When I lived in Brooklyn, everyday I’d have a 15-minute walk to the subway. It wasn’t the most scenic walk, if you know what I mean—garbage and litter everywhere; graffiti on every surface (and not even inspiring graffiti!)—and quite frankly, I pretty much dreaded it. There were never any cabs around (this was Brooklyn, after all), so really, walking was my only option. At some point on one of those daily trudges, I started to play a game in my mind—as a distraction and to help time pass. And that’s when my world changed…at least for those 15 minutes.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. But I find it’s so easy to get obsessed with all the food and totally neglect to celebrate what this holiday is actually about: gratitude, abundance, life! So, for those of you who want to make this special occasion more meaningful, consider these creative ways to get the thanks going at Thanksgiving.

What do you want out of life? Most people answer, “I want to be happy.” Unfortunately, my friends, happiness is a problematic request. Why? Because it’s not a realistic goal. Happiness is not a constant, in fact, it can be pretty fleeting. And defining what we need to make us happy can be as elusive as achieving it. So, rather than attempt the impossible by trying to sustain a a state of happiness, it’s a much better and more positive idea to shoot for being whole…which is far more fulfilling than “just” being happy.

This week’s conversation deals with a topic that’s been in the collective consciousness lately, an offshoot prompted by the sorrowful news of Robin Williams’ suicide last August. Which in and of itself is an example of something positive resulting from something tragic...but I’m getting a little ahead of myself here.

We’ve all been there: In conversation with someone who has just checked out. It feels awful. You know the person is not listening. It makes you feel as though what you’re saying isn’t important…or worse, interesting. What do you do?