Paul Morphy was a 19th-century New Orleans chess prodigy who was the de facto world chess champion during much of his short life.

Here are what I see as seven of the best reasons for America’s young to speak a language besides English.

We live in an age in which we could theoretically live our lives without the need to leave the house or see another person for days, weeks, months on end. The Japanese have a name – hikikomori – for teenagers or young adults who live as modern-day hermits, refusing to leave their houses for months or even years.

Got a problem? Take a pill. Doesn’t work? Try a different pill, or add another pill to what you’re already taking. The visit may be only fifteen or twenty minutes, and the newest term used for this type of care is “medication management.”

We each are unconsciously trying to return home to our ancient roots. This inner calling can be expressed in healthy or unhealthy ways. If we do not heal our wounds, if we are missing a link in the chain of our journey to find our way home, our shadow will be expressed in destructive ways.

Of course, drinking isn’t limited to a single season, but it holds a prominent place during the holidays. 

You can pray for something specific and get it. Or you can pray for a quality of life, and get that. Praying for specifics is risky, for you are dictating a form. Praying for essence guarantees reward, for you are seeking an energy. Emerson noted that a wise man in a storm prays not for the end of the storm, but for the end of fear.

Everywhere, around the world, in every culture, individuals are responding to an awakening impulse that is resonating throughout the universe and impacting our consciousness in every moment, waking and sleeping. The old human story of disconnection is evolving, ever more rapidly, into a new experience of kinship that feels thoroughly familiar.

If you want to live a certain kind of life, you are going to have to be proactive so you can consciously create life as you would like it. You must first mentally visualize and then physically create what you want. You can do this by having a clear vision and developing strong intentions...

Last spring an 18-year-old college freshman who got straight A’s in high school – but was now failing several courses – came to my office on the campus where I work as a psychologist.

While this article is written for women, its conclusions can be applied to males as well... We are expected to do it all -- all the time. We have taken our ability to multi-task, and to accomplish a tremendous amount, to new levels. We are exhausted!

Even established parties have proven they are not above using tricks to manipulate the news. Meanwhile, politicians are quick to shout “fake news” about anything they disagree with, even accurate stories.

Although 'self-help' information can be readily gleaned, there must be a head-heart, or intellect-feeling connection before one's situation can change. All knowledge learned must be internalized (believed), and processed (discussed, analyzed, emotions explored). Insights must be gained and goals set and attained, in order to resolve unfinished business, heal wounds, and grow.

Many of us tell our children about a rotund, bearded man in red, who lives in the icy tundra at the top of the world.

God manifests divinity by way of people. We are the windows through which heaven shines into the world. The Beatles, talented as they were, did not give themselves their talent. It was seeded within them by a Force far beyond their human personalities. Their role was to bring it to a waiting world.

As things happened, various rules and regulations began to rise along with various laws. You accumulated a long array of very specific things to juggle in order to be 'good enough', certain kinds of food, certain kinds of behavior, thoughts, actions, emotions, and on and on.

Imagine two different societies. In the first, people tend to be stressed, tense, irritable, distracted and self-absorbed. In the second, people tend to be at ease, untroubled, quick to laugh, expansive and self-assured.

When Kendall Jenner recently shared a series of emotionally-charged Instagram posts about her experiences with acne, the 24-year-old model was immediately accused by many online observers of “sadfishing”

Some people cannot distinguish or name the emotions that they feel. In such cases, it's important to increase the emotional vocabulary and learn how varied feelings can be. An easy way to accomplish this is to use an emotional vocabulary list.

To find the “perfect” gift, Americans will spend about 15 hours shopping. Women will do about twice as much as men. And they’ll shell out about US$1 trillion on gifts.

Balance in all things is the correct way to live. So how do we balance our scales to get the correct perspective of life? We must weigh up each situation that comes into our lives and balance our minds to understand what feels good and what doesn't. 

Personality traits can change through persistent intervention and major life events, a review of recent research suggests.

Depression is a major cause of disability around the world, and if left untreated, can lead to substance abuse, anxiety and suicide.