My second-grade teacher always called me “Smiley” because of my constant ear-to-ear grin. The irony is that throughout my life I’ve actually battled a nagging sense of unhappiness—though early on I’d mastered the art of my face never showing it.
Our happiness has to come from inside. No thing or person can make you feel good. [...]
The Stowe ski area is home to Vermont’s highest mountain, Mount Mansfield. During a recent ski trip to a resort up there, I got to thinking about the biggest mountains in my own life. From my gondola, I looked through the lens of my camera at Mansfield; thought about the things in life I want [...]
My parents called me a worrywart when I was a kid. It might have had something to do with the fact they allowed me to watch the evening news with them. I was scared for my life! As I grew up, my fear expanded to include things like speaking up in class or making the [...]
You’d think that with all the hoopla surrounding celebrities who study Jewish mysticism I might have an inkling of what it’s all about. I don’t. What’s more embarrassing is that I was raised Jewish—you’d think that might give me an edge on the topic. Yet I was totally in the dark.
By now you know I’m [...]
We live in the “Information Age,” which means I’m distracted half the time and not listening to you. (Sorry, Mom.)
Does anyone pay attention to the people he or she encounters daily? For the last six months I’ve tried—and my days haven’t been the same.
“What if every person you came in contact with today—coworkers, family members, [...]
If you’re like me, you need to live in a city with a pulse.
Unfortunately, that pulse too often comes at the cost of high blood
pressure. I’m sometimes overwhelmed by New York City’s seemingly
endless options of love, careers, and even Thai take out. Many of my
friends exist on a permanent adrenaline rush. They run around, make
connections, [...]
While shopping for a new outfit the other day, I found myself sharing the intimacies of my personal life with a random young woman working at the store. She was helping me pick out an outfit and asked where I planned to wear it. Next thing I knew, we were knee-deep in the details [...]
Happy New Year everyone! I’m not announcing any big resolutions, because I bet I’ll break them. This year, my main goal is to simply enjoy life and be happy every day. Join me here at Downtown Dharma, a new blog about finding balance and meaning in a city—even in heels. This site was started as [...]
