The Dolce Vita Lifestyle

Raeleen D'Agostino Mautner, Ph.D.

There is no denying that technology has become an important part of contemporary life. Almost everywhere I go people are snapping selfies or walking with their heads buried in their phone.  Our smartphones, tablets and computers have provided us with efficient ways to keep to our schedules, find answers to many of life’s “questions”, without thumbing …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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Holiday season brings forth the gambit of emotions—from sadness to elation an everything in between. Together with the blessings we are grateful for, we also face challenges with each year that goes by. Added to the recent mix is the pandemic-related adversity of loss, isolation, and prolonged stress reported by more than 80% of Americans.  …

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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 …

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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 …

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For those of us who are open to finding love the second (or third, fourth, etc.) time around, I can tell you from experience the journey requires patience, clarity of priorities, and if necessary, even some personal development to make sure we ourselves match up to the characteristics we are hoping to find someone else!  In …

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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 …

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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 …

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