What is balance? It is defined as finding equilibrium for the body or mind. I've been on a mission to find both.

Sometimes when we're in life scenarios that aren't ideal, we may find ourselves over-exaggerating the details. Our job is better, relationships and fi...

Myths are set up to point us to a larger truth. And if we look deeper, we can uncover the true nature of love -- and a more empowering, all-encompassing meaning for Valentine's Day.

Happiness has many aspects: From quiet appreciation to living with zest and passion, it's great to explore all the various facets available to you now. Inner happiness has many entry points. Try these out and notice how good you feel.

Finding joy within ourselves (and being determined to do so no matter what's going on around us or what's happening in the world) really can help to make the world a better place.

No doubt we are all very busy from the time we get up in the morning to the time we retire at night; it's called "doing" life. The question to ponder is how much time do we spend on autopilot taking the life we are "doing" for granted?

The holidays are upon us. Peace on earth, and goodwill to all. Right? Or perhaps it feels more like stress at home and ill will toward family? There is another possibility. This year, take the peaceful path through the holidays.

Gratitude reminds us to find our happiness in exceptional things, mundane things, the good things, the so-so things -- even the terrible things. Rather than focusing on what might be more, better, or different, why not start being grateful for what is in front of you right now?

Not long ago I was reintroduced to angels -- not the kind with rosy cheeks or gauzy, transparent wings, but the angels in real life. You know, the people who come into your life with special support, a gift of wisdom, full-hearted support.

The very word "thanksgiving" reminds us to be thankful for the good things in our lives. Yet, it is often the tragedies we experience that really make us appreciate what we have. Once we've lost something important, we see how valuable it was.

Most days, I let one thing or another distract me from the bountiful reasons I have to be thankful. But I do, on occasion, reflect deeply on the tensions between striving and cherishing. And when those reflections take me over, they often engender a poem.

Thankfully, gratitude and appreciation can create their own positive psychophysiological holiday in your body -- without the necessity of a feast. If you find yourself facing Thanksgiving stress this week, remember to bring appreciation into your thoughts and heart.

Practicing gratitude means appreciating aspects of your life and not taking anything for granted. It may offer health benefits as well.

There are strategies for cultivating gratitude -- even during times of epic disasters such as Hurricane Sandy. With practice, even under the most difficult circumstances, the ability to be appreciative will strengthen you.

Show gratitude to the people in your life that helped you make it through hard times. Show gratitude when you use something you learned. Show gratitude where you live. This attitude of gratitude can help us help each other, but more importantly, it will help you help yourself.

I think we could all learn something significant from dogs regarding the nature of not just giving, but receiving. There seems to sufficient conversation around the need to be a good giver, and appropriately so, but there is little talk about the other end of the stick.

During this harvest season, let's take time be grateful for the remarkable gift of voice, and live up to the responsibility of contributing to the symphony of life.

These days, I have had to figure out how to create happiness instead of just of feeling like a victim in an endless wait for its arrival. Funny thing is, by doing the few things I mention here, I believe I am even happier now than when the universe actually graces me with the happiness jackpot.

My mother used to say, "You can't be unhappy and grateful at the same time." Over the years, I have found how right she was, in matters of the heart.

I've been thinking a lot lately about the importance of balancing the mind toward more of the good in life. This isn't meant to be a Pollyanna approach, just balancing the negativity bias that our brains inherently have.

If you can remember another person's act of kindness toward you and hold onto those grateful feelings, they will spontaneously turn into a cup that runneth over instead of one that is half-filled.

Until we get to the bottom of why gratitude is so hard, we cannot really understand what gratitude actually is. A few points need to be made.

We try to create order by blaming someone or something. We can blame God and sometimes even blame the victim. But usually we blame ourselves, irrational as it may be. All of this is an effort to calm our brains and try to make sense of our lives.

How many of us have stopped to offer our thanks to others not in uniform but working below the radar and behind the scenes, dedicating their lives "in service" to a profession or cause?

If you treated this family time as if it could be your last, what would that change for you in your life? How can you make this holiday season not only tolerable but one that creates memories to cherish later on?