When one makes a decision to live transformationally, first and foremost, one is making a statement about the nature of the world and of humanity – a statement of deep conviction. One cannot reveal an essence that one is not firmly convinced is there. It also does not matter what one’s particular religion or belief system is – anyone can choose to live transformationally – there is no contradiction.

Read on to see which principles will lead you to a transformational life.

How do you know which of your partner criteria you should hold out for forever? Which are the ones it’s okay to compromise on? The longer you are single, the harder it becomes to figure it out.

Jews have been keeping track of relationships for millennia—from the complex family trees in Deuteronomy to genealogical lists in the Books of Chronicles—but in recent decades the social ritual has taken on new life, and a new name: Jewish Geography.

We’re into week two of the New Year and if you made a New Year’s Resolution, this is about the time when you might be questioning how long you can keep it up.  I know many of my own diet resolutions were compromised when Saturday night rolled around and I thought, “Well, what harm could one little dessert do?”  Turns out… a lot.  It’s not the actual calories of the dessert that are most detrimental but rather the mental toll of putting a crack in your self-empowerment armor. So, what if your resolution was to meet someone new?

Some men distinguish themselves by being great scientists, statesmen, artists.  I was a woman’s last online dating hope.  I did not choose or go after this “honor” – it was bestowed upon me by Kathy, whom I met on JDate.  Kathy informed me that her experiences meeting online dates in person had been so horrible, so traumatic, so soul-draining, that she decided to give the process just one more chance.  She’d decided to meet one more guy before removing herself from online dating for all eternity – and I happened to be the guy; the last guy she was going to meet; her final chance for online romance.

We all remember The Peanuts gang with Charlie Brown and all of his buddies. Well, when it comes to hygiene there are just too many men and even women who resemble Pig-Pen…he walked around with a circle of dust constantly swirling about his person. Eewww!

As discussed in the previous column, empathy alone does not necessarily make people take action on behalf of others – much less the kind of conscious action that leads to transformation. Feelings in and of themselves are just not strong enough – particularly when other factors are in play (outer pressure, inconvenience, ideology, direct orders from others, etc.).

Most people shy away from stating political views in their profiles – but that looks like a big mistake. It may attract more dates, but long marriages tend to be among partners with similar political ideologies.

2012 is here. As you plunge into the New Year, take this moment of surging optimism and energy to revive your spirit and discover new and better versions of what you can be.

I think I may be a little late jumping on the chia seed health train. I have an expensive bag of the flavorless gelatin-y seeds in my cupboard. And I have, reluctantly, gulped down a third of the bag, each time convincing myself how great I would feel and how my heart would thank me for all the Omega-3’s. Then I conveniently stuffed the bag behind a very decorative bag of some holiday festooned white chocolate and peppermint coated pretzels. Yum! Well, after polishing off the pretzels, the chia bag is again visible and mocking me. It is time to work on the recent resolution, already several days old, of trying to eat healthfully. Not so easy for a chef.