Earlier this month, I announced the Self-Help Book Club, a new fall program I’ve created for the Blair Memorial Library in Clawson. Registration is now open for our September book discussion: How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen, by David Brooks. The discussion will be held on Monday, September 22, 6:00PM to 7:30PM. This highly acclaimed best-seller will help you improve your relationships and deepen your understanding of how other people think. Author David Brooks borrows from the fields of psychology, philosophy, neuroscience, history, and education to help us discover what drives human relationships. To read my review of this title, click here. Enrollment…

“It’s a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on all the things you have long taken for granted.” ~ Bertrand Russell Too often, we take for granted the people and things we love. We assume they’ll always be there for us. And we get lazy. The things we value need regular care and maintenance — whether we’re talking about cars, homes, or relationships. Almost everything will fade or rust with neglect. Likewise, we wrongly assume that Mother Nature is inexhaustible. We take her for granted too. We might turn a blind eye to climate change warnings, or refuse to accept responsibility for the natural beauty we…

“You can’t get away from yourself by moving from one place to another.” ~Ernest Hemingway Most of us think of a vacation as an opportunity to “get away from it all.” We might explore a new city or country, or sip margaritas on a beach. The idea of escaping our problems (or boredom) by leaving home has always held tremendous appeal. Travel is a great distraction. Whether we’re wandering the streets of Paris or touring historic sites in Boston, we secretly hope we’ll return to our routines feeling more worldly or sophisticated. While a change of scenery is good for our mental health, we know that our worries, obligations, and…

“Sometimes the only sane answer to an insane world is insanity.” — Fox Mulder Earlier this spring, I made myself physically ill by consuming a nonstop stream of political news every night on cable TV. My blood pressure fluctuated wildly and my sleep was often disrupted by apocalyptic nightmares. I had to put an end to my nightly news addiction.  That’s why I’m grateful for Comet, the science fiction and fantasy broadcast network that focuses on cult classics such as Grimm and The X-Files. Now, every night before bed, I tune out the politics and catch up with special agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder. I’m happy to report that I have fewer nightmares now.…