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At this time of year, don't just write a check, roll up your sleeves, find your voice and do good!  It’s a new year and we are among those who feel that one person can make a difference even in a world beset by so many problems. Each of us wants to leave the world a better place than we found it. We have kids and grandkids. Now’s our chance to foster change.  As baby boomers, we envision these years as an extraordinary opportunity to volunteer and make a difference in so many ways--not just by writing checks but by...

You’re talking to your daughter on the phone and she tells you that her boyfriend bought her a printer for her birthday. Do you jump in and say: “How could he give you something electronic? What ever happened to flowers, jewelry or at least candy?” Judgmental or opinionated?   Your friend orders eel at a sushi restaurant. You roll your eyes and when the sushi arrives, you make a face and say: “Yuck, not for me.”   Judgmental or opinionated?   You eat at an upscale NYC diner and order a grilled cheese sandwich with fries. A friend asks what you ate for...

There are many times when being a spectator is a choice--watching the U.S. Open with a great view of Court 1 and surrounding visitors. Maybe, you'll catch a glimpse of one of the Williams' sisters or some other celebrity. Or how about attending a scintillating lecture on art you love to collect, listen to a lively U.S. Presidential debate or some glorious classical music. How lucky can you get?  However, when you're out to dinner with friends and little of the conversation has to do with you--not even a morsel about what you're doing or how your family is, you...

We all have disappointments...at times. You lose your job. You’re dumped by a boyfriend of five years. You don’t win the lottery. Your kid doesn’t get into the college of his choice. It's impossible not to experience disappointment if you have a life such as friendships, romantic liaisons and business relationships. And as you turn age 50plus, the disappointments mount and get more serious. Losses of loved ones through death or divorce, as we know all too well.     Some of the biggest disappointments happen in relationships where everybody has different expectations, which often aren't verbalized sufficiently or clear enough...

A pie chart is the perfect metaphor to visualize almost everything in your life. A round circle, you can divide it into any number of different-size pieces to display the relative size of various data. It might showcase your income and how you typically spend it—the biggest slice for housing, a smaller one for food and yet smaller ones for clothing, travel and entertainment. Seeing all together in one visual can help you to grasp how if you spent less on your home-related costs you might be able to retire sooner or take a long wished for vacation. A pie...