Last week, my son went to a small pool party and one of the kids who were invited did not show up. Somebody said Nick could not come because he was working. Nick, you should know, is a 14-year-old kid and had just started working at a donut shop that had opened next to his house. Obviously, a whole conversation started about working kids and whether or not it is good for kids to go to work.
Everyone Knows the Truth
Ronit and I love movies about relationships. We prefer movies showing “real” people (as opposed to flashy, overly unique characters) going through “real” challenges and hopefully completing a positive personal journey by the end of the film. This way, we can take something home with us, discuss it, learn from it and share the growth.
Read Everyone Knows the Truth »
Cooking, Eating and Success
My mom always says, “You will eat tomorrow what you cook today” (my mom was a chef, so many of her proverbs come from the cooking world). I think she heard it from her mother, who heard it from her mother, but I am sure that if I trace it long enough back, I will discover this proverb is very ancient, but I doubt most people understand it.
You see, many people cannot find the correlation between their actions and the outcomes they get. When such people are still young, we say it will take them time to learn. When they get older, we call them “stupid”.
I guess this means we are all stupid, because none of us have the ultimate formula for cause and effect. After all, life is a big guessing game based on trial and error and our level of success depends on which attempt we are at.
Nevertheless, there is one thing I know that definitely works and that is doing things in the right order: First we have to cook, then we can eat!
Read Cooking, Eating and Success »
Things I Want My Kids to Know: Rise Up!
Some time ago, my teen daughter went to a teen motivation seminar (that shall remain anonymous at this stage). Gal and I were very happy she was going to participate. As you can imagine, us two life coaching parents are happy with every opportunity for our kids to hear some of our “preaching” from someone else. However, she came back so disappointed, our heart dropped.
Fearless Living
Every human being is delivered from a warm, dark, quiet and completely safe environment into the ever changing, sometimes rough world. Most modern babies’ first experience outside their mother is a bright light in a cold room, being shaken (although not stirred) and handled by many hands. Imagine the fear in the little creature! Some people think this is so traumatic it must be cleared from the psyche to ensure emotional health.
Read Fearless Living »
Choices and Illusions
Since I was 16, I was fascinated with the human mind. When I discovered my ability to choose my life, I said to myself I needed to remember that moment in my life, the time when I passed from being part of the herd to being a leader. From a confused state of mind, I changed to being clear, successful and happy. Straight afterwards, I also got a boyfriend (guess who) and that made life even more fun.
I remember the library as one of my favorite places. Like James Redfield says in The Celestine Prophecy, I believe the people we meet are not there by chance. Well, I have always thought the books I happen to read are not there by coincidence. Our school librarian was very happy I was there every day, taking a book and actually reading it. She used to welcome me happily every day and say, “Ronit, I have just the right book for you”. She would then hand me a book about behavior, psychology, morals and the human mind. One day, she brought me a mind research book that talked about the brain and philosophy. I think this book started my journey in the research world, learning as much as I could about how the brain works and giving me my greatest advantage in the special education arena. My rule was, is and will be…
Read Choices and Illusions »
The "Other" Parent
In many marriages, one partner is the main “bread winner”, spending his time (or her time, but mostly his) outside the home, being busy with work-related stuff some of the time at home and needing support from the “other” partner (typically the woman). This creates an imbalance in the family.
Read The "Other" Parent »
Buying Happiness by Giving
Money, whether you like it or not, can buy happiness. Is it better being poor and healthy or rich and sick? I believe the healthy and rich is the better option and I bet you do too.
A recent research has looked for the link between money and happiness and has found out that we can indeed buy happiness, but we get the happiness when we spend our money on someone else.
Read Buying Happiness by Giving »
The Magic Money Jar
Sabrina did not believe it when she overheard the school librarian talking about the days her grandfather had been so poor he used to walk 45 minutes to work to save the money required for a bus ticket. “He made all his money from the jar”, said the librarian to her friend. Sabrina thought he had made his money from building houses and was very surprised.
Read The Magic Money Jar »
Who Wants to Be Busy?
Time is a valuable resource. The older we get, the less spare time we have to do the things we want to do. Most people are trapped in “must do” action so much that fun, pleasure and enjoyment are neglected and shrunk to a minimum.
Read Who Wants to Be Busy? »