Maximizing Your Happiness Meter

[Happy Faces by Alice Herden -- LEGAL USE OF THIS PHOTO LICENSED AND SECURED VIA DREAMSTIME - August 2014]

Lately, I’m confronting the topic of happiness in my life. I’m a fortunate person; my opportunities are many and I have wonderful people in my life who care about me.

That being said, I want to maximize the “happiness meter” in my life.

How, you ask?

First, let’s consider my diet. I control my calorie intake by using MyFitnessPal, which is a wonderful tool that helps a person monitor their calories to meet their health and weight goals. Currently, I’m happy to announce that I’m in maintenance mode. My current weight is healthy for me, including a healthy body mass index (BMI). However, living in maintenance mode doesn’t mean that I can eat what I want, when I want. As such, when I want to indulge in gratuitous calories, I want to consume the BEST and MOST TASTY foods for the calories consumed. I don’t want to waste them on any old donut; I want to select higher-quality tasty foods that maximize my happiness meter. Last night, that included a large slice of chocolate pie. At first, I thought it was supposed to be chocolate cream, though it turned out to be chocolate meringue. *insert sad expression* I don’t like meringue, so I only ate the crust and the chocolate part. While the chocolate portion tasted okay, my happiness meter wasn’t exactly pegged over my selection.

That’s only one example, of course, but you probably see where I’m going with this.

Many aspects of our life are finite, chiefly among them, our life span. So, when I have some discretionary time available to me, I want to expend the moments via the most satisfying manner possible. That is, I want to maximize my happiness meter.

Recently, I decided that I want to read a novel…someone else’s! I carefully perused my to-be-read (TBR) list and researched my top three selections on both Goodreads and Amazon. Finally, I downloaded The Name of the Wind, the first book in the Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss. I’m staring it today, in fact. Therefore, my happiness meter is currently in flux. I’ll let you know how that turns out.

Do you have a happiness meter? If so, what satisfying “item” pegged it for you most recently?

And, of course, what are you reading right now?

I want to know, so please leave a comment for me!

Oh, and my latest YouTube video for the week of October 11th is going live by tonight, so please check it out! My YouTube videos are at CLICK HERE.

Until later, enjoy life; be kind to those around you, and Happy Reading! Peace.

Ant-Man…Need I Say More?

Have you seen the new superhero Ant-Man movie yet?

(As opposed to the old Ant-Man movie…which, yeah, there wasn’t one.)

If haven’t seen the film yet, you should. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Ant-Man was the perfect example of Marvel at its best.

I was never an avid follower of Ant-Man during my comic book phase as a kid, but I had heard of him. Let’s be honest, though cute-sounding, his name doesn’t inspire visions of daring heroic feats. Rather, you think of a small guy running around, which frankly “ant” the sort of thing that ranks up there with the powers of the other Avengers. So, imagine my complete and utter surprise when I found that this film was among one of the best, most enjoyable, superhero films that I have seen in many years. I became an immediate Ant-Man fan! (By the way, I get tickled over how that sounds when you say it over and over again: Ant-Man fan, Ant-Man fan, Ant-Man fan!)

To avoid spoilers for those of you who haven’t seen the movie yet, I’ll keep my comments and observations very general in nature. Maybe I’ll add a spoiler-inclusive video in my YouTube channel sometime soon for my other opinions and insights. Moving on…

Paul Rudd portrays Ant-Man.

Part of the enjoyment of the film is the impeccable casting of the main characters. Paul Rudd is, by far, the most wonderful selection to represent Scott Lang, aka Ant-Man. (Granted, Rudd is technically portraying the second incarnation of Ant-Man, following the original by Hank Pym, but let’s not split hairs here.) Nevertheless, I’ve been an ardent fan of Paul Rudd and his work for many, many years. He’s like the perfect “everyman” which many of you know is the type of hero reflected with Caleb, the human protagonist from my Sunset Vampire series.

Hell, I’m an everyman sort of person in real life, so what’s not to love about Paul Rudd as Ant-Man? Rudd embodies the intelligent sort of nice guy who’s trying to turn his life around and take an active role in his young daughter’s life. Oh, and the little girl who portrays his daughter Cassie in the movie, young actress Abby Ryder Fortson, is SO CUTE and adorable!

Michael Pena portrays a humorous character named Luis in the Ant-Man film.

The added humor interjected by supporting actor, Michael Pena, adds laughs to numerous moments in the movie and providing a nice foil to Paul Rudd’s more subtle, tongue-in-cheek situational humor and dialogue.

 The movie Ant-Man explores father-daughter relationships.

The film does a good job of presenting the primary characters and their backstories to viewers who have no knowledge of Ant-Man or his lore in comic history. To its credit, the central story doesn’t rely heavily on science fiction themes and superheroes/villains, but rather emphasizes the personal challenges and very human-relatable relationship struggles between the central characters. The movie has a great underlying theme about father-daughter relationships that plays well among multiple characters and helps the audience to empathize with them. Honestly, that sort of blew me away because I wasn’t expecting the movie to resonate with me at such an emotional level. This sort of approach gives me hope that Hollywood is FINALLY starting to present basic human interest subplots and themes in ways that mass audiences can appreciate and easily digest, while also generously heaping on the superhero/villain conflicts that traditional comic fanboys and fangirls are expecting. Now I’m looking to DC Comics and wondering if they can credibly approach what Marvel Studios is already perfecting. While we may see something hopeful next year with Batman v Superman, I don’t expect much in the human relations category from the Suicide Squad film that follows. We’ll see.

Who is Ant-Man?

So, back to the Ant-Man movie. Who is Ant-Man? Well, in briefest form, Ant-Man is a human wearing a special suit that uses a secret chemical formula to shrink him down to much smaller form (essentially, insect sized), yet imbuing him with 20 times (or more) his normal strength, as its all compacted into a smaller area. There’s also technology in the helmet that permits him to interact with ants (of all subspecies and varieties) to assist him with his missions. I know that doesn’t sound impressive, but believe me, it’s quite formidable when you see how it’s married together on the big screen. I’m very impressed, and it makes logical sense…from a purely fantastical, science-fictiony perspective.

Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas in the Ant-Man film.

One of the things I particularly enjoyed about the film was that it posed the question, “Do you think that everyone deserves a second chance?” The film explored the idea of redemption, which I found as a refreshing undercurrent that guided the central characters. It’s a topic that doesn’t regularly get explored in superhero films in a manner that the average person can relate to. There’s a sincere quality to the way it’s handled in Ant-Man that’s both reassuring and realistic.

Overall, I give the film my whole-hearted endorsement. It’s a 10 out of 10, and also a film that I eagerly intend to add to my home movie collection. Moreover, stay until the FINAL credits finish rolling to not only gain insight into where the Ant-Man storyline is continuing, but also get a brief sneak-peek into next year’s Captain America: Civil War movie.

That’s all for now, but leave me a comment telling me if you’re already an Ant-Man fan, and/or what you thought of the movie. Until next time, enjoy life; be kind to those around you, and Happy Reading! Peace.

Fangs for the Memories…

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 7

Well, it’s over.

I’ve completed the entire Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series. I just finished season 7 a few days ago, and I have to say, it’s one of the all-time, best-quality television series in history! Not only was the cast of actors exemplary in representing their characters, but Joss Whedon is a genius who produced episodes with themes classically relevant to the actual everyday problems faced by real people, though with a decidedly satisfying dose of mysticism, pop culture, and pure fantasy. I feel so lame for having waited an additional 12 years to catch up with everyone else! Now I see precisely what my friend, Shannon, had been preaching to me about for YEARS. My apologies for being so late to the party, Shannon. Oh, and…you were SO RIGHT!!

The Scooby Gang from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

I felt immense loss when the credits rolled at the end of the final episode, as if an old friend were moving away forever. I kept wanting to know MORE about where the self-proclaimed “Scooby Gang” characters were headed in their lives, as well as how they reconciled their lingering personal challenges.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: "Once More, With Feeling" Episode

Looking back I have to say that my favorite Buffy episode was “Once More, With Feeling” from season 6. That was one of the best TV episodes that I have ever seen! And while I’m not even a big fan of musicals, it made my list of Top-3 all-time favorite musicals, too. OMG, I immediately went out to iTunes and purchased the album, which has since been replayed again and again on my iPhone. I’m a shameless fan-boy for all things Buffy now.

Angel TV Series

However, I was also smitten with the companion series, Angel, which I have watched intermittently throughout my Buffy journey. It’s very good, as well, and it was thoroughly enjoyable to see ex-Buffy regulars appear on the Angel series. I’m currently over halfway finished with season 5, and it’s VERY different in its setting. As in BTVS, the storylines are thoughtful, often emotional, often humorous, and highly entertaining. If anything, it continues my connection of “new” material from the Buffy universe (albeit, more than ten years AFTER the series completion!). Once again, better late than never.

Which TV series were you, or are you, completely addicted to?

Until later, enjoy life; be kind to those around you, and Happy Reading! Peace.

Excellent Tips for Improving Your Reading

[Photo by Dreamstime Studio. – Legal use licensed via Dreamstime - May 2015]

If you’re like me, there never seems to be enough time to read. While life has a way to stripping away our free time, more often than not, each of us don’t necessarily do a great job of managing the spare time we have available. That’s why I was happy to run across some helpful advice in a blog posting in Publisher’s Weekly by author Gretchen Rubin where she recommended ten steps to improving a person’s reading abilities.

I found most of her tips very helpful and I’ve begun to incorporate them into my reading routine. Here’s some of her tips that I found particularly helpful.

 Tip #1: Quit reading.

At first, this sounded shocking. However, that simple statement is much more than it appears. In fact, it’s excellent advice! Instead of slogging through a book that you’re simply not able to appreciate, don’t feel guilty or obligated…just STOP READING and put it aside. Move on to something else that catches your eye that perhaps will be more satisfying. Reading shouldn’t be a chore, you should enjoy it. Don’t waste valuable free time reading something you don’t like. Of all of Gretchen’s tips, I appreciated this valuable nugget of wisdom the most.

 Tip #2: Skim.

It’s important to read the things that are most important or that interest you, so quickly glance through media such as newspapers, magazines, or Internet content to find the most relevant content. Only select key items to explore further or in more detail. Spend your reading time wisely and with the focus of maximizing both your reading pleasure and knowledge.

I recall that while completing a graduate course in financial institutions for my master’s degree, my professor mentored us on how to efficiently read the Wall Street journal, as well as most any daily newspaper. He advised us not to spend more than a minute per page scanning article titles and subtitles for content of interest or value to our industry or expertise, and he cautioned us to select only a handful of the most interesting or pertinent articles to read in total. Since then, I’ve regularly applied those principles to reading magazines, newspapers, and online content and it’s paid off handsomely in saving valuable time.

 Tip #3: Set aside time to read demanding books.

Learning and expanding my intellectual horizons is very satisfying to me. As such, it’s good to occasionally read material that challenges or expands your own intellectual horizons. That may include simply reading some classically-written literature or poetry that requires careful consideration to successfully comprehend. (House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne, anybody?)

For style purposes, classical literature and poetry demonstrates how writing styles have changed. From a practical point of view, not only will you learn new and compelling things by broadening your horizons, you may also acquire helpful and essential knowledge that will aid in writing your next novel. Besides, one never knows when they will end up as a contestant on Jeopardy someday. (Hey, I personally know a fellow author, William Bernhardt, who was a successful, winning Jeopardy contestant.)

 Tip #4: Always have plenty of reading material on hand.

You never know when you’ll find yourself pausing at length, so always try to have something to read handy. Today, it’s so easy to install an app on a smartphone or tablet that enables you to download and read eBooks, so this should be relatively easy advice to embrace.

 Tip #5: Keep a reading list, and keep it handy.

For best results, keep that list on your smartphone or tablet so that it’s handy at a moment’s notice, both to reference and to add to when the moment strikes. I started this over four years ago and it’s been invaluable and convenient. It’s even helped me in conversations to recall a book title or author. In truth, I’ve expanded that advice to “books read” and “movies to see” as well.

*pausing* Okay, let’s hold the Type-A personality quips to a minimum, shall we?

At the very least, I’ve graduated to a Type-A-minus nowadays…

 Tip #6: Don’t fight reading inclinations.

Read what you feel in the mood to read and not only will you read more material, you’ll feel more satisfied about reading it. Seriously, this works! For authors, I take that to another level by adding: write what you want to write whenever the mood strikes you. You’ll write more passionately and be happier with the content that you’ve written.

 All in all, I’ve found those six tips invaluable, and they have already improved my reading satisfaction, as well as made better use of my available spare time.

There are a number of other tips that I didn’t list here, so if you’d like to read Gretchen Rubin’s full blog post regarding her reading advice, click HERE.

Happy reading!

[5-2-2015: The link has been corrected for the blog article by Gretchen Rubin. - Jaz]

The Modern Nightmare of Mid-Life Dating

[LEGAL USE OF THIS PHOTO LICENSED AND SECURED VIA DREAMSTIME - August 2014 - Photo by Lsk]

Recently, and after much reflection and observation, it’s occurred to me that dating among adults in the twenty-first century is intriguing, and yet, oddly nightmarish.
For those in their teens and twenties, dating is a natural state of social development and maturity. It’s a nearly magical time when the discovery of someone to share the prospects of career development, raising children, and building upon the hopes and dreams of youth. Dating at any age carries many of the same caveats and challenges within the dating process. Yet, with regard to dating in one’s twenties and thirties, there’s nevertheless a sense that, if one didn’t get it right the first time around, there’s still many years ahead remaining to get it right.
As with shampoo, lather…rinse…repeat.
Fast forward to mid-life, when one may already be well along in their career journey, perhaps actively raising children into their pre-adult years or preparing for the burgeoning college experience. Yes, there are still hopes and dreams for the future, but typically by this time in one’s life, they have become much more seasoned in their life experiences. This is the stage where many people may have adopted a negative mindset regarding prospective suitors, in addition to a keen eye on the relationships that color their past. Often, there’s a guarded sense of reservation that’s also coupled with someone’s proverbial lists of what a prospective suitor “must-have” and/or “must-not-have.”
Oh, don’t get me wrong; love can be found at any age, which is a nearly-magical prospect in itself, providing hope and encouragement to all. Yet, when adults plunge into the foray of twenty-first century dating, there’s not only more variables to contend with, there’s also a heightened sense of self-preservation involved. Essentially it’s oft viewed that one mustn’t make the mistakes of the past regarding their selection of partner, nor can one permit themselves to be made overly vulnerable to be taken advantage of, nor too emotionally involved to walk away unscathed. That’s not to say that I blame someone for feeling that way.
Add to that, the ephemeral first-date concerns to confront with each new date, which is familiar no matter what age you are. Will they like me? Will I feel good chemistry with them? Should I arrive relatively early to the first-date location to display my anticipation, or will that make me appear too desperate? Should I dress smartly to make a really noteworthy first impression, or should I dress tastefully, yet comfortably? Will my conversational topics be a hit or a miss? Do they love cats? (Hint: In my book, they must at least like cats. No cat-haters allowed. That’s one of the few “must-haves” for me.)
Gawd…how I feel a simultaneous sense of equal parts anticipation and dread over the prospect of a first date. Essentially, given everything, it’s a wonder that today’s mid-life adults date at all.
As a romance author, I consider each of these variables part of a rich tapestry from which to develop future storylines, emotional challenges, and character arcs with which to entertain readers. Yet, I’m left wondering if the romance novel “happy ending” is actually realistic in today’s society.
But then, was it ever really?
I’m left pondering my own personal fear about dating and modern-day romance.
What is it, you ask?
Chiefly, that I’m much better writing about romance than actually living it.
Dating in the twenty-first century….what are your thoughts?