When my boyfriend asked to move in with me in 2017, I said no. We’d been dating for a year, and both of our New York City leases were about to expire. We’d save so much money if we lived in just one place, he said. But I panicked. Our lives felt so boring. We…
As with many of her fans, Taylor Swift and her discography has long been an important part of my personal story. She even became an unexpected source of inspiration during a moment of career transition. I left my job as an aerospace engineer and human spaceflight designer at NASA to pursue an MBA at Harvard…
Parents are constantly searching for ways to get their kids to listen. But a lot of us focus too much on trying to get them to obey in the moment, rather than building genuine long-term cooperation. I’ve studied over 200 parent-child relationships, and I’m a mother myself. I’ve learned that kids listen best when they…
No matter what your age is, you may have experienced an occasional memory challenge, like misplacing your car keys or walking into a room and forgetting why you’re there. These are normal incidents of age-related forgetfulness. But I’ve discovered that the key to excellent memory is to be intentional and proactive with cognitive-boosting activities every…
Could you build a house that’s the size of a closet? That’s the question I wanted to answer when I set out to build what might be one of the smallest livable homes around — just 19.4 by 4 feet — in my front yard in southern Ohio. I’ve always been obsessed with tiny living. I…
One of the most common myths about long-term relationships is that couples eventually run out of things to say. It’s easy to believe: Life gets busy, routines take over and conversations become more about logistics than connection. As a psychologist who studies couples, and based on my own experience being happily married, I know how…
Like many Americans, I had always dreamed up moving to Europe. And in 2015, at 35, I decided to leave Texas for Spain. Two years later, I founded She Hit Refresh, a community that helps women over 30 take the leap abroad. Since then, I’ve helped hundreds of women build new lives in countries like…
You’re experienced. You’re sharp. You know what you’re talking about. So why is it that people sometimes talk over you, miss your emails, or overlook your ideas? Often, it comes down to the words you use. As a keynote speaker, LinkedIn Learning Instructor, and author of “Unforgettable Presence,” I’ve taught dozens of Fortune 500 teams…
Every parent knows what it’s like to face tantrums, meltdowns, and emotional outbursts. They can make everyday life feel impossible. But after years of studying over 200 parent-child relationships (and from practicing healthy habits with my own child), I’ve found that parents who are really good at handling tantrums use language that soothes, validates, and guides. They…
I know what it’s like to have inconsiderate houseguests — the kind where you can’t wait for them to leave. I don’t ever want to be that person when I’m in another country. I’ve been traveling almost as long as I’ve been alive. I’ve made it to all seven continents, 70 countries, and 47 U.S….
