I’ve Been Thinking … 4 Phases To Jumping Into Your Dream Career

When I read the Sunday Paper piece about being “in transition,” I was encouraged by the way Maria's wisdom supported what I learned from years spent collecting the stories of people who successfully jumped from one career to another. There was a time in my own life when I had trouble...

I’ve Been Thinking … Embrace Your Battle Scars

“Show us what you have been through. It tells us what we can survive.” All of our presidents age in office. It is practically a national pastime of ours to marvel at the toll the job takes on the face of our presidents. During President Obama’s second term, I remember being stunned ...

I’ve Been Thinking … Finding Your Rock

The Rock, the Road and the Rabbi, chronicles Kathie Lee Gifford's personal journey to the land of Israel where she went to discover a deeper understanding of the Bible's ancient text. In this excerpt, she recounts the moment her late husband, Frank, had his spiritual awakening. The next d...

Maria’s Sunday Paper: And the Doctor Said, ‘Go Live Your Life…’

A few weeks ago, I went to visit my friend Nancy. She didn’t ask me to come, I just went. I went because she told me the doctor (actually, multiple doctors) had told her there was nothing left to be done for her. Her cancer — the disease she had long kept at bay — had finally gotten...

I’ve Been Thinking … Choosing Gratitude as a Way of Life

A friend of mine recently went through a painful personal crisis. At first, it seemed to be the result of a breakup. Then it went deeper, as he realized that he did not understand the meaning or purpose of his own life. He was both anxious and depressed. “I think,” he confessed, “that ...

I’ve Been Thinking … Holy Week Is A Time to Reflect On Where We Are Broken

I remember the first time my oldest son cut himself. He was a year and a half old. We were in the backyard. It was summertime and he was wearing blue shorts and a white t-shirt. Still wobbly on his legs, he fell on a patch of concrete and scraped his knee. This was a traumatic experience. No...

Making Caring Common Shows Us How to Raise Caring, Ethical Youth in Today’s Social Climate

The notion to elevate the emotional intelligence of today's youth was the goal for Richard Weissbourd and Stephanie Jones, faculty at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, when they founded Making Caring Common in 2012. The program utilizes research, expert guidance, and the insights of...

Jay Shetty’s Goal Is to Make ‘Wisdom Go Viral’

Have you ever met someone who inspired you so much, it changed the path of your life? It is exactly what happened to Jay Shetty who is a very successful millennial content creator and motivational speaker with millions of followers Facebook. At age 18, Jay went to hear a monk speak whi...

Maria’s Sunday Paper: Changing the Way We Think About Fear

As I travel around the country for my “I’ve Been Thinking…” book tour, I continue to be moved by the conversations I’m having with people along the way. This week, I was particularly struck by the conversations I’ve had with people about fear. Fear. It’s one of the scariest ...

I’ve Been Thinking … Letter to a Shelter Dog

Dear Paloma, There you were, standing on your hind legs with your two giant paws up on the kennel door, like you’d been waiting for me. Perhaps you knew I’d just binged on a stale, two-day-old birthday cake in the break room of the San Diego Humane Society, where I worked and you live...