Brain Hacks for the 7 Deadly Sins [Infographic]

The seven deadly sins are lust, gluttony, pride, sloth, vanity, greed, and envy, and as we all learned in explicit detail in the movie Se7en, possessing even one of these qualities can lead to some terrible outcomes. But even if you’re not being hunted down by a serial killer because of your reveling in one of these sins, they still aren’t very positive to possess and look good on no one.

The following infographic goes through each of the seven deadly sins and gives a simple explanation of what it means to possess one of these qualities, and then a brain hack for identifying the trait in your brain and then exploiting or hijacking the thought process in order to eventually change that habit and start looking at the world and at your life in a more positive light, which will ultimately lead to gaining more personal fulfillment.

#PhotoaDayMay: A Favorite Place

We had our first pool day today! I think we may have opened it a little too early, since it still gets down into the high 40′s to low 50′s at night and we still have three blankets on our bed, but we have had several days of hot and humid weather this past week, and next week’s temperatures are being said to get well into the 80′s. When you live in Pennsylvania, the mention of 80-degree weather doesn’t go over too well and the air conditioners coming out of storage is always a reasonable course of action.

Before today, I had only been swimming once in the past 10 years. This is due to a series of different factors; I have long lived with anxiety and depression issues, I don’t …

A Woman’s Journey Back to the Light — Love Thy Self!

Having turned 45 years old this fall and having lost all my children from the nest, I am in a reflective phase of my life. I felt very lonely and lost at first, but am now embracing the opportunity for reflection and a restart of sorts.

Growing up, I was a young girl looking for love any which way I could get it. I was manufacturing love all around me; I loved my gorgeous salesman husband, I loved my curious little children, I slaved to be the best wife and mother I could be. Periodically I felt resentment, loneliness, depression, and a feeling that my life lacked meaning. I had arrived at this place in my life in a daze. I felt like I had never consciously made any decisions for my life.

I pushed these feelings away and concentrated on loving and caring for those …

Stick With It! Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals to Lose Weight

Too often, people will set a weight loss goal, work towards it for a few days or a few weeks, and then give up when they don’t see the results they’d like. It’s no wonder: goal-setting in general is just plain tricky. Fortunately, there are a few characteristics of achievable goals that you can take advantage of when setting your own.

I like the S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting method. It’s not exclusive to fitness, but works really well in this area. S.M.A.R.T. goals are those that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. Here’s how each aspect applies to fitness-related goals:

Be Specific

Pinpoint exactly what you want–be specific! Determine what you want and how you’re going to get there.

To give an example of how this looks in action, a goal like, “lose 15 pounds and be able to do …

Healthy Teeth for Life – 7 Tips for Families with Kids

In his famous novel, Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes wrote, “Every tooth in a man’s head is more valuable than a diamond.” And that is so true; good dental health is an invaluable legacy that we can pass onto our children. I see the proof of it every time one of my children flashes a toothy grin or a dazzling smile.

Children brought up without good dental habits are often subject to frequent visits to their dentist later in life, whether it is for extra teeth whitening or other forms of cosmetic dentistry. Some children never visit a dentist until they reach school age, while others spend their entire childhood never stepping foot inside a dentist’s office.

Each of my children had their first visit to the dentist within a few weeks of cutting their …

5 Ways to Nurture Family Relationships Through Your Pets

Having a pet in our home is something that enriches our lives in many different ways. Pets in general provide us with a sense of physical as well as emotional well-being. When a pet joins your family, it is not hard for you to realize that a change occurs in the lives of you and your family members, and in most households, pets are treated as part of the family. At least that’s the case at our house.

The Pleasure of Bonding with Your Pet

It is easy to see that pets encourage love and compassion among human beings. Sometimes we tend to be too mechanical in our relationships with other people, and forget the value of them, but our animals do not. We can spend little or no time with our family and friends when …