Recently, I gave a talk to an audience of parents and teachers on resilience, the ability to bounce back, to handle life’s daily challenges, and to overcome adversity. I discussed the five factors that are important to develop resilience: connection to others, communication, confidence, competence and commitment, and control. And I recommended the things that could be done to help children and teens develop resilience - things like taking risks (appropriate to their age, of course), making … [Read more...]
Inspiration: Some Thoughts on Resilience
November 1, 2014 By
Justus Uwayesu is a freshman at Harvard. “So what?” you say. Just another smart young man headed for a successful future. What is so unusual about that? But Mr. Uwaysu is more unusual than the average 22 year old. Orphaned at age three when his parents, illiterate farmers, were killed in the Rwandan genocide that exterminated 800,000 people in 100 days, he was living in a burned out car in a garbage dump at the age of nine. He scavenged and begged for food during the day, had not bathed in … [Read more...]
Discover Your Passion and Improve Your Mental Health
August 20, 2014 By
What role does passion play in our lives? It’s a question I’ve given much thought to lately. I recently had the pleasure of meeting a professional book reviewer and writer at a dinner with friends. It was wonderful to sit and talk with someone who shared my love for reading, and our conversation reminded me of the importance of having a passion and how it brings great meaning to our lives. A passion is something you want to dig into more deeply. It doesn’t matter if the passion … [Read more...]
Celebrating Our Matriarchs This Mother’s Day
May 11, 2014 By
Last week was Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, a day for remembrance and reflection, a day to listen to testimonials from survivors and heroes, a day to be grateful for the many blessings in our lives. The next day I also spoke at my aunt's funeral where I celebrated the blessing of having had Aunt Bea in my life. Like Steven Spielberg's USC Shoah Foundation, which videotapes and preserves the memories of Holocaust survivors and witnesses, we owe it to ourselves and future generations to … [Read more...]
Skip the Chocolates: Take the Relationship Quiz
February 14, 2014 By
Valentine’s Day, February 14 has arrived. Are you prepared to celebrate with chocolate and flowers? Or, maybe you’re heading out for a “special” dinner and movie? Dating or married, the pressure is often on to impress. Cupid may or may not strike, but you sure work hard to please your partner on Valentine’s Day. Ironically, the holiday originated in Roman times when the Emperor forbid single men from marrying in order to make what he believed were better soldiers. Not until the 15th century … [Read more...]
