MS Maze

Do emotions and math go together?

“Emotions = Life.” That’s how Chip Conley begins his latest book, Emotional Equations: Simple Truths for Creating Happiness + Success.

Read the article and watch the book trailer: Emotions + Math = Insight

Writing a memoir invites the question, “Why did you write it?” It’s a fair question.

A comment left on the “No More Secs” Facebook page captured the spirit of the book perfectly.

“What a nice book. I laughed, I cried, I connected to you in a way I’ve connected with no one else. It was so nice to know I’m not alone.”

“It was so nice to know I’m not alone.” That’s why I wrote it and I’m forever grateful to the readers who’ve taken the time to let me know that it was worth the effort.

What a wonderful time I had chatting with the gracious Dr. Cecile Forte and the inspiring Chamein Canton on their show, “Who You Calling Old?” If you missed it, you can catch the on-demand podcast at your leisure. Thank you, ladies.

I’m not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions. They’re easy to make, but not so easy to keep. Last year was a real eye-opener for me, clarifying what I always suspected. Happiness can be found in simplicity.

“What is the good life? In my view, you can find it by following a startlingly simple path. The ‘pleasant life’ might be had by drinking champagne and driving a Porsche, but not the good life. Rather, the good life is using your signature strengths every day to produce authentic happiness and abundant gratification. This is something you can learn to do in each of the main realms of your life: work, love, and raising children.”

– from the 2002 book, Authentic Happiness by Martin E.P. Seligman, PhD

Read it: New Year’s Resolution: Seek Happiness in Simplicity

As we close out 2011 and welcome in 2012, it’s a good time to take stock of life. I’m not a new year’s resolution maker, but I do like to think about the previous year and where I hope the next year will take me. 2011 was a bittersweet year, one of tremendous highs and lows.

When we welcomed 2011, I wondered if I’d be around to see 2012. As it turns out, I look and feel healthier than most people I know. Aside from my still faint eyebrows and eyelashes, and my boyish haircut, there is no clue that I survived triple-negative breast cancer and ten months of very aggressive treatment, or that I have multiple sclerosis. Life is funny that way. Despite the difficulties of the year, I am truly grateful to have lived it — life is a roller coaster and I’m happy to take another turn on the ride in 2012.

Wishing you and yours all the best in the new year.

The Buzz about Secs!
No More Secs! was previously available in Nook format on Barnes & Noble, who recently added the paperback version. They listed it at a price quite a bit lower than Amazon’s list price and — not to be underpriced by anyone — Amazon has matched it. No More Secs! in paperback is now available for $10.76 at both chains. Both still carry the eBook version at $6.99.

Did you catch my first-ever podcast appearance earlier this month? I had a lovely time speaking with Trudy Thomas about living life to the fullest despite serious health issues.
Living with HOPE (Host: Trudy Thomas) 12/9/11

I’ll be visiting with Dr. Cecile Forte on January 16 on her show called, “Who You Calling Old?” Certainly no one would call me old…
Who You Calling Old (Host: Dr. Cecile Forte) Scheduled: 1/16/12

For a woman who considers herself to be an introvert, I’m certainly getting out there these days!

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When that last drop of New Year’s Eve champagne is gone and the Christmas ornaments are packed away, many people enter a state of post-holiday blues. The anticipation and planning that begins with Halloween ends when you open your eyes on the second day of January. It’s winter; the parties are over and it’s back to the daily grind. But you can beat the post-holiday blues.

Read it: 10 Ways to Beat the Post-Holiday Blues

How many acts of kindness do you carry out in a day? As you go about your busy life, you probably perform more random acts of kindness than you think. That’s what I realized when I read Linda Cohen’s 1,000 Mitzvahs: How Small Acts of Kindness Can Heal, Inspire, and Change Your Life.

In a chapter cleverly titled “Change the Toilet Paper,” Linda discusses how the little things you do can make a big difference is someone else’s day.

It’s so easy to make a difference! Find out how: How Small Acts of Kindness Can Heal and Inspire

I haven’t had much to drink. I can hold my liquor. I can still drive safely. That’s what a lot of people say right before they get behind the wheel of a car. Unfortunately, a lot of them end up dead, taking innocent victims along with them.

More people are likely to die in alcohol-related traffic crashes during the holidays than any other time of year. Statistics from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) show that during Christmas and New Year’s, the death rate for alcohol-related crashes is two to three times higher than other times of the year.

Read it: A Crash Course for Christmas

Photo Source:PR Newswire/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health

Holidays got you down? Are you stressed about gifts and parties, and financial and social obligations to the point where you just wish you could skip the holidays altogether? Even worse, does the holiday season make you feel depressed?

If so, you’re not alone, but you might want to take a cue from Ebenezer Scrooge.

Read it: Beat the Holiday Blues: Be Like Scrooge

Are you longing for Christmas past? ‘Tis the season for reminiscing, after all. If you’re feeling nostalgic for the good old days and an old-fashioned Christmas, you’re not alone. But is all that nostalgia good for you?

The sights and sounds of the holiday season can reawaken memories and relationships, according to nostalgia expert Krystine Batcho, PhD, a professor at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY. Getting in touch with family and old friends reminds us of special times.

Read it: Is Holiday Nostalgia Good for You?

On the Living with HOPE podcast with the very gracious Trudy Thomas.

Aside from a physical exam, does your doctor touch you?

By touching, I mean does your doctor look you in the eye and treat you as a whole human being? Touch your hand…perhaps even offer a hug when the situation calls for one?

After my cancer diagnosis last year, I experienced first-hand the value of the human connection in medicine.

Read it: Does Your Doctor Touch You?

When it comes to giving thanks, I know exactly where to start — by sending the universe a heartfelt thank you for the gift of life.

I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2004 and triple-negative breast cancer in 2010, and in my 52 years on the planet, there have been other health issues, too. I’ve had my battles, that’s for sure. One might be tempted to harbor resentment about the piling on, but I don’t. I choose to look at it another way. This body of mine is a trooper. It fights back with a vengeance and I’m darn lucky to reside in such a resilient body.

Read it: Thankful for the Gift of Life

It is estimated that more than 65 million people in the United States provide care for a chronically ill, disabled or aging family member or friend during any given year. It takes a physical, emotional, and financial toll, and is an all but invisible labor of love.

Who are the caregivers? Sixty-six percent of family caregivers are women and more than 37 percent are also responsible for children and grandchildren under age 18. Caregiving goes on largely behind closed doors, before and after outside employment.

Read: Caring for the Caregivers

I sing and dance when I feel good. Not well, mind you. My younger son was but a toddler, trapped in a moving vehicle with his off-key mother, when he said, “Mom, can you please sing inside your head?” That about sums up my talent.

My singing is important, though. It’s a sign that I feel good. It’s not just a good mood thing — it means I feel healthy and have extra energy to burn — and that’s not always the case.

While preparing dinner last night I was in fine form, groovin’ to classic rock and belting out some fairly horrific sounding notes. Then I considered my husband, working in our home office, and wondered if I was annoying him. How could he concentrate with my off-key chorus? But it felt too good to stop.

My precarious health situation this past year means that he appreciates just about anything I do, simply because I’m here to do it. That’s got to wear off eventually, right?

At dinner I asked the question. “How long will it last? How long will I be able to get away with making a racket before you quit appreciating my mere presence and ask me to cut it out?”

Thoughtful pause.

“I’d say pretty much for the rest of your life, babe. Sing all you want. I like to hear it.”

‘Nuff said.