Dwight Hill

I've studied happiness for years — here are the 12 best pieces of advice I'm giving my daughter

"Drift" is the decision we make by not deciding, or by making a decision that unleashes consequences for which we don't take responsibility.<p>You go to medical school because both your parents are doctors. You get married because all your friends are getting married. You take a job because someone …

5 Whiskies That You Should Just Drink Straight

Science Discovered That Banning Small Talk from Your Conversations Makes You Happier (Try Asking These 13 Questions Instead)

It's time to delete questions like 'what do you do?' and 'where do you live?' from your vocabulary forever.<p>Ever walk into a networking event or cocktail party and all you hear is superficial chit-chat? The small talk is deafening and doesn't evolve into anything substantial. You can hardly stand …

Should You Go Here: “The World’s Most Dangerous Hike”

Hello, and welcome to the column where I advise you whether or not to go somewhere.<p>Should you go here? Glad you asked. I’ll dig deep, and ask …

The 10 Best Breweries in the U.S. to Visit, According to Yelp Reviewers

For tours, tastings, or both.<p>It’s National Beer Day today, and there may be quite few Americans celebrating: More Americans prefer an ice-cold beer …

Victoria Falls 101: How to Visit the World’s Largest Waterfall

There’s no denying it: Victoria Falls is indeed one of the top natural wonders of the world.<p>The Zambezi River, forming the border between Zimbabwe …

Many Americans Try Retirement, Then Change Their Minds

Sue Ellen King had circled her retirement date on the calendar: March 8, 2015.<p>She had worked as a critical care nurse and nursing educator at University of Florida Health (UF Health) in Jacksonville, Fla., for 38 years; co-workers joked that she was there when the hospital’s foundation was laid, …

Finding Meaning and Happiness in Old Age

What’s the best way to develop a healthy perspective on old age? Spend more time with elderly people and discover what brings meaning and pleasure to their twilight years despite the losses, both physical and social, they may have suffered.<p>That’s what two authors of inspired and inspiring books …

25 Exceptional Barrel-Aged Craft Beers

<b>Lolita by Goose Island Beer Co.</b><p>Another one from Chicago’s Goose Island, this Belgian ale is aged at least eight months alongside fresh raspberries in …

The Beginner's Guide to Recognizing and Changing Negative Thoughts

This strategy will help you learn to recognize and replace the negative thoughts that can hold you back in life.<p>A pessimistic, dismal outlook can take a toll on your life in more ways than you might think. Research consistently links negative thinking to increased risk of mental health problems, …

Lefty Kreh, a Fly Fisherman With Few Peers, Is Dead at 93

Lefty Kreh, one of the pre-eminent sport fishermen of his time, died on Wednesday at his home in Cockeysville, Md., north of Baltimore. He was 93.<p>His granddaughter Sammantha Aus said the cause was congestive heart failure.<p>For a half century, Mr. Kreh, a globe-trotting fisherman, journalist and …

Stephen Hawking, in His Own Words

Stephen Hawking, the brilliant physicist who died at 76 in Cambridge, England, on Wednesday (Einstein’s birthday), never won a Nobel Prize. But his book “A Brief History of Time” made him a star beyond his field, and his penchant for dropping bons mots on subjects large and small made him an …

How Exercise Can Keep Aging Muscles and Immune Systems ‘Young’

Remaining physically active as we grow older could help to keep our muscles and immune systems robust, according to two inspiring new studies of older recreational cyclists.<p>Together, the experiments add to growing evidence that some of our assumptions about aging may be outdated and we might have …

Jane Brody’s Personal Secrets to Lasting Weight Loss

When The New York Times hired me to write about science and health 52 years ago, I was 40 pounds overweight. I’d spent the previous three years watching my weight rise as I hopped from one diet to the next in a futile attempt to shed the pounds most recently gained.<p>No amount of exercise, and I did …

Best Back Exercises With Dumbbells

Whether you’re working out with dumbbells by choice or for lack of a barbell, you’ll be glad to hear that dumbbells can actually provide an expedited route to muscle growth—and a broader, more muscular back. Working out with dumbbells requires a greater amount of stabilization, activating more …

7 tips to keep your brain as sharp as your body

When it comes to our hearts, even the non-medical types among us pretty much know what we need to be doing. In a nutshell: exercising and eating right.<p>But when it comes to our brains, guidelines tend to be foggier. Besides, we figure, since we’re probably as smart as we’ll ever be, what can we …

Bahamas Boneyard: Flyfishing for Bonefish in the Marls of Abaco Island

A<b>s the bonefish bulleted away with my line</b>, my heartbeat seemed to lurch into fast-forward. Here in the Marls, a 300-square-mile expanse of tropical …

51 Motivational Quotes to Inspire Willpower, Determination, and Success

Success requires inspiration... and determination.<p>Every successful person I know has willpower, determination, and drive. They may not be smarter than everyone else. They may not be more talented, more skilled, or more experienced.<p>But what they do have is the willingness to persevere. Here are 51 …

Best Exercises to Get Rid of Man Boobs

"Man boobs" can be one of two things: an enlargement of breast tissue due to hormone changes that result in gynecomastia—a condition that occurs most …

When Growing Old Is a Blessing

<b>HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE YOU MAKE</b> <b><br>Lessons From a Year Among the Oldest Old</b><br>By John Leland<br>243 pp. Sarah Crichton Books/Farrar, Straus & Giroux. $26.<p>“Is there a benefit to getting old?” asks the interviewer.<p>John Sorensen looks away from the camera. The pause gives viewers a moment to observe him: a …

12 of the Best Irish Whiskies for St. Patrick's Day, or Any Day

With new whiskey cocktail recipes to match.<p>Irish whiskey used to be the go-to shot to chase down with a can of cheap beer. Not any longer.<p>Over the past decade, exports of Irish whiskey have grown by 300 percent, making it the “fastest growing spirit in the world," according to the Irish Food Board. …

30 Movies from the Past 10 Years Everyone Should Watch at Least Once

Movie night, here we come.<p>If you’re looking for great movies, look no further. I’ve compiled a list of fantastic films from the past ten …

The two mental shifts highly successful people make

<b>“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”</b> — Max Planck, German quantum theorist and Nobel Prize winner<p>There are two primary mental shifts that occur in the lives of all highly successful people. Many make the first, but very few make the second.<p>Both of these …

How to Fit in Exercise While You Travel

Think you won’t have time to exercise on your next vacation? Not according to Annette Lang, a New York City-based certified personal trainer. “You can actually maintain and even improve your fitness level when you’re on the road,” she said. “And, you don’t have to bother with a gym to do it.”<p>Ms. …

How to Be a Good Board Chair

Most board chairs are experienced leaders. Half the chairs of the S&P 500 double as their companies’ chief executives, and the vast majority of the rest are former CEOs. But the close association of the two positions creates problems. It’s difficult for a board led by the CEO to serve as a check on …

It's Time To Say It, Retirement Is Dead, This Is What Will Take its Place.

The tired old notion of retiring is absolutely the wrong way to think about the most important part of your life.<p><i>"We get old when the weight of our memories and regrets starts to exceed that of our dreams."</i><p>When it to comes to the topic of retirement the old rules no longer apply.<p>In 1935 when the …

The 15 most important exercises for men

1. Deadlift<p>Arguably the king of all exercises, the deadlift hits every major muscle group hard, and is perhaps the greatest test of strength there …

Only 2% of people can solve this Einstein riddle — see if you can figure it out

There's nothing like a good riddle to stimulate your mind and give you an excuse to channel your inner Sherlock Holmes. Sure, the thrill of solving puzzles may not give you the adrenaline rush of a skydive, but regularly doing logic and crossword puzzles can keep your brain young as you age. And …