1. All children to grow up safe and away from abuse, violence and hatred.

2. That we could read each other's thoughts. It would be easier to stay clear of the mean people
who pretend to be nice and our lives would eventually become authentic and accountable, if...

There are times in all our lives when we find ourselves struggling to feel joy. When we feel attacked and life appears dark, we must find a way back to the knowing that light is always available -- through a smile, a gentle touch or a simple utterance of a...

One of life's most difficult situations is when someone you love is no longer present in your life due to disagreements, especially during the holidays. After navigating through the tumultuous teenage years, parents, adult children and siblings expect to have close and loving relationships with each other; and when we...

After giving advice recently, I was told, "But I'm not strong like you." "I don't know how you survived." I replied, "You would have been strong, if you had to be," and I continued, "Sometimes, being strong is the only choice you have." Until this conversation, I had never given...

We have the War on Drugs, the War on Terror, War on Poverty and with the recent events, it appears we can add the War on Words. It has long been understood that words create realities and most of us teach our children to be careful with their words, as...

Life's crossroads create opportunity for us to choose between different options, and when we see someone embracing the moment when choices are decided upon, it can be awe-inspiring. A crossroads is about change. Choices must be made -- not just when things are not working out as we had planned,...

When we are witness to arrogance -- as we have seen in recent political discourse, we see all too often individuals who are attached to the reference point of "me." As an elected official, their job is to focus on "us" and "others" and a devastating disconnect occurs and distrust...

When did saying "no" become easier than saying "yes"? Recently a friend told my husband and me about Color Me Rad, a 5K wherein you get covered with colored corn starch throughout the run. My husband said, "Sounds like fun," and my immediate reaction, without even thinking, was...

While we were watching the Olympic trials, my husband asked me, "Could you have done this when you were younger?" I thought about what it took for these athletes to make it to the Olympics. If you believe we all have the ability, given the right conditions, to have an...

How many times have we heard from well-meaning friends and family members that the solution to our problem was to "just let it go"? My stepdaughter recently asked me, "I want to let it go, but how do I do it? What does it really mean?" Her sentiments echo the...

How often do we find ourselves in a situation that seems un-winnable or, in the extreme, impossible? When this happens, it is difficult to make sense of the things that have happened to us. There are situations that, regardless of what we do, will change us forever. When these life-altering...

We are acutely aware of being under the influence of many things: drugs, alcohol, jealousy, manipulative media, and racism. We fight to create awareness so we can move beyond the influences of these negative emotions and situations. Just as important as letting some things go, there is the importance of...

While talking to my stepdaughter recently, she told me about an apology her boyfriend made to her. I was surprised to hear that his apology had contained the word "You" more than the word "I." Most of us are used to hearing some version of these sincere apologies:

• I'm sorry...

It seems that fear is manufactured before our eyes through the news and our interactions with others, and it appears most often without our permission and it permeates our lives. Because fear is contagious, it can control us effortlessly, if we let it. The destructive power of fear no longer...

When our mind is fearful, our bodies follow the fear and we experience the physical effects of stress. We all have heard that stress produces cortisol, the "fat hormone." We know that stress changes our bodily functions and when left unchecked, can harm us is many ways.

Why is...

When a woman is described as tough, sexual, smart or ugly, you can almost count on that woman being accomplished, secure in her sexuality, intelligent and unaffected by her looks. Women who have forged ahead in their lives, unapologetic for their choices and unaffected by others who would clearly be...

When we realize our life is not working -- financial hardships, abuse, unfriendliness, weight gain, bad relationship and/or an unfulfilling job -- there are a few habits we can let go of to change our reality immediately. Change is swift and permanent when we choose to make certain mental, spiritual...

Constitutional rights have been battled over for as long as we can remember. The fight for equality for blacks, women, equal rights in the workplace and now equality for LGBTs, has never been easy and many have suffered to put an end to the discrimination. We finally have a president...

Behavior that denigrates women is prevalent throughout the world. Women are wives, co-workers, sisters, mothers, friends, daughters and over half of the population, and most of these women will be disrespected for simply being a woman. When women's issues are regarded as secondary to those of men's -- as illustrated...

I find it reprehensible when I see parents whose children suffer with drugs, eating disorders and other addictions refuse to acknowledge a problem exists, especially when they do not seek treatment for their children because they don't not want the "stigma" of addiction to attach to themselves or their children....