free from suffering,” is a little too far-out for you.… Read more
Coach Your Kids to Emotional Literacy
Studies show that kids who are emotion coached experience fewer negative emotions and recover more quickly when they are upset. Register for our Raise Kids’ Emotional… Read more
Happiness Tip: Build Anticipation for Something Fun
The sheer number of positive emotions we experience relative to negative ones affects how happy we are generally; for that reason, excitement about future events can be… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Anything for Love
Ready for a good cry? This is one of the most touching demonstrations of selflessness and love I’ve seen in quite some time. How far… Read more
Thursday Thought
The most certain sign of wisdom is cheerfulness.” — Michel de Montaigne Read more
Emotion Coaching for Children
In this video from Kids in the House, I give you some tips for managing kids’ emotional outbursts. Read more
Friday Inspiration: Want to be happier? Stay in the moment
Fascinating scientific presentation of how mind-wandering may be draining your happiness quotient. One of the more surprising findings is that even when people’s minds wander… Read more
Thursday Thought
Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” — Theodore Roosevelt Read more
Losing My Mindfulness
What do I do when I have a “bad mother” moment? What can we do instead of losing our temper? Here’s the short answer: try… Read more
Happiness Tip: Make a Playlist
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” –Plato Loads of research shows that… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Lean In Collection
In honor of Women’s History Month (and LeanIn.org’s first anniversary), Getty Images and LeanIn.org recently launched the “Lean In Collection” an impressive library of positive images of women,… Read more
Thursday Thought
There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy. By being happy we sow anonymous benefits upon the world.” —… Read more
Mindful Parenting
Feeling anxious or impatient? Mindfulness can help. Check out this video for a few quick tips to get started. For more information on this topic,… Read more
Happiness Tip: Flip the Script
“How are you?” A good friend asks at lunch. You haven’t seen her for a month or so. You feel guilty that you’ve been out… Read more
Friday Inspiration: All it Takes is 10 Mindful Minutes
When is the last time you did absolutely nothing for 10 whole minutes? No texting, talking or even thinking? Read more
Thursday Thought
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” — Buddha Read more
Happiness Tip: Do Just One Thing
Multitasking talent is nothing to brag about. If we just focused on one task at a time, we’d actually be more productive in the long… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Forget the Phone
How long can you go without your phone? Can you enjoy a special moment without recording it? Can you tolerate the boredom of waiting, or… Read more
Thursday Thought
Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” — Theodore Roosevelt Read more
Thursday Thought
Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.” — Nido Qubein Read more
Meditating with Kids
Loving-kindness meditation does far more than produce momentary good feelings. Research convincingly shows that it actually puts people on “trajectories of growth,” leaving them better… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Letter To A Person On Their First Day Here
A fresh pep talk from Kid President: “You’re made from love, to be loved, to spread love.” I LOVE KID PRESIDENT!! Read more
Thursday Thought
I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.” — Mother Teresa Read more
Why Focus On Romance?
We know intuitively that how happy we are—in a relationship or otherwise—affects our children. Our emotions are contagious, and so when a romantic partner loves… Read more
Happiness Tip: Don’t Just Do Something, Sit There
In a world that is “on” 24/7, few of us get much regular rest. We go go go — perhaps getting a lot of work done, or… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Fairy Tale Proposal
Even if you don’t believe in fairy tales, this is one of the most romantic proposals I’ve ever seen. Read more
Thursday Thought
What I’ve come to learn is that the world is never saved in grand messianic gestures, but in the simple accumulation of gentle, soft, almost… Read more
Why Cheerleaders Have Happier Marriages
When my brother was getting married, I inundated him with the science of happily married couples. I wanted to give him a guide to not… Read more
Happiness Tip: Get More Sleep
I know, I know, you don’t have time to sleep. You’re very busy and important. Or you think you are the exception to the rule—that… Read more
Friday (Valentines) Giggle
This hilarious parody is a pretty solid “what not to do” guide to Valentines Day. Enjoy a good chuckle today! Read more
Thursday Thought
All the particles of the world Are in love and looking for lovers. Pieces of straw tremble In the presence of amber.” –Rumi Read more
Is Your Marriage Losing its Luster?
One of the greatest things about our long-term romantic relationships is that they can provide comfort and predictability in this wild world we live in.… Read more
A Valentine’s Day Prezzy (for Yourself!)
Transform your relationship in four weeks! Rekindling Romance — an online class you can take on your own time — will help you build a foundation for… Read more
Happiness Tip: Cultivate Love
A buddy recently stopped by for tea and was telling me in a sweet moment how much he loves his wife. This is someone who… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Thoughts on Glitter and Glue
This video by my dear friend, Kelly Corrigan, shares incredibly sweet, touching (and funny!) thoughts on family and the great adventure we call parenthood. Read more
Thursday Thought
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” — Lao Tzu Read more
Be a Happier Parent Now!
In this new video from Kids in the House, I share practical tactics for increasing your own happiness. Want more tips? Check out my online… Read more
Happiness Tip: Make Relationships Your First Priority
“What is the secret to happiness?” Everyone I meet eventually asks me this question, usually sooner rather than later. (Most recently, Dr. Oz asked me.… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Selfies
Watch this with your daughters, and post a selfie on our Facebook page today! While it is true that advertisers and the media put unrealistic… Read more
Thursday Thought
Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” — Marcel Proust Read more
Put Your Own Oxygen Mask on First
I’m always struck by our willingness as mothers to take care of our children—and often their fathers and a host of others around us—before we… Read more
How and Why to Put Your Happiness First
In this Kids in the House video, learn how and why to put your happiness first! If you need more guidance or an action plan… Read more
Happiness Tip: Double Down on Your Resolutions
Double down for one more week and reap the benefits. This week is an important one for people who made New Year’s resolutions (I hope… Read more
Friday Inspiration: The Hero’s Journey
Step out of your comfort zone and create your own hero’s journey. Read more
Thursday Thought
Be steady and well-ordered in your life so that you can be fierce and original in your work.” — Gustave Flaubert Read more
Don’t Quit Your Resolutions Now!
Here’s how to stay strong through January (or get back on track if you’ve started to slip) Did you make a resolution this year that… Read more
Happiness Tip: Pull Yourself Together
If I had to guess which personality trait best predicts a long, healthy life, I’d probably guess something that relates to joy or creativity or… Read more
Friday Inspiration: The Power of Empathy
Do you know what the difference between empathy and sympathy is? In this beautiful video, Dr. Brené Brown teaches us why empathy fosters friendship and… Read more
Thursday Thought
I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” — Martin Luther King, Jr. Read more
Happiness Tip: Skip the Morning Donut
I’m a big fan of high-fat foods; fat tastes good, after all! And research has shown that some types of fats, like Omega-3s, can calm… Read more
Thursday Thought
To do the useful thing, to say the courageous thing, to contemplate the beautiful thing: that is enough for one man’s life.” –T.S. Eliot Read more
Most Popular Happiness Tips of 2013
Wondering which Happiness Tips were most popular in 2013? Here are the top 5 Happiness Tips shared, viewed, liked and commented on the most! 5.… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Manifesto
Great life advice for the New Year in this moving little video. Most true for me: “Life is about the people you meet and the… Read more
Thursday Thought
What really distinguishes this generation in all countries from earlier generations…is its determination to act, its joy in action, the assurance of being able to… Read more
3 New Year’s Resolutions to Make You Happier
You want to lose weight. Get out of debt. Stop smoking. Eat more kale. Call your grandma more often. I do understand why people don’t… Read more
Happiness Tip: Make a Resolution
This year, skip the New Year’s diet and do something fun. I do understand why New Year’s resolutions don’t make a lot of people happy:… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Be the Party!
Feeling a little grouchy? Don’t just go to another holiday party, BE THE PARTY. Sound advice from a kid who wants us to be more… Read more
Thursday Thought
How lovely to think that no one need wait a moment. We can start now, start slowly, changing the world. How lovely that everyone, great… Read more
Want to be Happy over the Holidays? Practice Forgiveness!
The holidays are not always a happy time for many people, particularly for adults who are disappointed or hurt year after year — that their… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Louis CK
A little irreverent (but hilarious) video with an important message: if you are feeling anxious or excited or proud, let yourself FEEL that emotion. Read more
Thursday Thought
Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst… Read more
Tablet and Smartphone Boot Camp for Middle School Parents
‘Tis the season for electronic gifts. But these days, parents need to provide their kids with much more than batteries for all their devices. Everyday… Read more
Friday Inspiration: The Tutu Project
A good story about love. About inspiration. Check out the Tutu Project website to see the beautiful photos! Read more
Thursday Thought
Give children at least as many chances to show compassion as they have to be competitive.” –Erica Layman Read more
What Makes Some Kids So Materialistic?
The kids and I are preparing to go to a friend’s party, where we’ll be wrapping presents for less-fortunate children, like those spending Christmas in… Read more
Happiness Tip: Give Yourself a Helper’s High
Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukah! Happy Holidays, everyone! Did that greeting just make you warm inside with thoughts of winter lights and family celebrations and Salvation… Read more
Friday Guffaw: People without Kids Have No Idea
I adore my children, but this comedian’s take on how difficult life with children can be is sidesplittingly funny! Read more
Thursday Thought
One kind word can warm three winter months.” –Japanese Proverb Read more
Thursday Thought
Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.” — G.B. Stern Read more
Thanksgiving Inspiration: How to Have a Really Good Day
Every day is a gift! Practical — and uplifting — wisdom here about how to make each day count. Happy Thanksgiving to all! I’m deeply… Read more
Happiness Tip: Practice Gratitude Deliberately
If we want to be happy we need to practice gratitude deliberately and consistently — or we’ll end up feeling entitled rather than satisfied. Here… Read more
Friday Inspiration: A New Perspective for Moms
A New Perspective For Moms on Vimeo. We are all our own worst critics, aren’t we? Watch this lovely video and let your inner voice… Read more
Thursday Thought
To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.” –Johannes A. Gaertner Read more
Some People Just Aren’t Thankful
“To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.” –Johannes A. Gaertner… Read more
Encouraging Kids to Practice Gratitude
In this Kids In the House video, I share the importance of creating gratitude routines. Read more
Happiness Tip: Have a Family Game Night
Want to boost your mood this week? Challenge your family members to an old-fashioned board game. A whopping 91% of families who play games report… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Homeward Bound
Touching story of determination and the unbreakable bonds that tie family together. Read more
Thursday Thought
In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life… Read more
Why Gratitude is Necessary for Happiness
In this Kids in the House video, I discuss why gratitude is an important and necessary skill to develop for happiness. Read more
Happiness Tip: Quit Something
It’s a myth that “winners never quit and quitters never win.” From a stress-management standpoint, we need to know when to disengage — and be… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Hear Them Roar
Hope, strength, determination, human connections. I love the raw nature of this video: caretakers being silly and vulnerable for the benefit of the children they… Read more
Getting Kids Involved in Chores
Some tips and tricks to get kids’ to to do boring but necessary tasks without offering bribes and rewards from my Kids in the House video. Read more
Thursday Thought
Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.” — Henri-Frederic… Read more
Welcome Dr. Oz Show Viewers
Hello Dr. Oz Show viewers! If you’re on this website for the first time, welcome! We are so glad you are here. We offer tools… Read more
Tune in to the Dr. Oz Show Today!
I’m on a new Dr. Oz show episode today! Tune in — I can’t wait to share my favorite Happiness Tips with you! Read more
Friday Inspiration: Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai is an incredibly brave and noble young woman. Wise beyond her years, the forgiveness she shares in this video is an inspiration to… Read more
Thursday Thought
I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to… Read more
How to Eliminate ‘Junk Stimulus’
We Americans are often overwhelmed and exhausted. Did you know that 235 million people are currently grappling with feelings of time starvation and moderate to… Read more
How can we teach self-discipline to kids?
In this video from Kids in the House, I discuss a surprising way to encourage self-discipline in kids. Read more
Friday Inspiration: Give and Receive
Beautiful piece illustrating the distinctions between a day in the life of the affluent and the impoverished. Also a great demonstration of this week’s Happiness… Read more
Thursday Thought
You’ve got to continue to grow, or you’re just like last night’s cornbread–stale and dry.” — Loretta Lynn Read more
How to Avoid Burnout—or a Breakdown
Three ways working parents can combat exhaustion that don’t require radical social change Feeling maxed-out? Like you’d like to lie down so badly you are… Read more
Happiness Tip: Flex Your Generosity Muscle
Do something generous this week, and stretch if you can. Be more generous than usual. Research is clear that giving to others improves our health… Read more
What is “emotional literacy”?
Emotional literacy is, in many ways, the foundation of a happy and meaningful life. Register for my Raise Kids’ Emotional Intelligence online class learn more… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Science of Happiness
When we consciously practice gratitude, we find more joy and satisfaction in life. I LOVE how this small experiment demonstrates immediate benefits! Read more
The Importance of Social and Emotional Intelligence
Register for our Raise Kid’s Emotional Intelligence online class to learn how to teach children skills for happiness, emotional intelligence, and resilience This online class will… Read more
Thursday Thought
Tough times never last, tough people do.” — Robert Schuller Read more
Friday Inspiration: Extreme Couponing
Inspiring display of selflessness to make the world a better place. Read more
Thursday Thought
Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for… Read more
Would Working Less Make You Happier?
Is it even possible to work less in today’s economy? Are you caught in a “Time Bind”—where you feel like you don’t have enough time… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Harmonica Man
This special man warms my heart! May he rest in peace. Read more
Thursday Thought
Fill each day with life and heart. There is no pleasure in the world comparable to the delight and satisfaction that a good person takes… Read more
Are You Maxed Out?
I just finished Katrina Alcorn’s gripping memoir, Maxed Out, about her nervous breakdown. Although it is an absorbing, can’t-put-it-down kind of a book, her breakdown—harrowing as… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Gotta Dance!
In case you think you are too old to do something. Like hip-hop, or to star in a movie as a dancer. (Also, and… Read more
Thursday Thought
A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and… Read more
Happiness Tip: Hardwire Happiness
To keep our ancestors alive, the brain evolved a “negativity bias” that makes it like Velcro for negative experiences but Teflon for positive ones, as… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Snap Your Joy
A fun Friday Inspiration that underscores the contagious energy of joy. Read more
Thursday Thought
If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again.” –Flavia… Read more
Happiness Tip: Just Lie Down for a Minute
When we look at people who are at the top of their field, they all have grit: persistence and passion for their long-term goals. But… Read more
Friday Inspiration: The Perfectionism Cure
I LOVE the message of this video. Particularly relevant to perfectionists (I’m recovering) and kids kicking off a new academic year. Read more
Thursday Thought
When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal, you do not change your decision to get there.” — Zig Ziglar Read more
Happiness Tip: Practice Deliberately
As the kids get back into their school routines, I’m thinking about what really leads to success—as well as happiness. When we look at people… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Famous Failures
Check out these famous failures for a little inspiration to dust yourself off and try again! Read more
Thursday Thought
It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” — Albert Einstein Read more
Advice for New Parents
An open letter to my brother and his wife, who are expecting their first baby—a boy!!!—this fall. Dear Timmy and Sammy, As I know you… Read more
Happiness Tip: Manufacture Happiness
Faking happiness often makes us feel worse, but there are loads of ways to feel better after we feel bad. (Before you try this, though,… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Dare to Fail
You can’t have innovation without failure. The reason it is precious is that it’s scarce. Put yourself out there, dare to fail, learn and grow! Read more
Thursday Thought
We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Read more
Happiness Tip: Lean Into Difficult Emotions
“What do you do when you feel sad?” people often ask me. (Some even ask, “Do you ever get sad?”) Yes, OF COURSE I feel… Read more
Friday Inspiration
Dustin Hoffman on how Tootsie challenged his perception of beauty. I think his emotion in this video is SO beautiful! Read more
Thursday Thought
All happiness depends on courage and work.” — Honoré de Balzac Read more
Video: Growth vs. Fixed Mindsets
An overview of the most powerful mindsets — beliefs about why someone is successful or not — and why it’s essential for us to foster… Read more
Happiness Tip: Talk to Strangers
Lucky people meet their perfect partners, achieve their lifelong ambitions, find fulfilling careers, and live happy and meaningful lives. Their success is not due to… Read more
Welcome Dr. Oz Show Viewers
Hello Dr. Oz Show viewers! If you’re on this website for the first time, welcome! We are so glad you are here. We offer… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Smart is Sexy
A fun Friday Inspiration to share with the kids. How great to see someone using their celebrity to express the merits of hard work, thoughtfulness… Read more
Thursday Thought
Regret is in the past. Fear is in the future. In the present I can manage whatever is actually happening.” –Paul Williams Read more
Problems with Perfectionism
In the latest video from Kids in the House, I discuss why perfectionism is a form of unhappiness. It is, by definition, never being satisfied… Read more
Happiness Tip: Be Kind
Do something kind today for someone who’s a regular part of your life. There is a lot of scientific evidence that happiness and kindness are… Read more
Friday Inspiration
This inspiring short, created by a 20-year old in an AARP contest entitled “U@50”, uses an elegant device to articulate the importance of being a… Read more
Thursday Thought
Perhaps everything terrible is in its deepest being something helpless that wants help from us.” –Rainer Maria Rilke Read more
Time with kids? Or time to yourself?
Since my book Raising Happiness was published, I’ve met so many unhappy parents I’ve come to believe there might just be an epidemic of unhappiness… Read more
Happiness Tip: Broadcast Your Good News
When you have good news, share it, because the sharing will make you even happier. This is Savoring 101: Positive emotions are amplified when we… Read more
Friday Inspiration
‘The Light That Shines’ a story for all from InBedWithSue.com on Vimeo. An inspiring reminder of the power of friendship, acceptance, self-confidence, healing, love, and… Read more
Thursday Thought
It’s not so much about getting what you want as having what it takes to give to others.” –Danielle LaPorte Read more
It’s Summertime: Let’s Play!
Don’t squander your summer at work or at summer school — you’ll miss all the best benefits There are a lot of great things about… Read more
Happiness Tip: Take a Break
In today’s hyperbusy world, most people don’t take real breaks. “We are poisoned by the hypnotic belief,” writes Wayne Muller in his inspirational book Sabbath, “that… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Pep Talk
Is your kid complaining of being bored? Are you jealous of your friends’ vacation? Clearly you need a PEP TALK from Kid President (and Robert… Read more
Thursday Thought
Patience, noun. A minor form of despair, disguised as a virtue.” — Ambrose Bierce Read more
Video: How to Deal with Misbehavior
I find it annoying to play referee. Here’s how I keep my time breaking up fights and enforcing the rules to a minimum. When the… Read more
Happiness Tip: Embrace a Mistake
Make an effort to embrace your mistakes as opportunities to learn. Mistakes are a sign that we are putting ourselves out there and challenging ourselves;… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Dear Mother
On his birthday, a son surprises his mother with a gift of profound generosity. A sweet reminder that we receive so much more by giving… Read more
Thursday Thought
The only justification we have for looking down on someone is that we’re going to stop and pick them up.” — Jesse Jackson Read more
Video: Rethinking Family Meetings
More calm and less chaos in just 20 minutes a week Every year I rethink our family meetings at the beginning of the summer, when… Read more
Happiness Tip: Celebrate
Get excited about someone else’s good news. One of my favorite things that happy couples do: They shout things like “WHOO-HOO!!!” when their partner shares… Read more
Friday Inspiration
How does this inspire you? At first, I felt inspired to rescue/adopt children, as this family has. And then I thought of all the reasons… Read more
Thursday Thought
If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.” — Buddha Read more
Why I Send My Kids to Camp
This year, they’ll be away for THREE weeks. I’m heartbroken and kidsick already. Last week, my kids went off to sleepaway summer camp again in… Read more
Happiness Tip: Forgive Someone
Consciously practice an act of forgiveness. It’s true: you’ll be happier if you practice forgiveness. Holding a grudge is not a happiness habit — resentment… Read more
Friday Inspiration: One Second Every Day
If you took a video one second every day of your life, how do you think it would impact your daily choices? Read more
Thursday Thought
You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn Read more
Siblings: Friends or Rivals?
Ah, siblings. My kids, 22 months apart, are good friends more often than not. But if history repeats itself I know that this summer break… Read more
Friday Inspiration: A Tribute to Marriage
Upon approval of the definition of marriage act by New Zealand’s parliament, the gallery breaks out in a spontaneous rendition of a traditional Maori love… Read more
Thursday Thought
Happiness is like jam, you can’t spread even a little without getting some on yourself.” —Vern McLellan Read more
How to Build a Happy Family
Creating strong children and cohesive families through the stories we tell. This fall, my main squeeze and I are getting married. We’ve been dating for… Read more
Happiness Tip: Organize a Small Mess
Clean out a drawer today. (Perhaps that one that drives you crazy every time you open it?) Organization can be grouped with personal cleanliness, a… Read more
Friday Inspiration: This is Water
I imagine some may be familiar with David Foster Wallace’s “This Is Water” speech, delivered in 2005 at the commencement ceremony at Kenyon College in… Read more
Thursday Thought
Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” –Mark Twain Read more
Failure Makes You a Winner
And what all heroes have in common. “The true test of a champion is not whether he can triumph, but whether he can overcome obstacles.”—Garth… Read more
Friday Giggle
This one goes out to the all the daddies out there…especially the ones in their “gas station glasses.” Happy Father’s Day! Read more
Thursday Thought
People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing — that’s why we recommend it daily.” — Zig Ziglar Read more
20 Questions to Ask Your Father
This article was originally posted on my Greater Good blog. My friends and family know what’s coming when we’re out to dinner and they see… Read more
4 Ways to be Happier Now
In this video from Kids in the House, I share practical tactics for increasing your own happiness. Read more
Friday Inspiration: An Open Letter to Moms
Hilariously sweet video filled with great tips for taking care of mom’s happiness. Read more
Thursday Thought
People need joy quite as much as clothing. Some of them need it far more.” ― Margaret Collier Graham Read more
20 Thought-Leaders and You!
In her Parenting with Presence Summit, author of Parenting without Power Struggles Susan Stiffelman brings together more than 20 of the world’s leading parenting experts and thought-leaders to… Read more
Happiness Tip: Appreciate Your Loved Ones
Express gratitude to the one you love. Research shows that gratitude is one of the most powerful — and efficient — ways to strengthen a romantic… Read more
Friday Inspiration
We all have our backstories and you never know what someone else’s might be… Read more
Thursday Thought
‘Why not’ is a slogan for an interesting life.” – Mason Cooley Read more
3 Reasons to Put Your Own Happiness First
In this new video from Kids in the House, I discuss why you should worry about your own happiness first. Want to learn more about… Read more
Come on Retreat with me at Esalen!
Do you love your family but feel busy and overwhelmed by your life? Are you in career or life transition? Do you crave time for… Read more
Friday Inspiration
. I have so much admiration for the women who paved the way for our generation. I’m particularly fond of the stories Ruth Bader-Ginsburg shares… Read more
Thursday Thought
If you surrender completely to the moments as they pass, you live more richly those moments.” — Anne Morrow Lindbergh Read more
How to Deal with Mean People
Hint: Don’t just turn the other cheek. You, with your switching sides, And your walk by lies and your humiliation You, have pointed out my… Read more
Happiness Tip: Unplug
Turn off your cell phone — really and truly, totally off — for several hours today. Technology can be addictive, and it can change the… Read more
Friday Giggle: Mompetitors
A little Friday fun in the hilarious world of competition among parents. I suppose we all have a little “mompetitor” in us — a great… Read more
Thursday Thought
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” — Aristotle Read more
Encouraging Gratitude in Children
In this new video from Kids in the House, I discuss ways to encourage children to practice gratitude. Gratitude is one of the 5 high-impact habits… Read more
Meditating with Kids
Loving-kindness meditation does far more than produce momentary good feelings. Research convincingly shows that it actually puts people on “trajectories of growth,” leaving them better… Read more
Friday Inspiration
Thank You Mom from Michael Marantz on Vimeo. This Mother’s Day I’m filled with gratitude for everything my mother has given me. Don’t forget to… Read more
Thursday Thought
If you want happiness for an hour — take a nap. If you want happiness for a day — go fishing. If you want happiness… Read more
My Love-Hate Relationship with Mother’s Day
How we’re turning it into a kindness scavenger hunt. I hate to admit this, but I’ve come to feel entitled to breakfast in bed on… Read more
Happiness Tip: Lose Your Words
While I’ve long known about the neurological benefits of meditation, it wasn’t until I watched Jill Bolte Taylor’s TED talk that I started thinking about… Read more
Thursday Thought
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” —The Dalai Lama Read more
How important is it to eat dinner with your kids? You be the judge.
In this new video from Kids in the House, I discuss the benefits of family dinnertime. Read more
Friday Inspiration
I was so moved to see Marines with similar injuries visiting victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. I love the end — how many of… Read more
Thursday Thought
When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I… Read more
Dealing with “Gratitude Resistors”
Have you decided to consciously practice being more grateful—only to find that your spouse, or tweener, or someone close to you thinks it’s hoaky and… Read more
Friday Inspiration
On this, the 70th anniversary of the most significant day in the the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, and in light of recent dramatic events in Boston,… Read more
Thursday Thought
The real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy… Read more
Getting Kids Involved in Chores
Getting kids involved in chores| Find More Parenting Tips, Advice, and Videos at KidsInTheHouse.com In this brand new video from Kids in the House, I… Read more
Happiness Tip: Seek Out Awe
Are you feeling starved for time? Impatient? New research shows that experiencing awe can make us feel more satisfied with our lives, more patient, more… Read more
Thank You, Positivity Project!
A big, warm thanks to the Positivity Project for hosting me on your telesummit yesterday. I am so grateful for the work that you are… Read more
Welcome!
Welcome to all those who participated in the Women’s Executive Leadership Program at the Haas School of Business earlier this week! It was wonderful to… Read more
Friday Inspiration
Feeling a little “hollow in the happiness department”? One thing that research shows helps many people–in a pretty profound way–is transcendental meditation. I’m grateful that… Read more
Thursday Thought
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge… Read more
Friday Inspiration
First world problems read by third world people. Certainly puts life’s little irritations in perspective. Hat tip to Jon Marc Seimon for making us aware… Read more
Thursday Thought
So much sadness exists in the world that we are all under obligation to contribute as much joy as lies within our powers.” — John… Read more
Do You Rely on Bribes and Threats to Motivate Kids?
Using threats and bribes for motivation| Find More Parenting Tips, Advice, and Videos at KidsInTheHouse.com In this brand new video from Kids in the House,… Read more
Happiness Tip: Take on Someone Else’s Joy
When was the last time someone else’s happiness became your own? Last weekend I was at a fundraiser where several musicians were playing live. I… Read more
Friday Inspiration
In a little pre-April Fool’s Day Friday Inspiration, I love this clever stunt Dove pulled on the people who manipulate our image of beauty. Even… Read more
Thursday Thought
Whoever is happy will make others happy, too.” –Anne Frank Read more
Friday Giggle
Another Friday Giggle! This one includes a Happiness Tip: get up and get moving! I’ll bet they might have some creative moves to add to… Read more
Thursday Thought
Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” –Mark Twain Read more
Podcast Roundup: Happiness Matters
Here are this year’s Happiness Matters Podcasts — Rona and I are going to take a break from recording these podcasts for a little while while I… Read more
Happiness Tip: Embrace Difficulty
Yesterday, someone asked my daughter if her mother (that would be me) is happy all the time. My girl threw her head back, guffawed, and… Read more
Friday Inspiration
Routine, dancing, hugs, gratitude! Tim Harris is all the best happiness habits wrapped into one. What a wonderful testament to what we can accomplish with… Read more
Thursday Thought
The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this… Read more
How to Influence Your Teen, Part 1
I frequently hear complaints from parents that their teens and tweeners are irrational. Kids say they want to get into a good college, for example,… Read more
Friday Inspiration
One of the greatest examples of sportsmanship. Ever. Hat tip to Janine Kovac for making us aware of this video. Read more
Thursday Thought
Joy is the best makeup.” —Anne Lamott Read more
Nagging Less
Increase the odds that your kids will do things the first time you ask. In a new Greater Good Science Center video, I provide three quick tips… Read more
Renee Trudeau Book Giveaway
My dear friend Renée Peterson Trudeau is releasing her new book Nurturing the Soul of Your Family: 10 Ways to Reconnect and Find Peace in Everyday… Read more
Friday Giggle
This video totally cracked me up. I love seeing something positive about the nitty gritty of parenting! Read more
Friday Inspiration
I love Danielle LaPorte–what a poet that woman is. Here is an audio collage she created that I find inspiring despite the undeniable new-agey-ness of… Read more
Thursday Thought
Happiness quite unshared can scarcely be called happiness; it has no taste.” —Charlotte Brontë Read more
Friday Inspiration
In honor of Presidents Day, this Friday Inspiration is a moving tribute to a timeless presidential speech–easily the most recognizable inaugural address, but I’ll bet… Read more
Thursday Thought
To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make… Read more
Three Surprising Truths About Teens
A scientific expert on adolescence answers our burning questions. If you could ask any question of a wise and experienced neuroscientist and pediatrician, one who… Read more
Still Keeping your New Year’s Resolutions?
It’s been six weeks since New Year’s Eve, and I hope that you are still going strong with your resolutions. If you aren’t, don’t despair! Slips… Read more
Happiness Tip: Stand Up Straight
Starting in 6th grade — about the time when I became painfully self-conscious, and really didn’t want my mother’s advice — my mom started to… Read more
Friday Inspiration: A Moving Love Story
Danny & Annie from StoryCorps on Vimeo. To all the hopeless romantics, an encore posting of my favorite love story. Ever. A must watch. I’d… Read more
Thursday Thought
Love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking together in the same direction.” –Antoine de Saint-Exupery Read more
Can Twitter Make You Happier?
Use Social Media to Raise Your Happiness Rather Than Distract From What Matters Most Most people can’t avoid social media these days, even if they… Read more
A Valentine’s Day Prezzy (for Yourself!)
Transform your relationship in four short weeks! “Rekindling Romance,” — an online class you can take on your own time — will help you build a foundation… Read more
Happiness Tip: Foster Appreciation
The best gift you can give yourself this Valentine’s Day is gratitude for your special someone. Research shows that when we consciously think of things… Read more
Friday Inspiration
365grateful.com from hailey bartholomew on Vimeo. I love this project! Haily’s active decision to pull herself into the present moment and be grateful for all… Read more
Thursday Thought
Love is more than just a feeling: it’s a process requiring continual attention. Loving well takes laughter, loyalty, and wanting more to be able to… Read more
Does Happiness Undermine Success?
Are you content to postpone happiness to promote achievement? Are you pushing your children to succeed? Or giving them skills for happiness? In the latest… Read more
Rekindling Romance Online Class
Is it possible to feel wildly in love…even after you’ve been a couple for a while? New brain and social science shows that it is!… Read more
Happiness Tip: Develop Grit
Did you know that the best predictor of success in school is not grades or SAT scores, but a quality researchers call “grit”? Gritty people… Read more
Friday Inspiration
In “flipped learning,” students watch podcasts of their teacher’s lectures on their own time and spend their time in the classroom applying what they’ve learned… Read more
Thursday Thought
Friends and good manners will carry you where money won’t go.” ― Margaret Walker Read more
Friday Inspiration
Whether or not you (or your children) have a learning or physical disability, we all have challenges. This is incredibly great advice about how to… Read more
Thursday Thought
It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” ―Frederick Douglass Read more
Happiness Tip: Double Down on Your Resolutions
Double down for one more week and reap the benefits. This week is an important one for people who made New Year’s resolutions (I hope… Read more
Friday Inspiration
Wishing you’d made a resolution to get more exercise this year? It’s not too late, and this 101 year-old woman will inspire you! P.S. It’s… Read more
Thursday Thought
Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.” ―Paul Boese Read more
Gratitude 365
Three gratitude practices to make habits in the New Year Even though Thanksgiving is quickly becoming a distant memory, giving thanks can still be a… Read more
Happiness Tip: Make a Resolution, Part 2
Were you too busy over the holidays to make your New Year’s resolutions? Or maybe you made a resolution, but you never really started doing… Read more
Friday Inspiration
I love showing my kids videos like this one that have gone viral. Matt, who has Spastic Cerebral Palsy, is, of course, inspiring in his… Read more
Thursday Thought
Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” – Corrie ten Boom Read more
The 10 Most Popular Raising Happiness Posts in 2012
I’m always a little surprised by the posts that rise to the top! Wondering which Raising Happiness posts were most popular in 2012—on Greater Good… Read more
Friday Inspiration
The human spirit is so inspiring: we can do so much with so little. I want all American children to see this, so that they… Read more
Thursday Thought
Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a… Read more
December Podcast Roundup: Happiness Matters
Here are the December Happiness Matters Podcasts — hope you check them out if you missed any! The Art of Setting Limits Kids aren’t perfect, and it… Read more
Top 10 Happiness Tips of 2012
The most fun part of 2012 for me was sharing my Happiness Tips on the Dr. Oz Show. If you missed that episode, you can… Read more
Friday Inspiration
This video is such a warm “best of” reel of the things we value most in our everyday lives: romance, chivalry, comedy, bravery, justice, thoughtfulness,… Read more
Thursday Thought
When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” ―Victor Frankl Read more
Happiness Tip: Make a Resolution
You want to lose weight. Get out of debt. Eat more kale. Call your grandma more often. I do understand why New Year’s resolutions don’t… Read more
Friday Inspiration
We humans are built to form strong connections with other human beings… no matter how much geographical distance separate us. I find this video so… Read more
Welcome Washington Post Readers!
Hello Washington Post Readers! Thanks for spending the hour with me discussing how we can encourage gratitude in our kids. (If you missed it, you… Read more
Thursday Thought
Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” –Marcel Proust Read more
Are We Wired to Want Stuff?
Neuroscience can explain why your kids have the holiday gimmees. I’ll never forget a holiday moment a few years ago, when I found myself in… Read more
Surviving the Holidays
Because it isn’t always all fun & games If you are starting to feel over-whelmed by the December holidays, you aren’t alone! In my last… Read more
Tune in to the Dr. Oz Show TODAY!
Research shows that by boosting your happiness level, you can live a longer, healthier life. I share some of my favorite happiness tips with Dr.… Read more
Fighting Holiday Fatigue? Give Thanks.
With Thanksgiving and Hanukkah behind us, but Christmas, Kwanza, and New Year’s still ahead, many Americans are starting to feel, well, tired during this busy holiday season.… Read more
Happiness Tip: Ignore a Distressing Email
Rude comments on this blog (we don’t post most of them) and mean emails (yes, I get hate mail for writing about happiness) tend to… Read more
Sending Our Love + Resources
When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You… Read more
Whoo-hoo! We won!! Many thanks.
We just learned that Raising Happiness WON not one, but TWO, 2012 Red Tricycle Totally Awesome Awards. One for Most Influential Blog, and another for Best… Read more
What if money were no object? Friday Inspiration
I am grateful that I truly love my work, and I hope that my example is enough for my children. I worry, however, that what… Read more
Thursday Thought
Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” — Albert Einstein Read more
What Teens Need
Sometimes, they need carefully calibrated danger How does this clip of a teenager falling off a horse make you feel? If you are like me,… Read more
Book Giveaway – “Giving Back”
Author Steve Ketchpel has offered to give a free copy of his new book Giving Back: Discover your values and put them into action through… Read more
What Would You Trade for 50% More Money? Americans May Be Trading-off Happiness
What if, at the end of the year, you could have half your annual income as a bonus? The catch: you must give up something… Read more
Free Book with Class or Coaching!
Now through December 31st, get a free copy of RAISING HAPPINESS: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents with every group coaching… Read more
Happiness Tip: Take a Picture in Your Mind
In the hustle and bustle of this holiday season, boost your happiness with this savoring technique: take a mental photograph. “Pause for a moment and consciously be aware of… Read more
Friday Inspiration
A message for my mother from Dr. Greene on YouTube. Have you heard that women who’ve born children live longer than their childless female peers?… Read more
Thursday Thought
When we lose one blessing, another is often, most unexpectedly, given in its place.” — C.S. Lewis Read more
Why Gratitude Works
Gratitude seems hokey to some. But in a new video at the Greater Good Science Center, I explain why “thank you” actually provides a significant boost… Read more
We Love Teachers — thank you!
We here at Raising Happiness are so grateful for teachers! I love talking to them when I’m speaking around the country; they never fail to amaze… Read more
Happiness Tip: Reduce Holiday Stress
Many of us are really gearing up for the next wave of holidays right now, and are perhaps feeling a bit overwhelmed. This year, instead… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Awe
Murmuration from Islands & Rivers on Vimeo. This video fills me with awe for the natural world, and all that we do not know. When… Read more
Thursday Thought
If you share, you’ll get more than you actually have.” ―Boulder, CO fourth-grader Lucca Fulkerson [https://www.dailycamera.com] Read more
November Podcast Round-up: Happiness Matters
Here is a list of Happiness Matters Podcasts you may have missed in October: Giving Thanks A new slew of tips from Rona and I… Read more
Most Influential Parenting Blog? We’d Love Your Vote
We first heard that Raising Happiness was a finalist for “Best Parent Education Program” in Red Tricycle’s Totally Awesome Awards… …THEN we heard we’re a top… Read more
Friday Inspiration
A Friday Inspiration Thanksgiving Double Header! In honor of my gratitude for all of you, my readers, here’s TWO inspiring videos. . I’m totally in… Read more
Thursday Thought
If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” — Meister Eckhart Read more
Holiday Gratitude Traditions
There is a new video in a Greater Good Science Center series! With the holidays fast approaching, watch this quick video to learn three of… Read more
Make Gratitude Placecards
In my family on Thanksgiving, we appreciate each other by writing on our dinner table place cards. The kids make giant construction paper place cards… Read more
Friday Chuckle
Sometimes you just need a little laugh — this one did it for me. I especially like the first comment: Physics: “Sorry, cat. You can’t… Read more
Thursday Thought
Giving thanks for abundance is sweeter than the abundance itself.” — Rumi Read more
The Kids Are Not Alright
Do you think you worry too much about your children? Too little? How much is enough? Generally, I believe worry is a waste of time… Read more
Vote for Raising Happiness!
Raising Happiness is a finalist for “Most Influential Blog” and “Best Education Program” in Red Tricycle’s Totally Awesome Awards. Help us get out the vote,… Read more
First Call is Today!
It’s not too late to sign up for the November Coaching Group! Participate in fun group discussions where you can share your experiences and seek expert advice… Read more
Friday Inspiration
A film by Beth Murphy. More at Principle Pictures. More at KarmaTube. I am so inspired by Razia, and so filled with gratitude for my… Read more
Thursday Thought
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into… Read more
Is Happiness Learnable?
New video in a Greater Good Science Center series! Happiness isn’t only determined by genetics. It’s a skill we can develop with practice. This week… Read more
Create Happy Holidays
‘Tis the season to foster gratitude and kindness…right? This is also when I get a lot of complaints that kids today are entitled, materialistic, and… Read more
Combat “Sunday Night Anxiety”
Do you tend to feel more anxious at the end of the weekend? We call that “Sunday Night Anxiety” or “SNA” (pronounced snaah) in my… Read more
Friday Inspiration: 22 Acts of Kindness
I found this so inspirational that I’m going to do this for my next birthday! I’ll need 41 kindness activities: what do you recommend? Please… Read more
Thursday Thought
To be loved, be lovable.” — Ovid Read more
October Podcast Round-up: Happiness Matters
Here is a list of Happiness Matters Podcasts you may have missed in October: Bullies, Bystanders, and Really Kind Kids Is your kid a bully?… Read more
Registration open! Live Group Coaching
Do your kids take too much for granted–including you? You can help them by deliberately cultivating gratitude practices! This November, I’m offering a small live… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Are You a Good Enough Parent?
Are you a good enough parent? Do you sometimes feel like you are faking it at work or at home? I can’t tell you how… Read more
Thursday Thought
The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” — Mahatma Gandhi Read more
How to Deal with Misbehaving Kids
The cure for “empty threat syndrome.” Recently, I was at dinner with two other families. Another guest’s nine-year-old son, Sean*, was provoking his 12-year-old sister,… Read more
Happiness Tip: Yawn a Few Times
You probably know that yawning is contagious among chimpanzees, dogs, humans, and even possibly fish. Did you yawn just seeing the photo, below? We think… Read more
Friday Inspiration
“In order for kids to learn and be creative, they need to feel happy and safe.” And in a world where we so often hear… Read more
Thursday Thought
Perhaps everything terrible is in its being something that needs our love.” — Rainer Maria Rilke Read more
3 Ways to Raise Kind Kids
First video in a new Greater Good Science Center series! This week I give three quick tips for raising kids who are kind. . Read more
November Live Coaching Calls
Fostering Kindness & Gratitude . Learn how to foster the skills that lead to real happiness, and keep your kids from thinking life is just… Read more
Happiness Tip: Don’t Pat Your Own Back
Have you heard of the “licensing effect”? . Moral licensing occurs when we behave virtuously and then “cancel out” our good deeds by doing something… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Poetry Everywhere
This short poem was posted in the comments of one of my Happiness Tips, and I know I’m not the only one who wept watching… Read more
Thursday Thought
The fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose.” — Hada Bejar Read more
How to Get Your Household to Run Itself
Having started my career in business, I now avoid formal business meetings like the plague. But I love family meetings. In fact, I think they’re one of… Read more
Happiness Tip: Look Forward to — or Back on — Something Fun
The sheer number of positive emotions we experience relative to negative ones affects how happy we are generally; for that reason, excitement about future events… Read more
Friday Inspiration: The Power of Words
. Oops! The original video I posted was removed, but I like this one too. This short film is a moving illustration of how powerful… Read more
Thursday Thought
Leadership is doing what is right when no one is watching.” — George Van Valkenburg . Read more
Happiness is…the Weekend?
Are you happier on the weekend? Most people are, according to a new survey of 1,000 Americans about their “weekend state of mind.” The idea… Read more
Last Chance to Sign Up for October Coaching
raise happy kids + love your life . There are only a few spots left in October’s group! This month focuses on increasing social and… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Voices
Rarely do I admit when an advertisement makes me cry – I hate being manipulated by corporations who want to sell me something. I feel… Read more
Thursday Thought
The real moment of success is not the moment apparent to the crowd.” — George Bernard Shaw . Like this content? Sign up for our… Read more
September Podcast Round-up: Happiness Matters
Here is a list of Happiness Matters Podcasts you may have missed in September: The Art of Saying No Do you say “yes” every time… Read more
October Live Coaching Calls
raise happy kids + love your life . Next month is all about how to teach children skills for happiness, emotional intelligence, and resilience. Live Group Coaching allows… Read more
The game that can give you 10 extra years of life
Want an extra 7 minutes of life? Play this game, and you’ll be rewarded with extra life minutes…. . Like this content? Sign up for… Read more
Thursday Thought
Any transition serious enough to alter your definition of self will require not just small adjustments in your way of living and thinking but a… Read more
Live Group Coaching — October Registration Open!
raise happy kids + love your life Registration is now open for October’s Live Group Coaching: Social & Emotional Intelligence! Does your child have issues… Read more
Happiness Tip: Be Unproductive for a Whole Work Day
If you are like me (a recovering perfectionist and over-achiever) consider taking a break from your high-productivity this week. Loads of research make it clear… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Som Sabadell Flashmob
One of my favorite flashmobs: Ode to Joy! Read more
Thursday Thought
Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. Climb it so you can… Read more
Turning the Morning Blitz into School-Day Bliss
Moment of truth: My kids and I spent the first part of the last school year without any sort of predictable morning routine, or at… Read more
Live Group Coaching Starts Tonight!
raise happy kids + love your life Our first live call in September’s group coaching is tonight! If weren’t able to join us this time,… Read more
Happiness Tip: Memorize Two Lines from a Poem
We often forget that inspiration — along with its cousins, elevation and awe, — are positive emotions that make us feel more content, joyful and… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Nick Vujicic
Here’s a video for all the times our kids are feeling sorry for themselves. (Or we are feeling victimized, for that matter.) No arms, no… Read more
Thursday Thought
Set me a task in which I can put something of my very self, and it is a task no longer; it is joy; it… Read more
3 Essential School Supplies — That Aren’t on Your List
How Do You Fix A Bully? from Peter Hwosch on Vimeo. Art supplies, a cool thumb-drive, and a new backpack are nothing short of thrilling… Read more
Live Calls Start Next Week!
raise happy kids + love your life I’m so excited that LIVE GROUP COACHING has begun this week, and next Tuesday is the first live… Read more
Happiness Tip: Stick with Your Routine
As a life coach, I’m a huge proponent of personal growth, and growth usually means change. Becoming happier often means reengineering a bad habit, or… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Why I Dance
The most fun–and least expensive–therapy for finding greater happiness and less stress. I found this video on KarmaTube — it is a great source for… Read more
Thursday Thought
A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depend on the labors of other men, living and dead, and… Read more
August Podcast Round-up: Happiness Matters
Here is a list of Happiness Matters Podcasts you may have missed in August: Seven Ways to Foster Creativity Creativity is an important lifeskill that… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Mars Landing
Mark Rober’s video on the Curiosity’s Landing. . Like this content? Sign up for our FREE Happiness Tips email! . Read more
Thursday Thought
Joy is the best makeup.” — Anne Lamott Like this content? Sign up for our FREE Happiness Tips email! . Read more
Happy Songs
We got a whole lot of comments from my Happiness Tip “Listen to Your Favorite Song” — thanks to everyone for sharing — and now… Read more
How to Raise an Olympic Athlete
Even though the Olympics are over, my kids are still whipped into a frenzy. Fiona has a new passion for volleyball, and Molly is signed… Read more
Live with Dr. Christine Carter!
raise happy kids + love your life I’m so excited to tell you about a new offering I have this fall: LIVE GROUP COACHING! Each… Read more
Happiness Tip: Write a Love Letter
Have you seen the moving five minute video from StoryCorps about Danny and Annie? (If not, your happiness tip is to watch it now.) The… Read more
Friday Inspiration: A Moving Love Story
Danny & Annie from StoryCorps on Vimeo. This is the most moving 5 minute love story. Ever. A must watch. I’d like to dedicate this… Read more
Thursday Thought
There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in… Read more
Family Meals are Hugely Important: Short video with Kelly Corrigan
Even if you and your kids are crazy busy, eating together is important for kids’ development (and happiness!). Watch this quick video to find out… Read more
raise happy kids + love your life
The full 32-week online Raising Happiness class — formerly known as “The Big Kahuna” — is now a Homestudy course that you can start at… Read more
Happiness Tip: Skip Your Morning Donut
I’m a big fan of high-fat foods; fat tastes good, after all. And research has shown that some types of fats, like Omega-3s, can calm… Read more
Thursday Thought
In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends.” — John Churton Collins Become a fan of Raising Happiness on Facebook. Follow… Read more
On the Blog in July – Greater Good Science Center
Happy summer! I hope you are enjoying the change of pace that summer brings, and that you’ve adjusted to a change in your routine. On… Read more
Thursday Thought
My home is not a place, it is people.” ―Lois McMaster Bujold Become a fan of Raising Happiness on Facebook. Follow Christine Carter on Twitter.… Read more
July Podcast Round-up: Happiness Matters
Here is a list of Happiness Matters Podcasts you may have missed in July: An Ancient Practice for Modern Ailments Research shows that mindfulness and meditation counter… Read more
Thursday Thought
The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want.” ―Ben Stein Become a fan of Raising… Read more
Let Your Kids Fail: Short video with Kelly Corrigan
This video—and Kelly’s column—continues the discussion about fostering engagement and high-performance in kids. This is part 4 in a series; if you liked this video, you might… Read more
Thursday Thought
When you do things from your soul you feel a river moving in you, a joy.” — Rumi Become a fan of Raising Happiness on… Read more
Short video with Kelly Corrigan: Oh Honey! You’re so, um, well, uh…
This post from my Greater Good blog contains more of my dialogue with bestselling author Kelly Corrigan about how to praise kids effectively. This is… Read more
Thursday Thought
The more you have, the more you’re occupied; the less you have, the more free you are.” — Mother Teresa Become a fan of Raising… Read more
Achievement Doesn’t Matter: Short video with Kelly Corrigan
This post from my Greater Good blog contains more of my dialogue with bestselling author Kelly Corrigan about why we need to be more focused… Read more
Thursday Thought
When you cannot make up your mind between two evenly balanced courses of action, choose the bolder.” — W.J. Slim Become a fan of Raising… Read more
June Podcast Round-up: Happiness Matters
Here is a list of Happiness Matters Podcasts you may have missed in June: How to be a More Patient Parent Tired of kids fighting? Wishing you… Read more
Friday Inspiration
The girl who silenced the world for 5 minutes. Become a fan of Raising Happiness on Facebook. Follow Christine Carter on Twitter. Get our Happiness Tips email! Read more
Thursday Thought
Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity.” — Kahlil Gibran Become a fan of Raising Happiness on Facebook. Follow Christine Carter on Twitter.… Read more
The Psychology of Success: Short video with Kelly Corrigan
This post from my Greater Good blog contains more of my dialogue with bestselling author Kelly Corrigan about how to praise kids. This is part 1 in a… Read more
Friday Inspiration
“In 2008, Roger set out on a quest to lose weight, get healthy and eventually run in the Boston Marathon. But not just for himself,… Read more
Thursday Thought
Yet, taught by time, my heart has learned to glow for other’s good, and melt at other’s woe.” –Homer Become a fan of Raising Happiness… Read more
Fathers Have More Fun
Are parents happier than their childless peers? For the last five years or so, I’ve answered that question with a resounding “no.” Statistics (not to… Read more
Happiness Tip: Touch the Earth
You might know that your TV needs to be grounded electrically to get a clear picture, but did you know that your body also needs… Read more
Thursday Thought
The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person who is doing it.” — Chinese proverb Read more
How to remain sane — and even productive — over the summer
Researchers believe that the brains in both humans and animals evolved to feel calmed by repetitive behavior, and that our daily rituals and habits are… Read more
Happiness Tip: Listen to Your Favorite Songs
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” — Plato Loads of research shows… Read more
Friday Inspiration
A film by Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. Another Kleenex-worthy video. If you are tempted to think that our children are too young to make… Read more
Friday Inspiration
The World Peace Game, a brainchild of public school teacher John Hunter, pits teams of students against each other as leaders of countries in crises… Read more
Thursday Thought
You must retain faith that you can prevail to greatness in the end, while retaining the discipline to confront the brutal facts of your current… Read more
May Podcast Round-up: Happiness Matters
Here is a list of Happiness Matters Podcasts you may have missed in May: Is Divorce Always Bad for Kids? Rona and I are both divorced; we’ve… Read more
Happiness Tip: Hang Out with an Animal
My parents recently adopted a dog, which has given me a new perspective on how animals bring happiness to humans. My parents were happy people… Read more
Friday Inspiration
Get out your Kleenex! This Friday inspiration is particularly inspiring. God bless that yoga teacher. Read more
Thursday Thought
The world is full of suffering; it is also full of overcoming. — Helen Keller Read more
Three Ways to Find Happiness on Facebook
Can Facebook make your child happy—or will it just lead to loneliness, as this Atlantic article-gone-viral suggests? According to some interesting research, social media arguably can… Read more
Friday Inspiration
The ordinary… is the part of our world where beauty is interlaced in each detail… It’s the part of our world that can knock our… Read more
Thursday Thought
You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair.” ―Chinese Proverb… Read more
How to Keep Your Child Safe (and Happy) Online, Part 1
Like a lot of parents, I’ve been struck by how active—though not savvy—my kids and their friends are with social media. It’s a little like… Read more
Happiness Tip: Change Your Mantra
“How are you?” A good friend asks at lunch. You haven’t seen her for a month or so. You feel guilty that you’ve been out… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Spreading Gratitude
This is a great short video explaining how to get the most out of a gratitude practice. Record your action on this map and watch… Read more
Thursday Thought
For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” ―Ralph Waldo Emerson Read more
Mirror Mirror on the Wall: Who’s the Best Mom of Them All?
Last year, Tiger Mothers were superior. This year, French mommy-hood has been deemed a cut above. Are other mothers generally better than us at producing high-functioning… Read more
Happiness Tip: Make a Plan
One of the things that can detract from our happiness is a lingering to-do item. I’d be rich if I had a dollar for every… Read more
Friday Inspiration: How Quickly They Grow Up
After his daughter Lotte was born, Dutch photographer Frans Hofmeester began creating weekly videos of her to document her growth. Lotte recently turned 12, and… Read more
Thursday Thought
Thursday Thought: An unhurried sense of time is in itself a form of wealth.”— Bonnie Friedman Read more
5 Tips for Boosting Your Willpower
Who among us has not made a plan to get up in the morning and exercise, but then hit snooze one time too many, sleeping… Read more
Happiness Tip: Give 8 Hugs Everyday
We all know that hugs make us feel better; one reason they do is that they stimulate production of the feel-good neurotransmitter oxytocin — the… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Music that moves the soul.
This video is a great reminder that listening to music can bring us all alive. Read more
Thursday Thought
We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.” — The Buddha Read more
April Podcasts Round-up: Happiness Matters
Here is a list of Happiness Matters Podcasts you may have missed in April: Do You Have Family Meetings? If you’ve never had a family… Read more
Friday Inspiration
Ever wonder how to make life — under any circumstances — worth living? Take some advice from this 108-year-old holocaust survivor. It’s worth watching to… Read more
Thursday Thought
No one has yet fully realized the wealth of sympathy, kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child.” — Emma Goldman Read more
Your chance to win a $1200 prize!
Hello Raising Happiness friend! We’ve worked hard over the last year to improve our Raising Happiness Classes, Happiness Tips, and website. Now it is your… Read more
Happiness Tip: Make Your Bed
A confession: I have only reliably made my bed for the last three or so years; for the first 21 years of my adulthood, I… Read more
Friday Inspiration
Friday Inspiration: Need a break that will make you smile? Watch this video of a man so fulfilled he can’t contain himself. I love ya,… Read more
Thursday Thought
Thursday Thought: You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” –Maya Angelou Read more
The Stuck-at-Home Generation
As a child and young adult, I was given lots of opportunities to develop independence. I went to a boarding school at age 14 that taught self-reliance… Read more
Thursday Thought
Thursday Thought: Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and you learn at once how big and… Read more
Happiness Tip: Spend Some Time Alone
Are we always better together? Last week’s tip emphasized the importance of our social connections. But alone-time is just as important for our happiness and… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Homeless Boy Steals The Talent Show
This video made me weep! The resilience — and sheer ability — of the human spirit is so amazing. Read more
Thursday Thought
I have found that if you love life, life will love you back.” ― Arthur Rubinstein Read more
Is Your Kid Mean?
We all want to protect our children from bullying. Most parents, I imagine, would be horrified to hear that their children are being picked on… Read more
Happiness Tip: Cultivate Your Support Network
As I write this, I’m stranded by the side of the road in a car that won’t start, with two hungry and irritable children. It… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Brene Brown Inspires Again
I love Brene Brown; her research and her message are SO important. I want everyone I know to watch this… Read more
Thursday Thought
In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends.” – John Churton Collins Read more
March Podcasts: Happiness Matters
Here is a list of Happiness Matters Podcasts you may have missed in March: Is Your Spouse Right for You? In this podcast, Rona and… Read more
$20 last minute deal for all spring classes
Hurry! One week left before class starts! Use coupon code “SpringHappiness” to take $20 off when you sign up for any 10-week Raising Happiness online… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Help a kidnapped child by watching this video
KONY 2012 is a film by Invisible Children that aims to make Joseph Kony famous, not to celebrate him, but to raise support for his… Read more
Thursday Thought
A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary.” -Dorothy Canfield Fisher Read more
The “Good” Divorce
The title of this post is misleading: Divorce is difficult and painful for everyone involved, especially kids. I’ve never known anyone to have a “good”… Read more
Get a FREE copy of Raising Happiness THIS WEEK ONLY!
Get a FREE copy of Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents when you sign up for any Foundations I… Read more
Happiness Tip: Automate a Hassle
Ever feel like your time and energy is going into tasks you don’t really want to do? If so, find a way to make those… Read more
Friday Inspiration: One powerful activity for health
Wondering what the best medicine really is? Here’s one doctor’s take. Read more
Thursday Thought
Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living with love, grace and gratitude.” — Denis Waitely Read more
Is Divorce Immature and Selfish?
Last week, the best-selling author and popular blogger Penelope Trunk declared divorce “immature and selfish.” She claimed divorce is “nearly always terrible for kids” (and… Read more
Happiness Tip: Commit to Kindness
One of the easiest and most powerful ways to feel happier is for us to do something nice for someone else. It’s also a great… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Gratitude
I feel grateful for–and in awe of–the ocean. I try to photograph something nearly everyday that I feel grateful for–it amplifies my feelings of appreciation,… Read more
Thursday Thought
Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it’s not. It takes patience, it takes commitment,… Read more
Is Marital Bliss Sexist?
. All the February “talk of love” on my Greater Good blog generated a lot of controversy and confusion. Relationship advice is tricky; one shoe certainly doesn’t fit… Read more
Early Bird Special: take $50 OFF Spring Class
Spring is all about rejuvenating the soul for growth. Join us for the 10-week Spring Cleaning for the Soul Raising Happiness online class and clear… Read more
Happiness Tip: Call a Friend
Our friendships and close relationships–both how many we have, and how positive they are–are one of the best predictors of our happiness. But in the… Read more
Friday Inspiration: Happiness is Contagious
Happiness is Contagious by William Martin (from The Parents’ Tao Te Ching) If you always compare your children’s abilities to those of great athletes, entertainers,… Read more
Thursday Thought
Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is… Read more
Podcast: Feeling Unhappy in Your Marriage?
Check out my podcast Happiness Matters with Rona Renner either here on the Greater Good website, or here on iTunes. Happy listening! This Week: Our expectations color our perceptions of… Read more
Are You a Nag?
Nagging is a particular form of unhappiness — for everyone involved. Around the house, we’re often annoyed or disappointed when someone fails to meet our expectations… Read more
Early Bird Special: Foundations I
Put your happiness first this springtime! Learn how to raise successful kids and be a happier parent with this 10-week Raising Happiness course. THIS WEEK ONLY:… Read more
Friday Inspiration: A Very Grateful Girl
I often show this video at my speaking engagements, and afterwards, people always want the link. Here it is! Read more
Thursday Thought
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” –Thomas Jefferson Read more
Is Your Spouse Enough for You?
If you find yourself often thinking about whether or not your spouse is really the right person for you, as many married-with-children-types often do, I’ve… Read more
Podcast: How to Respond to Kids’ Tantrums
Check out my podcast Happiness Matters with Rona Renner either here on the Greater Good website, or here on iTunes. Happy listening! This Week: What to… Read more
Happiness Tip: Say No to Someone Besides Yourself
Are you always saying “yes” to everyone around you, but never making time for yourself? Saying no takes practice for most people, but it is… Read more
Gratitude Photo
I am grateful for Guide Dog Puppies. I feel happy just looking at this one. What are you grateful for today? Read more
Thursday Thought
Life’s greatest happiness is to be convinced we are loved.” –Victor Hugo Read more
Ala Cart: Foundations of a great, long lasting romance
Are you feelin’ it this Valentine’s Day? Do you love your main squeeze, but know that your relationship could be better? Are you looking for… Read more
Happiness Tip: Give Someone a Hug
We don’t have to wait for Valentine’s Day to generous with our hugs! Dacher Keltner’s studies show that touch is the primary language of compassion,… Read more
Thursday Thought
Loving is not just looking at each other, it’s looking in the same direction.” –Antoine de Saint-Exupery Read more
Hate Your Husband? (or Your Wife?)
“Help! I hate my husband!” a reader recently wrote to Iris Krasnow, author of The Secret Lives of Wives. Krasnow’s reader, Cindy from Dallas, emails her that “[this]… Read more
Friday Inspiration
Friday Inspiration: If you haven’t read this beautiful post about the most common regrets people have when they are dying, it is well worth the… Read more
Thursday Thought
The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.” — Abraham Lincoln Read more
Happiness Tip: Get More Done with Less Stress
We parents are probably more squeezed for time than at any other time in history. And no time can mean lots of stress. Here are… Read more
Class Starts Today!
Whoo-hoo!!! The winter session of my online Raising Happiness Classes start today! If you haven’t signed up yet, I hope you will! Check out our… Read more
Video: How to motivate kids without bribing them
Made some New Year’s Resolutions? If you watched this video, you know why we don’t want to set up a reward system to get kids to… Read more
Thursday Thought
A small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules.” — Anthony Trollope Read more
Just One Week Left!
The winter session of the Raising Happiness Online Classes starts in ONE WEEK! Need help making resolutions that actually will make you happier, and will… Read more
Happiness Tip: Quit Your Diet, Now
Did you make a New Year’s Resolution to counter holiday over-indulgence by cutting calories? (Or cutting out an entire food-group, like carbs?) If so, go… Read more
Friday Inspiration
The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reasons for remaining ashore.” —… Read more
Happiness Tip: Live Like it Ends in 2012
Oh, how I love New Year’s resolutions. Something about the blank slate, the possibility for growth. Like most people, I can’t dive headlong into a… Read more
Gratitude Photo
I am grateful for “Christmas berries” the wonderful reds found in nature at this time of year! One of my favorite gratitude practices is to… Read more
Thursday Thought
Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” ―Martin Luther King Jr. Read more
Video: Why Not to Bribe Kids
“If you empty the dishwasher right now, I’ll give you a dollar.” Does this sound familiar? We’ve all done it: offered our kids little bribes–and… Read more
Give (Yourself?) Happiness This Year!
It’s not too late to give Raising Happiness as a gift! Giving a book? We’ll personalize a bookplate for you; simply fill out this form and we’ll get it… Read more
Most Popular Raising Happiness posts of 2011
Check out the most popular Raising Happiness posts of 2011, here on my Greater Good Science Center blog. . Read more
Friday Inspiration: Happiness Revealed
This is a profoundly inspiring, absolutely breathtaking video — well worth 10 minutes of your time. I’m smitten by the child (around 4 minutes in),… Read more
Thursday Thought
Yet, taught by time, my heart has learned to glow for other’s good, and melt at other’s woe.” –Homer Read more
Podcast: Holiday Traditions that Foster Happiness
Rona and I discuss why some holiday traditions can fuel our children’s happiness, and give several suggestions for fun, joy-inducing holiday rituals. Please check out… Read more
Winter Class Sign-ups Now Open!
We hope you’ll check out our class catalog if you’ve been thinking of taking one of my online classes. If you missed the start of… Read more
Happiness Tip: Simplify Your Holidays
Feeling overwhelmed is not a happiness habit, but many of us start to go into holiday over-drive right about now. Here are two things we… Read more
Gratitude Photo
Today, I am grateful for Grammy and Grampa Snuggles’ persimmon tree! One of my favorite gratitude practices is to take a picture of something I… Read more
Thursday Thought
Don’t regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many.” — Unknown Read more
Podcast: Kids Got the Gimmies?
As the holiday marketing machine ramps up and the lists for Santa start to lengthen, Rona and I pause to reflect on what research shows… Read more
Get your personalized book plate!
Giving RAISING HAPPINESS: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents as a gift? . We’ll send a signed, personalized book plate to… Read more
Happiness Tip: Feel Madly in Love
A buddy recently stopped by for tea to tell me all about his new love — a whirlwind 50-something romance, a second great love after… Read more
Thursday Thought
Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.” — Anne Frank Read more
Podcast: Why Gratitude Works
Rona and I talk about the science of gratitude, and why consciously practicing gratitude can boost our happiness so much. Please check out my podcast… Read more
Gratitude Photo
I am grateful that my neighborhood has sidewalk. One of my favorite gratitude practices is to take a picture of something I am grateful for. Read more
Friday Inspiration: A Life Changed by Gratitude
Several times a week, I take a photograph of something I find beautiful or inspiring, or something I feel grateful for. I was inspired to… Read more
Friday Giggle
Great article from Peter Hartlaub of SFGate! Seven things I’m going to miss about having little kids … https://blog.sfgate.com/parenting/2011/11/11/five-things-im-going-to-miss-about-having-little-kids/ Read more
Thursday Thought
Abundance can be had simply by consciously receiving what has already been given.” —Sufi Saying Read more
Video: Teaching Gratitude
In honor of that wonderful gratitude holiday we’ve got just around the corner, I’m reposting a very short video that Kelly Corrigan (author of The… Read more
Take HALF OFF ANY online Raising Happiness Class
Take HALF OFF ANY online Raising Happiness Class Hurry, this offer ends at midnight on Monday, November 28th, 2011. I’m not a huge fan of… Read more
Happiness Tip: Practice Gratitude Every Single Day
If we want to be happy we need to practice gratitude. Deliberately and consistently — or we’ll end up feeling entitled rather than satisfied. Here… Read more
Gratitude Photo
I am grateful for red leaves and blue skies and crisp air. One of my favorite gratitude practices is to take a picture of something… Read more
Introducing Raising Happiness Ala Cart!
Interested in the Raising Happiness Online Class, but not sure that you can commit to a 10-week course? Take a test drive with our FIRST… Read more
Postcast: Occupy – Should Kids be Involved?
This week Rona and I discuss how and why to talk to kids about the Occupy Wall Street movement, and why giving them a broader… Read more
2011 Red Tricycle Award Winner!
GREAT NEWS! Raising Happiness won a Totally Awesome award for the Best Parent Education in 2011. THANK YOU for your support!! Read more
How to Make Your Task List More Fun
So often we parents face a long list of boring daily tasks. This is not good for our happiness! This week transform your task list… Read more
Thursday Thought
None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone.” — Ralph… Read more
Podcast: Happiness is Contagious
Want to contribute to the greater good of society? Rona and I talk about why starting with yourself is a solid strategy for increasing other… Read more
Stop Stalling.
We all do it sometimes, but procrastination is not a happiness habit. Often we know what we need to do, but we just don’t feel like… Read more
TEDx Talk: The Power of the Compassionate Imagination
Here is the TEDx talk I gave in June 2011 — my ideas about the foundation of happiness, and the choice that I think can… Read more
Podcast: One tip for kids’ School Success
Are the economists right that genes have the most powerful influence on academic success? Rona and I talk about a frequently over-looked contribution to our… Read more
Friday Inspiration
Video from KarmaTube If you haven’t seen this moving video yet, take the time. It is wonderful: speaks to the meaning of life, of school,… Read more
Video: Teach Kids to be Lucky
Did you know that there is a science of luck? Research shows that there are SKILLS that make us luckier. Lindsay and I talk about those things… Read more
Breathe out. Twice.
When we exhale, our heart beat slows down slightly, which is probably why long, deep exhalations are associated with relaxation and well-being. If you are… Read more
Friday Inspiration
To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.” — Henry David Thoreau Read more
One Kind Thing
Helping others makes us happy–and it makes life meaningful. But how do we foster kindness in children? Try asking these two questions at dinner tonight:… Read more
Friday Inspiration
What an incredible story…and voice! Read more
Podcast: Don’t Freak Out!
Why it is so important for us parents to have healthy coping mechanisms for dealing with stress and anxiety, as well as Rona and my… Read more
Video: How to Handle a Meltdown
Lindsay and I discuss one of the most important parenting skills in the history of the universe: emotion coaching. Quick tips for how to handle… Read more
The 3 New “R’s” of Back-To-School Success
By guest blogger, Amy McCready, Founder of Positive Parenting Solutions and author of If I Have to Tell You One More Time…The Revolutionary Program That Gets… Read more
Inspiration for your Friday!
This video made me weep with joy. Hat tip: Danielle Laporte, who points out the key inspiration, which comes at the end: “Thank you. I won’t let… Read more
Podcast: Kids Under Pressure
Mindfulness and stress management tips for helping stressed out kids from Rona and my own experience and also from Michelle Bailey’s book Parenting Your Stressed Child. These… Read more
Video: Should We Push Kids Harder?
Will our kids be more successful if we push them harder to achieve more? This week, Lindsay and I discuss that Tiger-mother-like desire not only… Read more
Friday Inspiration
Every time you make a choice, either conscious or unconscious, it changes the world.” -Julia Butterfly Hill, at Awakening Joy on 9/28/11 Read more
Podcast: To sign up — or not to sign up?
Rona and I discuss the “decision tree” I use for deciding whether or not to sign my kids up for another activity. Here are a… Read more
Step Two: Getting into a New Routine
Knowing what you want to change is the first step, but just as important is knowing HOW to do it. Christine coaches Lindsay through making… Read more
Learn Something New
Your kids are back in school; should you be, too? Will taking a class make you happier? Or will it just make you feel busier?… Read more
Friday Inspiration
Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.” -Oprah Winfrey Read more
Podcast: Why We Overschedule our Children
Rona and I discuss the reasons that we parents are often tempted to let our kids do more after-school activities than we ever dreamed possible… Read more
Are Your Family’s Routines Working?
Have an evening or morning routine that isn’t working for you? You aren’t alone! This week, Christine helps Lindsay “re-engineer” her family’s dinnertime and bedtime… Read more
Brighten Someone’s Day
The happiness of people in our social networks matters MUCH more than you think. Here’s why: Our friends influence what we think of as normal,… Read more
Welcome Today Show Viewers
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy If you’re on this website for the first time, welcome! We are so… Read more
How Happy are Your Kids’ Friends’ Friends’ Friends?
The happiness of people in our social networks matters MUCH more than you think. Here’s why: Our friends influence what we think of as normal,… Read more
Friday Inspiration
The great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, but in what direction we are moving.” –Oliver Wendell Holmes Read more
Podcast: The Importance of Building Social Connections
Although we live in a social world that is increasingly sparse–families tend to feel more isolated than they have in previous generations–real-life social connections are… Read more
Who’s Looking After Your Body? The Facts,The Fictions & The Tools To Tell The Difference.
Win 2 FREE tickets to this great San Francisco Speak-to-Me event by answering this question in the comment section below: What do you love most… Read more
Less Busyness, More Flow
This week, Lindsay and I are talking about that ever-present feeling of being too busy (is there any parent out there without a lot to… Read more
Don’t Just Sit There
Even though it seems like everyone everywhere is promising something that will bring happiness, our kids aren’t happy. Approximately 53% of college students display symptoms of… Read more
How to Prep Your Kid For College: A Preschool through High School Guide
Given that research shows that more “enrichment” activities do not further kids’ academic success, how can parents influence children’s academic achievement? “After declining for decades, the amount… Read more
Happy Mom Monday: Slow Down
Stop rushing around. For one day, try not to hurry yourself OR your children. Slowing down in our fast-paced world—even just for a day—can bring… Read more
Friday Inspiration
The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person who is doing it.” – Chinese proverb Read more
Are your kids too busy? Three questions to help you figure it out.
I often worry that my own kids are overscheduled—and as I posted about last week on my Greater Good blog, research has shown that more… Read more
Christine’s Back-to-School Tips
This morning on the Good Day Sacramento, Lisa Gonzales and I talked about the academic advantage that happiness gives kids in school. Read more
Why Parental Happiness Comes First
Welcome to our first video in a new series produced by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. I’m really excited to introduce Lindsay… Read more
4 Steps to Help Your Daughter Stand Up to Her “Shame Monster”
By guest blogger, Lynn Johnson. Lynn is the co-founder/owner of Glitter & Razz Productions, an Oakland, CA-based company that teaches and reinforces social/emotional skills to… Read more
6 Things Teens Wish Their Parents Knew
By guest blogger, Vanessa Van Petten, creator of RadicalParenting.com and author of the parenting book, Do I Get My Allowance Before or After I’m Grounded?… Read more
Why Your Happiness Matters: A Call for Happier Parents Everywhere
Every time I watch this hilarious video of a little girl cheering herself on, I think: Her parents must be pretty happy people. I don’t… Read more
Tuesday Tip: Take a Stroll
My grandmother always told me that getting outside for a little walk could clear our heads and lift our spirits; now we have plenty of… Read more
Tuesday Tip: Make Yourself Guffaw
Laughter lowers stress hormones (even the expectation of laughter can do this) and elevates feel-good beta-endorphins. For this reason, find something that reliably makes you… Read more
Comfortable with Discomfort
Yesterday, I dropped my kids off at a rustic sleep-a-way camp in the high Sierras, where they will be for the next two weeks. The… Read more
Inspiration for Parents
What do you find inspiring? I think inspiration, and its cousins, elevation and awe, are over-looked sources of happiness in our achievement-crazed culture. It’s kind… Read more
My UC Berkeley Commencement Speech
I delivered the commencement address for UC Berkeley’s sociology department (from which I earned my own Ph.D.). It was quite an honor—and a daunting responsibility.… Read more
What To Do When You Are Unhappy
Feeling better after we feel bad “What do you do when you feel sad?” people often ask me. (Some even ask, “Do you ever get… Read more
Siblings: How to Help them be Friends Forever
“YOU ARE THE MEANEST SISTER IN THE WORLD!!!” My children are upstairs in the room directly above me, putting together a puzzle and fighting. I… Read more
Emotion Coaching
According to John Gottman, one of my all-time favorite researchers, emotion-coaching is the key to raising happy, resilient, and well-adjusted kids. His research—30 years of it—shows that… Read more