Despite recent research suggesting that money can in fact buy happiness, more Americans are redefining success and happiness in a way that doesn't inv...

Life's commas are just like the ones we got used to during those mundane classroom lessons. They are a time to pause, reflect, catch our breath then move on. They aren't the end.

Live life with the knowledge that there is more good in the world than evil. The small positive changes we make each day make a difference for us, for our community and for our world.

For reasons I could not explain in 10,000 words or less, I moved to a small town on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, for three months or more, to determine how I begin with all of this that has happened, and to wait for this story of the pain in my neck to resolve.

Here's what I'm working on: making the "new normal" of life beyond cancer just plain normal. Whatever your struggle, I know it's possible to move beyond constant comparisons between what was and what now is with the right tools. Here's what it's going to take.

Now Millie has a small house of her own, financed by a brick-making business she runs. And this was made possible because she learned how to roll beads out of strips of recycled paper.

Whatever it is, you have two choices: Live with it and continue to be unhappy or take a good, serious look at yourself in the mirror. The key word here is mirror. We can't see our blemishes until we have a mirror to reflect them back at us.

Life is too short to spend your time being unhappy and adding to a long list of regrets. Put fear aside, really evaluate what you want out of life and how best to get it, and then go for it! You only get one go around, so why are you still at the starting gate?

It's incredibly important to be able to pinpoint the moments, people and experiences that trigger these feelings. Even if your whole life feels like it's in a funk, you have to start noticing more specific moments that cause that feeling in order to start making positive changes.

When we let go of our judgment about where we are and where we think we "should" be, we're able to appreciate our lives, the people around us, and ourselves in a genuine way.

Our thoughts are the only thing that separate us from having every single thing we could ever want.

The heart rhythm is subtle. To find a smooth rhythm when you need it requires a new reference place inside from which you respond -- a heart-intelligent place. That reference place will feel different from your mechanical head, and you'll come to recognize it.

Change is like going on an expedition: It can be a trudge or a hike. Take it all in and enjoy the view, or focus on the faults -- it's absolutely a choice. Here are some lessons I've learned about encountering change, some by resisting it and some by jumping into it with two feet.

Whether atop a cake, cookie, or stack of pancakes -- when I blow out candles celebrating another 365 days of my existence, my birthday wish is always the same: to be happy.

Live enough days on this planet and you're going to face some big stuff and plenty of little annoyances. There are bound to be whole days where things don't seem to go your way. What are you going to do with that?

While you are in crisis, you are forced to function outside of your normal comfort zone. The sheer nature of a crisis or struggle creates a certain amount of present moment awareness, which is where the solutions live.

Remember that we cannot begin again until some other chapter has closed. For the daffodil, the winter is on the wane. The end of one season brings the onset of the next new life.