What really makes people happy? Join me at one of three private screenings of “Happy,” a film that explores that very question. I will open with a chat on my own experiences with depression and happiness and then answer your questions. Book signing! After the screening, I will be signing FREE copies of Beyond Blue:...

Recent happiness studies indicate that popularity, influence, and money do not make people happiest – even as our culture suggests otherwise. Autonomy, life purpose, and relationships are found at the top of the list. In her new book, “The Happiness Choice: The Five Decisions that Take You From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be,” Marilyn Tam communicates...

Just published as a Beliefnet gallery … Brain hiccups. We all get a case of them now and then. For some they are fleeting and all a person has to do is to take a deep breath, visualize their departure, and poof! They’re gone. Not so easy for the rest of us. If I counted up the...

I’ve always known that I climb out of any pool a lot happier than when I dove in. Yes, I know any kind of aerobic exercise relieves depression. For starters, it stimulates brain chemicals that foster the growth of nerve cells; exercise also affects neurotransmitters such as serotonin that influence mood and produces ANP, a...

New York Times reporter Benedict Carey referred to tears in a recent piece as “emotional perspiration.” Given that I sweat a lot and hate deodorant, I suppose it makes sense that I weep often. But I’m not going to apologize for that, because after a good cry, I always feel cleansed, like my heart and...