Our thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes can be primed for more happiness.
For me and for many Italians, February is the month of song. It is the month of the renowned Festival of San Remo, the yearly song competition in that officially began in 1951 in beautiful the coastal city of San Remo in the northwest Italy, known also for its extraordinary 19th century villas, lush tropical gardens, and …
I believe in self-help; in accepting responsibility for our ongoing personal development. As human beings with endless potential, we should never stop learning and growing, and becoming the best version of ourselves that we can be. The humanist psychologists, such as Abraham Maslow, espoused the process of self-actualization, or directing the progression of our lives …
America recently fell in love with the record-breaking Jeopardy champion, Amy Schneider, the first transgender woman to compete—and win over a million dollars– on the game show. Despite the nasty transphobic social media snipes, Amy handled them with grace and a sense of humor—a reaction, no doubt born from a solid sense of self-worth. I was …
We all want to believe there is a magical force out in the universe somewhere that responds to the promise that you can imagine whatever you want and by believing you already have it, it will suddenly appear. The ideas behind “Law of Attraction” books have been capturing readers’ attention as far back as 1877. The …
The other day, I was out walking my dog when a memory from long ago resurfaced. It was as if the universe was sending me an important reminder; like two hands being placed on my shoulders. When I started grade school, I was one of the two tallest students in the lower grades, and thus …
Up until recently, when he relocated to another state, we had a letter carrier whom I will call “Mike”. Mike was no ordinary postal worker. Yes, he was good at his job—we never had to worry about our mail being delivered to someone else’s house, or finding mail on the sidewalk somewhere having out of a letter …
The non finito, most observed in Renaissance times, refers to an artist’s unfinished sculpture or drawing. For example, Michelangelo’s renowned “prisoner” sculptures in Florence’s Academia show four human figures partially emerging from unfinished blocks of stone. This allegorical masterpiece conveys the human struggle to break free of matter or the soul imprisoned by the flesh. There are …
Whenever I am in Italy, I can’t help but notice how the days seem long and full; and how time seems to dawdle, instead of racing by. Technically the 24- hour-day formula is a non-negotiable, but I have discovered, that if we make a few subtle modifications to our lifestyle, “Life is long if you …
No matter what our age, who amongst us isn’t tempted by the bags of Halloween candy we break open in preparation for the onslaught of our neighborhood trick-or-treaters? What is YOUR favorite Halloween candy? It is said that two of the most popular choices are the Almond Joy and Mounds. I remember as a kid, one …
Marino D’Agostino died 4 months ago. He had a larger-than-life presence, and with very little formal education, Marino had an instinctual wisdom about what it took to succeed in life. He himself succeeded on many fronts against all odds– in business, social life, and even health and longevity (he was 100 years old). I learned a …
The Dolce Vita Lifestyle 