Sandwiched Boomers

Now that all the mega-lottery winners have stepped forward, the overwhelming odds are you didn't win. Americans spent $1.5 billion in their quest to win the jackpot, fantasizing about how they would happily spend the $656 million to be paid out to the winner. As it happened, there were three winning tickets so the final after-tax take home for each will be about $100 million. Still, nothing to sneeze at. Are you wondering how winners have fared in the past? In many cases, not so well. Over 1/3 were in serious financial trouble within five years, some facing bankruptcy. Others saw...

We all know about the importance of play for the emotional growth and development of children. It can enhance their imagination, increase social skills and boost self-confidence. So why don't we place more value on play for ourselves? According to a recent study by the Families and Work Institute, half of American women don’t have enough time to spend on themselves and the activities they enjoy.

It has been over ten years since I retired from my full-time practice and spent three months doing volunteer work and traveling in Southeast Asia. One of the best parts of my trip was spending time in the remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. It was their monarch who defined the concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH) to measure quality of life. And Bhutan is the only country in the world that puts happiness and general well-being at the heart of its government policy. The Bhutanese distinguish four pillars of GNH: sustainable development, cultural integrity, ecosystem conservation and good governance. Their Buddhist...