Strolling along Rodeo Drive, it wasn’t uncommon to see one of our Asian visitors decked out in a fabulously trendy outfit and donning a mask. I knew this was quite common in China and thought perhaps they wanted to protect themselves from the Los Angeles smog or simply didn’t want to catch a cold.

You choose what you notice; then, what you notice, becomes the “map” of what you do next. Like the GPS in your car, you set your course with stories you tell yourself. Then, away you go in that direction. The course you take is based on your most dominant thought. Unless you change your perception, you’ll just hum along on automatic pilot without a second thought.

When candy shops spelled shop ‘shoppe’ and children saved their nickels to buy candy cigarettes, you could buy unwrapped horehound cough drops covered in powdered sugar. These cough drops were soothing to sore throats and enjoyed as candy. Today, you can find horehound as an ingredient in Ricola cough drops.

Who did you like best to hang around with as a kid? Most likely, they were playmates who brought out the fun in you. Think of your happiest memories. I’ll bet they include being playful. Connecting with your inner playful child instills joyous memories and may be the best gift you give yourself and your family. So, here are easy ways to focus on fun that I teach students at the Creativity Learning Institute.

Do you know all the positive effects of physical exercise on your body and your mind? I bet you don’t. And even if you do know some of them, you may think that the recommended-by-the-Mayo clinic 30 minutes per day of moderate aerobic activity (about 150 minutes per week) is unattainable.

Who knew? The second Monday of January is dedicated to cleaning off our desks! Well, perfect timing if you ask me. Our desks are doing double and triple duty now more than ever. Many of us are working from home and have added one or two new activities to this space. So let’s roll up our sleeves and get to it!