When I was a child I was certain grown ups knew everything. I assumed they collected that vast and complete body of knowledge in college, the magical place people went into as kids and came out of as adults worthy of real jobs. Now, of course, I know the truth: there is always more we need to know.

When it comes to learning, we can never experience enough. Because the world in which we work and live is constantly evolving, we must always be expanding our understanding of it. The minute you decide you no longer need to be taught is the instant you start to become irrelevant in your industry and boring in your dinner-party conversations.

A life of continued fulfillment is a life of constant learning.
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Recently, I made my children spend a day writing cards and handing them out to strangers in our neighborhood. I’d been wanting to get them involved in a kindness project for a while, and a sponsorship on my blog gave me the nudge I’d needed to make the time. The three of us had a great time, and I’m so glad we made kindness a priority for one day.

Most moms don’t find themselves in a position of being paid for doing good.

Normally, we have to balance random kindness with work, school, household chores, personal care, and maintaining relationships.

Normally, we rely on the unexpected opportunities to do good. We hold doors, carry a grocery bag, or let someone turn left across from us at a green light.

And while those small kindness are important and impactful, they can sometimes feel too small to be seen by the little ones for whom we model good character.

How can we, as busy parents, easily involve our kids in random acts of kindness?
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Chaos tends to reign supreme in the life of a working parent. The metaphors used to characterize us include juggling, wearing multiple hats, and balancing on what must be a precariously narrow line. If those images are true, danger – or failure – is always one small mistake away. It’s no wonder, then, that so many women tell me the one thing they want to feel more of is peace.

Peace. Calm. Serenity.

These words are rarely used to describe our lives, but we need quiet to balance out the rest of the noise and frenzy.

I’ve found adding one or two little habits to my routine can make a big difference in how peaceful I feel overall. A few moments of calm helps me cope with a whole lot of chaos.
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For most of my son’s life, I’ve let him choose which extra curricular activities he will participate in. I haven’t prodded or forced him to sign up for sports his parents used to play. Recently, however, I’ve decided that a little more pushing is in order, and he’s been instructed to find a competitive team at school to join this spring. He’s not pleased, but I’m convinced I have good reasons for this parental interference and that the benefits to him are worth his teenage wrath.
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Personal development gurus and motivational speakers promise that those who do what they love will never work a day in their lives - and those lives will be filled with happiness and purpose. But writer Miya Tokumitsu insists that the “Do What You Love” mantra is bad for work and workers. As a working mother with two children to influence, I find myself wondering what I believe and what I want to teach the next generation of workers.
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I turned 34 this month, and I’m happy to say that my birthday was a wonderful day. I received gifts from my husband and mom, and cards and texts from friends and family. But perhaps my favorite thing I received that day was something I gave myself: permission to celebrate.

It seems like the older we get, the more we’re supposed to insist that our birthdays aren’t worth recognizing. We’re not supposed to request gifts or expect singing. I don’t know if this is because turning a year older can be a little scary, or because with age comes the expectation that we aren’t worthy of a fuss.

Well, I am worthy.

And with age has come the realization that I don’t need to wait for someone else to throw me a party.
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Conventional wisdom says that money can’t buy happiness, but I’m certain that saving it makes me feel fantastic. In fact, few things make me feel more safe and secure than a stash of cash I’m not spending. A savings account helps me sleep at night with fewer fears about the “what ifs”… what if the car breaks down, the roof leaks, or someone gets laid off?

Of course, having money in a savings account and putting money away are two different animals. The process of building up a nest egg can seem impossible - or at least mighty inconvenient. These tips and a little mindset change can make saving money almost as fun as spending it.
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I remember a time when Twitter was only populated by bloggers and tech writers. Now, even grandma might be checking out her twitter feed during Sunday dinner. Not only that, but you’re more likely to find out about school delays and winter road conditions on Facebook than the morning news. Social media is the new Internet, and everyone is plugged in.

In part because of that pervasiveness, many people are finding that social media is crossing the line from enhancing their lives to disrupting it. Smartphones - and the platforms they connect us to - are now omnipresent at dinner tables, in the checkout line, and on the night table. Our tendency to always have one thumb in the digital world means we never have to be bored or alone - but it can also rob us of mindful moments and opportunities to deeply connect in person.
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As the calendar turns from one year to the next, many of us feel drawn to evaluate our lives and make changes. Why? Because we all want to be happy. That’s the root of all New Years Resolutions, really; we are hardwired to want happiness.

But what will really make you happy in 2014? Psychologist Dan Gilbert tells us that humans are horrible at predicting what will make them happy. Perhaps that’s why so few of us actually follow through with our resolutions for a full year: we quit when what we thought would make us happy doesn’t.

So what resolutions can you make this year that could actually make you happier in 2014?
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Let’s assume that we are all very grateful and polite people. We know to smile and say thank you when given a gift, and more often than not we appreciate the generosity that’s been shown to us.

But… still…

Sometimes even the most grateful among us ends up with a box or two of “what the heck were they thinking?” from a well-meaning loved one. Or, perhaps you’re trying to downsize your life and have simply been overwhelmed by too much stuff.

What’s a kind person to do with unwanted gifts?
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