Who are you striving to be? Following in the footsteps of a family member or creating your own footprints. I encounter too many unhappy people who are trying to be what they think they’re “supposed to be” and feel negative emotions about not being into it. Parents sometimes try to push their kids into their…

 Some people drink alcohol or take medication to calm down. Those may temporarily give you relief from symptoms, but when the effect wear off you can feel worse than before. That’s what contributes to people becoming alcoholics or hooked on drugs or overeating. Substances and food can ease your pain and take you to a…

Dieting seems to be a national pastime. Even skinny people tend to explain the extra pound they must lose. Do you think that models who look beautiful and starve themselves to maintain standards set by an industry are happy? Seeing them probably does more to hurt an average woman’s self-esteem than almost anything else. Looking…

Most people know at least someone who has cancer or have had it. It can bring you down in spirit. When I met cancer survivor Cathy Hamilton, I was struck by her positive attitude about getting through a cancer diagnosis. Cathy is a  happiness coach and founder of Happy Tappy Girl. I asked her to…

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More from Beliefnet and our partners