For many people, the word routine brings to mind two other words: boring and tedious . In reality, however, having a daily routine can be grounding, fulfilling, and healthful. It can also add order and a feeling of ownership to your day while reducing stress and helping you minimize procrastination.I’m an enthusiastic advocate of having a daily routine. I...

Many varying beliefs pervade our families and affect our self-worth and our ability to give and receive love. Some people believe it’s good to be friendly, while others teach that it’s best to be reserved and quiet. Some think that the only way to live is to coexist with your extended family throughout life; others believe that it’s not nor...

Recently, a lifelong dream of mine came true when my whole family—children and their children—came together to visit my husband and me in Europe. It took months of planning and, before that, years of manifesting and working for a chance to have the time and financial freedom to wander Europe with what has become a big family herd of all ages. And though Euro...

Family reunions, parades, fireworks, picnics, barbecues, concerts. It’s likely that most of us in the United States will participate in one or more of these celebratory events in the coming week. Hopefully, as we do, we’ll think about why we’re celebrating. Eleven months prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor that caused the United States to declare war ...

Bad habits, or patterns of behavior, can vary from the somewhat insignificant (like squeezing a tube of toothpaste from the middle) to the dangerous and addictive (like binge drinking) and everything in between (wasting time on social media, biting your fingernails, procrastinating, and so on). Fortunately, bad habits—whether big or small—can be broken with ...

American evangelist Billy Graham said, “A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised , unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.” As Father’s Day approaches this year, let’s take time to celebrate those good fathers in our lives—the ones who not only had our hands in theirs, but also always had ou...

In Methodist Episcopal congregations throughout the country, today (the second Sunday in June) is National Children’s Day. It’s a day to honor, celebrate, and advocate for the children in your life and around the globe. There is much you can do to recognize the day: put down your phone and play with your child cook with your child ...

There’s a reason thousands of books on leadership have been written: being a leader is a tough job, and there are dozens of schools of thought about what style of leadership works best in what situation. Following these ten tips, however, can help you stay on top of the game no matter your leadership style. (As a bonus, they are also valuable life tips for b...

As the season changes from spring to summer, life seems to echo the shift. Students finish one grade and move on to the next. New graduates leave campus and start careers. The days become longer, more filled with light, and people flock to beaches, parks, and lakes to enjoy everything summer has to offer. We welcome these changes—celebrate them even—with gra...

Former First Lady Barbara Bush, who passed away last month, once said “Your success as a family—our success as a nation—depends not on what happens inside the White House, but on what happens inside your house.” It is in the home, after all, where children first learn to talk, to share, to say please and thank you, to express emotions...

Imagine applying for a job that would require you to work all day, some nights, every holiday, and every weekend, with a strict requirement to be on call 24/7 for any emergencies, even during vacations (which, by the way, would be minimal, if ever allowed). Imagine that this job description has an unfathomable list of qualifications, stretching from financ...

Though their days are short, January and February seem to stretch on longer than other months of the year. The trees have shed their leaves and remain dormant and bare, the landscape is washed of color, the cold feels bitter and never-ending. It’s easy to feel stuck as you wait out the grayness, hoping for warmer weather and longer days ahead. But there’s a ...

In my book Essential Oils for Happy Living, I explain that “the most important decisions we make—the ones that rule our lives and determine the outcome of our personal stories—are generally emotion based. Coming to understand your emotions will make you better equipped to improve yourself and perform better in all aspects of life.” Th...

Life is full of distractions, but that doesn’t mean your mind needs to be distracted by worries, anxieties, and troubles that bring you out of the present and keep you from accomplishing the things that are most important to you. The practice of mindfulness is relatively simple, can be done from nearly any location once learned, and works miracles by helping...

Love, family, friends, health, wealth, resilience, gratitude, purpose, faith. All of these things affect our happiness and state of well-being, some more than others. The most important contributor to happiness, however, is one many of us are the least likely to practice: self-acceptance. Dr. Mark Williamson, director of the charity Action for Happiness, whi...

We all know the feeling of lying in bed after our alarm clock goes off and thinking about all the things we need to accomplish today. The many tasks of the day seem daunting and tempt us to just stay in. We shouldn't let this stop us. Many times we just need motivation in the morning to get us going for the day! That’s why I’ve put together the p...

Making positive connections with others is vital to our emotional health and well-being. This is something most of us agree on and that scientific research has backed up for decades. In fact, a 2015 study identified a strong link between loneliness or perceived social isolation and cellular mechanisms that produce physiological changes that lead to ill...

Creating a Better Work-Life Balance In pursuit of “having it all”—a burgeoning career, a robust personal life, good health, a thriving and close-knit family—many of us burn out and end up falling short in one or more of these areas. Maintaining a better balance between work and other parts of your life may not give you “it all,” but it can go a long wa...

Anger is a powerful emotion. If left unchecked, it can effect both physical and emotional health, destroy relationships with loved ones, and contribute to violence and other risky behaviors. It is also a natural response to some of the more painful and difficult parts of the human experience. Learning how to manage your anger can allow you to properly expres...

“I’ll never be good enough!” “I can’t do anything right!” “No one likes me.” “It’s always my fault.” “I’m not smart enough/skinny enough/pretty enough.” How many times have you told yourself one (or more) of these things? How often has such a statement stopped you from t...