Should I really make this the topic for my first blog post? Should I organize my desk before I begin? Should I make that Doctor appointment I’ve been putting off first? Should I stop procrastinating and get ON with it?

Well, should I?

That was my self-talk as I began writing this. You see, my mind operates like a compromised computer screen overrun with annoying personal “pop-ups” that scream SHOULD I?

Just as I’m about to be seduced by a tantalizing tale or a sublime sip of chardonnay at the end of a very long day, it happens: “SHOULD I…

Have you ever wondered what you could do to increase your happiness?

My answer is to follow your M.A.P. which is an acronym for:

M=Meaning A=and P=Pleasure. Since meaning is meaningful and pleasure is pleasurable, people are often confused about balancing these two extremes.

They wonder how to incorporate both meaning AND pleasure into their daily lives.

Too much pleasure is called hedonism, and even though there’s a certain amount of short-term enjoyment, there’s usually a lot of pain involved. This enjoyment provides no lasting fulfillment because pleasure is about the present moment; and is often narcissistic.

On the other…

First, the good news! If we’re fortunate to live to age 50 (which is considered midlife based on the assumption of making it to triple-digits), we are technically too old to die young!

This bustling area known as 5th Avenue is a kaleidoscope of vibrant color and contrasts. However, unlike its more recognizable namesake in the Big Apple, here, you won’t find mink coats, McMansions, or (thankfully) blizzards!

Indeed the only snow you’ll see is likely tucked away on a shelf inside a snow globe in one of the countless souvenir shops that line this tourist-rich area in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

A brilliant new moon illuminated our path as we walked through the chilly desert evening to the excursion site. Whispered chit-chat and nervous laughter wafted through the air. Smoke rose in the distance. My heart raced as my mind replayed every anti-alternative lecture I’d ever heard: “Be careful. If you open your mind too much, your brains will fall out.” “Make sure the risk is worth the reward.” “Yada, yada, yada….”

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Let me begin at the beginning.

Years ago, an acquaintance casually remarked that his girlfriend had once “firewalked.” “You mean, she walked barefoot across hot burning coals?!”…

When someone hurts us we lash out — emotionally or physically, perhaps both — depending on the circumstances and our personality type. Some of us internalize our heartaches, unintentionally trapping the pain and causing the unexpressed anger to “pace the cage” inside us.

This repressed pain manifests itself as a poisonous brew of bad habits, toxic relationships, feelings of inferiority, unexplained low-level aches and pains, or a variety of common anxiety disorders and “dis-eases.”