I wrote recently about how I was able to help my son - who races go-karts - overcome a physical and mental slump. He dug deep and went on to win a championship. This whole episode got us thinking about some parallels between what was happening out on the track and what takes place in life.

That's the focus of this episode of Happy & Free with Val and Dan.

What do you have to learn from karts zooming around a road course? Listen up.

We recently took in the Boston Marathon. It's an amazing thing to watch elite runners slice through miles like a knife in hot butter without breaking a sweat. However, the majority of the runners seemed to be grinding out every single step.

As we watched, there was some much that mirrored everyday life.

On this episode of our podcast Happy & Free with Val and Dan, learn how running can improve your life without strapping on tennis shoes.

A Bed & Breakfast still conjures up warm feelings of the past, long before chain hotels, when people checked in for more than a room. They wanted something that felt a bit like home and local tales and treats from the innkeeper. Tucked in big cities and scattered across the countryside, B&B's still beckon travelers from near and far.

We met one innkeeper in the suburbs of Boston who makes the beds, pours the tea, and serves up a healthy dose of conversation.

You'll hear her stories on this edition of Happy & Free with Val and Dan.

Your mind is a powerful thing. You can imagine great things and make them happen. You can also worry about things and end up going down a dark hole. What if you were to spend more time focusing on the positive? How would it revolutionize your life?

That is what we're talking about on this edition of our podcast, Happy & Free with Val and Dan.

There is so much to distract us, but if we learn to focus in the right direction and zoom in on the positive, it could make a big difference.

Plants are great for the environment. They produce oxygen and can even purify the air in your home. Beyond those benefits, there are plenty of similarities between plants and your life.

On this episode of Happy & Free with Val and Dan, learn how to treat your life like a plant and see how it grows in spectacular ways.

We plan for our financial future by putting aside money in a 401k or an IRA. Maybe it's a pension or equity in your big house that you plan to one day cash out. But have you taken a moment to plan for your overall future?

That's what we're talking about on this edition of our podcast, Happy & Free with Val and Dan. We'll walk you through a checklist on what you should examine as you make your plans for the future – from your passions and needs to your legacy.

You don't want to miss it. Listen, learn, and share.

Some people excuse a little white lie; others boldly tell untruths. In some cases, it's about brushing off a nuisance, but others take to lying as a way to deceive, to polish an image, or to move ahead in careers.

On this episode of Happy & Free with Val and Dan, we'll tackle the old art of lying. Did you know that 60% of us can't go 10 minutes without telling a lie?

Listen, learn, and stop lying.

Falling in love is easy. Living in love is much more difficult. We all make quick and emotional decisions, and then wake up in a relationship that doesn't quite fit. It's like a pair of really nice shoes that are a half size off.

In this episode of Happy & Free with Val and Dan, follow an interesting story about a shopping spree at a bargain store, an expensive pair of shoes, and lessons that may help to strengthen your relationship or make sure you go into your next one with eyes wide open.

This is the time of year when we start getting all those tax related forms, so we can begin getting our papers in order. April is still a ways off, but it's never too early to start planning for what to do when the check arrives in the mail.

The sooner you file, the sooner you'll get paid.

But before you mentally spend your check, listen to this episode of Happy & Free with Val and Dan as we unpack some tips that could help you use your refund to put your financial house in order.

We all breathe without thinking about it, but there's a special kind of breathing that can help you deal with some of life's everyday problems. For example: stress. You can let it tear you apart from the inside out or you can take some deep breaths with a little rhythm and feel the remarkable difference.

Listen to this episode of our podcast Happy & Free with Val and Dan, and breathe along with us as we test some methods that instantly made us feel a little better.