You may have heard a friend talking about meditating and being mindful, and perhaps dismissed the topic, believing it to be some new-age stuff involving crystals and chanting and what-not. Mindfulness and meditation are about freeing your head of mindless chatter and becoming more focused and relaxed. If you’re having trouble sleeping, find yourself easily stressed, or are having problems getting your work done because you're easily distracted, meditation could help.

Meditation can take many forms, such as concentrating on emptying the mind completely. Mindfulness is simply a form of meditation. It means existing in the present. Many driving mishaps happen because we are thinking of other things, while being mindful means we are focused on the task at hand. Other thoughts may come into our head, but we let them go and concentrate on what we are doing.

If you've lost a loved one or have dealt with a tragic event, the holidays can often serve as yet another reminder of the loss. We can feel as though there's nothing to celebrate, or feel survivor's guilt. These are normal parts of the grieving process, and it's not unusual to feel the need for some kind of support at this time of year.

Just as there are many types of grief, there are many different types of support resources available. It's important to feel that it's okay to grieve, talk, cry, be happy or sad, and to live a full life, even though you are grieving.

“Investment in travel is an investment in yourself.”   ~ Matthew Karsten

What does your calendar look like for the next few months? If it’s like that of many small business people, it’s pretty hectic, with more projects and deadlines than there are hours in the day. Maybe it’s time for a vacation.

I don’t have time for a vacation, you say. Well, maybe you do.

I will never forget seeing what hate can destroy… I will never forget seeing what love can heal…”

        ~ Steve Maraboli, motivational speaker and author

We promised to never forget the events of September 11, 2001, but how much do you remember? The young children of 2001 are entering college this fall—and many have no idea what 9/11 signifies.

How do you deal with stress? Do you just roll with the punches, or do you find yourself sick with worry? While there are many things that happen that we have absolutely no control over—traumatic events like disasters or violence or the death of a loved one— many of the things that cause us stress are the result of our own doing or thinking. Public speaking, for example, is probably the most prevalent fear, but it can be overcome with preparation, training, and practice. It's up to us in how we deal with our fears and other stressful situations.

“Summer was our best season: it was sleeping on the back screened porch in cots, or trying to sleep in the treehouse; summer was everything good to eat; it was a thousand colors in a parched landscape; but most of all, summer was Dill.”

― Harper Lee

Summer is that time of endless possibilities—three whole months when adventures of any sort could happen. Even better, summer is when so many great memories are made, and luckily those memories don't have to be expensive!

After a grueling week, you finally have some downtime. How will you spend it? Running errands? Cleaning house? Squeezing in a little extra work? Maybe you’ll do absolutely nothing— recharging the batteries, so to speak. If you have kids, you may notice that neither of those options produces a very enjoyable day off, particularly when they insist on spending some time with you.

In an iconic Calvin and Hobbs comic strip, Hobbs is reminding 6-year-old Calvin that his leaf project for school will soon be due. “You haven’t even started.”  

“I work better under pressure,” Calvin responds.

“You only work under pressure,” Hobbs grumbles.

When it comes to taxes, many of us can relate to Calvin. The forms, the hassles, the annoying number crunching and obscure rules can make it a nuisance we’d rather not deal with. On top of that, you need to plan for the future as well as deal with the present, which means not only filing this year’s taxes, but gearing up for next year’s as well.

One of the best parts of the holiday season is making it special for the kids. Sure, with these craft ideas they may find out what’s in their stockings, but it’s a chance to create holiday memories that they'll cherish as adults. Mostly what they'll remember is the special time that their parents spent with them, despite mom and dad being busy with work and trying to get everything together for the holidays.

Creating crafts and decorations means that there's a keepsake to treasure for years to come. Crafting is also a great way to teach your child skills that they may enjoy for a lifetime, as well as keeping them busy when your schedule is full.

Do you worry about weight gain when the holidays come around? Think about this: if you gained 5 pounds each year after indulging at holiday parties and family dinners, you could be 25 pounds heavier in five years.

Here are 5 ways to make sure those delicious meals and snacks don't lead to unwanted weight gain:

Autumn marks the time when the foliage becomes a virtual kaleidoscope of beautiful colors—reds and oranges, yellows and golds. Even browns, pinks, purples and blues are known to appear. It’s a beautiful time of year in many parts of the world, but it’s also fleeting. If you're thinking of making a fall color pilgrimage this year, it pays to take a little time to discover when the leaves will be at their peak colors.

When you look at a September calendar and note that the first Monday says “Labor Day,” do you find yourself reflecting on the triumphs of the labor movement, the dedication of our unions or the challenges of the American worker through history? If you’re like most of us, the answer is probably not. Labor Day means the end of summer and time to go back to school. It means the last chance to have a memorable weekend.

In short—it's time to party.

Here are some ideas to help you celebrate this annual end of summer holiday:

Back to school time can be stressful for parents and students alike. The approach of autumn means students need to get back into that education mindset, and there's no time like the present to get started on the new school year. (Psst… there’s a parallel here for us as business owners so don’t be too quick to dismiss this, whether or not you have kids!)

Take a field trip. Ever have that dream where you’re late for that big test because you can't find your classroom? To make sure that dream never becomes a reality, visit your school at the first opportunity to get the layout of the land. If possible, meet the teacher and get an idea of what his or her expectations are for the new class.

It doesn't matter that you're no longer a school child—the prospect of summer can still get you excited about the prospects of adventure: family reunions, school reunions, vacations, day trips, sports, you name it. But nothing can spoil a great time in the hot weather more than… well, the hot weather.

Here are some tips for taking care of yourself and your family this summer:

You gripped the steering wheel so tightly during your commute to the office that you left claw marks. The frown lines that sometimes visit your forehead have now taken up permanent residence and invited their relatives to stay. 

In other words, you might be under a little bit of a strain.

Stress is nothing new. It's been around since the beginning of time, and it doesn't appear to be going out of style any time soon. How we deal with it will go a long way to determining how productive and happy we end up being.