‘Father of Flow:’ Honoring Csíkszentmihályi’s Legacy

You’re familiar with the expression GO WITH THE FLOW and you’ve probably experienced being suspended in a state of flow. Today on the anniversary of his birth, we honor the life of Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, pioneering Positive Psychology thought leader and world expert on Flow States. Dr. Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi defined flow as “a state in which … Read more

September 2023 Newsletter

READ THE NEWSLETTER HERE Last weekend, my family and I celebrated Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It’s a wonderful time for reflecting on our lives over the past year and praying to become the best version of ourselves. We spend the month leading up to the holiday preparing ourselves spiritually and reaching out to … Read more

Before and After: Remembering 9/11 as a New Yorker

For weeks, we could still smell the smoke—even though my apartment is about 100 blocks north of the World Trade Center. It started out as a momentous fall day, until it became an atrocity. It was supposed to be the first day of nursery school for our younger son Joshua. My husband and I were … Read more

Read a Book Day: Turn Pages, Shift Perspectives

There’s something so delicious and thrilling about cracking open a brand new book. Who will you encounter? What will you discover that’s unknown to the characters but obvious to you? How will you be transported to different destinations, cultures, and times? One of my favorite activities is to get lost in a great book. Historical … Read more

How to Make This Year’s Labor Day Matter

Labor Day was made an official holiday in 1894 to honor the contributions of laborers who built America’s railroads, highways, and infrastructure. Today, like many modern holidays, it’s viewed as an opportunity for big sales and to enjoy leisure time away from work, of course. Living in New York City, it’s impossible to ignore the … Read more

Looking for the Teacher’s Edition Textbook … For Life

It’s back-to-school season and I’m getting ever so nostalgic. Whenever I duck into the Staples store in my neighborhood, I’m swept up with positive flashbacks from my childhood back-to-school excursions. My mom was wonderfully supportive, always encouraging my love of learning. For this annual rite of passage, we’d go to the local stationery store in … Read more

The Last Precious Days of Summer

Events around the world these past few weeks have been anything but idyllic. However, as the calendar pages turn towards the last week of August (calendar pages used to be a real thing), it seems that many people have headed for the hills, beach, or staycations. After spending a couple of days leaving lots of … Read more

Like a Good Wine, My Marriage Keeps Getting Better

In the second year of my MBA program, I put on my black jumpsuit and headed to the end-of-semester dance party to celebrate the completion of grueling exams and papers. At around midnight, I asked a handsome guy to dance, not knowing how this simple gesture would alter the trajectory of my life. Jacob was … Read more

Be Kind to Humankind Week: How Can I Give and Attract Kindness?

In celebration of Be Kind to Humankind week, I am delighted to share wisdom from the ages on the subject of kindness—a gentle quality that has powerful reverberations. Lebanese-American writer and poet Kahil Gibran said, “The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the greatest intention.” Kindness is a soft verb; one that must … Read more