Choosing Joy

“Che brutto giorno!”  (“What an ugly day!”) the woman scowled, dragging on her cigarette as she looked out at the pouring rain, flooding the streets into rivers.   Rosario and I felt otherwise.  Laughing as we splashed through the puddles, we jumped from doorstep to doorstep, stopping to make out and embrace under each dry […]

Lighten Up!

Why are we so intense in our culture?  Why do we tend to work so hard and take ourselves and life so seriously?  What happened to our carefree days of childhood, when we would spend all day playing, laughing, and eating?  Perhaps school squashed the lightness out of us, perhaps our families did, or perhaps both.  […]

How to Be Happy When Your Life is Crappy

How to be happy is no easy question, nor is there a short answer.  Great philosophers and spiritual teachers have spent centuries tackling the quest for human happiness.  Letting go of struggle and negativity and freeing yourself to joyously love and be loved is a lifelong journey.  Meanwhile, there are a few basic check-points on the […]