As the Gauguin exhibit winds up a successful run at The Art Institute of Chicago, what can we learn from Gauguin's life and work that could inspire our own lives?

For many years, I wanted to be a member at Art Institute of Chicago. I thought about it each time I received one of their tasteful email invitations. I imagined if I were a member, I would just go there, with no excuse not to, and it would be a wonderful part of my life. Membership was one of those things that sounded good, but I never did it. 

What happened to transform a brash, fearless world traveler and adventurer into a shy and paranoid man as he approached 60 and died at 61? After 17 years of meticulous research, forensic psychiatrist Andrew Farah addresses this question in his recent book, Hemingway's Brain.

By Diane Wilson from Viewpoints in the Wednesday Journal.

There is a link between low levels of melatonin and cancer, specifically breast, ovarian, and prostate. Recent studies show that exposure to light at night can actually increase tumor growth. Melatonin production is suppressed and normal circadian rhythms are interrupted. Learn more about what you can do. 

Last week I felt like I hadn't had enough vacation time even though I was just returning from the long holiday break. The fact that it was consistently less than 10 degrees outside certainly was a factor but another was my deep sense of fatigue. My spirits picked up some once in the office. Lots of self-care over time helped too – yoga, Zumba and sleep -- but I still felt tired. 

Looking for refuge after a busy, somewhat chaotic pre-holiday season, I latched onto this book I've been wanting to read titled "Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation" by Sharon Salzberg. Here is one of my favorite parts so far:

Today is the day before we elect our next president and the world is swimming with vrittis of chitta (swirls of energy), as am I. There is concern about what will happen and how it will affect us all. I can’t have all this in my head and concentrate today. So I am meditating on this: 

As a psychotherapist and coach, I say with certainty that many people are stressed now. The constant chaos around who said what outrageous thing and who is telling the truth is like a thick veil of ugliness that weighs heavy. Maintaining good mental health is a bigger project than it usually is.

Here are 8 ways to cope:

Yes, meditation can be a part of brain training. It’s a superpower which helps in many ways. It’s a wonderful supplement to the primary component of my practice: neurofeedback. And it’s an excellent aid for my clients who are focused on peak performance, have anxiety concerns and are dealing sleep issues and ADD.

Have you ever had a boss or been a boss for whom everything was an emotional issue?  

As a leadership coach, one major pattern I often see that gets leaders in trouble has to do with brain function. I'll make this simple. Different parts of the brain do different things. Operating from different locations, particularly the Limbic Brain or Prefrontal Cortex, can help or hurt our efforts. 

I love reading before I go to sleep and while traveling on a plane or train. These books are keeping my attention and are honestly pretty inspiring.

Do you ever just feel like you visited too much, ate too much, spent too much money on a vacation and didn’t have a chance to truly recharge yourself?

Get your brain in shape this summer at our customized Summer Brain Boot Camp. Learn more here.

I became fascinated by memory and trauma after being in a car accident. As you may know, one day I was sitting in my car at a stoplight, minding my own business, and was broadsided by another driver. Of course, this kind of trauma changed my life. But eventually, with the help of family, friends and a great neurotherapist, I mustered the effort to heal and go forward.

My review of the movie "Concussion" appeared in the Wednesday Journal on February 2. Because of my work helping people function at their best, this film was an important one to see and one that truly deserves more attention from the Academy, particularly for Will Smith's performance.

A few thoughts from shortly after 9/11/01 that still feel relevant after the San Bernardino attack. Life is growth. Rally courage to not become hardened and deeply fearful. Be careful in your judgment of others. 

This is the year of my mother’s passing.

I ask myself, from my training as a psychotherapist and coach and from my humble and flawed background as a daughter and sister, having made all possible mistakes, what I can share that might make life less difficult for you? Here are my lessons learned, so far:

Sarah (not her real name) was an insomniac.

When trying to close her eyes and relax each night, a freight train was rushing by in her mind, each car filled with ideas, fears, anxieties; ideas, fears, anxieties; ideas, fears, anxieties. Instead of bringing relief, sleeping pills and alcohol had only pulled her into an added problem with addiction.

When I talk with people about my neurofeedback work, the response is often the same: "That's amazing, you do brain scans? I'd like to do that some day." 

Now you have the opportunity.

Anyone who has ever driven I-80 any long distance, especially from Chicago going east, will testify to the monotony and beauty of the trip. The peaceful journey through farmland was a sharp contrast to the intense, fast-paced conference on innovations in neuroscience and treatment at my Cleveland destination.