happy

On almost everyone's wish list? More time for, well, everything. Laura Vanderkam, author of 168 Hours, explains how we can be happier by paying closer attention to how we spend our time.

Recently, I had the dumbest meltdown ever. A brief loss of perspective led to a hissy fit in - of all places - the Apple store, where I was hoping to buy the new iPhone.

I was walking home last week and I was feeling pretty great about myself. I had just finished a "working" coffee with friends, where we gossiped and made travel plans through semi-productivity. It was a fresh, sunny, satisfying autumn day and I found myself deliberately kicking up the leafs.

Most people think about empathy as feeling each other's pain but if you can feel someone else's pleasure, you are a much happier person in general because it simply brings more joy into your life.

A couple of years ago, I interviewed a psychologist about how to make marriage last and one of his prescriptions surprised me: get a dog. I love dogs, and always have. I smile at them and try to make eye contact.